Death of an Outsider (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

M. C. Beaton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

Murder is a Tasty Dish The most hated man in the most dour town in Scotland is sleeping with the fishes, or-more accurately-dumped into a tank filled with crustaceans. All that remain of the murdered victim are his bones. But after the lobsters are shipped off to Britain's best restaurants, the whole affair quickly lands on the plate of Constable Hamish Macbeth. Exiled with his dog, Towser, to the dreary outpost of Cnothan, Macbeth sorely misses his beloved Lochdubh, his formerly beloved Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, and his days of doing nothing but staring at the sheep grazing in a nearby croft. Now the lawman has to contend with a detective chief inspector who wants the modus operandi hushed up, a dark-haired lass who has an ulterior motive to seduce him, and a killer who has made mincemeat of his victim-and without doubt will strike again...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"* 'The detective novels of M C Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' - The Times * 'Beaton, a Scot herself, excels at giving readers a taste of Highland life and creating a believable character in the lonely, brilliant, continually frustrated-in-love Macbeth.' - Booklist * 'Looking for escape? Tired of waiting for Brigadoon to materialise? Time for a trip to Lochdubh... where M C Beaton sets her beguiling whodunits featuring Constable Hamish Macbeth' - New York Times Book Review" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

"Offbeat, utterly endearing. . ." Booklist
A Hamish Macbeth Mystery
Nobody in the Scottish town of Cnothan had much liked William Mainwaring. The abrasive Englishman rubbed everyone the wrong way. And now that he's been murdered, nobody seems to mind. Constable Hamish Macbeth happens to be on temporary duty in Cnothan when the killer strikes, and now, like it or not, he's got to solve the crime and bring the killer to justice. But the closed-mouthed locals seem to be hiding many secrets. And as Hamish slowly pieces together a tale of illicit romance, secret vices, real-estate swindles and witchcraft, he begins to wonder if he will soon be joining Mainwairing . . . --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446614726
• ISBN-13: 978-0446614726
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.6 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #196,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

M.C. BEATON has won international acclaim for her bestselling Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries. She is also the author of over 100 romance titles and a series of romantic suspense, The Edwardian Mystery Series. M. C. Beaton lives in a Cotswold cottage with her husband.

Marion is active on Facebook using her most popular pen name, M.C. Beaton. You can find complete book lists, information on events, and sign up for news updates at her website, www.MCBeaton.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beaton writes a five-star series, January 21, 2000

By 

wendrea (CSU, Ft Collins, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death of an Outsider [LARGE PRINT] (Paperback)

M.C. Beaton is one of my top five favorite authors of all time. Her writing style is superb and has since made me much more critical of other authors. Treat yourself to an adventure in the Highlands; remember your coffee and scones-for you'll want to stay awhile! Only one complaint: It is important to the romance angle to read these books in order, and yet the listing in front is scrambled. This is the third book in the series, starting with Death of a Gossip and Death of a Cad.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Death of an Outsider is wonderful romp., August 16, 2003

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of an Outsider (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 3) (Hardcover)

M.C. Beaton's stories are absolutely excellent and the best examples of cozies you'll find anywhere. I am almost disappointed with myself because I read her Agatha Raisin series before the Hamish Macbeth series. As much as I enjoy Agatha, Hamish is pure delight! In this book he has been transferred to Cnothan to relieve the village policeman as he takes an extended vacation. Right away Hamish is thrown into the village's political situation. He finds the people of this village are unfriendly and there seems to be an oppresive atmosphere in the village. Sure enough, in true Hamish fashion, a corpse shows up. Hamish must determine first who has been killed and then who actually did it. Hamish and the reader are subjected to more of the odious Blair as he is again sent to the village to unravel the homicide. Of course Hamish solves the murder (and not Blair) but not before he actually finds some romance in this ominous little village of Cnothan. We also discover why Hamish will never eat lobster again. Hamish is a wonderful character and I find as I read each story, he becomes more and more real to me.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IMMENSELY ENJOYABLE, March 22, 2006

By 

Orrin C. Judd "brothersjudddotcom" (Hanover, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of an Outsider (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, No. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Hamish hated change almost as much as he hated work. He had the tenancy of some croft land next to the police station at Lochdubh, where he kept a small herd of sheep, now being looked after by a neighbor. He earned quite good money on the side from his small farming, his poaching, and the prize money he won for hill running at the Highland Games in the summer. All that he could save went to his mother and father and brothers and sisters over in Cromarty. He did not anticipate any easy pickings in Cnothan."
-Death of an Outsider


Given all that, and the taciturn nature of the locals, it's understandable that Hamish is awfully grumpy about being sent to Cnothan for three months to cover for a vacationing colleague. But if he thinks it's tough on him being an outsider, that's nothing compared to how an obnoxious Englishman gets treated. When the latter is murdered it brings Inspector Blair to town and makes things even worse for our hero.

This entry in the very fine series contains the lobster incident that featured in the first episode of the different, but equally good, tv show. Ms Beaton had really hit her stride here, just a few books into the Hamish Macbeth mysteries, and it's an immensely enjoyable read.