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A Highland Christmas

Series: Hamish Macbeth
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( 9,346 ratings, 949 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth finds himself in the Scottish Highlands during the festive season, where not everyone shares the holiday spirit. The story delves into his investigation of a missing Christmas tree and presents, while simultaneously dealing with local traditions and uncovering community secrets. The tale combines mystery with heartwarming charm, set against a backdrop of a small village reluctant to embrace Christmas cheer.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this charming and festive mystery if you have an appreciation for cosy crime novels set in small Scottish villages. The story offers a delightful blend of holiday spirit, community dynamics, and a dash of detective work, making it perfect for those who love a crime and thriller with a warm, seasonal twist.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A special Christmas standalone story for all fans of Hamish Macbeth. And it could be Hamish's toughest case - to bring some festive cheer to a town long dampened by the spirit of Scrooge.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In dark, wintry Lochdubh, Christmas cheer is about as welcome as a flat tyre on a deserted road. The Calvinist element in town has always resisted what they view as secular frivolity, so for most of the townsfolk there'll be no carols, feasting, gifts - or even whisky on Christmas Day!

And for PC Hamish Macbeth, there's no holiday from crime. He finds himself hunting for a missing cat belonging to a lonely spinster. Curt and unfriendly, the woman is convinced her pet has been stolen, but once behind her heavily-bolted door, Hamish can spot her true problem - she lives in fear, though of who or what he cannot guess.

Then someone steals a Christmas tree and lights from the nearby village of Cnothan. So, it is up to Hamish to sort all these problems out - and he had better do it quickly, for the church bells will soon peal on the eve of Christmas.

This one-off standalone story is a special Christmas treat for all fans of Hamish Macbeth and can be read at any point in the ongoing series.

Praise for the Hamish Macbeth series:

'First rate ... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere.' Booklist

'It's always a treat to return to Lochdubh.' New York Times

'Readers will enjoy the quirks and unique qualities of the cast ... Beaton catches the beauty of the area's natural geography and succinctly describes its distinct flavour.' Library Journal

'Befuddled, earnest and utterly endearing, Hamish makes his triumphs sweetly satisfying.' Publishers Weekly

Series: Hamish Macbeth

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  • Death of a Spy
    All Sergeant Hamish Macbeth ever wants is a quiet life in the tranquil surroundings of Lochdubh, his home village in the Scottish Highlands. Although the area he polices is vast, he's happiest when he's working alone, yet the police authorities insist he has an assistant. In the past, they have supplied a variety of problematic misfits, but they surpass themselves...
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  • A Highland Christmas
    In dark, wintry Lochdubh, Christmas cheer is about as welcome as a flat tyre on a deserted road. The Calvinist element in town has always resisted what they view as secular frivolity, so for most of the townsfolk there'll be no carols, feasting, gifts - or even whisky on Christmas Day! And for PC Hamish Macbeth, there's no holiday from...
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  • Death of a Bore
    Not bored to death but murder most foul . . . Celebrated author John Heppel is known in Lochdubh as a self-important bore, prone to belittling the scribblings of the locals in his creative writing class. So when he's found dead, his mouth oozing ink, it seems a fitting fate. But for PC Hamish Macbeth the murder is more than...
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  • Death of a Gossip
    When society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joins the local fishing class, she wastes no time in ruffling the feathersβ€”or should that be fins?β€”of those around her. Among the victims of her sharp tongue is Lochdubh constable Hamish Macbeth. Yet not even Hamish thinks someone would seriously want to silence Lady Jane's shrill voice permanentlyβ€”until her strangled body...
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  • Death of a Ghost
    There are many ruined castles in Scotland. One such lies outside the village of Drim. Hamish begins to hear reports that this castle is haunted and lights have been seen there at night, but he assumes it's some children or maybe the local lads going there to smoke pot, or, worse, inject themselves with drugs. Hamish says to his policeman,...
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  • Death of a Cad
    When Priscilla Halburton-Smythe brings her London playwright fiancΓ© home to Lochdubh, everyone in town is delighted... except for love-smitten Hamish Macbeth. Yet the affairs of his heart will have to wait. Vile, boorish Captain Bartlett, one of the guests at Priscilla's engagement party, has just been found murderedβ€”shot while on a grouse hunt. Now with so many titled party guests...
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  • Death of a Green-Eyed Monster
    No one in Lochdubh expects Dorothy to stay for long... She is, after all, entirely unsuitable. She's an uptown girl, used to a fancy lifestyle in the big city of Glasgow. She'll never fit in. And how is that work-shy rogue Hamish Macbeth supposed to get anything done when his new assistant is such a distraction? The village needs a...
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  • Death of a Celebrity
    No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime Mail on Sunday Amazing news is spreading like wildfire across the Scottish countryside: the most famous of all Lochdubh, remotely nestling in the Highlands, is perfectly anonymous... until well-known TV reporter Crystal French races into town in her bright new BMW. PC Hamish Macbeth, dourly wed to duty rather than the...
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  • Death of a Gentle Lady
    Mrs Gentle has fooled everyone into thinking she is as sweet as she soundsβ€”Gentle by name and gentle by nature. But local constable Hamish Macbeth isn't fooled. He believes this little old lady is actually quite sly and vicious, but he's in a minority of one. Or is he? When Mrs Gentle dies under unusual circumstances, the villagers of Lochdubh...
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  • Death of a Kingfisher
    'Explosive and engaging' - Booklist A featherbrained scheme to make cold, hard cash... PC Hamish Macbeth can't help but admire the resourcefulness of the Highlanders during the Recession - in tough times they have to lure tourists to their sleepy towns and the quaint village of Braikie has come up with a novel solution. It really doesn't have that much...
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  • Death of an Addict
    Are drugs responsible for a sighting of Nessie's long lost relative? Recovering addict Tommy Jarret has just rented a chalet to check out reports of a sea monster near the village of Drim. But when he turns up dead, apparently from a drug overdose, Lochdubh constable Hamish Macbeth finds the lad's demise to be particularly fishy . . . and...
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  • Death of a Macho Man
    The unconventional Hamish Macbeth finds that his own impetuousness places him at the centre of a murder investigation. Death accompanies a tattooed stranger to a tiny Highland town... Everyone in Lochdubh knows about the Macho Man - a mean bully claiming to be a professional wrestler and part-time explorer. His insults at the pub have caused brawls, while his furtive...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton is praised for its charming depiction of a Scottish village during the holiday season, with the familiar character of Hamish Macbeth adding a cosy, whimsical touch. Reviewers appreciate the light-hearted mystery amidst festive settings, and the book is seen as an enjoyable, quick read for those fond of cosy mysteries with a touch of holiday spirit.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472124951

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 October 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Constable

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 128g

Pages: 176

About the Author

M.C. Beaton (1936-2019) was the author of both the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series, as well as numerous Regency romances. Her books have been translated into seventeen languages and have sold more than twenty-one million copies worldwide. She is consistently the most borrowed UK adult author in British libraries, and her Agatha Raisin books have been turned into a TV series on Sky.

Also by M.C. Beaton

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    He was a vicar to die for - and he did! Agatha is going through a man-hating phase and so is unmoved by news of the captivating new curate. But when she meets the golden-haired, blue-eyed Tristan Delon, she is swept off her feet... along with every other female in the village. She is positively ecstatic when he invites her...
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    There may be trouble ahead... so will Agatha face the music? Can the feisty Agatha cut it as a private investigator? She soon learns that running her own detective agency in the Cotswolds is not quite like starring in a Raymond Chandler movie. But then walks in wealthy divorcΓ©e Catherine Laggat-Brown, and Agatha is given her first real case. Death...
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  • Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage
    The morning of Agatha's marriage to James Lacey dawns bright and clear. But her luck runs out in the church when Jimmy, the husband she had believed long dead, turns up large as life and twice as ugly. Agatha has a go at strangling him. James breaks off the engagement. So when Jimmy is found murdered the next day, Agatha...
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  • Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham
    The local ladies all deem Mr John a wizard, so when Agatha finds a few grey hairs on her headβ€”and the rinse she tries at home turns her hair purpleβ€”she makes a beeline for the handsome Evesham hairdresser. As well as sorting out her hair, it soon becomes clear the charming man also has designs on her heart. However, their...
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  • Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley
    An unexpected hike to the Other Side... After time away, Agatha Raisin returns to her beloved Cotswold village of Carselyβ€”and to her handsome neighbour, James Lacey. True, James seems less than thrilled to see her, but Agatha is soon distracted by a sensational murder. The victim, found in a field, is young hiker Jessica Tartinck, who spent her life enraging...
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  • Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden
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  • Agatha Raisin: Beating About the Bush
    Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy β€” ASHLEY JENSEN No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime β€” MAIL ON SUNDAY A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed β€” DAILY MAIL The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status β€” THE TIMES Irresistible, unputdownable, a joy β€” ANNE ROBINSON Agatha Raisin:...
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  • Agatha Raisin in Down the Hatch
    β€˜Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy’ ASHLEY JENSEN β€˜No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime’ MAIL ON SUNDAY β€˜A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed’ DAILY MAIL β€˜The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status’ THE TIMES Nothing could be more relaxing or sedate than a quiet game of bowls...
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  • Agatha Raisin: Dead on Target
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  • Death of a Spy
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  • Agatha Raisin: Devil's Delight
    β€˜Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy’ ASHLEY JENSEN β€˜No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime’ MAIL ON SUNDAY Agatha Raisin: Devil's Delight follows Agatha and her assistant, Toni, who are on their way to their friend Bill Wong's wedding. En route, they're shocked when a terrified young man comes running down the country lane towards...
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  • Agatha Raisin and the Busy Body
    Agatha Raisin and the Busy Body by M.C. Beaton follows Agatha, who has never been one for enforced holiday cheer, yet her friendly little village of Carsely has always prided itself on its traditional Christmas festivities. Unfortunately, this year the bells will not be ringing out Silent Night, as Mr John Sunday, an officer with the Cotswold Health and Safety...
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