The fictional village of Lochdubh is set in the real county of Sutherland. Although Lochdubh and the neighbouring town of Strathbane are fictional places, the series refers to real Scottish towns such as Dornoch, Dingwall and Inverness.

It was so bittersweet to read this book knowing that M.C. Beaton had passed away and that she’d had assistance with writing this book before her death. IF this had been my first read in the Hamish Macbeth series, I’d probably have rated the book a solid 4 or 4.5 stars. However, it was NOT my first book in the series – I’ve read them all. It was a good mystery and it was well written – it was just a little ‘off’ somehow. Hamish just wasn’t quite Hamish – I still loved him, but he wasn’t exactly the character I’ve come to know and love. I also didn’t get the book I had so very much wanted. I have to wonder if this is really the last book of the series or not because nothing was really wrapped up in the book and lots of ‘hints’ were there for things to come. The book I WANTED had a happily settled Hamish in his sweet Scottish village – and DCI Blair having been dropped in the deep ocean somewhere. That is definitely NOT what I got. So now, do I go on picturing our sweet, lovable Hamish spending a long, lonely life in Lochdubh – OR – will there be another book and another? If there are more, will they satisfy my Lochdubh hunger and my desire to see Hamish happily settled and living a life that isn’t lonely? Beaton has often been left out of plans for her own creations. "They wanted to do a making of Hamish Macbeth without even mentioning me at all," Beaton joked. "However, it does lead to ideas to killing people." [4] The 32nd book in the series, Death of a Ghost, has both an intriguing title and plot. There is a haunted house that has been plaguing neighbours with eerie, spooky sounds. When Hamish and his colleague, Charlie, go to investigate they find nothing out of the ordinary. Till Charlie falls through the floor into the cellar. They find a dead body propped up against the door but when they leave the castle briefly, the corpse disappears too. OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKEBecause the murder might involve the criminal underworld, Hamish must accept assistance from other law enforcement operating out of the larger cities. There is a lot going on in DEATH OF A GREEN-EYED MONSTER, including Hamish and Dorothy getting engaged and making plans for their wedding. Beaton and Green do a superb job keeping the red herrings coming and the plot twists jumping out at you until the finale. You’ll just have to strap on your favorite kilt and visit scenic Lochdubh to find out exactly what is going on here. The next book in the The Hamish Macbeth Series by M.C. Beaton is Death of a Spy and will be released on February, 22nd 2024.

To tell you this book broke my heart and left me terribly, terribly sad for Hamish would be putting it mildly – especially if there are no future books. I’m not sure if I’m glad I read it or not because, if it is the last book, my imagination was so very much better than where this went. That said, it was a good mystery and a good read even if it wasn’t the same as it would have been had M.C. Beaton written all of the words. Colonel George Halburton-Smythe – Priscilla's snobbish father. He dislikes Hamish immensely and considers him a most unsuitable friend for his daughter. In 2019, the literary world and readers everywhere said goodbye to the great M. C. Beaton. Hailed as the "Queen of Crime" by the Globe and Mail, she brought us two hugely popular mystery series starring Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth. DEATH OF A GREEN-EYED MONSTER is the 34th installment in the latter series, and it is thanks to R.W. Green --- a longtime friend of Beaton --- that this story was finished and published for her fans to enjoy.

Hamish Macbeth is very, very happy being the police Sergeant in remote, breathtakingly beautiful Lochdubh, Scotland. He’s been engaged twice and both times he’s broken those engagements because he realized those ladies just weren’t the right match – neither of them wanted to stay in Lochdubh. They wanted a big city life – and he definitely did not. So, imagine his delight when his new constable, Dorothy McIver, is not only as beautiful as his beloved Highlands – she wants to live there – with him. They work together for several months and grow closer and closer until he finally asks her to marry him – and she says YES. Sadly, MC Beaton (aka Marion Chesney) died in December 2019. The good news is that she was a kind, thoughtful woman who honoured her fans and characters by passing the torch before her death. Though the television series that was later created didn’t necessarily paint Macbeth in the same light as Chesney, it helped to get the name recognition that was needed to sell the books. It also may have had something to do with the amount of detectives who, in today’s modern age, don’t follow the rules. M.C. Beaton died two days before the worst year in recent memory. Yes, she left this earth on December 30, 2019 at the age of 83. It was so bittersweet to read this book knowing that M.C. Beaton had passed away and that she’d had assistance with writing this book before her death. IF this had been my first read in the Hamish Macbeth series, I’d probably have rated the book a solid 4 or 4.5 stars. However, it was NOT my first book in the series – I’ve read them all. It was a good mystery and it was well written – it was just a little ‘off’ somehow. Hamish just wasn’t quite Hamish – I still loved him, but he wasn’t exactly the character I’ve come to know and love. I also didn’t get the book I had so very much wanted. I have to wonder if this is really the last book of the series or not because nothing was really wrapped up in the book and lots of ‘hints’ were there for things to come. The book I WANTED would have had a happily settled Hamish in his sweet Scottish village – and DCI Blair having been dropped in the deep ocean somewhere. That is definitely NOT what I got. So now, do I go on picturing our sweet, lovable Hamish spending a long, lonely life in Lochdubh – OR – will there be another book and another? If there are more, will they satisfy my Lochdubh hunger and my desire to see Hamish happily settled and living a life that isn’t lonely?

The Marion Chesney estate must be happy as well with how the continuation series is proceeding as a novella Death of a Laird: A Hamish Macbeth novella (expected March 8, 2022, Hamish Macbeth #34.5) [ correction: Death of a Laird is actually #33.5 as it was released in Kindle format February 15, 2022 prior to Death of a Green-Eyed Monster, it was the Audible Audio edition that was released later on March 8, 2022] and the next novel Death of a Traitor (Expected February 2, 2023; Hamish Macbeth #35) have already been announced. There were 33 novels, one novella and one short story published in the UK by Constable & Robinson before the author's death in 2019. A subsequent novel and a short story, begun as collaborative works with the original author and finished after her death by R. W. Green were published in 2022. Hamish is the oldest of seven, and lives in a farming family. As an adult, he resides in the local police station and works as a “bobby” (constable), often going out of his way to avoid being promoted. Macbeth also has a natural inquisitive nature that feeds the flame in his career.

Hamish and the Alien

Is this to be the last we see of Hamish? I don't think so. Mr Green tells us that M.C. Beaton left several outlines to be completed. So we may have more Hamish coming, but we may have to get used to a slightly different Hamish; a changed man.