Hamish and the WorldStoppers

Product Information

Hamish is happy because Priscilla has agreed to marry him, and he is enjoying a blissful time with his beloved fiance. The police Sergeant is free to go fishing, drink a lot of coffee, and be lazy all day, as the crime rate in the village of Lochdubh has decreased significantly. Until now, of course! In the Hamish Macbeth debut novel, Death of a Gossip (all of the Macbeth novels being with “Death of a” and end with some kind of career or adjective), eight people meet in Lochdubh. They all go to the same temporary school, all mainly trying to get away from their hectic lives and enjoy a small amount of vacation time. Lady Jane Withers, one of the members of the clan, is a notorious gossip. When she learns that each guest has a secret to hide, she is elated. Macbeth himself is a far from perfect character who strives to accomplish very little in his life. He is lazy, self-centered, and determined in every aspect to be right when it comes to a mystery. He will go to great lengths to prove this fact, sometimes using outside information and unorthodox methods to solve a case. Still, these qualities are what makes Hamish Macbeth relatable to readers, and may have a strong connection to the popularity of the series itself. What are the Macbeth books all about? Any time a series goes beyond the normal length (3-6 books) it becomes quite the juggling act to figure out what to read next. Priscilla Halburton-Smythe – once the love of his life, the beautiful, cool Priscilla still tugs at his heartstrings and has assisted Hamish in solving crimes.

The Hamish Macbeth show ran from March 1995 to May 1997. The show was loosely based on the books by M.C. Beaton, both featuring Constable Hamish Macbeth in the town of Lochdubh, Scotland. The show, however, was not a direct adaptation of the novels. Peter Hynd’s arrival has suddenly created chaos in the village. He is a handsome, unmarried man with a good income, and all the ladies in the town are practically swooning and fighting over him. 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. 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.

What are the Macbeth books all about?

The Hamish Macbeth books were adapted into the BBC Scotland television series Hamish Macbeth. Running for three series between 1995 and 1997, the titular police officer was played by Robert Carlyle. The first and second series comprised six episodes and the third had an additional two-part series finale to make eight episodes. The series bore little relation to the content of Beaton's novels. Macbeth and Lochdubh were retained, in name at least, but little else survived. Sadly, MC Beaton (aka Marion Chesney) died in December 2019. The good news is that she was a kind, thoughtful woman who honoured her fans and characters by passing the torch before her death.

Carlyle insisted that if Hamish wasn't allowed to smoke pot, he would leave the series – and though Beaton thought him a fine actor, she didn't approve of how her work was interpreted and portrayed on screen (though she quite liked Ashley Jensen's TV portrayal of her other famous detective, Agatha Raisin). I loved this series from the first book Death of a Gossip. Hamish Macbeth is the main character along with the supporting characters in the town of Lochdubh, The new characters add to the story. Hamish is the policeman assigned to this town which he loves. He gets a new constable Dorothy McIver to work with him. He shows her around town and the Tommel Castle Hotel to introduce her to the villagers. While at the castle he is told that a woman showed up asking about Dorothy but left. While there they run into two men in the parking lot who Hamish is suspicious of. He gets a call from Dougie, the owner of the gas station that there is a dead body in a car. Hamish goes and finds that it is one of the men in the parking lot, Graham Leslie who is shot in the head. This is where the story takes off with Hamish trying to find out why he was killed. So much is happening in the town with thieves, car races, a motorcycle as well as murder. Hamish and Dorothy spend a lot of time together. They fall in love and Hamish asks her to marry him and she accepts. The town is very happy for them. Detective Chief Inspector Blair is assigned to the murder. He and Hamish have a bad relationship; throughout all the books. He is into something shady. On the wedding day Hamish is at the church but Dorothy does not show. He knows that she is in danger and looks for her. She is found in a field dead. Hamish goes to great lengths to find the killer. I will leave the end of the story to the readers as the ending comes with many surprises.The sequel to this novel, Death of a Cad, was published in 1987. Set in the same town of Lochdubh, the plot is introduced when Captain Bartlett dies under mysterious circumstances at an engagement party thrown for Priscilla Smythe, though the police label the incident as an accident. To Macbeth’s frustrations, he is the only one convinced that the death was a murder and is left to solve the mystery on his own.

The Marion Chesney estate must be happy as well with how the continuation series is proceeding as a novella Death of a Laird: A Hamish Macbeth novella (expected March 8, 2022, Hamish Macbeth #34.5) [ correction: Death of a Laird is actually #33.5 as it was released in Kindle format February 15, 2022 prior to Death of a Green-Eyed Monster, it was the Audible Audio edition that was released later on March 8, 2022] and the next novel Death of a Traitor (Expected February 2, 2023; Hamish Macbeth #35) have already been announced. Hamish Macbeth could have been the beginning to all of these outspoken characters. Macbeth was created by M. C. Beaton (more commonly known as Marion Chesney) in a mystery novel published in 1985, the first of many in a series. Macbeth resides in the small, fictional village known as Lochdubh in northern Scotland. 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. The 32nd book in the series, Death of a Ghost, has both an intriguing title and plot. There is a haunted house that has been plaguing neighbours with eerie, spooky sounds. When Hamish and his colleague, Charlie, go to investigate they find nothing out of the ordinary. Till Charlie falls through the floor into the cellar. They find a dead body propped up against the door but when they leave the castle briefly, the corpse disappears too. OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKEWillie Lamont – Hamish's former subordinate, Willie leaves the police force to marry Lucia, a relative of the local Italian restaurant owner, to devote himself to the restaurant. Hamish’s happiness and constant frustrations revolve around two major characters: Priscilla Smythe and Chief Inspector Blair. 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. Elspeth Grant – local news reporter and sometime love interest of Hamish. Her gypsy heritage gives her insights into her surroundings that Hamish comes to trust. On the other hand, Priscilla is pushing him for a career change, a better job. Hamish, tired of Priscialla’s plans and schemes related to their house and job, finds amusement in the fights of the village ladies regarding a man. But the amusement turns into a worry when a series of physical abuse, death threats, and murder of a charming man haunts the small village of Lochdubh.

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. She wrote a number of historical romance books under her maiden name and various other pen names, but since her success with the pseudonym M.C. Beaton, everything has now been attributed to that name. 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.

What Is The Next Book in The Hamish Macbeth Series?

Hamish Macbeth is very, very happy being the police Sergeant in remote, breathtakingly beautiful Lochdubh, Scotland. He’s been engaged twice and both times he’s broken those engagements because he realized those ladies just weren’t the right match – neither of them wanted to stay in Lochdubh. They wanted a big city life – and he definitely did not. So, imagine his delight when his new constable, Dorothy McIver, is not only as beautiful as his beloved Highlands – she wants to live there – with him. They work together for several months and grow closer and closer until he finally asks her to marry him – and she says YES. Priscilla is the “love of Macbeth’s life”, though she gets engaged in the second novel to a playwright who has become famous. Ultimately, the relationship seems to go nowhere even though Priscilla never quite leaves the spotlight, remaining Macbeth’s right-hand on many cases. Later, Macbeth has a short affair with reporter Elspeth Grant. But that, too, ends badly. Angela Brodie – the doctor's wife. Motherly, but not very domestic and a poor cook. Dotes on her cats. Author of a detective novel. A good friend and sounding board. 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.