The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 75 books · 1985 to 2026 · Mostly set in the fictional Lochdubh, Scotland

M.C. Beaton

Crime and mysteryPolice proceduralAmateur sleuthCosy and comic

Police Constable Hamish Macbeth keeps his quiet Highland beat in Lochdubh by dodging promotion and solving murders, while Agatha Raisin, a retired London PR executive, meddles her way through crimes in a Cotswolds village.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. After Beaton’s death in 2019 both series continued with R.W. Green.

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Who appears in which book

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M.C. Beaton books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Hamish Macbeth

38 books · Set in the fictional Lochdubh, ScotlandCosy and comicPolice procedural
  1. 1Death of a Gossip1985With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Death of a Cad1987With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Death of an Outsider1988With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Death of a Perfect Wife1989With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Death of a Hussy1990With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Death of a Snob1991With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Death of a Prankster1992With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Death of a Glutton1993With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  9. 9Death of a Travelling Man1993With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  10. 10Death of a Charming Man1994With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Death of a Nag1995With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  12. 12Death of a Macho Man1996With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  13. 13Death of a Dentist1997With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  14. 14Death of a Scriptwriter1998With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Death of an Addict1999With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  16. 16Death of a Dustman2001With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Death of a Celebrity2002With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  18. 18Death of a Village2003With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  19. 19Death of a Poison Pen2004With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  20. 20Death of a Bore2005With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Death of a Dreamer2006With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  22. 22Death of a Maid2007With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  23. 23Death of a Gentle Lady2008With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  24. 24Death of a Witch2009With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  25. 25Death of a Valentine2009With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  26. 26Death of a Sweep2011With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  27. 27Death of a Kingfisher2012With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  28. 28Death of Yesterday2013With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  29. 29Death of a Policeman2014With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  30. 30Death of a Liar2015With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  31. 31Death of a Nurse2016With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  32. 32Death of a Ghost2017With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  33. 33Death of an Honest Man2018With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  34. 34Death of a Green-Eyed Monster2022With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  35. 35Death of a Traitor2023With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  36. 36Death of a Spy2024With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  37. 37Death of a Smuggler2025With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon
  38. 38Death of a Groom2026With Hamish MacbethBuy on Amazon

Agatha Raisin

37 books · Set in the fictional Carsely, CotswoldsCosy and comicAmateur sleuth
  1. 1The Quiche of Death1992With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Vicious Vet1993With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Potted Gardener1994With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  4. 4The Walkers of Dembley1995With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  5. 5The Murderous Marriage1996With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  6. 6The Terrible Tourist1997With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  7. 7The Wellspring of Death1998With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  8. 8The Wizard of Evesham1999With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  9. 9The Witch of Wyckhadden1999With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  10. 10The Fairies of Fryfam2000With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  11. 11The Love from Hell2001With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  12. 12The Day the Floods Came2002With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  13. 13The Case of the Curious Curate2003With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  14. 14The Haunted House2003With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  15. 15The Deadly Dance2004With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  16. 16The Perfect Paragon2005With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Love, Lies and Liquor2006With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  18. 18Kissing Christmas Goodbye2007With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  19. 19A Spoonful of Poison2008With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  20. 20There Goes the Bride2009With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Busy Body2010With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  22. 22As the Pig Turns2011With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  23. 23Hiss and Hers2012With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  24. 24Something Borrowed, Someone Dead2013With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  25. 25The Blood of an Englishman2014With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  26. 26Dishing the Dirt2015With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  27. 27Pushing Up Daisies2016With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  28. 28The Witches’ Tree2017With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  29. 29The Dead Ringer2018With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  30. 30Beating About the Bush2019With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  31. 31Hot to Trot2020With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  32. 32Down the Hatch2021With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  33. 33Devil’s Delight2022With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  34. 34Dead on Target2023With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  35. 35Killing Time2024With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  36. 36Sugar and Spite2025With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon
  37. 37Dead Before Tea Time2026With Agatha RaisinBuy on Amazon

Characters

13 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Lochdubh

Carsely

Agatha Raisin

Retired London PR executive turned amateur detective, later private investigator

37 books · 1992 to 2026First appears in The Quiche of Death
Buy the first book