Hamish Macbeth Omnibus Read online

Page 18


  ‘I’d like to, Mr Pomfret,’ said Hamish. ‘But it’s like this. Unless the colonel invites me, I chust cannot put my nose into this. And the colonel is not going to invite me. In fact, he sent word to stop me coming here tonight, but the message got lost on the way. Besides, any suggestion of a referee would mean the colonel would be made to look as if he thought one of his guests was about to cheat, and he wouldn’t stand for that.’

  ‘Yes, I see what you mean,’ said Jeremy, pouting like a disappointed baby. ‘Sorry to have troubled you.’

  Hamish continued on his way out.

  He picked up the parcel containing the waiter’s clothes from a chair in the hall and made his way out on to the drive.

  Peter Bartlett, smoking a cigar, was pacing up and down.

  ‘Sobering up for the big day,’ he said when he saw Hamish.

  ‘Good luck,’ said Hamish politely, fishing for his car keys.

  ‘You’ve heard about the bet?’ asked Bartlett.

  Hamish nodded. ‘I hear it’s for quite a bit of money,’ he said.

  ‘Yes, quite a stroke of luck that, finding old Pomfret here.’ Bartlett’s white teeth gleamed in a broad smile. ‘And I thought I was going to have to be content with that Arab’s miserly two thousand pounds.’

  Hamish, who had been about to open his car door, stopped and turned around. ‘And what Arab would that be, Captain?’ he asked slowly.

  ‘Just some old oil sheikh in London. He’s heard stories about the honour of dining on Scottish grouse on the day of the Glorious Twelfth itself, so I offered to get a brace for him – at a price, you understand.’

  ‘And how will you get them to London in time for the sheikh’s dinner, Captain?’

  ‘He’s paying for that. He’ll have a helicopter here before nine in the morning. That’ll take the birds to Inverness airport. The helicopter pilot will put them on the shuttle plane to London, and one of the sheikh’s flunkeys will pick them up at London airport.’

  Hamish studied the captain thoughtfully. ‘And the sheikh will send you a cheque, I suppose?’

  ‘Not likely. When I hand over the grouse, the helicopter pilot will hand me a packet – two thousand pounds in cash. I drive a hard bargain.’

  ‘So,’ said Hamish, ‘if you bag a brace by noon or so, you’re sure to get the two thousand?’

  ‘Exactly,’ said Peter Bartlett with a wolfish grin. ‘Just can’t lose.’

  ‘So if you don’t get the first brace, you’ll only have to pay Mr Pomfret three thousand pounds. And, of course, those side bets you’ve been making.’

  Peter Bartlett thrust his head forward, peering into Hamish’s face in the gathering gloom. Then he threw back his head and laughed.

  ‘Don’t worry, my dear constable-chappie. I won’t lose.’

  ‘In that case,’ said Hamish, opening his car door, ‘I’ll say goodnight.’

  ‘Look here,’ said the captain, putting a hand on Hamish’s shoulder, ‘do you believe in that thing, you know, where you can tell what’s about to happen? The second sight – that’s it.’

  Hamish patiently turned around. He was accustomed to weeping drunks, fighting drunks, and psychic drunks.

  ‘And just what do you think is going to happen?’ he asked politely.

  ‘I’ve got this feeling someone’s out to get me,’ said the captain. ‘I feel a lot of menace about . . . oh, it’s hard to explain.’

  ‘I think it iss very easy to explain, Captain Bartlett,’ said Hamish. ‘If a man puts as many backs up as you have, then it iss almost a form of suicide. I haff met people before who could not bring themselves to put an end to their lives, and so they went around goading other people into doing it for them. Goodnight. Captain Bartlett.’

  He drove off and left Peter Bartlett staring after him.

  Chapter Four

  I once read the last words of a suicide, in which he stated he hoped the jury would not return a verdict of ‘accidental death’ or ‘death by misadventure’, because he thoroughly understood what he was doing when he shot himself, and did not wish it handed down to posterity that he belonged to the class of idiots who inadvertently would handle a weapon in such a way as to cause risk to themselves or others.

  – Charles Lancaster

  Police Constable Hamish Macbeth did not sleep well. Towser lay at the end of his bed, across his feet, snoring dreadfully. The sleepless sea-gulls wheeled and screamed over the loch outside, an owl hooted mournfully, and then there came the sharp bark of a fox.

  ‘And to think the tourists come here for the peace and quiet,’ mumbled Hamish. After another futile hour of trying to fall asleep, he struggled out of bed. Although it was only five in the morning, the sky was already light. He looked out of his bedroom window, which faced over the loch.

  It had been a bad summer to date, but this morning had all the signs of heralding a perfect day. A thin mist was rising from the glassy loch. The humped hills on the other side with their stands of larch and birch floated in the mist like a Chinese painting. He opened the window. The morning air was sweet with the smell of roses.

  Hamish had succeeded in growing a splendid rambling rose over the door of the police station, and flowers rioted around the blue police sign and trailed over the steps.

  The one cell in the police station had stood empty for a long time. The village drunk had joined Alcoholics Anonymous in Inverness and no more enlivened the little police station with nightly renderings of ‘The Road to the Isles’ and ‘The Star o’ Rabbie Burns’.

  It was not a job for an ambitious man, but Hamish took his responsibilities seriously. He could make enough to send money home to his father and mother. His job meant he did not have to pay rent or pay for the use of the police car. It was the duty of every Celt to stay unmarried until the next in line was old enough to go out to work. But there had been a long gap between the birth of Hamish, now in his thirties, and the next Macbeth child, Murdo. And Murdo was proving to be a genius at school and would probably win a scholarship to university and so Hamish’s responsibilities must go on a bit longer.

  He decided to stay awake and scrambled into an old army sweater and his shiny regulation trousers. Uncle Harry’s dinner jacket and trousers were hung carefully over a chair, the expensive cloth and tailoring looking out of place in Hamish’s tiny shabby bedroom, like an aristocrat who has lost his way home from his club.

  Towser rolled over on one side and spread himself comfortably out over the bed. Hamish looked down on the dog and sighed. There had been a time not so long ago when he had banished the dog from his bedroom – for what would, well, some girl think should she decide to share his bed?

  But hope had gone. Now Hamish wondered gloomily if he was destined to share his bed with the mongrel for years to come.

  He went out to the shed in the back garden to get the feed ready for the chickens and geese.

  Henry had put his hand on Priscilla’s knee. If only he could get that nasty little picture out of his mind.

  He went about his morning chores and then went back inside and made himself a large breakfast, more for something to keep himself occupied than because he was hungry. Towser, smelling the frying bacon, slouched out of the bedroom, looking dazed and rumpled like a dissipated drunk, and placed a large yellowish paw on Hamish’s knee, which was his lazy way of begging.

  Hamish picked at his breakfast and then gave up and put his plate on the floor for Towser.

  He decided to go down to the harbour and look at the catch brought in by the fishing boats.

  As he walked along, he kept remembering snatches of overheard conversation from the party. That Vera had been insulted by Captain Bartlett had been all too evident. So was the fact that, up until a few moments before she had thrown her drink in his face, she had been madly in love with him. Perhaps Priscilla was better off with that neat little playwright of hers, thought Hamish gloomily. She might have become engaged to someone like Peter Bartlett. How old was Henry? wondered Hamish. Certainly
a lot older than Priscilla. Even older than he was himself. Probably pushing forty. It would have somehow been more understandable if Priscilla had fallen for a man as young as herself.

  Lochdubh was a sea loch. The little stone harbour smelled of fish and tar and salt. He was just debating whether to mooch some herring for his dinner when his sharp ears caught the sound of heavy snoring, rather like Towser’s, coming from behind a pile of barrels stacked next to the sea-wall. He ambled around the barrels and stood looking down at the unlovely sight of Angus MacGregor, local layabout and poacher, lying on the ground between the barrels and the sea-wall. He smelled strongly of whisky. He was lying on his back, a shotgun cradled on his chest, and smiling beatifically.

  Hamish bent down and gently removed the gun. Then he heaved the still-sleeping Angus over on his face and with experienced hands searched in the deep ‘poacher’s pocket’ in the tail of Angus’s coat. He lifted out a brace of dead grouse.

  Angus had been warned off the Halburton-Smythe’s estate many times. The last time a gamekeeper had given him a beating, but all that had done was to make Angus swear he would continue to take every bird and beast he felt like taking off the estate. When he was crazy with whisky, he often claimed to be Colonel Halburton-Smythe’s bastard son. As Angus was about the same age as the colonel, no one even troubled to listen to the story – except Colonel Halburton-Smythe, who had been heard raging that one day he would shoot Angus and stop his lying mouth.

  Hamish walked off with the brace dangling from his hand. He could not be bothered waking Angus up and charging him with theft. It was too fine a day. And taking a statement from Angus was always a wearisome business involving hours and hours of highly inventive Highland lies.

  Then he remembered how Jeremy Pomfret had pressed him to ‘referee’ the contest for the first brace. Returning the grouse Angus had poached would give him an excuse to go to the castle and see what was happening. He might also see Priscilla.

  Towser was panting for an outing when he returned to the police station, so he drove off with the large mongrel sitting up beside him on the passenger seat and the dead birds slung in the back.

  The narrow road that led out of Lochdubh towards Tommel Castle wound through a chaos of tormented rocks, relics of the days when great glaciers had covered this part of the north-west of Scotland. In among the rocks, tarns filled high with water from the recent rains shone blue in the sun. These hundreds of tarns, or small pools, never failed to fascinate Hamish. On bright days, they scintillated sapphire-blue, and when the sky was heavy and grey mists twisted among the mountains, they glinted whitely or lay black and fathomless. The skies dictated the beauty of the scene, so that it was always changing, brilliant one day, weird and ghostly another.

  Ahead reared up the fantastic pillared mountains of Sutherland, with quartzite sparkling on the upper slopes and the deep purple of heather on the foothills.

  As he approached the castle, he caught a glimpse of red-and-white behind a stand of larch. He stopped the car and got out. A helicopter stood on a flat piece of ground behind the trees, the pilot leaning against its side, smoking a cigarette. Hamish looked at his watch. It was eight-thirty.

  ‘Fancy anyone wanting to eat birds that hasnae been hung,’ marvelled Hamish. ‘Some of thae Arabs have more money than sense.’

  A few minutes later, Hamish drove up to the front door of the castle. Jenkins, the butler, had observed his approach and was standing waiting inside the open door.

  ‘The kitchen entrance is around the back,’ he said.

  ‘I ken that fine,’ said Hamish. ‘Aye, it’s a grand day. I just want a wee word with Miss Halburton-Smythe.’

  ‘That will not be possible,’ said Jenkins stiffly. ‘Miss Halburton-Smythe and the guests are at breakfast.’

  Hamish looked over Jenkins’s shoulder and the butler turned round.

  Red-eyed and haggard, Jeremy Pomfret was marching up to them.

  ‘That bastard Bartlett!’ he shouted.

  ‘I assume Captain Bartlett has gone out shooting,’ said Jenkins.

  ‘I thought so,’ said Jeremy bitterly. ‘He’s not at breakfast and he’s not in his room. And his gun’s gone.’ He noticed Hamish for the first time. ‘You see, I told you he was up to something. Sneaked out early. Well, he’s been found out and the bet’s off. Came to my room last night with a bottle of champers. “Have a drink, old boy,” says he. Made me drink the whole bottle. Said we’d meet up at breakfast and go out together, and all the time the bastard was planning to get up early an’ beat me to it. God, I feel awful.’

  ‘Aye, it’s a terrible thing when they force the stuff down your throat,’ said Hamish amiably.

  ‘He didn’t force it,’ muttered Jeremy. ‘But when a chap offers another chap champagne, a chap can’t refuse.’

  ‘True, true,’ said Hamish, leaning lazily against the castle door. ‘It’s awf’y hard to say no to the champagne.’

  ‘I have already told you, Mr Macbeth,’ said Jenkins, ‘that Miss Halburton-Smythe is not to be disturbed.’

  Hamish recognized one of the maids who was crossing the hall with a tray. ‘Jessie,’ he said, ‘be a good girl and tell Miss Halburton-Smythe I want a wee word with her.’

  ‘Sure thing,’ said Jessie, who was an American movie addict.

  ‘Jessie,’ said Jenkins sharply. ‘I have informed this constable that Miss Halburton-Smythe is at breakfast.’

  But Jessie either didn’t hear, or pretended not to hear. Jenkins clucked with irritation and went after her.

  ‘What are you going to do now?’ asked Hamish, turning his attention back to Jeremy.

  ‘Nothing, not with this hangover. I’ve a mouth on me like a Turkish wrestler’s jock strap. I’m going back to bed.’

  He trailed wearily back up the stairs.

  Priscilla came out of the dining room into the hall. She was wearing biscuit-coloured linen trousers, thin sandals, and a frilly Laura Ashley blouse. Her blonde hair was pinned up on top of her head. She looked as fresh as the morning.

  ‘What did you want to see me about?’ she asked Hamish.

  Hamish, who had been staring at her, pulled himself together. ‘I wondered if you would like me to bring over Uncle Harry’s clothes or whether you would like to collect them from the police station.’

  Priscilla looked amused. ‘Instead of coming all the way up here to ask me what to do,’ she said, ‘you could have brought the clothes along with you and solved the problem.’

  ‘Och, so I could’ve,’ said Hamish stupidly. ‘There’s another thing. Angus, the poacher, was down by the harbour and –’

  He broke off and cocked his head to one side. Someone was running hard up the gravel of the drive.

  He went out to the front steps, with Priscilla after him.

  John Sinclair, the estate’s head gamekeeper, came running towards them. ‘He’s shot hisself,’ he cried. ‘Oh, what a mess!’

  ‘Who is it?’ demanded Priscilla, pushing in front of Hamish.

  ‘It’s Captain Bartlett, and he’s got a great hole blown clean through him.’

  Priscilla turned and clutched at Hamish’s sweater in a dazed way. Sinclair ran on into the castle, shouting the news.

  ‘It’s awful,’ whispered Priscilla, beginning to shake. ‘Oh, Hamish, we’d better go and look. He might still be alive.’

  He put his arms around her and held her close. ‘No, I don’t think so,’ he said in a flat voice.

  The guests, headed by Colonel Halburton-Smythe, came tumbling out of the castle. Henry Withering stopped short at the sight of Priscilla enfolded in Hamish’s arms.

  ‘Lead the way, Sinclair,’ barked the colonel. ‘And you, Jenkins, call the ambulance. The ladies had better stay behind. Macbeth, what are you doing here? Oh, never mind, you’d better come with me.’

  Hamish released Priscilla and set out with the colonel and the gamekeeper. Henry, Freddy Forbes-Grant, and Lord Helmsdale followed. Sir Humphrey Throgmorton returned to the
castle with the ladies.

  The day was becoming hot. The air was heavy with the thrum of insects and the honey-laden smell of the heather.

  As they left the castle gardens, Colonel Halburton-Smythe spotted the helicopter. ‘What the hell is that thing doing on my property?’ he demanded. Hamish explained about the Arabs in London and the promised payoff of £2,000.

  ‘Bartlett had no right to order helicopters to descend on my land without asking me,’ said the colonel. ‘Oh, well, the man’s dead and he won’t be needing that two thousand now.’

  ‘Aye, that’s right,’ said Hamish, looking thoughtfully at the helicopter.

  ‘Don’t stand there as if you’d never seen a helicopter before,’ said Colonel Halburton-Smythe impatiently.

  Hamish fell into step with the others and they set out over the moors at a steady pace.

  It should have been raining, thought Hamish, steady, weeping rain like they had had during the previous weeks. A tragedy in bright sunshine seemed much more frightful than one on a day when the skies were grey.

  ‘Here we are,’ said the gamekeeper, pointing ahead.

  The ground sloped down. At the bottom of the slope was a wire fence. Hanging over the fence was a body, still and grotesque and unreal in the clear air.

  ‘What a mess!’ whispered Lord Helmsdale in awe as they reached the scene.

  Captain Bartlett hung almost upside-down, suspended by his right leg from the top strand of the fence. The gun was on the other side of the fence, its butt in a gorse bush, the side-by-side barrels resting on the top strand of the fence, glaring wickedly like two black fathomless eyes at the group. There was no doubt the captain had been straddling the fence when he was shot.

  ‘Don’t touch anything,’ said Hamish. ‘The forensic boys from Strathbane will need to see everything.’

  They stood around Hamish in white-faced silence.

  The sun was hot. A buzzard sailed high in the clear air.

  Then Lord Helmsdale cleared his throat noisily. ‘You can see what happened, Macbeth,’ he said, his voice once more loud and robust. ‘The silly ass was using his gun as a support to balance himself as he climbed over. Everyone does it. Do it myself. Then the gun got caught in that damned bush, and when he tried to pull it clear, the triggers snagged and went off. Must have been both barrels. Look! He’s blown a hole clear through his chest.’

 

    Agatha Raisin 31 - Hot to Trot Read onlineAgatha Raisin 31 - Hot to TrotBeatrice Goes to Brighton Read onlineBeatrice Goes to BrightonDeborah Goes to Dover Read onlineDeborah Goes to DoverDown the Hatch Read onlineDown the HatchHot to Trot Read onlineHot to TrotBeating About the Bush Read onlineBeating About the BushDeath of a Policeman Read onlineDeath of a PolicemanEdwardian Murder Mystery 04; Our Lady of Pain emm-4 Read onlineEdwardian Murder Mystery 04; Our Lady of Pain emm-4The Waverly Women Series (3-Book Bundle) Read onlineThe Waverly Women Series (3-Book Bundle)The French Affair (Endearing Young Charms Book 2) Read onlineThe French Affair (Endearing Young Charms Book 2)Death of a Witch hm-25 Read onlineDeath of a Witch hm-25Summer of Discontent Read onlineSummer of DiscontentPenelope Goes to Portsmouth Read onlinePenelope Goes to PortsmouthThe Day the Floods Came ar-12 Read onlineThe Day the Floods Came ar-12The Quiche of Death Read onlineThe Quiche of DeathDeath of a Dentist hm-13 Read onlineDeath of a Dentist hm-13Edwardian Murder Mystery 03; Sick of Shadows emm-3 Read onlineEdwardian Murder Mystery 03; Sick of Shadows emm-3Agatha Raisin The Deadly Dance ar-15 Read onlineAgatha Raisin The Deadly Dance ar-15Agatha Raisin & the Vicious Vet ar-2 Read onlineAgatha Raisin & the Vicious Vet ar-2Lessons in Love (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 3) Read onlineLessons in Love (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 3)Those Endearing Young Charms Read onlineThose Endearing Young CharmsAgatha Raisin and The Wellspring of Death ar-7 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and The Wellspring of Death ar-7Death of a Macho Man hm-12 Read onlineDeath of a Macho Man hm-12Lady Fortescue Steps Out Read onlineLady Fortescue Steps OutThe Wicked Godmother Read onlineThe Wicked GodmotherAgatha Raisin 18 (2007) - Kissing Christmas Goodbye Read onlineAgatha Raisin 18 (2007) - Kissing Christmas GoodbyeAgatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death ar-1 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death ar-1Agatha's First Case Read onlineAgatha's First CaseLady Fortescue Steps Out (The Poor Relation Series, Vol. 1) Read onlineLady Fortescue Steps Out (The Poor Relation Series, Vol. 1)There Goes The Bride Read onlineThere Goes The BrideAgatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Terrible TouristThe Folly Read onlineThe FollyThe Chocolate Debutante Read onlineThe Chocolate DebutanteHiss and Hers: An Agatha Raisin Mystery Read onlineHiss and Hers: An Agatha Raisin MysteryThe Education of Miss Paterson Read onlineThe Education of Miss PatersonAgatha Raisin Love, Lies and Liquor ar-17 Read onlineAgatha Raisin Love, Lies and Liquor ar-17Molly Read onlineMollyDeath of a Poison Pen hm-20 Read onlineDeath of a Poison Pen hm-20Hamish MacBeth 15 (1999) - Death of an Addict Read onlineHamish MacBeth 15 (1999) - Death of an AddictDeath of a Witch Read onlineDeath of a WitchHamish Macbeth 24 (2008) - Death of a Gentle Lady Read onlineHamish Macbeth 24 (2008) - Death of a Gentle LadyDeath of Yesterday Read onlineDeath of YesterdayMrs. Budley Falls from Grace Read onlineMrs. Budley Falls from GraceThe Daring Debutantes Bundle Read onlineThe Daring Debutantes BundleBusy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery Read onlineBusy Body: An Agatha Raisin MysteryPretty Polly Read onlinePretty PollyThe Case of the Curious Curate ar-13 Read onlineThe Case of the Curious Curate ar-13Death of a Travelling Man hm-9 Read onlineDeath of a Travelling Man hm-9Death of a Bore hm-21 Read onlineDeath of a Bore hm-21Rake's Progress: HFTS4 Read onlineRake's Progress: HFTS4Miss Fiona's Fancy (The Royal Ambition Series Book 3) Read onlineMiss Fiona's Fancy (The Royal Ambition Series Book 3)Hamish Macbeth 19 (2003) - Death of a Village Read onlineHamish Macbeth 19 (2003) - Death of a VillageLady Lucy's Lover Read onlineLady Lucy's LoverMilady in Love (The Changing Fortunes Series, Vol. 5) Read onlineMilady in Love (The Changing Fortunes Series, Vol. 5)Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue Read onlineColonel Sandhurst to the Rescue(17/30 Love, Lies and Liquor Read online(17/30 Love, Lies and LiquorHasty Death Read onlineHasty DeathDeath of a Nurse Read onlineDeath of a NurseDeath of a Scriptwriter hm-14 Read onlineDeath of a Scriptwriter hm-14The Chocolate Debutante (The Royal Ambition Series Book 5) Read onlineThe Chocolate Debutante (The Royal Ambition Series Book 5)Sally Read onlineSallyTilly Read onlineTillyDeath of a Dreamer hm-22 Read onlineDeath of a Dreamer hm-22Miss Davenport's Christmas (The Love and Temptation Series Book 6) Read onlineMiss Davenport's Christmas (The Love and Temptation Series Book 6)Death of a Dreamer Read onlineDeath of a DreamerDuke's Diamonds (Endearing Young Charms Book 1) Read onlineDuke's Diamonds (Endearing Young Charms Book 1)Agatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble (short story) Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Christmas Crumble (short story)Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden ar-9 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden ar-9His Lordship's Pleasure (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 5) Read onlineHis Lordship's Pleasure (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 5)The Homecoming Read onlineThe HomecomingHamish Macbeth 02; Death of a Cad hm-2 Read onlineHamish Macbeth 02; Death of a Cad hm-2Agatha Raisin and The Potted Gardener ar-3 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and The Potted Gardener ar-3Death of a Glutton Read onlineDeath of a GluttonHamish Macbeth 02 (1987) - Death of a Cad Read onlineHamish Macbeth 02 (1987) - Death of a CadThe Wicked Godmother: HFTS3 Read onlineThe Wicked Godmother: HFTS3The Glitter and the Gold (Endearing Young Charms Book 7) Read onlineThe Glitter and the Gold (Endearing Young Charms Book 7)The Viscount's Revenge (The Royal Ambition Series Book 4) Read onlineThe Viscount's Revenge (The Royal Ambition Series Book 4)Her Grace's Passion Read onlineHer Grace's PassionHenrietta Read onlineHenriettaAt the Sign of the Golden Pineapple Read onlineAt the Sign of the Golden PineappleThe Blood of an Englishman Read onlineThe Blood of an EnglishmanSomething Borrowed, Someone Dead: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Agatha Raisin Mysteries) Read onlineSomething Borrowed, Someone Dead: An Agatha Raisin Mystery (Agatha Raisin Mysteries)Emily Goes to Exeter Read onlineEmily Goes to ExeterDeath of a Cad Read onlineDeath of a CadAgatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Wellspring of DeathDancing on the Wind (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 8) Read onlineDancing on the Wind (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 8)A Marriage of Inconvenience (Endearing Young Charms Book 5) Read onlineA Marriage of Inconvenience (Endearing Young Charms Book 5)The Ghost and Lady Alice (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 6) Read onlineThe Ghost and Lady Alice (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 6)Hamish Macbeth 04; Death of a Perfect Wife hm-4 Read onlineHamish Macbeth 04; Death of a Perfect Wife hm-4My Dear Duchess Read onlineMy Dear DuchessMrs. Budley Falls From Grace (The Poor Relation Series Book 3) Read onlineMrs. Budley Falls From Grace (The Poor Relation Series Book 3)Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Haunted HouseThe Education of Miss Patterson (The Love and Temptation Series Book 3) Read onlineThe Education of Miss Patterson (The Love and Temptation Series Book 3)Agatha Raisin and The Walkers of Dembley ar-4 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and The Walkers of Dembley ar-4The Original Miss Honeyford Read onlineThe Original Miss HoneyfordA Spoonful of Poison Read onlineA Spoonful of PoisonHamish Macbeth Omnibus Read onlineHamish Macbeth OmnibusAgatha Raisin and the Busy Body ar-21 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Busy Body ar-21Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Witch of WyckhaddenHamish Macbeth 08 (1993) - Death of a Glutton Read onlineHamish Macbeth 08 (1993) - Death of a GluttonDeath of a Gentle Lady hm-24 Read onlineDeath of a Gentle Lady hm-24Ms. Davenport's Christmas Read onlineMs. Davenport's ChristmasAgatha Raisin Kissing Christmas Goodbye ar-18 Read onlineAgatha Raisin Kissing Christmas Goodbye ar-18Lady Anne's Deception Read onlineLady Anne's DeceptionAgatha Raisin The Perfect Paragon ar-16 Read onlineAgatha Raisin The Perfect Paragon ar-16Edwardian Murder Mystery 02; Hasty Death emm-2 Read onlineEdwardian Murder Mystery 02; Hasty Death emm-2The Constant Companion Read onlineThe Constant CompanionHamish Macbeth 14 (1999) - Death of a Scriptwriter Read onlineHamish Macbeth 14 (1999) - Death of a ScriptwriterGinny Read onlineGinnyHamish Macbeth 10 (1994) - Death of a Charming Man Read onlineHamish Macbeth 10 (1994) - Death of a Charming ManHamish Macbeth 03; Death of an Outsider hm-3 Read onlineHamish Macbeth 03; Death of an Outsider hm-3The Love from Hell ar-11 Read onlineThe Love from Hell ar-11The Scandalous Lady Wright (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 4) Read onlineThe Scandalous Lady Wright (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 4)Hamish Macbeth 17 (2001) - Death of a Dustman Read onlineHamish Macbeth 17 (2001) - Death of a DustmanHamish Macbeth 13 (1997) - Death of a Dentist Read onlineHamish Macbeth 13 (1997) - Death of a DentistThe Paper Princess (The Royal Ambition Series Book 7) Read onlineThe Paper Princess (The Royal Ambition Series Book 7)Rainbird's Revenge: HFTS6 Read onlineRainbird's Revenge: HFTS6The Perfect Gentleman (The Love and Temptation Series Book 7) Read onlineThe Perfect Gentleman (The Love and Temptation Series Book 7)Sir Philip's Folly (The Poor Relation Series Book 4) Read onlineSir Philip's Folly (The Poor Relation Series Book 4)The Witches' Tree--An Agatha Raisin Mystery Read onlineThe Witches' Tree--An Agatha Raisin MysteryDeath of an Outsider Read onlineDeath of an OutsiderHamish MacBeth 03 (1988) - Death of an Outsider Read onlineHamish MacBeth 03 (1988) - Death of an OutsiderAgatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Perfect ParagonDeath of a Chimney Sweep Read onlineDeath of a Chimney SweepThe Dreadful Debutante (The Royal Ambition Series Book 1) Read onlineThe Dreadful Debutante (The Royal Ambition Series Book 1)Something Borrowed, Someone Dead Read onlineSomething Borrowed, Someone DeadAgatha Raisin and The Murderous Marriage ar-5 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and The Murderous Marriage ar-5The Highland Countess Read onlineThe Highland CountessDeath of a Chimney Sweep hm-1 Read onlineDeath of a Chimney Sweep hm-1The Skeleton in the Closet Read onlineThe Skeleton in the ClosetSusie Read onlineSusieAgatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas Goodbye Read onlineAgatha Raisin and Kissing Christmas GoodbyeRegency Gold (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 2) Read onlineRegency Gold (The Regency Intrigue Series Book 2)The Marquis Takes a Bride Read onlineThe Marquis Takes a BrideHamish Macbeth 16 (1999) - A Highland Christmas Read onlineHamish Macbeth 16 (1999) - A Highland ChristmasDeath of a Liar Read onlineDeath of a LiarHamish Macbeth 01; Death of a Gossip hm-1 Read onlineHamish Macbeth 01; Death of a Gossip hm-1Love and Lady Lovelace (The Changing Fortunes Series, Vol. 8) Read onlineLove and Lady Lovelace (The Changing Fortunes Series, Vol. 8)Death of an Honest Man Read onlineDeath of an Honest ManThe Desirable Duchess Read onlineThe Desirable DuchessDeception (Daughters of Mannerling 3) Read onlineDeception (Daughters of Mannerling 3)A Highland Christmas hm-16 Read onlineA Highland Christmas hm-16Polly Read onlinePollyThe Savage Marquess Read onlineThe Savage MarquessAgatha Raisin 03 (1994) - The Potted Gardener Read onlineAgatha Raisin 03 (1994) - The Potted GardenerPushing Up Daisies Read onlinePushing Up DaisiesDeath Of An Addict Read onlineDeath Of An AddictBanishment (Daughters of Mannerling 1) Read onlineBanishment (Daughters of Mannerling 1)Amaryllis Read onlineAmaryllisHamish MacBeth 06 (1991) - Death of a Snob Read onlineHamish MacBeth 06 (1991) - Death of a SnobThe Paper Princess Read onlineThe Paper PrincessHamish Macbeth 06; Death of a Snob hm-6 Read onlineHamish Macbeth 06; Death of a Snob hm-6The Dreadful Debutante Read onlineThe Dreadful DebutanteAgatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Fairies of FryfamHamish Macbeth 22 (2006) - Death of a Dreamer Read onlineHamish Macbeth 22 (2006) - Death of a DreamerDishing the Dirt Read onlineDishing the DirtMinerva Read onlineMinervaDeath of a Nag hm-11 Read onlineDeath of a Nag hm-11Hamish Macbeth 18 (2002) - Death of a Celebrity Read onlineHamish Macbeth 18 (2002) - Death of a CelebrityQuadrille (The Love and Temptation Series Book 5) Read onlineQuadrille (The Love and Temptation Series Book 5)Death of a Glutton hm-8 Read onlineDeath of a Glutton hm-8The Westerby Sisters (Changing Fortunes Series) Read onlineThe Westerby Sisters (Changing Fortunes Series)The Scandalous Marriage (The Dukes and Desires Series Book 7) Read onlineThe Scandalous Marriage (The Dukes and Desires Series Book 7)The Adventuress: HFTS5 Read onlineThe Adventuress: HFTS5Death of a Valentine Read onlineDeath of a ValentineDeath of a Nag Read onlineDeath of a NagDeath of a Dustman hm-17 Read onlineDeath of a Dustman hm-17Hamish Macbeth 09 (1993) - Death of a Travelling Man Read onlineHamish Macbeth 09 (1993) - Death of a Travelling ManThe Loves of Lord Granton (The Changing Fortunes Series, Vol. 2) Read onlineThe Loves of Lord Granton (The Changing Fortunes Series, Vol. 2)Agatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison ar-19 Read onlineAgatha Raisin and a Spoonful of Poison ar-19To Dream of Love Read onlineTo Dream of LoveAgatha Raisin 04 (1995) - The Walkers of Dembley Read onlineAgatha Raisin 04 (1995) - The Walkers of DembleyHamish MacBeth 01 (1985) - Death of a Gossip Read onlineHamish MacBeth 01 (1985) - Death of a GossipDeath of a Maid hm-23 Read onlineDeath of a Maid hm-23Belinda Goes to Bath Read onlineBelinda Goes to BathDeath of a Kingfisher Read onlineDeath of a KingfisherDeath of a Charming Man hm-10 Read onlineDeath of a Charming Man hm-10Death of a Prankster hm-7 Read onlineDeath of a Prankster hm-7The Miser of Mayfair: HFTS1 Read onlineThe Miser of Mayfair: HFTS1Hamish Macbeth 05; Death of a Hussy hm-5 Read onlineHamish Macbeth 05; Death of a Hussy hm-5A Governess of Distinction (Endearing Young Charms Book 6) Read onlineA Governess of Distinction (Endearing Young Charms Book 6)The Westerby Inheritance Read onlineThe Westerby InheritanceDeath of a Hussy Read onlineDeath of a HussyHamish MacBeth 07 (1998) - Death of a Prankster Read onlineHamish MacBeth 07 (1998) - Death of a PranksterHamish Macbeth 20 (2004) - Death of a Poison Pen Read onlineHamish Macbeth 20 (2004) - Death of a Poison PenMiss Tonks Turns to Crime Read onlineMiss Tonks Turns to CrimeEdwardian Murder Mystery 01; Snobbery with Violence emm-1 Read onlineEdwardian Murder Mystery 01; Snobbery with Violence emm-1Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Wizard of EveshamHamish Macbeth 12 (1996) - Death of a Macho Man Read onlineHamish Macbeth 12 (1996) - Death of a Macho ManYvonne Goes to York Read onlineYvonne Goes to YorkA Highland Christmas Read onlineA Highland ChristmasSweet Masquerade (The Love and Temptation Series Book 4) Read onlineSweet Masquerade (The Love and Temptation Series Book 4)Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wykhadden Read onlineAgatha Raisin and the Witch of WykhaddenThe Dead Ringer Read onlineThe Dead RingerAgatha Raisin 05 (1996) - The Murderous Marriage Read onlineAgatha Raisin 05 (1996) - The Murderous MarriageAgatha Raisin 07 (1998) - The Wellspring of Death Read onlineAgatha Raisin 07 (1998) - The Wellspring of DeathAgatha Raisin: As the Pig Turns ar-22 Read onlineAgatha Raisin: As the Pig Turns ar-22