This short story introduces us to Alexander McCall Smith's latest quirky character, Ulf Varg.
Ulf is a senior member of the Department of Sensitive Crimes, which investigates unusual cases. His current case concerns sabotage ...of a purebred cat. The owner wants justice for her feline who was caged with a tomcat resulting in a litter of undesirable kittens and ruining the good name of the cat breeder herself.

Ulf's greatest asset is his thoughtful observation of people and their behavior. This asset leads to a lot of uncomfortable situations in his personal life. He's secretly in love with his partner, Anna, who is (seemingly) happily married.
Outside the office, Ulf is uncomfortable when asked to look into his brother Bjorn's right-wing political party, the Moderate Extremists, who appear to have a mole in their midst. Ulf does not see eye-to-eye with his brother about politics and may not have the answer Bjorn would like to hear.

"If there was one thing you learned in the Department of Sensitive Crimes it was that the obvious solution was often misleading. Life was obvious, yes, but behind the obvious, the self-evident, there lay any number of other lively possibilities." *

This cozy story is a fun introduction to Ulf Varg (who will be formally introduced in the upcoming novel The Department of Sensitive Crimes) with a cozy light-hearted mystery and a cast of charming characters that I look forward to learning more about!

Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists is scheduled for release on February 26, 2019.

*Quote included is from a digital advance readers copy and is subject to change upon final publication.

Ulf Varg is a member of Malmö's Department of Sensitive Crimes who seems to be dependent on other peoples ideas as to how to basically solve the crimes that he has been given. He is ambushed by his brother into finding out who is responsible for giving ideas away to other governmental parties. Then he is given a cat case that he needs to solve. He is working with Anna on the cat case where he needs to find out who put a tom cat in with her show cat and the result was kittens that didn't sell. He is in love with Anna but she has a husband and two little girls. What happens is that he has a show down with the cat people and everyone takes the blame. Also with his brother, he explains that his wife doesn't want him in politics any more and his brother takes the blame. Everything is resolved except Ulf is not happy not knowing what is the truth. I's also a noir tale where Ulf is left alone with hisself. It makes for a great short read.

Alexander McCall Smith almost always charms me, and The Case of the Moderate Extremists is no exception. The title alone is lovely. I’m not sure where this one fits in, but it seems to be part of a nascent series set in Malmo, Sweden featuring Detective Ulf Varg who heads the “Department of Sensitive Crimes”. This one is really the length of a novella. The crimes are not particularly serious, but the story features McCall Smith’s typical quirky characters and thoughtful human observations. It seems like a promising series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the writing of Alexander McCall Smith, and am so happy he is a serial novelist with a new series! This one has is characteristic warmth, wit, and insight.

Detective Ulf Varg from the Department of Sensitive Crimes is not your typical noir tortured Swedish investigator. The book is definitely more cozy than crime, and delightful to read. This is a quick fun short story, if you enjoyed don't miss the first novel in the series The Department of Sensitive Crimes.

This is a quirky & charming short story from the author of the “No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series & many other books.

Ulf Varg is a detective with the Malmo PD but you’ve probably never heard of his unit. He heads up the Dept. of Sensitive Crimes & their case load is a little…uh…unconventional. Take his current investigation. At a recent Cat Show, someone introduced a purebred Burmese named Duchess to a scruffy tomcat from the wrong side of the tracks. Needless to say, the resulting litter is the talk of feline aficionados everywhere & Duchess’ owner wants the evil matchmaker brought to justice.

Meanwhile, Ulf has a more personal case to handle. His brother Bjorn is a politician & leader of the Moderate Extremists. Someone in his party has been leaking confidential information to their rivals, the Extreme Moderates. Can Ulf quietly flush out the mole?

On top of all this, Ulf has problems at home. His dog Martin may be sliding into depression again & it’s possible he may have to undergo another round of psychotherapy. Ah, it never rains but it pours.

You’ve probably gathered by now this is an unusual police procedural. If you’re looking for a gritty tale of streetwise cops, keep walking. This is an easy going cozy full of understated humour & gentle insights into the human condition. The “crimes” are almost incidental. It’s much more about the characters & all the little things that make up a life. At about 45 minutes, it’s a quick read that serves as a primer for the full length novel due out in April. Fans of McCall Smith's disarming, elegant rose will quickly take to Ulf & want to follow up with "The Department of Sensitive Crimes".