Death of a Kingfisher | Beaton, M. C.

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 to offer apart from a place of rare beauty called Buchan's Wood, which the clued-up local tourist board director has rechristened 'The Fairy Glen' and has had brochures printed with a beautiful kingfisher rising from a lake on the cover. It isn't long before coach tours begin to arrive but just as the town's luck starts to turn, a kingfisher is found hanging from a branch in the woods with a noose around its neck. As a wave of vandalism threatens to ruin Braikie forever it is up to Hamish to get involved . . . and his investigation quickly turns from mistreatment of birds to murder . . . Praise for M C Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series: 'Once again M C Beaton has concocted an amusing brew of mystery and romance that will keep her fans turning the pages' Publishers Weekly 'It's always a pleasure to return to Loch Dubh' - New York Times Book Review