Definitely not my favorite Hamish MacBeth novel. This book kinda turned him into both a sexist jerk and a pathetic desperate single guy. I thought Olivia was a nightmare and Hamish is starting to have a revolving door of women in these novels. I also don't think THAT many people would find Hamish weird for not wanting a promotion. That's actually a fairly normal response when people don't want to uproot themselves for a job. Pretty disappointing, but a quick read.

A young man dies of an apparent overdose. The death is ruled a suicide, the case is closed. Or is it? Hamish MacBeth has suspicions that it isn’t so cut and dried,and goes undercover to find out!

The author describes the Highlands of Scotland with lots of adjectives, setting the scene beautifully. She brings her characters to life, and the dialogue between them is natural and realistic.♥️

Not one of the best.

Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Eaux Troubles ?
"Hamish Macbeth, c'est vraiment ma lecture doudou et réconfortante alors il n'est pas question que je rate une nouvelle sortie. Et il reste rarement très longtemps dans ma PAL !"

Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Un ancien drogué meurt d'une overdose et tout le monde s'en contrefiche, persuadé qu'il a juste replongé, et que ce n'est pas vraiment le genre de personne qu'on regrettera. Sauf Hamish bien sûr."

Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"C'est peut-être l'un des meilleurs Hamish Macbeth que j'ai lu jusque là, essentiellement parce que M.C. Beaton a su une nouvelle fois se renouveler, mais pas seulement. D'abord, le meurtre n'est pas banal, tout le monde pense que c'est un accident, sauf notre jeune policier et il est sollicité par les parents du défunt pour enquêter. C'est aussi la première fois que l'on parle vraiment de drogue et Hamish va devoir voyager et jouer les infiltrés, autant de nouvelles situations palpitantes. Ensuite, pas de Priscilla, et ça nous fait un peu des vacances ! Une nouvelle amourette se profile bien s��r, plus équilibrée, du moins à première vue. Mais j'ai aussi adoré ce tome parce que sur certains points, les plus importants, Hamish est toujours Hamish, une lecture cosy, amusante, un héros touchant qui a tout compris à la vie et une communauté très présente, qui va s'organiser pour lui venir en aide."

Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"Je n'avais pas deviné qui était l'assassin, encore un point positif pour ce quinzième tome. Allez, vite, vite, le suivant."


http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...

Quite lighthearted a tale.
Hamish seems like a bit of a pleb, accidentally going off with a prostitute while on duty, then admitting to it, amongst other reasons. In my head he's not the kinda character to have a trail of women, but there were more in the story. Played off as unbelievable for the personality.
Maybe I'd have enjoyed more had I read the series and become more acquainted with the character from the previous books.
Many unbelievable parts, such as 2 undercover police officers being believed by drug dealers that they're going to buy 4kg of heroin without being checked to see if they're legit criminals or not.

I have liked very much the latest installment of this series. Hamish is changing and growing, and is less of a caricature of himself. In this book, the murder takes place right at the beginning, and he is drawn into an investigation of drugs instead of the usual village gossip. I despair that he will ever find true love, and look forward to the day when the evil Inspector Blair gets his comeuppance.

Review - I loved Hamish in this one because it showed a completely different side to him. I really hated Blair in this one, as we got to see just how much he hated Hamish. I also, surprisingly, really liked Olivia and in particular her relationship with Hamish. The mystery started out slowly and unconnected, but by the end, I really loved the story, and I never would have guessed who dunnit this time. The description was also brilliant and easy to visualise.

Genre? - Crime / Mystery

Characters? - Hamish Macbeth / Jimmy Anderson / Detective Inspector Blair / Detective Inspector Daviot / Angela Brodie / Olivia Chaters / Tommy Jarret

Setting? - Lochdubh and Strathbane (Scotland)

Series? - Hamish Macbeth #15

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 17/20

Although well told and with its trademark humor, this is one of the darker Hamish Macbeth's for me.

I usually love these books but I felt there was a completely unnecessary tangent that mean the story got a bit lost

I'm delighted with the Hamish books. The audio books are the best. The narrator is superb.

I understand from reviews that many readers are disappointed to find Hamish away from Lochdubh for most of this book. For me, it was rather exciting to see Hamish completely out of his element.

Though we know he can charm and fib his way out of most anything on his own turf, this time we get to see Hamish rise to the challenge of a much more complicated investigation - one that costs a lot of money and manpower. He comes out of it with mixed results, the negative ones reinforcing that at heart he's always hoping for the best in people...and also that his Highland self is still rather old-fashioned.

For anyone fearing a lack of village intrigue, have no fear. We meet some new characters from Hamish's beat and see more of the area he loves so well. Particularly amusing is an old Irish recluse who bitterly aids Hamish. He's abrasive in a delightful way, and I hope we'll see him again. Though we admittedly don't get a lot of page time with the old favorites, Beaton ensures that every moment at home counts - culminating in another brilliant example of Lochdubh's fierce (yet hilarious) loyalty.

As others have felt, the only issue I had was Hamish coming off as a bit desperate for female attention. But it's a small quibble, and honestly: what lovelorn man or woman hasn't had their moments of oddity when faced with frustrating loneliness?

Yes, I read it, but the idea of Hamish as an undercover drug police officer is laughable, chameleon or no.