The Lost Art of Gratitude

Starred review from August 17, 2009
Smith's quietly triumphant sixth novel to feature Scottish philosopher Isabel Dalhousie (after 2008's The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday
) shows that Isabel and the author's other, better-known female sleuth—Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series—are sisters under the skin, despite obvious differences. Minty Auchterlonie, who once alerted Isabel to some insider trading, fears someone is out to get her. The tax authorities have suddenly investigated Minty, and an unknown party has sent her a funeral wreath. When Isabel looks into these provocative acts, she draws on lessons learned from the journal she edits, the Review of Applied Ethics
, to arrive at the complex truth behind them. Meanwhile, the father of Isabel's young son proposes marriage, and a defeated academic rival accuses her of knowingly publishing plagiarism. Smith's trademark humor and telling observations about people heighten the appeal.

Another delightful entry in the Isabel Dalhousie series is narrated delightfully by Davina Porter. While the story revolves ostensibly around the mysterious life of Isabel's acquaintance, Minty Auchterlonie, the heart of the novel lies in Isabel's philosophical musings on almost any topic under the sun. With her leisurely delivery, Porter captures Isabel's meandering train of thought, and her tone conveys the curiosity and amusement with which a philosopher might view the world. Porter handles other voices adeptly as well, including the quiet warmth of a dependable boyfriend, the snideness of a not-so-dependable one, the blithe manner of an opportunist, and the endearing tentativeness of a toddler speaking his first word. A.E.B. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine