All Sergeant Hamish Macbeth wants is a quiet life in Lochdubh, his village in the Scottish Highlands. Although the area he polices is vast, he's happiest when he's working alone, yet the police authorities insist he has an assistant. In the past, they have supplied a variety of problematic misfits, but they surpass themselves with their latest effort - an American named James Bland.
Having met Bland previously, when he was left in no doubt that the American led a life coloured by secrets and skulduggery, Hamish isn't surprised when he discovers the real motive behind Bland's police secondment involves him in helping track down a home-grown spy ring, some members of which have met grisly ends.
That investigation tears Hamish away from Lochdubh at a time when the village is suffering a spate of violent burglaries. The identity of the burglar, however, is a mystery. All of that blows Hamish's quiet life out the window and puts a serious strain on his relationship with paramedicClaire. Can Hamish cope with the murky world of espionage, seek out the spies before anyone else is murdered, capture the Lochdubh burglar and rescue his sadly neglected love life?
Only time will tell...
'Unmissable!' Peterborough Telegraph
'First rate ... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere.' Booklist
'It's always a treat to return to Lochdubh.' New York Times