If you enjoy mystery or detective novels then we have a gem for you. And this one is none other than the classic Hamish Macbeth by M.C Beaton, a Scottish author of mystery and romance novels. The series started in 1985 and it went on with numerous books. The series was very successful and also had been adapted as a TV series. So if you are looking forward to starting the Hamish Macbeth series then you are at the right place. Let’s first find out more about the author and the series.
About the Author: The series is written by M.C Beaton aka Marion Chesney, a Scottish author. She was born on 10 June 1936 and died in 2019. She started her career in 1979. She has worked as a buyer at a bookstore and also worked for a newspaper before she became a successful author. She excelled in the romance and mystery genre and wrote some classic romantic novels such as Travelling Matchmaker and Daughters of Mannering series. In the mystery genre, Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin were pretty popular. She has lived in many countries including the USA, Paris, and England.
Customers have always appreciated her writing style and her storyline that keeps them hooked till the last page.
About the Hamish Macbeth Series: Hamish Macbeth is a mystery novel with the lead characters of Hamish Macbeth, a local constable. Hamish is the eldest of 7 siblings and his parents expect him to take his responsibilities and contribute to his family’s income. The novel is set in the highlands of Scotland and features the fictional town of Lochduh. He has a reputation of laziness and lives in the police station of his town where he lives with sheep, chickens, and grows vegetables too.
He is known to solve crimes as he has high curiosity, local knowledge, and intuition to solve crimes. He has solved many interesting crimes which are listed in a series of books.
Although some people might go reading books in random order instead of the chronological order, if you want to stick with the series and know the character development then you might wanna read the Hamish Macbeth books in order. If you don’t know the real order of the Hamish Macbeth then don’t worry, we have got you covered. Here, we have listed the Hamish Macbeth books for you. So go ahead and check it out.
Best Hamish Macbeth Books In Order
1. Death of a Gossip
The series was started with Death of a Gossip which was published in 1985. You will be introduced to the character of Hamish Macbeth and the town of Lochdubh where he lives and serves as constable of the town. The book starts with 8 people from varied backgrounds meeting up and attending the Lochduh School of Casting. This was supposed to be a good getaway and a nice holiday, instead, it turns out to be misery when one of the people died. The dead has been identified as Lady Jane Withers, a society widow, and notorious Gossip columnist. She is not the nice lady in the town and keeps everyone upset with her witty remarks, rude behaviors, and sharp tongue.When the news of her death was revealed, not many people were surprised or upset. This points out a long list of suspects for Hamish Macbeth. He must solve the case and find out the truth behind her death.This detective mystery novel is a quick read and filled up with humor, suspense, and a good overall storyline. It would be super fun to read the story. This is the reason why the series got a good start and people were into the lives of Hamish Macbeth from the very start.
2. Death of a Cad
Death of a Cad is the second book in the Hamish Macbeth series and this one was published in 1987.The book starts with Priscilla Haliburton, the daughter of a wealthy local resident. She brings her boyfriend from London home to introduce him to everyone. Everyone else is delighted except Hamish Macbeth, the local constable in the village police station. The reason is obvious, he has a little crush on Priscilla. Her parents throw a big party to celebrate and invite all the important people from the town. The party starts off great, until Captain Bartlett, a womanizing cad, ends up dead. What appears to be an accident has turned out to be a murder case.Now it’s time for Hamish to show off his skills and knowledge to solve the murder and remind everyone of his worth. People always say how lazy and stupid Macbeth is, even when he is in the room, but when it comes to solving cases, they can’t expect a better detective in their town.Now Hamish is on a dual mission, he is off to find the real culprit and trying to save Priscilla from a bad marriage. Will he be able to do that? Its interesting story features Hamish and his skills and emotions. Readers have enjoyed the book quite well, so you will have a great time too.
3. Death of an Outsider
The next book in the series is Death of an Outsider. In this book, Hamish has been sent away to town Cnothen away from Lochduh. This is a strange place and people are very skeptical about the outsiders. Naturally, Hamish is not having a great time patrolling this town. But it is a job that he must do. He is with the company of his dog. There is a man named William Mainwaring who is not very nice and neither is liked by the villagers, one can say that he was the most hated man in the village. He used to pass know-it comments and irritates others.One fine day, he is found dead in a pool of lobsters which are eaten in Britain’s restaurants. The case looks very complicated and also an accident at first. But Hamish knows better than believing such accidents that kill a hated person. So he starts investigating the case and finding clues. Although he does miss his town and of course Priscilla.The case gets a little complicated but there are a few elements that keep you hooked till the last page. The killer might be on the move to claim the second life, Hamish can’t let that happen!
4. Death of a Perfect Wife
Death of a Perfect Wife is the fourth installment in the series and it was published in 1989.The book starts with Hamish getting a new Land Rover to drive through the Highlands and spend his vacation with himself enjoying the amazing scenery. But a happy vacation is not what Hamish can get in his life, as always it has been ruined, and this time with rain. So his life goes back to the police station. Although the real trouble started when Priscilla returned to her hometown from London, with her fiance! Naturally, Hamish is not very amused to see them together.His misery continues when the clouds of midges (the diabolical Scottish mosquito) descend on the town. Trixie Thomas, a housewife with her lapdog husband in the town. The couple is all for healthy food and lifestyle and they do manage to convince the people of the town to embrace the low cholesterol diet and quit tobacco. Some people are not liking this as it affects their business, but can this be a reason to kill a sweet lady? How will Hamish solve the mysterious killing of a perfect wife?
5. Death of a Hussy
The next book by Hamish Macbeth is Death of a Hussy. The book was published in 1990 and received good reviews from critics and readers.The book starts by introducing Maggie Braid who is beautiful but not very nice or kind. She is a middle-aged woman known as a hussy. She retains her appetite as a beautiful woman. One day her car catches fire with her in it. It may have been an accident but the five houseguests staying at her luxury cottage lets us otherwise. Hamish has his own theories about this incident and he is not going up for the accident theory. Now it’s all about how quickly he solves the case before the real culprit goes out of town or hides the evidence.
6. Death of a Snob
Death of a snob is the next installment in the series. This book starts with health farm owner Jane Weatherby who is frightened by an astrologer’s prediction of his imminent demise. Now she is asking Hamish Macbeth to provide her protection and make sure that nothing happens to her. After a while, the prediction proved to be accurate. How can that even happen? An astrologer? Or is there something else cooking up behind it? It’s going to be a complicated case for Hamish to solve.
7. Death of a Prankster
This time Hamish has come across a rich and old practice joker. Although he is not very fun when he pulls these jokes because sometimes people get really frightened. Once he invites everyone to say farewell on his deathbed, but when people arrive they find him in perfect health and fit. Above all, he started playing pranks and making fun of the people who showed up. So it’s pretty clear that people are pissed at him. It’s one of those hilarious stories which shows a perfect balance between humor and detective mystery. You are going to enjoy it.
8. Death of Glutton
In this book, Hamish is enjoying the sunshine and summer in Lochduh, but he is missing Priscilla a bit. Now there will be a matchmaking event in the town, so there is a ray of sunshine for Hamish too. The story moves forward with four couples disliking each other within a week as they have been matched with each other.What is supposed to be a romantic event with a happy couple has turned out a tragedy as a murder took place. Since there is a murder, people are looking forward to Hamish solving the crime for them, and of course, he is going to find the murder, but how?
9. Death of Travelling Man
In this book, there is a new tracking couple in the town. The guy, who looked charming and way too handsome to be real, looks evil to Hamish. After a while, the guy ends up dead and people have different theories about him being dead. Hamish once again has proved his sixth sense. One of the good news is that Priscilla is also helping him to solve the case as soon as possible. Is there something darker lying behind his death? Or Hamish is just overthinking this time? Find that out!
10. Death of a Charming Man
Hamish is newly engaged, it may not be official yet but is on the ninth cloud this time. He just wants to be the good man that his beautiful fiance deserves. Meanwhile, there is a charming and handsome guy in the town. Once again, Hamish finds something strange about him. What’s cooking up this time? What is going to be the new case for Hamish? It would be fun to read this book and find that out.
Conclusion
So these are the Hamish Macbeth books so that you have been looking for. Yes, there are lots of books that would mean a long series with lots of fun and a solid storyline too. For your convenience, we have discussed a few Hamish Macbeth books in our order so that you would know the storyline and how interesting these books are going to be.That would be all for now, and we hope you are going to buy the Hamish Macbeth books in order and read them in your free time. The series involves a lot of amazing cases and you would certainly love the mysteries and how the detective solves them. It would be fun to attempt to solve the mysteries before you end the books.