Agatha Raisin
cozy mystery
Series · cozy mystery
Hamish Macbeth
The Hamish Macbeth series by M. C. Beaton has 38 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Death of a Gossip (1985).
- Books
- 38 books
- First published
- 1985
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Death of a Gossip (1985) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Death of a Gossip
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Gossip - Book 2:
Death of a Cad
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Cad - Book 3:
Death of an Outsider
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of an Outsider - Book 4:
Death of a Perfect Wife
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Perfect Wife - Book 5:
Death of a Hussy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Hussy - Book 6:
Death of a Snob
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Snob - Book 7:
Death of a Prankster
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Prankster - Book 8:
Death of a Glutton
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Glutton - Book 9:
Death of a Travelling Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Travelling Man - Book 10:
Death of a Charming Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Charming Man - Book 11:
Death of a Nag
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Nag - Book 12:
Death of a Macho Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Macho Man - Book 13:
Death of a Dentist
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Dentist - Book 14:
Death of a Scriptwriter
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Scriptwriter - Book 15:
Death of an Addict
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of an Addict - Book 16:
Death of a Dustman
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Dustman - Book 17:
Death of a Celebrity
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Celebrity - Book 18:
Death of a Village
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Village - Book 19:
Death of a Poison Pen
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Poison Pen - Book 20:
Death of a Bore
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Bore - Book 21:
Death of a Dreamer
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Dreamer - Book 22:
Death of a Maid
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Maid - Book 23:
Death of a Gentle Lady
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Gentle Lady - Book 24:
Death of a Witch
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Witch - Book 25:
Death of a Valentine
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Valentine - Book 26:
Death of a Chimney Sweep
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Chimney Sweep - Book 27:
Death of a Kingfisher
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Kingfisher - Book 28:
Death of Yesterday
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of Yesterday - Book 29:
Death of a Liar
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Liar - Book 30:
Death of a Policeman
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Policeman - Book 31:
Death of a Nurse
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Nurse - Book 32:
Death of a Ghost
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Ghost - Book 33:
Death of an Honest Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of an Honest Man - Book 34:
Death of a Green-Eyed Monster
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Green-Eyed Monster - Book 35:
Death of a Traitor
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Traitor - Book 36:
Death of a Spy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Spy - Book 37:
Death of a Smuggler
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Smuggler - Book 38:
Death of a Groom
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death of a Groom
About the Hamish Macbeth series
Constable Hamish Macbeth is the laziest ambitious man in the Scottish Highlands: a lanky, red-headed village policeman in the fictional coastal town of Lochdubh who works hard at exactly one thing, staying a lowly constable, because promotion would mean a desk in Strathbane and losing the poaching, fishing and gossiping that make his unhurried life worth living. M. C. Beaton (the pen name of Marion Chesney) built the series as the gentler, more whimsical sibling to her later Agatha Raisin books: the crimes are real and the victims matter, but the pleasure is in Highland village life itself, Hamish's prickly on-off romance with journalist Priscilla Halburton-Smythe and later vet Elspeth Grant, his devoted pets Lugs the dog and Sonsie the wildcat, and a rotating cast of eccentric locals who treat murder as slightly less interesting than the weather.
Beaton wrote in the same sly, comic register throughout, wringing dry humor from Highland stubbornness, incompetent superiors, and Hamish's serial inability to stay away from cases that aren't officially his. After Beaton's death in 2019, R. W. Green continued the series with her blessing starting with 2022's Death of a Green-Eyed Monster, preserving Hamish's voice and Lochdubh's cast without a reboot. Adapted into the 1995-1997 BBC series starring Robert Carlyle, Hamish Macbeth remains one of the defining cozy village-mystery series, older and gentler than Agatha Raisin but sharing its author's gift for turning small-town nosiness into a detective's greatest asset.
How to read this series
Publication order, starting with Death of a Gossip (1985). Hamish's relationships (especially with Priscilla and later Elspeth), his pets, and his running feuds with Strathbane superiors develop across the series, though nearly every entry is a self-contained village mystery that a new reader can follow without prior books. The series' comic tone and format stay consistent for nearly forty years, so there's no real "it gets better here" inflection point the way some long series have.
Since R. W. Green took over after Beaton's 2019 death (starting with Death of a Green-Eyed Monster, 2022), the books have continued Hamish's story without any continuity reset, so readers can simply carry on in publication order. Don't confuse this series with Beaton's separate, unrelated Agatha Raisin books — Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin share an author and a light cozy tone but no characters or setting.
Frequently asked questions
How many Hamish Macbeth books are there?
38 novels as of Death of a Groom (February 2026), starting with Death of a Gossip in 1985. A 39th, Death of a High Flyer, is expected in 2027.
What order should I read the Hamish Macbeth books in?
Publication order, starting with Death of a Gossip. Hamish's relationships and pets develop across the series, but almost every book works as a standalone village mystery.
Who writes Hamish Macbeth now?
R. W. Green has continued the series since M. C. Beaton's death in 2019, starting with Death of a Green-Eyed Monster (2022), in the same voice and Highland setting Beaton established.
Is Hamish Macbeth related to Agatha Raisin?
No. Both are M. C. Beaton cozy mystery series with a similar light comic tone, but they have entirely separate characters, settings (the Scottish Highlands vs. the Cotswolds) and continuities.
Is there a Hamish Macbeth TV series based on the books?
Yes. BBC Scotland's Hamish Macbeth (1995-1997), starring Robert Carlyle, adapted the character and setting, though it departed substantially from the novels' plots.
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Reading order last verified .