The Sunday Philosophy Club

Starred review from August 2, 2004
Murder and moral obligation mingle in this whimsical new series from the author of the smash hit The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
. McCall Smith's new heroine is Scottish-American philosopher Isabel Dalhousie, a single woman of independent means who edits the esteemed Review of Applied Ethics
and presides over the titular club. When Isabel witnesses fund manager Mark Fraser fall from a balcony after a performance at an Edinburgh concert hall, she feels obliged to investigate the gentleman's demise. "I was the last person that young man saw," Dalhousie tells her beloved niece, Cat. "The last person. And don't you think that the last person you see on this earth owes you something?" Given her affinity for applied ethics, questions of conscience are a daily concern for Isabel, and the more she thinks about Fraser's fall, the less accidental it seems. Among those who might have pushed him: his shifty roommate, his colleague's scheming spouse and a disgruntled broker with a craving for cash. Fans of Botswanan heroine Precious Ramotswe are sure to embrace Scotsman McCall Smith's plucky new protagonist, who leads a cast of delightfully quirky characters that includes Toby, a dapper bachelor with a dubious understanding of fidelity, and Grace, Dalhousie's morally upright housekeeper, who sizes up society's reprobates in two syllables or less. Scotland's climate may be misty and cool, but McCall Smith's charming prose warms every page of this winning series debut. Agent, Robin Strauss. (Sept. 28)

Forecast:
Fans will quickly be reassured that McCall Smith's latest possesses all the gentle humor and keen insights into human nature that characterized his Mma Ramotswe novels, and they will buy, buy, buy accordingly
.

May 15, 2004
The author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency launches a new series set in Edinburgh.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2004
Following the success of his No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Zimbabwe-born Scot goes for the kilt in a new detective series starring moral philosopher Isabel Dalhousie, an unmarried woman of independent means. (The book's title refers to a group of heady thinkers presided over by plucky Scottish American Isabel.) After witnessing fund manager Mark Fraser plummet from the balcony during a performance at the Edinburgh Concert Hall, Isabel, who edits the esteemed " Review of Applied Ethics," feels a moral obligation to investigate the young man's demise. Pondering the possibilities with Jaime, her niece's drop-dead-handsome former suitor, Isabel doubts Fraser's fall was an accident at all. Fans of Botswanese heroine Precious Ramotswe are sure to embrace McCall Smith's irrepressible new protagonist, who leads a cast of delightfully flawed characters. Among them: a frosty banker named Minty, a dapper bachelor with a dubious definition of fidelity, and a morally upright housekeeper who sizes up society's reprobates in two syllables or less. 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. Among the novel's whimsical moments is a performance by the Really Terrible Orchestra, a real-life ensemble in which McCall Smith plays the bassoon--badly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)

Starred review from August 1, 2004
The author of the beloved "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series introduces Isabel Dalhousie, who equals Precious Ramotswe in intelligence and moxie. Isabel edits the Edinburgh-based Review of Applied Ethics and surrounds herself with a thoroughly engaging cast of characters. And like Precious, she has a knack for getting involved in local intrigue: while at the concert hall, she witnesses a young man falling to his death and decides that she has a moral obligation to investigate. Unfortunately, Smith's subplots are more interesting than the main mystery, and Isabel tends to get bogged down in philosophical digressions, but the writing and characters propel the narrative forward. 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. For general mystery and/or fiction collections. Smith lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. [See Mystery Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/04.] Nicole A. Cooke, Montclair State Univ. Lib., NJ

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.