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Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

ISABEL DALHOUSIE - Book 2

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.

In this delightful second installment in Alexander McCall Smith’s bestselling detective series, the irrepressibly curious Isabel Dalhousie gets caught up in a highly unusual affair of the heart.

When Isabel is asked to cover for vacationing Cat at her delicatessen, Isabel meets a man with a most interesting problem. He recently had a heart transplant and is suddenly haunted by memories of events that never happened to him.The situation piques her insatiable curiosity: Could the memories be connected with the donor’s demise? Naturally, Isabel’s friend Jamie thinks it is none of Isabel’s business. Meanwhile, Grace, Isabel’s housekeeper, has become infatuated with a man at her spiritualist meeting, and Cat brings home an Italian lothario. That makes for some particularly tricky problems–both practical and philosophical–for Isabel to unravel in this enormously engaging and highly unusual mystery.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 18, 2005
      The second installment of McCall Smith's Sunday Philosophy Club series sports a charmingly meandering plot and winningly hyperverbal characters—no surprise to fans of Isabel Dalhousie's debut, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books, or any of McCall Smith's 50-plus titles. Once again, Edinburgh's Dalhousie, intrepid editor of a philosophy journal, finds herself analyzing other people's problems when asked to fill in for her niece Cat, at Cat's gourmet food shop-cum-delicatessen. At the shop, Isabel meets Ian, who is haunted by visions of a man he comes to believe must be the murdered donor of his transplanted heart. As McCall Smith lovingly takes Isabel sleuthing across Edinburgh, the donor's stepfather (a man Ian has never seen) turns out to look much like the man of Ian's nightmares. Meanwhile, Cat's romantic rejects find their way, via the shop, into Isabel's social set, including former major beau Jamie, a classical musician who, though 15 years younger, becomes Isabel's confidant. A delicious mix of the unlikely and the tried-and-true, this latest cozy from an undisputed master will make readers feel just that. 9-city author tour.

    • School Library Journal

      December 1, 2005
      Adult/High School -Isabel Dalhousie, the charming and well-intentioned editor of the "Review of Applied Ethics", is back. She does not actively seek out trouble, but her inability to ignore those in need has a way of drawing her into peculiar situations. Her adventure begins when she meets Ian, who has recently had a heart transplant and is disturbed by a menacing face that keeps appearing in his memories; he and Isabel wonder whether there is any credence to the theory of cellular memory, and whether Ian could be recalling the person who was responsible for his donor's death. In much the same way that -The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - series opens a door to the dusty roads of Botswana, this one allows readers to experience the long, sunny days of a Scottish summer. The history and charm of Edinburgh are apparent in the detailed descriptions of the cobblestoned streets Isabel walks as she contemplates philosophical questions and attempts to make sense of Ian's issues as well as her own sudden romantic interest in a much younger friend and recent fiancé of her niece. The characters and plots are thoughtful and thought-provoking, and will stay with readers well beyond the final page." -Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA"

      Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      Starred review from July 1, 2005
      Moral dilemmas and mysteries of the heart suffuse this second installment from the Sunday Philosophy Club" , "Scotsman McCall Smith's latest series following the wildly popular No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Fortysomething Scottish-American moral philosopher Isabel Dalhousie seems destined to become entangled in other people's lives. It's not nosiness, she tells herself. After all, isn't it human nature to want to help fellow souls in distress? There's dapper psychologist Ian, whose newly transplanted heart prompts troubling visions. And Isabel's niece, Cat, with her tendency to take up with the wrong kind of men (the latest is Salvatore, a dashing Italian who drives a vintage Bugatti. "A breaker of speed limits--and hearts," says Isabel.). Pondering these prickly predicaments makes the perfect complement to Isabel's part-time work as editor of the " Review of Applied Ethics. "It also keeps her mind off her own solitary state (if only sensitive bassoonist Jamie were a bit older . . .). Fans of McCall Smith are sure to savor this wise and whimsical offering filled with lively descriptions of Edinburgh and droll moral observations: Isabel "did not approve of promiscuity, which she thought made a mockery of our duty to cherish and respect others; an emotional fast food, really, which one would not wish on anybody. But at the same time one should not starve oneself."(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)

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  • Kindle Book
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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.8
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:4

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