From Publishers Weekly
One of the warmest and quirkiest mystery series around boasts a new publisher and a welcome burst of fresh energy. Making his 10th appearance (following Death of a Travelling Man ) is lanky, tousle-haired Scottish Highland copper Hamish Macbeth, in the company here of his lazy dog Towser, his higher-born fiancee Priscilla and the quixotic inhabitants of the village of Lochdubh. Hamish, known for his slovenly lifestyle and crafty detecting, meets handsome newcomer, Peter Hynd, whose suave looks send the village womenfolk running to the hairdresser and aerobics classes. Soon they are at each other's throats and queueing up for a place in his bed. The Lothario goes missing and soon the body of one of his conquests is found on the beach, leaving Hamish with two mysteries to solve while his domestic life deteriorates. Beaton's tremendously likable policeman stars here in a tightly wrought tale, with a gem of an ending in which Hamish manages to be both dead right and dead wrong. Further good news is that the series has been optioned by Zenith Productions, the team responsible for the absorbing TV series starring Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Hamish MacBeth is a stubborn, silent, gloomy Scotsman who's also kindhearted, intelligent, and intuitive. A Lochdubh native, he knows his village, the surrounding countryside, and the local folk like the back of his hand. His life is satisfyingly settled--he's engaged to the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, and there have been no serious crimes in Lochdubh for months. Then incredibly handsome Peter Hynd comes to town, charms all the women, antagonizes all the men, and generally turns the town on its ear. Hamish senses trouble brewing, but when a body is discovered, it's not Hynd after all--at least, the first body isn't. Other coppers might be baffled by the case, but not laconic, methodical, determined Hamish, who persists until he unravels the puzzling mystery. Beaton's low-key police procedural doesn't offer white-knuckle suspense, blood and gore, fast-paced action, or stunning climaxes. What it does offer is an intimate look at life in a small Scottish village, striking insights into human nature, carefully detailed, highly accurate descriptions of police work, splendid dry humor, and a story that's as satisfying as a cozy cup of tea. Emily Melton


From Kirkus Reviews
Or is he really dead? The official word on irresistible philanderer Peter Hynd is that he slipped out of his house in the sleepy Scottish village of Drim in the middle of the night, leaving behind a bevy of broken-hearted matrons. But Lochdubh Sgt. Hamish Macbeth (Death of a Travelling Man, 1993, etc.), whose beat includes Drim, is convinced that Peter is dead, even though the broken body that's found at the foot of a cliff is that of besotted housewife Betty Baxter. Suspicious of the phone call that lured Betty out to the cliff for a last rendezvous with Peter, Hamish, in an uncharacteristic fit of industry, affronts both his official superiors and his unofficial fianc‚e, Priscilla Halburton-Smythe (already angry that Hamish has responded to her own brief flirtation with Peter by taking up with Sophy Bisset, the new receptionist at her father's hotel), by spending his vacation alone at Drim, where he noses out clues among such suspects as Betty's husband, who attacked his late wife with a codfish, and their unnervingly maternal daughter. A remarkable spate of activity for the usually indolent Hamish--he also thwarts a burglary, faces down a wife-beater, and gets charged with police brutality--makes this his most spirited outing in years. It just shows how much even the laziest man will exert himself to keep from getting married and promoted. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Download Description
Now that Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has agreed to marry him, Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth can't imagine a more perfect life. There's not much crime in his remote Scottish village of Lochdubh, nothing much at all to do but fish, drink coffee, and slouch around. And now to spend time with lovely Priscilla. But his days aren't as tranquil as his dreams. For one thing, Priscilla's renovation schemes are driving him out of his cottage. Not to mention her ambitious plans for his career as a policeman away from Lochdubh. This might be a good time to find out why Peter Hynd's arrival in nearby Drim was causing so much trouble. An attractive, unmarried man with an independent income would always attract attention in such a small place. But this time Hynd's arrival seems to have caused bitter rivalry among the women of Drim. Hamish finds their petty fights amusing and a clever excuse to avoid Priscilla and her schemes for a new electric stove (to replace his beloved woodburning appliance), a posh new bathroom, and virtuous nutrition. Amusing, that is, until death threats, physical abuse, and murder make statistical history in one of Scotland's most picture postcard-perfect towns.

ANNOTATION

All Sergeant Hamish Macbeth wants to do is fish and drink coffee with his fiance. Then a mysterious stranger moves into the neighboring village--a rich, unmarried heartbreaker, causing rivalry among the local women. It is amusing until death threats, assault and murder shatter the tranquil countryside. Hamish must investigate the darker side of love and desire.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

With this tenth book in a series that fans of British mysteries have come to relish more than fish 'n chips and a pint at the pub, M. C. Beaton returns with another baffling case for Hamish Macbeth, the stubborn, red-haired, one-man police department of the Highland village of Lochdubh. Praised for her wonderful characterizations, wry humor, and authentic local color, M. C. Beaton again adds the essential ingredient for an outstanding whodunit - a plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the very end. Hamish Macbeth's unofficial engagement to the stunning Priscilla Halburton-Smythe is reminding the constable of the old adage about answered prayers. His lovely fiancee has replaced his cozy wood stove with a modern electric one and is busy trying to "make a man of him." The only man Hamish wants to be is the one who slouches about the village, gossiping, fishing, and deftly solving a crime or two. Deciding that this may be a good time for a little retreat, Hamish ambles over to the nearby backwater of Drim - ostensibly to check out a posh English chap who's causing a most unusual problem. Single, wealthy, and terribly attractive, newcomer Peter Hynd has thrown the middle-aged matrons of Drim into a flutter, and put their men, dour Highlanders whose feelings run deep, on a slow burn. Hamish's instincts tell him this seemingly charming young man likes to stir up trouble, and it's not long before the seething emotions transform the sleepy village into a hotbed of threats, domestic rows, and violent murder. With Hamish's own relationship raising doubts about hearts and flowers, he's more than ready to do what he now must - investigate the darker side of love . . .

SYNOPSIS

Hamish Macbeth, the lanky and laconic Scottish constable from the Highland village of Lochdubh, employs his distinctively sleepy style of detecting in another of M. C. Beaton's witty and well-crafted cozy mysteries.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

One of the warmest and quirkiest mystery series around boasts a new publisher and a welcome burst of fresh energy. Making his 10th appearance (following Death of a Travelling Man ) is lanky, tousle-haired Scottish Highland copper Hamish Macbeth, in the company here of his lazy dog Towser, his higher-born fiancee Priscilla and the quixotic inhabitants of the village of Lochdubh. Hamish, known for his slovenly lifestyle and crafty detecting, meets handsome newcomer, Peter Hynd, whose suave looks send the village womenfolk running to the hairdresser and aerobics classes. Soon they are at each other's throats and queueing up for a place in his bed. The Lothario goes missing and soon the body of one of his conquests is found on the beach, leaving Hamish with two mysteries to solve while his domestic life deteriorates. Beaton's tremendously likable policeman stars here in a tightly wrought tale, with a gem of an ending in which Hamish manages to be both dead right and dead wrong. Further good news is that the series has been optioned by Zenith Productions, the team responsible for the absorbing TV series starring Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. (Sept.)

BookList - Emily Melton