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Summary
Summary
Recovering drug addict Tommy Jarret rents a Scottish chalet to check out reports of a sea monster near the dour village of Drim. But when he is found dead of an apparent drug overdose, Lochdubh constable Hamish Macbeth suspects foul play.
Deciding to pose undercover, Hamish infiltrates the illicit drug trade in nearby Strathbane, but his daft scheme springs a leak when he is teamed with a tough Glasgow detective inspector named Olivia Chater, a.k.a. concrete knickers. Now, in a charade that puts the intractable Highlander in a designer suit among the sharks of the underworld, Hamish s craving for justice will be tempered by a dependence on Olivia. For the lanky lawman, it s time to sink or swim and it would be equally dangerous to flounder or fall in love.
Author Notes
M. C. Beaton's real name is Marion Chesney. She was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1936. She has written over a hundred books under her own name and other pseudonyms: Ann Fairfax, Helen Crampton, Jennie Tremaine, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester. She started her writing career while working as a fiction buyer for a bookstore in Glasgow.
Working at one time or another as a theater critic, newspaper reporter, and editor, she used her British background to write a series of regency romances set in England and Scotland. Some of her regency romances include The Folly, Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue, and Regency Gold. In 1986, she was awarded the Romantic Times Award for Outstanding Regency Series Writer.
She has also written two mystery series under the pseudonym M. C. Beaton: The Hamish Macbeth Series, which became the inspiration for a television show in England, and The Agatha Raisin Series, about a retired advertising executive. Her title His and Hers made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012.
Marion Chesney passed away on December 31, 2019 at the age of 83.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Some things never change: the idyllic Scottish village of Lochdubh remains a serene haven around which all manner of rural skullduggery continues to threaten the laconic existence of the local copper, the tall, tousle-haired, chronically unambitious and hopelessly love-crossed Hamish Macbeth (Death of a Scriptwriter, etc.). Recovering drug addict Tommy Jarret rents a place near Lochdubh to write his autobiography. He seems to be on the mend, but then he dies of an overdose. Hamish suspects foul play. The bane of his life, his superiors in the big city, declare the case closed, however, so he must move on to other matters, such as the sighting of a monster in a local loch. But when Jarret's pals provide the police with a link to big-time drug dealers, Hamish finds himself in Amsterdam, wearing sharp suits, talking like a hoodlum and posing as a player, all in the company of a very pretty superior officer who just might change his mind about superior officers. Unfortunately, Hamish all but blows his chances with her by sleeping with a hooker. While the Macbeth tales are always a droll treat, this 15th in the series is less tightly plotted than most, with the mystery surrounding the addict's death sidetracked for a long spell as the Amsterdam adventure gives fans an agreeably tougher side of P.C. Macbeth to contemplate. Mystery Guild featured alternate. (May) FYI: In addition to the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin (see below) series, the pseudonymous Beaton writes Regency romances under her real name of Marion Chesney. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
When Parry McSporran rents his vacation chalet to recovering drug addict Tommy Jarret, he has no idea of the trouble to come. Not long after Tommy declares he'll never touch drugs again, he's found dead of a heroin overdose. The Strathbane police claim Tommy's death was a sad but predictable tragedy. But stubborn, redheaded police constable Hamish MacBeth isn't so sure. For one thing, the autobiography Tommy was writing is missing. For another, the neighbors claim Tommy had a romantic relationship with local New Ager Felicity Maundy, which she vehemently denies. Acting on his suspicions, Hamish opts to go undercover with the help of Detective Inspector Olivia Chater, who inadvertently stirs Hamish's long-denied romantic impulses. The two team up in a complicated plot that involves elaborate disguises, a stealthy midnight rendezvous, raucous nightclubbing, a meeting with Glasgow's biggest drug kingpin, and a deadly kidnapping. In the end, Hamish and Olivia not only nab Tommy's killer but also score a hit against Scotland's biggest drug ring. Hamish's latest adventure is a wonderfully quirky, deliciously funny, action-packed mystery that's sure to delight readers. --Emily Melton
School Library Journal Review
YA-There are strange goings-on in a village in Scotland. A sea monster resembling Nessie of Loch Ness fame has been sighted. Then Constable Hamish Macbeth has his monster investigation cut short when Tommy Jarret, an addict trying valiantly to remain clean of drugs, is found dead of an overdose. His death leads to an undercover assignment for Macbeth, who poses as a drug lord. With the assistance of Detective Inspector Olivia Chater, he eventually solves the murder, apprehends the true drug lord, and resolves the Nessie look-alike dilemma. Beaton offers a taste of Scotland's highlands and its population of independent individuals and some eccentric natives. While the author softens the brutality of illegal drugs, enough of the roughness comes across to make the plot ring true to life. Beaton catches the beauty of the area's natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavor. Many of the characters will be familiar from other titles of this series, but even first-time readers will enjoy the quirks and unique qualities of the cast. The plot seems to jump from point to point at times, but offers compensations for its few hard-to-follow spots with gentle humor and a few comedic episodes. Despite a touch of sadness and an acceptance of life's bleak realities, the overall mood of the story, upbeat and pleasant, comes through at the end.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Life is dull but pleasant these days for Hamish Macbeth, sole policeman in the Scottish Highlands village of Lochdubh (Death of a Scriptwriter, etc.). He rarely thinks of old flame Priscilla Halburton-Smythe and is content to care for his livestock and little patch of land. Meanwhile, his friend Parry McSporran has built three rental cottages'one occupied by likable young Tommy Jarret, who was arrested for drug possession a year ago. Now, after six months of rehab, Tommy is writing a book about his experience. Hamish is shocked when he hears of Tommy's death from a heroin overdose, but the autopsy also shows a sleeping drug. Clearly, something is out of whack, and so when Tommy's parents ask Hamish to investigate, he agrees. This involves a trip to headquarters in Strathbane, where Chief Inspector Daviot, eager to nail the local drug-dealers, sends to Glasgow for Detective Inspector Olivia Chater. Olivia teams up with Hamish, pretending to be his wife as Hamish dons Armani in a show of affluence meant to impress drug boss Jimmy White into a trap. All seems to be going their way when a long-time enemy of Hamish's betrays him, using an informer later found in Strathbane Harbor, strangled. Only the clever instincts of Hamish's Lochdubh neighbor saves Hamish and Olivia from a similar fate. Beaton continues to make her hero one of detective fiction's most agreeable characters. The plot this time is a bit tattered and tangled, but faithful fans won't complain.
Library Journal Review
Series constable Hamish Macbeth (Death of a Scriptwriter, LJ 4/1/98) investigates a drug-related murder by infiltrating the local heroin trade. He receives help from a glacial Glasgow woman detective, which creates comic tension. For all collections. [Mystery Guild featured alternate.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
