Lochdubh remotely nestling in the Highlands is perfectly anonymous...until well-known TV reporter Crystal French races into town in her bright new BMW. & PC Hamish Macbeth dourly wed to duty rather than the fiancee who dumped him promptly gives her a ticket for reckless driving. Outraged Crystal makes Macbeth's life a misery with a TV report on policing in the Highlands...but when she also rakes up old local scandals for her new hit show Macbeth notes that someone besides himself might be dead keen to stop her. & then someone does. Now finding out who did away with the nosy reporter will lead the laconic Macbeth down roads he never envisioned...and perhaps a crisis of the heart all his own. ...

Now that Priscilla Halburton-Smythe has agreed to marry him Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth cant imagine a more perfect life. Theres not much crime in his remote Scottish village of Lochdubh nothing much at all to do but fish drink coffee & slouch around. & now to spend time with lovely Priscilla. But his days arent as tranquil as his dreams. For one thing Priscillas 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 Hynds 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 Hynds arrival seems to have caused bitter rivalry among the women of Drim. Hamish finds their petty fights amusing & a clever excuse to avoid Priscilla & her schemes for a new electric stove (to replace his beloved woodburning appliance) a posh new bathroom & virtuous nutrition. Amusing that is until death threats physical abuse & murder make statistical history in one of Scotlands most picture postcard-perfect towns. Praise for M.C. Beaton: The detective novels of M. C. Beaton a master of outrageous black comedy have reached cult status
- Anne Robinson The Times"."
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She couldnt paint to save her life
- so someones given her a lesson by taking it! Most newcomers dont stay long in remote Lochdubh
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She couldn't paint to save her life
- so someone's given her a lesson by taking it! Most newcomers don't stay long in remote Lochdubh
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When Fergus Macleod Lochdubh's abusive drunk dustman is put in charge of the local recycling centre & is dubbed the ' Environment Officer' Hamish Macbeth smells trouble. Sure enough Fergus imbued with his new powers becomes a bullying tyrant & when his body is found stuffed in a recycling bin no one is sorry
- including his long-suffering family. But Macbeth is surprised to find that many of the despicable dustman's victims refuse to talk
- & when violence strikes again the lanky lawman must quickly unearth the culprit among a litter of suspects...before the killer makes a clean getaway!

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Her table manners were a crime. But she didnt deserve to die! Theres not a cloud in Hamish Macbeths sky
- just plenty of warm sunshine
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Her table manners were a crime. But she didn't deserve to die! There's not a cloud in Hamish Macbeth's sky
- just plenty of warm
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When society widow & gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joins the local fishing class she wastes no time in ruffling feathers
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When society widow & gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joins the local fishing class she wastes no time in ruffling feathers
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Backstage at the Causton Amateur Dramatic Socirty's production of Amadeus nerves are fraying. On top of the fractious cast hierarchy imposed by Harold Winstanley director & would-be impresario cast member Esslyn Carmichael suspects his wife is having an affair with the leading man. & where better to settle scores than the stage? On opening night Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby attends purely as a member of the audience. But when someone turns Esslyn's final grand gesture into a very gruesome coup de theatre Barnaby suddeny finds himself centre stage... ...