Hamish Macbeth, the beloved and famous Lochdubh constable is getting married. What a shock to this small part of Scotland. Hamish was once again promoted to Sergeant, a rank that he has successfully avoided and even managed to get himself demoted from on many occasions. He avoids promotion and fame so that he can stay in this little village where he lives in his croft home and helps to serve and protect its small population. But, he has been promoted so the powers that be in Strathbaine have sent him a constable to help.
Everyone in the village thinks the new constable; Josie McSween is charming, beautiful, friendly, and helpful and finally a great match for the long-time bachelor Hamish Macbeth. But before there can be a wedding, Macbeth and his assistant must solve the murder of the local beauty queen. Her valentine’s day package contained a high explosive filled with nails and glass instead of chocolate filled with creamy goodness.
As Hamish and Josie worked side by side Josie came to see Hamish as her dream husband. Hamish began to see Josie as a big pain and a waste as a policewoman. Hamish proceeds to solve the Valentine murder along with murders of a couple of others that are connected. At the same time Josie plots to trap Hamish into marrying her. Finally Josie resorts to drugging Hamish with the date drug, putting him to bed and stripping him then stripping her and joining him in bed. Hamish is shocked in the morning and Josie claims pregnancy a week or so later which forces Hamish to do the right thing and agree to marry her.
At the last minute Hamish’s good friend and news reporter Elspeth Grant reveals the truth in front of the whole town at the start of the wedding, that Hamish was drugged and tricked into this marriage. Of course that ends the marriage, thank goodness. We want to keep our beloved Hamish the way his for at least a few more great mystery stories.
“Death of a Valentine” is another great tale in a string of Beaton tales about the Scotland constable and earns a 9 of 10 on the Weaver meter. I hope there are many more to come.
