"Reading Beaton is an experience akin to discovering buried treasure.... An outstanding read from one of the real masters of mystery."
BOOKLIST (STARRED REVIEW)

"Macbeth's charm continues to grow.... Fun, silly, and as light as a well-made scone -- I wouldn't miss a single book."
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

"Superb entertainment, as rich and warming as fine malt whiskey, and every bit as addictive."
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

"The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy ... have reached cult status in the United States."
THE TIMES MAGAZINE (LONDON)

"Hamish is at his charming, exasperating best."
KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Befuddled, earnest, and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"Engrossing, cozy mystery ... with residents and a constable so authentic it won't be long before tourists will be seeking Lochdubh and believing in the reality of Hamish Macbeth as surely as they believed in Sherlock Holmes."
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

"Macbeth is the sort of character who slyly grows on you -- ... as you realize that beneath his unassuming exterior, he's a whiz at cutting through all the hokum."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

...

M. C. Beaton, "one of the real masters of mystery" (Booklist), has claimed the windswept highlands of Lochdubh, Scotland, as her territory. Wry wit is her specialty. And the cases of stubborn Scots cop Hamish Macbeth are her forte. All that and a wonderfully puzzling plot make her newest novel something mystery lovers can sink their teeth into when a dentist is murdered and Hamish, biting off more than he can chew, goes alone after the killer.

A toothache can drive a man mad—or to Dr. Frederick Gilchrist's dental surgery in the little village of Braikie. In a country where thrift and a "nice set of dentures" are admired, Dr. Gilchrist's cheap rates and penchant for pulling teeth had gained him a clientele. His use of "The Great Australian Trench" (letting the drill slide across as many teeth as possible to ensure a steady customer) and some unsavory womanizing made wiser Highlanders stay away from the dentist's second-floor office. But one chill autumn morning the whole side of Police Constable Hamish Macbeth's jaw was a burning mass of pain, and he was willing to see Gilchrist, or the devil himself, to stop it. Unfortunately someone came, saw, and poisoned Gilchrist first. It was Macbeth's dismal luck to find the body. He already had his hands full with a major theft case. And he had his mind on a date, the first since his broken engagement to Priscilla Halburton-Smythe. Now he sourly set out to turn his attention to finding a killer. Perhaps only in superstitious Scotland would Macbeth's inquiries include the local seer, who had inside information to share (from the spirits, naturally). Perhaps only Macbeth would see a clue in the earthy details of daily life—not to mention facing a fate just as earthy in its own way. And surely only M. C. Beaton could put together a case as lively as a hornpipe and as smooth a blend of motive, means, and opportunity as the finest aged whisky, Scotch of course.

A Featured Alternate of Mystery Guild