Customer Reviews:
 Can Hamish Stand Success? May 18, 2007
Donald Mitchell (Boston)
Due to his remarkable work in Death of an Addict, Hamish once again finds himself promoted to sergeant. Having been totally driven crazy by Willie Lamont's cleaning when Hamish was a sergeant before, he had hoped that this promotion wouldn't mean having another police constable assigned to live and work with him. No such luck!
Clarry Graham, the new constable, is equally obsessed . . . but with cooking. So Hamish eats better than ever in this book.
Lochdubh finds itself under attack due to the publicity-seeking lust of Mrs. Freda Fleming, a recent widow, who wants a place to "clean up" so she can appear on the telly. Although she lives in Strathbane (which could use a good clean up), Freda decides that she's more likely to have a visible success in a smaller place. An inspection by Freda finds trash overflowing after a church fete. No problem! Freda will create an army of one, Fergus Macleod, the local dustman (UK speak for trash collector), to create the new "green" Lochdubh.
Fergus is an angry man. He started off as an accountant, but his weakness for preying on others caused him to descend into drink and wife-beating. With his raise in pay, wider authority, and military-like new uniform, he's ready to settle old scores with those who don't respect a mere dustman.
Before the tensions can rise too far, someone disposes of Fergus. While he disappears (to be later found in the Currie sisters' trash bin), Clarry decides to become the defender of Martha Macleod and her children from the brutal Fergus. Naturally, that means Detective Chief Inspector Blair will want to finger Clarry for the murder. But Blair has a surprise awaiting him.
After Fergus is found dead, the neighbors help Martha clean out his things. In the process, they accidentally find a lot of filthy papers that Fergus appears to have dug out of the trash. On reading those papers, Hamish realizes that Fergus may also have been blackmailing the villagers (a theme that was used before in Death of a Maid).
Lochdubh is in an uproar for another reason: the Lochdubh Hotel is reopening and the locals are getting great job offers. How will the Tommel Castle Hotel survive? Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish's former "unofficial" fiancée, is back to deal with the threat and playing her usual role of brilliant Watson.
Before long, the number of suspects is growing faster than Hamish can check them all out. When one of the suspects makes a run for it, Hamish takes action . . . with plot-shaking consequences.
As usual, Hamish finds himself chastened more for doing his duty than appreciated. There's also upsetting news about DI Chater. Fortunately for Hamish, he has his new dog, Lugs (his Christmas present in A Highland Christmas), to comfort him.
This story doesn't have the easy charm of A Highland Christmas or the character-developing strength of Death of an Addict or an intriguing plot like Death of a Scriptwriter, but in its own soap-opera-like way, Death of a Dustman cleans up. Enjoy!
Have three hours to kill...this is your book! September 21, 2001
Sleuth029 (dfk029@yahoo.com) (New York, NY USA)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
Having just read a heart-thumping page-turning thriller, I felt the need to read something that would bring my blood pressure back to its normal rate. "Death of a Dustman," the most recent installment in M. C. Beaton's series about Hamish Macbeth, a police officer in a small village in the Scottish Highlands, was the perfect choice. This book has just the right mix of suspects, clues, romance and local color to keep you interested while not taxing your heart. Don't expect deep character analyses, complicated plots or dastardly villains. The darkest thing about this book is probably the weather. I have to give the book 5 stars because it delivered exactly what I expected...about three hours of non-stressful pure reading enjoyment. This is the perfect book to tuck into your beach bag or carry on luggage.
Best Yet August 9, 2001
Avril A. Lebeau (USA)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I found this book excellent reading the plot was really good with plenty of twists and turns. I found myself not wanting to put the book down. From the list of suspects in the murder I kept wanting it not to be any of them. The end is very surprising and I look forward to the next one.
 Macbeth continues his 'Dread Scot' cases! March 15, 2001
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
Indeed, "predictable" is the word (or words!) for any of the Hamish Macbeth series by M.C. Beaton, and "Death of a Dustman" is no exception. Ms Beaton has, of course, worked out a very successful "formula" for her Macbeth books, but her fans don't really care! What's fun is reading them! Macbeth is the local policeman in the Scottish Highlands village of Lochdubh, and, if nothing else, Beaton's characters (primarily Hamish) and the local color (of the setting) are enough to get one going!In "Death of a Dustman," Beaton's inimitable policeman must find the killer of one Fergus Macleod, local villager only recently appointed as the town's new dustman, in charge of a renewed campaign to keep the area environmentally friendly. Macleod is a real pain, and, thus, when he is found dead, no one really cares! Besides turning into a real tyrant--and impossible to deal with--with his silly and petty (but legal) fines of his townsfolk--he is a wife-abuser and into some blackmail as well. And when his body's found, it's poetic justice, indeed: he was left in a recycling bin. (If that's not a metaphor, what is!) But, the law's the law and a murder's a murder. And Hamish must do his duty--regardless of his personal feelings for Macleod! As usual, Beaton provides us with suspects aplenty, and Macbeth's resilience pays off, one more time! Beaton's books are delightful to read!
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