From Publishers Weekly
In this excellent, eighth Hamish Macbeth mystery, the slightly lethargic, tousle-haired village copper in the Scottish Highlands has been promoted against his will. As Sergeant, he makes more money, but must suffer more work as well, not to mention the enthusiasm of his new helper, Police Constable Willie Lamont. Hamish rescues a young boy from the river and saves some stranded mountain climbers; he listens to a minister confess wavering faith, is plagued by a superior who resents his promotion and has repeated run-ins with a drifter who parks his van behind the minister's manse. The "devastatingly handsome" drifter charms four women out of their money and harasses Hamish's ladylove, Priscilla. When the bounder's body is found after a fatal bludgeoning, Hamish seeks out the young man's rock-singer girlfriend and unhappily discovers a blackmailing scheme that incriminates some locals. Beaton ( Death of a Glutton ) pens a cast of winning characters, even the pesky, malaprop Willie (whose aunt lives "in a condom in San Francisco"). But the star, as always, is the slow-moving, quick-witted Hamish.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Beaton's eighth mystery featuring Scottish police constable Hamish MacBeth is every bit as charming, humorous, and clever as the first seven. This time MacBeth acquires a new sidekick, P. C. Willie Lamont, who has less talent for police work than for cleaning, polishing, and scrubbing. His insistence on keeping the police station spotless is driving MacBeth mad. But Hamish has other troubles: his lady friend, Priscilla, is being standoffish, and a handsome drifter named Sean has arrived in Lochdubh and seems to be a catalyst for evil. When Sean is brutally murdered, Hamish has the difficult task of finding his killer without upsetting Lochdubh's placid way of life or his police superiors in Strathbane. As usual, Beaton makes Lochdubh and its inhabitants come alive; the characters are wonderfully original; the plot is cleverly crafted and intriguing to the end; there's lots of laugh-aloud humor; and even the darker, bleaker parts of the story (and there are some) only add to its overall appeal. Emily Melton