NOTE: I would recommend starting with the first book in the Hamish Macbeth series (Death of a Gossip). You can read this book cold, but the relationships between the characters has grown so much that you would be missing out on some great back-story. END NOTE The Hamish Macbeth series is one of my favorites. I tend to prefer amateur detecting (ala Murder She Wrote), but Hamish is so laid back and unambitious about policing that it's kinda like reading about a local who just happens to carry a badge. He lives for solving the mystery so the bad guy can get put away, the victim can have some justice, and he can get back to poaching salmon from the local hotel owner's stream. Beaton's take on people in general seems to be a bit cynical. I would say it was just for this series, but her Agatha Raisen series has the same componet. Hamish is a good man but has flaws like the rest of us; he can be petty, vindictive, and has a selfish streak that keeps him from having a good relationship with a woman. He commits an act in this book that had me struggling with the moral aspect of it. The mystery itself is always logical and good and we are in on Hamish's thought process. The setting of a small village in Scotland is fun and you can really picture the scenery and layout. Makes me want to see it for myself, especailly the very spirited and eccentric locals. I highly recommend.