this week on meet the authorjim naughtie talks with the writer mc sergeant hamish macbeth lives in ahe highlands where you might think there's not much drama. but 33 books on, he's investigating yet another murder in death of an honest man. yet, in mc beaton's novels, even when dastardly happenings are all around you, the pace of life in lochdubh, with its regular cast of characters never seems to change. these are crime stories that are written to be reassuring. welcome. what do you think hamish macbeth's secret is? ithink... what fascinates people is he's totally unambitious. and what i try to do, you see, i think of myself more as an escape artist than a writer, is give someone something to take their mind off the troubles or a wet day or a journey. and it's based on a crofter that i still know up near buey, and he would say, "just fed the hens and i'm going to see my cousin in hong kong." and very laid—back. fascinating. yes, it is interesting. of course, he doesn't want to leave lochdubh, which is a lovely place, although terrible things keep happening. and he's terrified. inspe