Detective Chief Inspector Blair – who hates Hamish (mostly because Hamish is competent and Blair is not); a fat whisky drinker who, on several occasions, is hospitalised with alcohol poisoning. They didn’t know whether to make it a Whisky Galore or a soap. And they refused to show my books at any press conference. I was very hurt by the whole thing – and I’m bitter because I’m a very resentful person. It has been 4 years though since Death of an Honest Man, so presumably quite a lot of work was still required to complete the new book. R.W. Green would have also been busy with the continuation work on the Agatha Raisin series, which may be currently more popular and on demand due to its ongoing television adaptations.

They work well together solving the few crimes that happen in ‘their patch’ as Hamish refers to it. Then, there is a murder, and ‘special’ investigators from Strathbane and even Glasgow descends on their peaceful little world. One of those investigators is DCI Blair who hates Hamish with a passion. Blair is the epitome of a dirty cop – Hamish knows it – Blair knows Hamish knows it. Hamish just can’t prove it – yet. Hamish and Dorothy conduct their own investigation since they’ve been told to stay out of the official one. It really gets personal for Hamish when Douglas (Dougie) Tennant is beaten and left to burn to death in his cottage near where the murder happened. There were 33 novels, one novella and one short story published in the UK by Constable & Robinson before the author's death in 2019. A subsequent novel and a short story, begun as collaborative works with the original author and finished after her death by R. W. Green were published in 2022. Considered by many to be a useless, lazy moocher, Macbeth is very well informed about his community's activities and often overlooks minor transgressions in the interests of the public weal. In time it emerges that, following Highland tradition as the eldest child, he remains single because he is supporting his crofter parents and six much younger siblings by sending them most of his salary, and finding various ways to supplementing his income. Having created a niche for himself in the community and on the police force, he uses his intelligence and skills to solve murders cases - while avoiding and evading all efforts to transfer, promote and/or fire him out of it. There are so many things that don’t make sense to Hamish. Is all of it related to gangs bleeding over from the big cities into the Highlands? Who is the blonde woman in the blue car? What does the soldier, Keith Bain, have to do with any of it? His alibi certainly doesn’t hold up. Then, there is the American, James Bland. Who is he really and why is he in Lochdubh? We all know DCI Blair is up to no good – but what is it he is actually up to?

Who does Hamish associate with?

Lately, our television channels have been swamped with modern police shows, all with the same basic protagonist. Generally speaking, we have a leading lad or lady who is too big for their job, believes themselves smarter than the office above them, and who tends to ignore direct commands in favor of a seemingly more morally-sound or logical quest. But just as the town of Lochdubh gets ready to celebrate, Hamish finds himself with a new murder on his hands. If he doesn't find the killer fast, Hamish's dream wedding could become a nightmare. I didn't find this particular crime to be all that interesting, probably because it involved an organised crime family. I really enjoy a more local flavour. We can't even imagine how tough it must be to allow a team of TV folks to do as they wish with your creation. The Hamish Macbeth TV adaptation might not be what Beaton had in mind, but if you can separate the two, it still makes for an enjoyable series with incredible scenery. Beaton has often been left out of plans for her own creations. "They wanted to do a making of Hamish Macbeth without even mentioning me at all," Beaton joked. "However, it does lead to ideas to killing people." [4]

M.C. Beaton died two days before the worst year in recent memory. Yes, she left this earth on December 30, 2019 at the age of 83. The series is still ongoing, with over thirty books under its title. The series is loved by many because of the thrilling ride the audience experiences while reading. The Hamish Macbeth series also inspired a TV show in the early 2000s. Long before Robert Carlyle played the enigmatic Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, he actually played Constable Hamish Macbeth on the BBC Scotland TV series of the selfsame name.Is this to be the last we see of Hamish? I don't think so. Mr Green tells us that M.C. Beaton left several outlines to be completed. So we may have more Hamish coming, but we may have to get used to a slightly different Hamish; a changed man. Most of the “crimes” here are of the low-scale variety --- that is, until Alice McBride reports her husband missing. After Hamish and Dorothy take Alice’s statement, he shows her one of the many fishing spots where Mr. McBride likes to frequent to get away from the missus. Dorothy not only relishes the beautiful vistas of this area of Scotland, she also finds herself falling for her partner. She exclaims to Hamish that she’s never been happier in her entire life. Between 1995 and 1997, BBC Scotland aired a TV adaptation of the Hamish Macbeth book series. Robert Carlyle starred as Hamish Macbeth, a decision Beaton famously disagreed with.

To tell you this book broke my heart and left me terribly, terribly sad for Hamish would be putting it mildly – especially if there are no future books. I’m not sure if I’m glad I read it or not because, if it is the last book, my imagination was so very much better than where this went. That said, it was a good mystery and a good read even if it wasn’t the same as it would have been had M.C. Beaton written all of the words. At time of writing, you can watch Hamish Macbeth on Acorn TV, Pluto, Freevee, Roku Channel, and Tubi. Opt for Acorn TV if you prefer a version without adverts. Will There Be More Hamish Macbeth Books?I did enjoy catching up with both of Hamish's ex-fiancees - and had a bit of a smile at the thought of them being Dorothy's attendants at the wedding. Things could not be more tranquil until an actual murder breaks the serenity. Dougie Tennant hunts down Hamish and Dorothy to report a dead man slumped inside a car, shot through the head gangster-style. Hamish is now on the lookout for anyone out of the ordinary in their sleepy little village and pulls over an Aston Martin that’s been speeding. The occupants are indeed strangers --- one a Yank and the other with a Glaswegian accent. Hamish writes them up and warns them off. Though the television series that was later created didn’t necessarily paint Macbeth in the same light as Chesney, it helped to get the name recognition that was needed to sell the books. It also may have had something to do with the amount of detectives who, in today’s modern age, don’t follow the rules. May 19, 2022 Update Made a minor edit to correct the numbering of the Hamish Macbeth novella Death of a Laird from #34.5 to #33.5.