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5.0 out of 5 stars
Can Hamish Stand Success?, May 18 2007
Due to his remarkable work in Death of an Addict, Hamish once again finds himself promoted to sergeant. Having been totally driven crazy by Willie Lamont's cleaning when Hamish was a sergeant before, he had hoped that this promotion wouldn't mean having another police constable assigned to live and work with him. No such luck!
Clarry Graham, the new constable, is equally obsessed . . . but with cooking. So Hamish eats better than ever in this book.
Lochdubh finds itself under attack due to the publicity-seeking lust of Mrs. Freda Fleming, a recent widow, who wants a place to "clean up" so she can appear on the telly. Although she lives in Strathbane (which could use a good clean up), Freda decides that she's more likely to have a visible success in a smaller place. An inspection by Freda finds trash overflowing after a church fete. No problem! Freda will create an army of one, Fergus Macleod, the local dustman (UK speak for trash collector), to create the new "green" Lochdubh.
Fergus is an angry man. He started off as an accountant, but his weakness for preying on others caused him to descend into drink and wife-beating. With his raise in pay, wider authority, and military-like new uniform, he's ready to settle old scores with those who don't respect a mere dustman.
Before the tensions can rise too far, someone disposes of Fergus. While he disappears (to be later found in the Currie sisters' trash bin), Clarry decides to become the defender of Martha Macleod and her children from the brutal Fergus. Naturally, that means Detective Chief Inspector Blair will want to finger Clarry for the murder. But Blair has a surprise awaiting him.
After Fergus is found dead, the neighbors help Martha clean out his things. In the process, they accidentally find a lot of filthy papers that Fergus appears to have dug out of the trash. On reading those papers, Hamish realizes that Fergus may also have been blackmailing the villagers (a theme that was used before in Death of a Maid).
Lochdubh is in an uproar for another reason: the Lochdubh Hotel is reopening and the locals are getting great job offers. How will the Tommel Castle Hotel survive? Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish's former "unofficial" fiancée, is back to deal with the threat and playing her usual role of brilliant Watson.
Before long, the number of suspects is growing faster than Hamish can check them all out. When one of the suspects makes a run for it, Hamish takes action . . . with plot-shaking consequences.
As usual, Hamish finds himself chastened more for doing his duty than appreciated. There's also upsetting news about DI Chater. Fortunately for Hamish, he has his new dog, Lugs (his Christmas present in A Highland Christmas), to comfort him.
This story doesn't have the easy charm of A Highland Christmas or the character-developing strength of Death of an Addict or an intriguing plot like Death of a Scriptwriter, but in its own soap-opera-like way, Death of a Dustman cleans up. Enjoy!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Woe to those who commit murder in and around Lochdubh!, Mar 25 2004
This is a great installment in the Hamish Macbeth series. This series continues to delight and surprise and I always can't wait to read the next one. In this one a rather unsavoury dustman (garbage men are still called dustmen in Britain), is found dead in one of his refuse bins. No one in Lochdubh is really sorry because this man was not well-liked by anyone in the village. But Hamish has to set out to find the murderer, especially after another body is found. Once he begins investigating he finds there are more suspects than he knows what to do with, but he continues in his very unorthodox way to try to put the pieces together. There is a scene in the book with a helicopter and a hammer thrower that is absolutely hilarious. Ms. Beaton is a master of black comedy, and her Hamish is the most likeable sleuth out there. He's so real that he leaps off the page. I love this series!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Charms, Secrets and Nasty Grudges, April 15 2002
Isn't it fun to imagine that somewhere across the pond, lurks a lady who can churn out books one after another, in the same basic formula, but each a uniquely clever and original read? And she probably wanders about and no one knows of the mischief, mayhem and murder lurking behind the eyes of the deceptively normal lady? Once again, Ms. Beaton takes us along to meet the ever unambitious Hamish as he casts about the idyllic village of Lochdubh in the farthest northern part of the Scottish highlands. Where the people have their charms, secrets and nasty grudges, and there is almost always trouble simmering. To the usual wonderful cast of characters, the faithful reader meets Hamish's new constable Clary the Cook, the frightful Freda Fleming, Officer of the Environment, Lugs the Dog, a rich Greek reopening the Lochdubh hotel, as well as the Fergus McLeod and family. Ms. Beaton beautifully communicates a sense of place, a cadence of language and a refreshingly original formula cozy.
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