I love Isabel Dalhousie – one of my favorite characters, and certainly one of Alexander McCall Smith's best creations. In fact, I'd like to be Isabel Dalhousie. She's able to work as the owner and editor of a journal that deals with ethical issues, since she is comfortably well-off while not living ostentatiously (though she has a lovely home with a back garden that is occasionally visited by a wayward fox), has a charming younger husband who is not only handsome, but also a classical musician and a fine cook, an adorable young child and a devoted housekeeper. Quite the good life.
This latest adventure of the philosopher has her drawn into solving an art theft – a valuable painting slated for the Scottish National Gallery has gone missing from an estate, and the owner asks for her help, since he's heard about her unique ability to solve all sorts of mysteries and problems...
Meanwhile, we the readers enjoy the beauty of Edinburgh, savor a cappuccino at Isabel's niece Kat's "delicatessen", which is what we would consider a cross between a gourmet shop and a café, and learn a bit about Scottish art.
It's a pleasant time all around, and as always, McCall Smith uses his incredible knowledge of human nature and his gently ironic prose to entertain and inform us.
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