Synopses & Reviews
ISABEL DALHOUSIE - Book 1 Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective. Whether investigating a case or a problem of philosophy, the indefatigable Isabel Dalhousie, one of fiction’s most richly developed amateur detectives, is always ready to pursue the answers to all of life’s questions, large and small.
With The Sunday Philosophy Club, Alexander McCall Smith, the author of the best-selling and beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novels, begins a wonderful new series starring the irrepressibly curious Isabel Dalhousie.
Isabel is fond of problems, and sometimes she becomes interested in problems that are, quite frankly, none of her business. This may be the case when Isabel sees a young man plunge to his death from the upper circle of a concert hall in Edinburgh. Despite the advice of her housekeeper, Grace, who has been raised in the values of traditional Edinburgh, and her niece, Cat, who, if you ask Isabel, is dating the wrong man, Isabel is determined to find the truth–if indeed there is one–behind the man’s death. The resulting moral labyrinth might have stymied even Kant. And then there is the unsatisfactory turn of events in Cat’s love life that must be attended to.
Filled with thorny characters and a Scottish atmosphere as thick as a highland mist, The Sunday Philosophy Club is irresistible, and Isabel Dalhousie is the most delightful literary sleuth since Precious Ramotswe.
Review
"Scotland's climate may be misty and cool, but the author's gentle humor and keen insights into human nature warm every page of this engaging series debut." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"[A] detective story with charm, warmth, and virtually no detection....[T]his new series...just might fill the bill for patient, literate readers mourning the death of Amanda Cross." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Dalhousie...equals Precious Ramotswe in intelligence and moxie....While the plot takes a few unexpected turns, it is ultimately resolved too quickly and easily, all the while preparing the reader for future installments." Library Journal
Review
"[McCall Smith writes] the best, most charming, honest, hilarious, and life-affirming books to appear in years." The Plain Dealer
Review
"Present-day Edinburgh, Scotland, might seem tame compared with Southern California in the 1960s, but there is plenty going on there to judge by The Sunday Philosophy Club, the first in a new series by Alexander McCall Smith." Wall Street Journal
Review
"Mr. Smith, a fine writer, paints his hometown of Edinburgh as indelibly as he captured the sunniness of Africa. We can almost feel the mists as we tread the cobblestones. Ah, but his heroine." Dallas Morning News
Review
"As in Smith's other books, the crime-solving angle is hardly the heart of the novel. The Sunday Philosophy Club leaves plenty of time for pondering moral conundrums, the drinking of steaming cups of hot brew (coffee, in this case) and fussing over romantic problems." The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
Review
"Once one adjusts to the tone, it is easy to warm to The Sunday Philosophy Club....Fans of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective series should easily be able to take these Scottish characters into their hearts as easily as they did the ones in Botswana." BookReporter
Synopsis
With
The Sunday Philosophy Club, Alexander McCall Smith, the author of the best-selling and beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, begins a wonderful new series starring the irrepressibly curious Isabel Dalhousie.
Isabel is fond of problems, and sometimes she becomes interested in problems that are, quite frankly, none of her business. This may be the case when Isabel sees a young man plunge to his death from the upper circle of a concert hall in Edinburgh. Despite the advice of her housekeeper, Grace, who has been raised in the values of traditional Edinburgh, and her niece, Cat, who, if you ask Isabel, is dating the wrong man, Isabel is determined to find the truth if indeed there is one behind the man's death. The resulting moral labyrinth might have stymied even Kant. And then there is the unsatisfactory turn of events in Cat's love life that must be attended to.
Filled with thorny characters and a Scottish atmosphere as thick as a highland mist, The Sunday Philosophy Club is irresistible, and Isabel Dalhousie is the most delightful literary sleuth since Precious Ramotswe.
Synopsis
Filled with endearingly thorny characters and a Scottish atmosphere as dense and savory as oatmeal, The Sunday Philosophy Club is irresistible, and Isabel Dalhousie is the most delightful literary sleuth since Precious Ramotswe.
About the Author
Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland, where he is a professor of medical law at Edinburgh University. In his spare time he is a bassoonist in the RTO (Really Terrible Orchestra).