This is the third book in a delightful series by the excellent author, Alexander McCall Smith; he also writes the brilliant ‘No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’ series. This is comfort reading at its most enjoyable, and it gives you a warm cuddle as you join these favorite characters as they live their very different lives in the always interesting city of Edinburgh.
It’s like your top soap opera in book form, but with ironic humor thrown in. The insight to these various quirky Edinburgh characters is addictive. Our resident millionaire, Matthew, is taking control of his life and and now rather enjoying owning an art gallery. His love life is in focus in this book and he is depicted as a charming and caring gentleman, making the reader long for him to find personal happiness. Domenica, the well-heeled middle-aged anthropologist of 44 Scotland Street, has gone on her travels to Malacca to study pirates! We continue with her adventures despite her distance from Edinburgh. The artist, Angus, misses Domenica and tries to replace the emptiness by helping her friend, historical novelist, Antonia, settle in to her flat. Descriptions of Angus’ beer-drinking dog, Cyril, really bring him to life and we see life from a dog’s view-point – tasty ankles abound!
Bertie, the precocious saxophone playing six year old, travels to Paris without his pushy mother, Irene, and his father seems to assert himself a bit more and sorts out a tricky local problem. Bertie’s expressed feelings about his life are very touching, and he seems to understand far more than most people realize.
This top novel is a lovely, life-enhancing read – the people in it are interesting and generally likable characters and the descriptions of Edinburgh entice you to visit. When the last page is read you are left wanting more, a sign of a good story teller.
Love Over Scotland (44 Scotland Street) by Alexander McCall Smith (2006) - a Book Review
No comments:
Post a Comment