Mrs Gentle's maid, Ayesha, is in danger of being dismissed and thereby being deported. She appeals to Hamish for assistance. His solution is to marry her, thereby keeping the station since they wouldn't terminate the station of a married man. The news of his forthcoming marriage sends shock waves to Pricilla Halburton-Smythe and Elspeth Grant.

Before the wedding can occur, Ayesha goes missing, and Mrs Gentle's body is found murdered. Then Ayesha's body is found. Complications arrive on the scene in the person of Russian police detective Anna Krokovsky, who is investigating Ayesha who wasn't exactly who she claimed to be. This adds another female to Hamish's problems. With the assistance of Detective Inspector Jimmy Anderson, Hamish must find the murderer of the two women by looking into Mrs Gentle's past and that of her family, who are converging on the village.

This is the usual entertaining and enjoyable read out of the ongoing saga of Hamish and his love life, the vendetta being waged against him by his nemesis, Detective Chief Inspector Blair, and of course his two treasured animals. We again meet old friends in the village. The dialogue is quick and amusing. The author presents a sense of village life and the surrounding country. Lochdubh seems an ideal place to spend your life.

So spend an afternoon or evening enjoying the pleasant country and friendly people...