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Aug 23, 2016 | ISBN 9780307949240 Buy
Jul 21, 2015 | ISBN 9780307907363 Buy
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Aug 23, 2016 | ISBN 9780307949240
Jul 21, 2015 | ISBN 9780307907363
Isabel Dalhousie, the insatiably curious Edinburgh sleuth and philosopher, takes on a case unlike any she’s had before: a six-year-old boy has been experiencing vivid recollections of a past life. His visions include a perfect description of a Scottish island and a house where he claims to have lived. The boy’s mother asks Isabel to investigate, but her findings continue to perplex as her efforts to seek rational explanations are thwarted by the unusual mystery unfolding before her. Isabel is presented with further challenges as she begins to prepare an important issue of the Review of Applied Ethics. Two visiting academics, Lettuce and Dove, arrive in Edinburgh with plans that may upset the harmonious balance of her life. These trials will require all of Isabel’s wit and understanding—but happily, in her blissful home life with her husband and young son by her side, Isabel is always reminded of her blessings.
The insatiably curious Edinburgh philosopher and amateur sleuth Isabel Dalhousie returns, taking on a case unlike any she’s had before—this one with paranormal implications—in the eagerly anticipated new installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s beloved and best-selling series. Through a mutual acquaintance, Isabel is introduced to a six-year-old boy who has been experiencing vivid recollections of a past life, which include a perfect description of an island off the coast of Scotland and a house on the island where he claims to have lived. When the boy’s mother asks Isabel to investigate, Isabel naturally feels inclined to help, and so she, her husband, Jamie, and their son, Charlie, set off for the island. To their great surprise, they actually locate the house that the boy described, which leads to more complicated questions, as Isabel’s desire to find rational explanations comes up against the uncanny mystery unfolding before her. It’s an extraordinarily delicate situation that will require all of her skills, as both sleuth and philosopher, to solve. Back home, as she begins to prepare the next issue of the Review of Applied Ethics, Isabel confronts a threat to her professional well-being in the form of two visiting academics—Lettuce and Dove—who she fears will be a destabilizing influence on her cozy perch in enlightened Edinburgh. But no matter the trials she faces, Isabel is blissfully content in her personal life, which is centered on her young son and devoted husband. Readers will be filled with happiness as they once again spend time with their beloved heroine and the people she holds dear.
ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH is the author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novels and a number of other series and stand-alone books. His works have been translated into more than forty languages and have been best sellers throughout the world…. More about Alexander McCall Smith
Praise for Alexander McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie series“Remarkable. . . . [Isabel] is such good company, it’s hard to believe she’s fictional.” —Newsweek“Edinburgh’s favorite philosopher/sleuth is back. . . . Isabel’s musings on duty and parenthood linger.” —People“Charming. . . . No writer makes the philosophical life as inviting and cozy as McCall Smith does.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A novel about love—love of life, love of home and homeland, love of partner and family, love of fellow humans. . . . A stimulating thinking-person’s read.” —New York Journal of Books “Isabel’s search for truth follows a route that offers tantalizing glimpses of Edinburgh’s complex character and a nice, long look into the beautiful mind of a thinking woman.” —The New York Times Book Review “Habit-forming. . . . Leaves plenty of time for pondering moral conundrums, the drinking of steaming cups of hot brew (coffee, in this case) and . . . gentle probing into the human condition.” —The Oregonian “Philosophical inquiries are spontaneous and ongoing, stitched into everyday life and conversation. . . . Genial [and] wise. . . . Glows like a rare jewel.” —Entertainment Weekly “[Isabel] is by turns fearless, vulnerable, headstrong, and insecure, but always delightful.” —Chicago Tribune “Delicious mental comfort food.” —Los Angeles Times “A world where humor is gentle, suffering is acknowledged but not foregrounded, and efforts to do good are usually rewarded. It’s a wonderful place to visit, even if we don’t get to live there.” —The Washington Post
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