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Mrs Margaret Gentle always dresses in lavender. All the villagers think that this English incomer, who bought the local seaside 'castle' (folly), is just as sweet as her name. Constable Hamish Macbeth of Lochdubh, however, does not. She's a meddler . . . mean to her 50ish daughter, Sarah, and trying to get Hamish's police house in Lochdubh closed down. However, once she starts on her campaign to get rid of Macbeth, the villagers start to turn on her. Hamish is well-liked, and even though he seems a bumbling sort, he gets the job done. After a family gathering, at which she tells her nephew that he has been disinherited, throws her daughter out of the house, reneges on her gift to the church, and fires her maid who is in the UK from Turkey on an expired permit, Hamish proposes to the beautiful refugee. He goes to a friend who extends Ayesha's visa for another three years. Macbeth is basically law-abiding (for example, he makes his friend put out his cigarette in the pub) but is not above manipulating the system to his advantage when necessary. Then Ayesha doesn't show up for the wedding, and Mrs Gentle, who is hosting the reception (in a complete about-face) claims that the bride-to-be took a walk in the morning and never returned. The next day, Mrs Gentle's body is found at the bottom of a cliff and Ayesha's true identity is revealed. Beaton has written 14 Hamish Macbeth mysteries and several Agatha Raisin books. She is also the author of a series of historical mysteries under the name Margaret Chesney. However, I think that Hamish is her best creation. He is a gentle man who seems to be really thick but is actually is quite shrewd. He refuses promotion because he likes living in Lochdubh with his dog, wild cat, chickens, and other livestock. He cooks food for his dog and cat even when he is too tired to cook for himself. He doesn't want to move to a bigger community with more responsibility. After all, who will look after the elderly and disenfranchised of his patch if he moves on. Even if you are not usually a cozy reader, Hamish offers a quiet evening's entertainment.
Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, January 2008
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