What a delightful small treat this is! Even if you haven't read all of the books in the series (or even any of them), you will quickly find yourself nodding along when Isabel makes a statement. She's a philosopher yes but she's also a wife to Jame, mom to her two kids, and Aunt to Cat, who owns a deli and employs Eddie. It's a slice of life novel set in Edinburgh. Isabel finds herself agreeing to serve as executor for a man who wants her to decide which of his three cousins would do the best with his legacy. AND, she's helping Cat in the deli, even as she disapproves of Cat's latest man. I found myself fully engaged with all of them and most of all appreciative of how AMS sneaks the philosophy and ethics in. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great fun read that made me smile.

The Geometry of Holding Hands by Alexander McCall Smith is labelled as a philosophical mystery - to quote the blurb - and I was curious to see what it was about. It is the thirteenth in a series about Isabel Dalhousie, a well-to-do philosopher and editor / publisher of the journal named Review of Applied Ethics. Happily married now to a musician younger than herself and a mother of two little kids, she has a solid code of ethics that she abides by, tries to always do the right thing, and evaluates every situation from multiple perspectives before acting. She also has the habit of going off on a tangent almost in every discussion she has with everyone. She regularly gets entangled in some unusual circumstances and, aided by her astute mind and moral sense, comes out with appropriate results for all concerned.
This time, an unknown man requests her to be the executor of his estate, her self-centred niece Cat gets engaged to a man who seems to be in it for her money, and there are other issues that need Isabel's involvement and judgement.
I was at a disadvantage getting into this long-running series this late, thereby having no idea about the backstories of the major characters. Coming to this from reading fast-paced crime thrillers and murder mysteries, I found the dramatic quotient of this book to be quite low. However, that did not stop me from enjoying this novel and all the credit goes to the charming prose of Mr. Smith. The predicaments Isabel finds herself in, and the means by which she tries to resolve them are quite entertaining. And her digressions are amusing in their unpredictability. The characters of her husband, her housekeeper and her lawyers are quite likeable.
As much as I was entertained by Isabel's straying off the topics of discussion, I found it a bit too distracting, until I realized that there is nothing much to be distracted from in this novel without any specific plot. Overthinking about each and every small matter in life does not seem to me a very healthy habit, and I am not sure I would like to be with such a person. But then, each person has his / her own quirks, and Isabel's overthinking is okay as long as it results in good.
In short, The Geometry of Holding Hands is a light read that may appeal to readers looking for a warm, good-hearted read without violence, sex, and other baser human emotions. But the lack of any kind of urgency in this novel kept my interest low and I would rate it 3 out of 5. My gratitude to netgalley and the publisher (Pantheon) for my review copy!

The 13th in the delightfully charming series featuring philosopher, mother, and wife Isabel Dalhouise, delves into quite a few interesting topics for careful debate ranging from boys in dresses to Scottish country dancing. Isabel is kept quite busy as a mother of two young children and her job as the publisher and editor of the quarterly "Review of Applied Ethics." However true to form, her self-absorbed niece Cat, once again takes advantage of her giving nature and requests Isabel's help, often at very short notice, at her delicatessen. Isabel is present and growing more concerned as Cat makes some important life decisions with serious implications for Isabel, her co-worker Eddie and the family trust, Isabel is thrown into another moral dilemma revolving around how much help is too much? When does it cross the line into meddling? Isabel is also asked to serve as the executor to a dying man's trust and estate, which quickly becomes much more complex than she originally anticipated. Luckily Isabel has the support and help of her husband Jamie, who once again helps Isabel find the right balance and make sound ethical decisions with a pleasing outcome to all parties involved.
If you have not had the pleasure of reading any of the novels featuring Isabel Dalhouise, you are missing out. Isabel's deep musings on various ethical and moral dilemmas add a depth and weight as well as an interesting direction that loosely guides the narrative into some strange, yet fascinating topics of debate. Isabel's own moral predicaments will often leave readers with the strong desire to ponder their own life choices in the most satisfying of ways. The characters are charming and quirky and Isabel and Jamie make a nice team, balancing the other out in a supporting and loving manner. I highly recommend The Geometry of Holding Hands as well as the others in the series for those looking for a light, satisfying, and highly entertaining story to serve as an escape from the current realities.

Refreshing to read about a heroine dedicated to doing what's right, not expedient😌

4.5🌟stars
I love Isabel Dalhousie's goodness, commitment to living (rather than just talking) the ethical life, and her love for her husband Jamie. Even with perfect strangers she is thoughtful about doing what's ethical and kind rather than focusing on her own self interest or the expedient solution. Yes, thanks to her privileged. upbringing, education and occupation she is heavily invested in intellectual conversation and her daydreaming takes her way off topic, but that's why she is a singular heroine who defies tropes.

This story throws Isabel's ethical behavior in sharp contrast to that of her moody niece Cat and Leo, Cat's significant other. A complete stranger also asks for her assistance and, despite an overload of other commitments, she feels her conscience won't let her refuse. No matter which thread of the plot, Isabel's compassion, grace and devotion to her husband. come through.

Alexander McCall Smith is a go-to author for me and I loved the surreal zaniness of his Irregular Portuguese Verbs series which pokes fun at ivory tower intellectuals. The Dalhousie series deals with highly educated, cultured characters in a more realistic way and replaces humor with heart. I can't wait for the next chapter In Isabel and Jamie's Edinburgh life.

Thanks to publishers Pantheon/Knopf Doubleday and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I confess I’ve read only a handful of books from McCall Smith’s oeuvre and this was my first in the Isabel Dalhousie series. I thought it was a murder mystery. The very long backstory mystified me. Nearly three-quarters of the way through, Eddie claims he wants to kill Leo (totally understandable), but that’s the closest thing to a murder. I was actually relieved.

Instead of a mystery, it’s a glimpse into the personal, emotional, and intellectual life of Isabel—a journey well worth taking. In addition to editing a journal, raising two young children, and helping out at her niece, Cat’s, deli, Isabel is drawn in to many other aspects of life in Edinburgh. With the support and love of Jamie—and the help of the indomitable Grace—Isabel tries to extricate herself from too many commitments.

It’s easy to see why McCall Smith is such a popular writer. Nothing “big” ever happens—no murders, no chase scenes, no sex scenes—but people live their lives quietly, with grace and intellectual curiosity. I appreciated the welcome respite from the anti-intellectualism and brash, unapologetic selfishness that is rampant in the U.S. right now. #TheGeometryofHoldingHands #NetGalley

A new book by Alexander McCall Smith is always a treat and the Isabel Dalhousie series is one of my favorites. Who can't help loving Jamie and Isabel and their idyllic life? As usual AMS's observations of human nature are spot-on and often, laugh-out-loud funny. In this novel, among other stories, Isabel's niece Cat is dating a leonine man aptly named "Leo". He seems to be something of a gold digger and convinces Cat to sell her deli, but I dare say that will come with consequences down the road...you just know it will. I guess I'll just have to wait another year or so to find out...sigh...

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read an ARC of this novel.

Alexander McCall Smith's books are full of such wit and wisdom and really are a slow enjoyable jaunt. This is the first book that I have read in the series and it is a great stand alone. You get a good feel for the characters without having to start at book one. I adore and own every book in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency and the Scotland Street series and while I don't love this book like I do those ones it's still a lovely read. All his books make me wish I could be friends with these wonderful insightful characters. Thank you so much Knopf Canada and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Geometry of Holding Hands is a very gentle book. Not a lot happens and it happens beautifully. Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher, married to Jamie, a musician. Following an encounter in a restaurant, a stranger, Iain Melrose, asks her to be executor of his estate when he dies. Isabel worries about how she will find the time to do this, along with all the other tasks she should be doing. She also frets that her niece Cat, has fallen for a man who wants to spend all her money. Cat may close her little deli, thus making Eddie, a vulnerable young man who works there, unemployed – Isabel worries about that too.

That’s it, really. I did say that not a lot happens. The first pleasure in reading AMS’s books comes from his ability to adopt just the right narrative voice. His Department Of Sensitive Crimes sounded Scandinavian. This Isabel Dalhousie book sounds like it was written by a Dunediner. The second pleasure comes from the realistic unfolding of events. In real life, we have stuff that gets in the way of what we intend to do, such as going round to help a friend; finding a babysitter; trying to find a parking space. This is reflected in the pace of The Geometry of Holding Hands. Stuff happens slowly with Isabel’s philosophical musings also getting in the way. I felt my pace of life slowing down as I read it – and felt much better for it.

#TheGeometryofHoldingHands #NetGalley

Stories by this prolific author are a good bet. I haven't read any of the others in this series, but this was pretty good. I enjoyed Isabel and watching her navigate in her world. Recommended for Smith and mystery fans.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

Thirteen isn't usually a lucky number, but it comes through for Isabel Dalhousie. We're so used to Isabel always doing the right thing, but it's been feeling like she's been more and more put upon in the last few installments, and she's needed to lean out. It was so refreshing to see what happens in this book!

Although I am a fan of and have read all of McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’Detective Agency series, this is my first Isabel Dalhousie novel. A rather privileged woman as the result of a family trust with a loving husband and two small children as well as full time help, Isabel is a philosopher who edits the quarterly “Review of Applied Ethics” and helps out in her niece’s delicatessen when needed. In this installment we are invited to observe a slice of her life as she deals with this niece as well as a stranger who asks her to be executor of his will.

This is a quick, charming read. Isabel is wise and kind, but a somewhat insecure woman. I did enjoy her observations of life and how her mind wandered from one thought to another when encountering other people.

I loved the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and its sequels — until I didn’t. However, I still adore another of Alexander McCall Smith’s series, this one set in Edinburgh. I still anticipate my annual meeting with philosopher Isabel Dalhousie — that’s literal, not metaphorical, as she is the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. Does the charitable Isabel overthink things? Of course she does. But she’s so fair, so generous that I cannot help trying to emulate her.

In this, the 13th novel in the series, Isabel faces several dilemmas arising from the same moral quandary: What do we owe strangers? How much do we meddle in the lives of those we love?

Meeting again Isabel’s much-younger husband Jamie, Isabel’s self-absorbed niece Cat, beloved housekeeper Grace and Isabel’s two young children, year after year, proved as delightful as always. Isabel’s moral predicaments are ordinary ones, which is why they’re such an invitation for us to examine our own lives. Dr. McCall Smith, I’ll read you again at same time next year!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Pantheon in exchange for an honest review.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the fine details of the plot (plenty of reviews like that out there if that's what you are looking for - personally I don't find that kind of review helpful - after all, why bother to read the book when someone has told you what happens?)

This is apparently the 13th "Isabel Dalhousie" novel - though I have only read two others in the series. They can be read as standalone books (there is some detail about the background of the main characters), though obviously some familiarity with the characters is helpful and adds to the enjoyment.

Reading this type of novel is best accompanied by tea and cake - it's not a rip-roaring, fast moving plot, but meanders steadily along, enlivened by additional encounters and events that feed into the main stream.

In this novel, Isabel faces a number of dilemmas. Ever thoughtful and always trying to do the right thing, she tries to find solutions that will give the best outcome; Cat - as usual - provides some of the bumps in the road. Looking forward to finding out what happens next!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

The Geometry Of Holding Hands is the 13th novel in the Isabel Dalhousie series by Alexander McCall Smith. If you have read the others, you will have a better knowledge of the background of the characters, but you can read and enjoy this book as a stand-alone even if you haven’t read the others in the series. The main character, Isabel, is a wife, mother, philosopher and part-time volunteer at her niece’s delicatessen. As always, Isabel comes across several small mysteries, or thorny problems, which she tries to solve. The book imitates life in that while many things are satisfactorily resolved, there are always some threads that will continue to unwind. The prose verges in the poetic and is soothing and calming.

Note: I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley.

I see that many people really enjoy this series. This is my first attempt at reading this series and I am afraid that it is really not for me. The main character, Isabel, is so long winded and so over the top with her 'inner reflections' that I found her too irritating to get past chapter one.

For example, page two was about a decision to go to a nice restaurant for dinner. This led to an exposition on the classics with mentions of Petronius, Ovid, Caesar, Aristotle, Plato, Horace, Ovid, Molliere, Ovid and Auden, with few Latin and Greek quotes thrown in for good measure.

The rest of the chapter continues on this vein with the main characters Jamie and Isabelle overthinking everything. They go to the restaurant and she looked at her hand during the antipasti course and of course that triggers her reflection on the hand that had pressed the button to bomb Hiroshima... It was at this point that I decided this was not for me.

Thank NetGallery for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free digital advance review copy of this book from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley and am providing my honest feedback.

The Geometry of Holding Hands, the 13th installment in Alexander McCall Smith's series, is a welcome return to the world of Isabel Dalhousie, the Edinburgh moral philosopher with a propensity to become involved in sorting out the daily troubles of friends and strangers alike. Happily for her fans, Isabel's "resolve not to get involved lasted until the next time an appeal was made for her help, and that was the point at which it faltered."

The series is character-driven and best enjoyed by reading the books in order, to appreciate the growth of the characters and their relationships with each other over time. In this book, the reader is reacquainted with the charms of all the familiar characters from earlier installments, including Isabel's handsome, younger, bassoonist husband, Jaime; Grace, her faithful, seance-believing housekeeper; Cat, her impetuous, delicatessen-owning niece; and Eddie, Cat's loyal, staid employee. Smith provides glimpses of Isabel and Jaime's young boys Charlie and Magnus along with mentions of the elusive Brother Fox and the troublesome Professor Lettuce and Christopher Dove, reassuring long-time readers that all the well-known figures in the series remain alive, well, and up to their usual hijinks. We also are introduced to Hamish MacGeorge and Gordon MacGregor, the endearing duo of lawyers who oversee Isabel's family trust, whose laughter is "redolent of deed boxes and red document tape and the dust of ancient agreements."

Compared to previous books in the series, this book is even more focused on character development, with subtle plot lines involving a request from a near stranger for Isabel to act as his executor, the matter of whether an admittedly less than talented student of Jaime's should receive an orchestra solo, and the fallout from yet another apparently ill-advised romantic relationship of Cat's, which creates uncertainty about the future ownership of the delicatessen and the stability of Eddie's employment. Isabel deftly navigates these issues, as always with her actions guided by her observation that "At the end of the day, the issue became one of simple compassion."

Perhaps now more than ever, the world needs more of Isabel Dalhousie, with her thoughtful commitment to determining what we owe to other people and our shared world, when we are obligated to take action to help, and when we ought to step back, whether out of respect for others' autonomy or the need for self-preservation, and her continuing reminder of the importance of seeing events from others' perspectives as well as our own. "'Put yourself in their shoes' was a familiar piece of advice, but it might be particularized into 'Imagine looking like her.' That brought it home, because that was often the issue with how the world treated people."

The book takes its title from a woodcut depicting a Celtic circle of three figures holding hands, arms interwoven, which Jaime remarks "says everything there is to be said about helping one another and loving one another and being part of. . . well, I suppose being part of something bigger than oneself." And, as Isabel notes earlier in the book, "Surely this was at the heart - the very heart - of how we treated the world. We minded what happened after us."

Quiet, comfortable, kind, and hopeful, the story begs to be enjoyed while curled up with a cup of tea.

I think this is my favorite Isabel Dalhousie book so far. Isabel is a psychologist and a ditherer. She rarely makes a decision on what to say or do without thinking it to death. It really gets on my nerves sometimes but in this one, Isabel actually makes decisions. Some are good and one is surprisingly bad. She makes a mistake and at least has the good graces to apologize. Luckily her mistake works out well but who would ever have thought Isabel could be so achingly wrong?

Her relationship with Cat continues and that's annoying. Cat takes such advantage of her and Isabel doesn't stick up for herself. Cat is at her annoyingly worst and really pushes the limit of what Isabel can take. The good news Cat gets doesn't make her a nicer person and I really worry about her changing. I don't quite get why Isabel puts up with her.

Prof. Lettuce makes a too brief appearance. He is one of my favorite characters and I could have used more of him. Luckily we have plenty of time with Jamie who I really like.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to what happens next. Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Reading a new Isabel Dalhousie novel is like sitting down for a long and cosy chat with a dear friend over a perfect cup of tea and a plate of rich buttery Scottish shortbread. Isabel's philosopher's brain is always going off on a tangent pondering fascinating angles to everyday topics.

Since her two children arrived, Isabel's life has got somewhat busy. As editor of the quarterly 'Review of Applied Ethics', she must find reviewers for books and articles and correspond with the authors and publishers. Then she is often called upon by her niece Cat to help out in her delicatessen at short notice and her willingness to help people also means she often agrees to undertake tasks she doesn't have time for.

In this installment she is grappling with a request to be the executor of an estate for someone she doesn't know and worrying about Cat's latest love interest in a string of unsuitable men. Fortunately, she has her lovely husband Jamie to share her burdens and offer her comfort and advice. This is another delightful chapter in Isabel's life with the promise of more to come as changes are in the air.

My first book, I think, from the author people clamor over all the time. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery immensely.

I never know how to categorize the Isabel Dalhousie novels, but always enjoy reading them. Isabel is the editor of Review of Applied Ethics with an unquenchable interest in the people around her. The most unlikely of amateur sleuths--a Scottish philosopher, wife, and mother--Isabel keeps finding herself drawn into puzzles to be solved. A comfort read and just right for the summer.