In the seventh Isabel Dalhousie installment, Isabel is asked to discreetly investigate the final three candidates for a headmaster position at a private school. The search committee has received an anonymous letter hinting that one of the candidates is hiding an embarrassing secret. In addition to investigating the candidates, Isabel is also asked to uncover the identity of the letter's author.
Of course, in the midst of Isabel's investigations, her relationships with her fiance Jamie, their toddler Charlie, her niece Cat, and Cat's employee Eddie are explored. Her nemeses Professors Lettuce and Dove also have cameos.
I have to admit, when I read these books, I'm far more interested in Isabel's relationships with the other recurring characters than I am with the mystery. In fact, I often skim over the sections dealing with the mysteries to return to the domestic scenes featuring Isabel, Jamie, and Charlie; the scenes at Cat's delicatessen with Cat and Eddie; or Isabel's ruminations about philosophy and human nature. Alexander McCall Smith is surprisingly good at writing women, and there are often passages in his books where I feel twinges of recognition when he describes a theory or observation that I have thought about but haven't been able to crystallize and articulate quite as well.
That being said, this was far from my favorite Isabel Dalhousie book. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't as anxious to pick it up and continue reading as I usually am. There was a subplot about Jamie's relationship with another woman that seemed unlikely, which might partially explain my lukewarm reaction. In general, Isabel seemed to jump to conclusions more often in this book, rather than her usually thoughtful analysis of any problem that confronts her.
Although I didn't enjoy this book as much as its predecessors, I won't stop reading the series. I'm still looking forward to the new installment that will be published this fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment