I’ve been reading the Inspector Torquil McKinnon mystery series by my friend Keith Moray recently.
In this very Scottish mystery series, the Inspector, who happens to be the bagpipe-playing nephew of the bagpipe-playing local priest, juggles his love of music & rebuilding motorcycles with his devotion to his job as a policeman. The West Uist (YOO-ist, I looked it up) police force consists of Torquil, his right-hand woman Morag, & the giant red-haired (& horribly squeamish) Ewan. They also have a couple of part-time constables, twin fishermen who show up once in a while to help solve crimes. Mostly, the force intervenes between bickering villagers, but in the novels, they deal with crazy things like murder, organized crime, & animal cruelty.
The police are usually overwhelmed by the strange crimes, but Torquil manages to muddle through with the help of his team, sometimes aided (but mostly thwarted) by his childhood friend, the local news editor (who likes to think of himself as an international journalist). There are quirky village characters like the 80-something schoolteacher who treats everyone as though they are still in her class, & Keith does a great job of showcasing the Scottish coast. I’m really enjoying these novels. If you like brooding scenery, devilishly convoluted plots, & interesting characters, you should try them yourself.