In Death of an Outsider, Hamish Macbeth is exiled to chilly Cnothan with only his loyal mutt Towser after his nemesis Inspector Blair yet again takes credit for Macbeth's murder solving skills. Cnothan's normal policeman is off on vacation and given the idyllic calm of Lochdubh, Hamish is sent along to keep an eye on Cnothan in the other's absence. Unlike Lochdubh, the residents of Cnothan are rude, suspicious individuals who welcome outsiders about as much as cats welcome a particularly yappy dog. In this dreary atmosphere, Hamish's temporary stay is interrupted by the murder of the most unpopular resident, an Englishman who had recently moved into the village. The circumstances of the murder wouldn't reflect kindly on Cnothan's most established businessman and Hamish's supervisors (including the ever lovely Inspector Blair) desperately want the crime to be hushed up and solved as quickly as possible. It'll be up to Hamish to find the guilty party in a village full of people who had plenty of motive.

While the previous two books in the series made Hamish out to be a lazy, relaxed sort of policeman, Death of an Outsider puts Hamish out of his element. Away from his beloved Lochdubh and the villagers who know him well, Hamish is miserable among the standoffish strangers of Cnothan. Despite this, he can't help getting involved with the murder and the continual underestimation of his abilities again leads to an enjoyable, cozy mystery.