Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

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.

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.

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.)