Hamish Macbeth has worked as a policeman in the small village of Lochdubh, Scotland for many years, and he's grown very comfortable there. Although he doesn't have much luck finding a lasting partner in crime-solving (they keep turning into chefs, for some reason), Macbeth still loves his work.
When the new villager, Paul English, moves into town and starts immediately setting people against him with his brash and harsh judgments, Hamish feels it would be in everyone's best interest if he stopped by to welcome him and see if he could make peace with the newly retired banker. Instead, English's wrath turns on him too.
So when English turns up dead, Macbeth finds that he can't swing a haggis around without hitting someone who was offended by, insulted by, bullied by, or outraged by the actions of his murder victim. And while he's trying to solve the murder, the charming Scottish detective also has to deal with a host of other issues, including an unstable (and possibly homicidal) Detective Chief Inspector Blair, insurmountable veterinary bills for an injured wildcat, a clumsy constable who's thinking of finding a different occupation, and visits from an ex-girlfriend or two.
Lochdubh has never been more charming or more challenging for Hamish Macbeth.
Death of an Honest Man is the 33rd (!!) book in this enduring series about fighting crime in northwest Scotland. And while I have not yet read them all, I can attest that each visit I get to make to Lochdubh is a very welcome break to my everyday stresses. M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth is a complex, smart, fascinating character who never fails to deliver an interesting resolution to a murder. The story in Death of an Honest Man is a little on the rambly side, with big subplots that threaten to take over the main story, but I still couldn't put this book down. Love M.C. Beaton, love Lochdubh, love Hamish Macbeth, and I can't wait for number 34!
Galleys for Death of an Honest Man were provided by Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.