love the Isabel Dalhousie series. I remember when I first started reading them (after loving, of course, No. 1 Ladies' series), I assumed there would be more of a whiff of mystery throughout Isabel's quiet, philosophically musing adventures in the everyday.

There haven't been. But it hasn't mattered. I read the books for the deceptively accessible and extremely competent voice (not to mention McCall Smith's indelibly dry humour), for the colourful cast of characters: Cat and her range of no-good boyfriends, opinionated Grace, Prof. Lettuce and the other academics in Isabel's circles and, of course, Isabel and Jamie. I love stepping into the mental world of Isabel and, of course, Jamie is the perfect whetstone for her mind and brilliantly unending stream of consciousness.

Finally, because I love the time I have spent in Edinburgh, I love how the city is as much a character as its populous. McCall Smith's poetry is in his love for excavating the crevices, nooks and crannies of this jewel of a place.

But the mystery?

Well, in Quiet Side of Passion, there was a bit of a mystery-- and not just of the typical Isabel Ponders Human Nature and Ethics sort. Another mother at the school where Isabel's son Charlie attends has a few unsavoury rumours following her. Indeed, if ever Isabel has had a moment of incognito stealth, it is when she is following someone through the dark roads of Leith.


And oh is it delicious! Isabel hires a grad student! Professor Lettuce ( insufferable man!) is paired by the elusive Prof Kale !

and there's lines like this:

"Jamie put down Julia Child again. It was difficult to plan a recipe at the same time as talking about the sorts of issues that Isabel chose to discuss."


Sincere thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.