The Subtle Pleasures of Indiscretion
By Alexander McCall Smith
Another installment in the beloved Isabel Dalhousie series. Once again, Edinburgh is almost a main character in this novel, a lovely setting for Isabel’s philosophical musings, long walks through town, visits to coffee shops, and of course, accidental meetings with those who would entreat her to do them just one little favor…One of the best things about reading a series is spending time in a familiar imaginary place with familiar characters. Nothing new or crazy happens in this book, and that is definitely part of the appeal.
The gang’s all here. Isabel’s sons are acting up at preschool, Grace is serving in her tireless role as nanny and housekeeper, and Jamie is still playing music in various symphonies, but now he has a special opportunity to record. But Isabel doesn’t like the woman who is offering him the opportunity, so what should she do?
Once again, Isabel has been asked to intervene on behalf of a friend of a friend in a thorny moral conundrum. This time, a woman whom Isabel knows from her school days (who she owes a favor because she feels a bit sorry for how she was treated back then) has found a half-brother via an ancestry website. The half-brother is threatening to tell the siblings, and he will never get the chance to meet his father, but the woman is worried how her mother, a new widow, will react to the news of a mysterious half-brother.
Isabel is tasked with speaking to the man, and she asks her housekeeper and nanny Grace to do some research about the man, and that involves a foray into her circle of psychic and spiritual friends. Pretty soon, Grace regrets getting involved and learns about the delicate balance of moral navigation into people’s lives that Isabel must work out on a regular basis, each time she takes on one of her philosophical problem-solving situations. I liked that Grace had a more active role this time around.
Fans of the Isabel Dalhousie series or anyone who thinks a lot or wants to be transported to Scotland for a cozy journey into philosophy and what it means to be human and help others will enjoy this series and novel.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
