Hamish Macbeth the First

Yup, yet another cozy mystery. This one set in the Scottish Highlands, in the village of Lochdubh (pronounced Loch-doo), at the Lochdubh School of Casting: Salmon and Trout Fishing. A varied cast of characters has come to the little village for some relaxation and fly fishing. Except for one of the party, nasty old Lady Jane. She’s come to stir shit and chew gum, and she’s all out of gum. Lady Jane is horrid to everyone, and seems to have some dirt on every person there, including a young boy and the folks who run the school.

As the days go on, everyone hates her more and more, and pretty much everyone says (at least once) that it would be great if she were dead (if not something worse). And then she’s dead. But why? And who did it?

The local constable is Hamish MacBeth, a lanky and laconic ginger who may have hidden depths. He’s got a quick wit and a sharp tongue, and isn’t intimidated by anyone. When Lady Jane is killed, the big important detectives come from the big town, and shunt Hamish off to the side. He starts his own investigation, and his perceptiveness (not to mention his many connections) lead him to the culprit.

This is the first book in a series, I’m not sure how many there are. There was also a TV show starring Robert Carlyle as Hamish, definitely need to see if it’s streaming somewhere. I keep saying the same thing about books like this, but there’s a reason why I read them. They’re breezy and entertaining and perfect for when I need to not think about real life.