M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip (UK 2017)

From the Publisher:
WHEN SOCIETY WIDOW AND GOSSIP COLUMNIST LADY JANE WINTERS JOINS THE LOCAL FISHING CLASS SHE WASTES NO TIME IN RUFFLING THE FEATHERS - OR SHOULD THAT BE FINS? - 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 permanently - until her strangled body is fished out of the river.

Now with the help of the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish must steer a course through the choppy waters of the tattier's life to find a murderer. But with a school of suspects who aren't willing to talk, and the dead woman telling no tales, Hamish may well be in over his head for he knows that secrets are dangerous, knowledge is power and killers, when cornered, usually do strike again.

PRAISE FOR M.C. BEATON:
'The books are a delight: clever, intricate, sardonic and amazingly true to the real Highlands' -- Kerry Greenwood
'It's always a special treat to return to Lochdubh' -- New York Times

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip. A Hamish Macbeth Murder Mystery. Constable, ISBN: 9781472124067 (February, 2017), 210 p., £8.99.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip (UK 2013)

From the Publisher:
She sleeps with the fishes...
When society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joins the local fishing class she wastes no time in ruffling feathers - or should that be fins? - 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 permanently - until her strangled body is fished out of the river.

Now with the help of the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish must steer a course through the choppy waters of the tattler's life to find a murderer. But with a school of suspects who aren't willing to talk, and the dead woman telling no tales. Hamish may well be in over his head: he knows that secrets are dangerous, knowledge is power, and killers, when cornered, usually do strike again.

'An enchanting series... M.C. Beaton has a foolproof plot for the village mystery.' New York Times Book Review
'The detective novels of M.C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' ANNE ROBINSON, The Times

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip. A Hamish Macbeth Murder Mystery. C & R Crime, ISBN: 9781472105202 (April, 2013), 210 p., £7.99.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip (USA 1999)

From the Publisher:
SHE SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES
When society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joined the fishing class, she wasted no time in ruffling the feathers -- or was it the fins? -- of those around her. Among the victims of her sharp tongue and unladylike manner was Lochdubh Constable Hamish Macbeth. Yet not even Hamish thought someone would permanently silence Lady Jane's shrills -- until her strangled body is fished out of the river. Now with the help of the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish must angle through the choppy waters of the tattler's life to find the murderer. But with a school of suspects who aren't ready to talk and dead women telling no tales. Hamish may be in over his head, for he knows that secrets are dangerous, knowledge is power, and killers usually do strike again.

"AN ENCHANTING SERIES... M.C. BEATON HAS A FOOLPROOF PLOT FOR THE VILLAGE MYSTERY." -- Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

M.C. BEATON has written fourteen Hamish Macbeth mysteries. She is the author of the Agatha Raisin series and is a film commentator on BBC television. M.C. Beaton lives in a Cotswolds cottage with her husband.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip. A Hamish Macbeth Mystery. The Mysterious Press / Warner Books, ISBN: 0446607134 (February, 1999), 179 p., $6.99.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip (UK 1994)

From the Publisher:
MOST UNSPORTING BEHAVIOUR

John Cartwright, owner and fishing instructor at the Lochdubh School of Casting in the wilds of Scotland, had a premonition of evil doings. And when the latest class of anglers appeared, his fears were proved real, in the most unladylike person of Lady Jane Winters - society widow and tale tattier, who delighted in exposing the all-too-incriminating pasts of the seemingly innocent. Who wouldn't want her shrills silenced?

But when she was actually fished out dead, it was none other than lazy Hamish Macbeth, local bobby and champion poacher, who smelled the right rat. With the inspiring aid of lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish stuns all with his surprising sense and instinctive understanding of the power of secrets left exposed too long.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip. Introducing P.C. Hamish Macbeth. Bantam, ISBN: 0553407910 (July, 1994), 157 p., £3.99.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip (UK 1989)

From the Publisher:
The whole class watched as John Cartright cast his line. Suddenly, his rod began to bend. "You've got one," breathed the major.
..."I don't know.. I think it's a rock," muttered John. He tried to reel his line in. He had something on the end of it, something that was twisting and turning. He reeled in again.
And then Daphne Gore, the usually cool and unflappable Daphne, began to scream...

P.C. Hamish Macbeth, the local bobby in Lochdubh, deep in the Scot-tish Highlands, is easy-going (some say downright lazy), a moonlighting poacher and occasional Lothario. The heaviest cross he has had to bear until now is his unrequited love for the laird's sophisticated daughter, the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe.

Then Cartright, owner of the Lochdubh fishing school, finds one of his pupils murdered. Normally, Hamish solves his cases simply by listening to local gossip. But this time, no one is talking, for the victim was the biggest gossip of them all, someone that everyone at the school had reason to fear and hate.

Murder is new to Lochdubh - and to Macbeth and his big-city superiors think he is out of his depth.

Hamish has only his native cunning -- and a few tricks -- to get to the bottom of the mystery.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip. Introducing P.C. Hamish Macbeth. Charles Bravos, ISBN: 0951446401 (August, 1989), 200 p., £8.95.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip (USA 1988)

From the Publisher:
MOST UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR
John Cartwright, owner and fishing instructor at the Lochdubh School of Casting in the wilds of Scotland, had a premonition of evil doings. And when the latest class of anglers appeared, his fears were proved real, in the most unladylike person of Lady Jane Winters-society widow and tale tattler, who delighted in exposing the all-too-incriminating pasts of the seemingly innocent. Who wouldn't want her shrills silenced?

But when she was actually fished out dead, it was none other than lazy Hamish Macbeth, local bobby and champion poacher, who smelled the right rat. With the inspiring aid of lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish stuns all with his surprising sense and instinctive understanding of the power of secrets left exposed too long...

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip. When a famous gossip columnist is murdered. no one is ready to talk... A Hamish Macbeth Mystery. Ivy Books, ISBN: 0804102260 (June, 1988), 149 p., $4.99.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip (USA 1985)

From the Publisher:
Introducing Police Constable Hamish Macbeth:
Constable Hamish Macheth leaned on his garden gate and gazed across the loch to the lights of the hotel. He had fed the chickens and geese; his dog lay at his feet, stretched across his boots like a carriage rug, snoring peacefully.

Hamish lit a cigarette and pushed his cap back on his head. He was not happy, which was a fairly unusual state of mind for him. This was usually the time of the day he liked best.

He had to admit to himself he had let Lady Jane get under his skin. He did not like the idea of that fat woman ferreting out details of his family life, even if there was nothing shameful to ferret out...

His father was a crofter but could not make nearly enough to support all six younger children. Hamish had accepted his lot as he accepted most things, with easygoing good nature.

But of late, he had found himself wishing he had a little bit more money in his pocket and yet he would not admit to himself the reason for this.

What he could admit to himself was that he was very worried about the fishing class. Crime in Hamish's parish usually ran to things like bigamy or the occasional drunk on a Saturday night. Most village wrangles were settled out of court, so to speak, by the diplomatic Hamish...

Something in his bones seemed to tell him that trouble was going to come from this fishing class.

M.C. Beaton: Death of a Gossip. A Murder Mystery Introducing Police Constable Hamish Macbeth. St. Martin's Press, ISBN: 0312186371 (March, 1985), 166 p., $12.95.