Local police stations all over the Scottish Highlands are being threatened with closure. This presents the perfect opportunity for Detective Chief Inspector Blair, who would love nothing more than to get rid of Sergeant Hamish Macbeth. Blair insists that Macbeth does nothing most of the time and he's determined to prove it to everyone once and for all. The chief inspector commands Cyril Sessions, a keen young police officer, to visit the town of Lochdubh to monitor exactly what Macbeth does every day. Tipped off about Blair's plan, Macbeth rallies help from friends all over his Sutherland beat to ensure that Cyril returns to headquarters with a full report. But when Cyril is suddenly found murdered, Hamish is left with a bewildering array of suspects. And the next victim could very well be Hamish himself.