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The Charming Quirks Of Others

By Alexander McCall Smith
Series: Isabel Dalhousie Novels
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in the enlightened yet gossipy milieu of twenty-first-century Edinburgh, The Charming Quirks Of Others follows Isabel as she navigates the complexities of social intrigue. When Jillian McKinlay seeks Isabel's help to uncover the author of a poison-pen letter affecting a prestigious school's principalship, Isabel becomes entwined in layers of suspicion and subtle tensions. Alongside this investigation, familial relationships unfold, notably with Isabel's niece Cat facing romantic uncertainties and Isabel confronting moral dilemmas sparked by a cellist's affection for her fiancé.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel is suited to readers who enjoy gentle mysteries woven with social insight and character-driven narratives, especially those with an appreciation for contemporary British settings and nuanced explorations of relationships.

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* The wonderful new Isabel Dalhousie novel -- out now in paperback

* Brand new cover style and packaging approach * Online promotion and via the newly-launched Alexander McCall Smith app! * Cross-promotion with the Botswana series

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

As well as its advantages, there are drawbacks to the enlightened village that is twenty-first-century Edinburgh, where every Saturday night ears burn at dinner parties across the city, and anyone requiring the investigative abilities of a philosophical soul knows where to find her.

Jillian McKinlay—wife of a trustee of an illustrious school—is the latest petitioner; she asks Isabel to look into a poison-pen letter that makes insinuations about applicants for the position of principal. Isabel's niece Cat has another new boyfriend who seems too good to be true. And when a pretty cellist with a tragic story takes a fancy to her husband-to-be, Isabel finds herself contemplating an act of heroic and alarming self-sacrifice.

The Charming Quirks of Others is a novel that captures the complexities of modern life in Edinburgh, wrapped in intrigue and moral dilemmas that will entertain and provoke thoughtful reflection.

Series: Isabel Dalhousie Novels

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    BOOK 15 IN THE MUCH-LOVED ISABEL DALHOUSIE SERIES 'You can't go out of the house without tripping over a philosophical question.' That is a remark made by Isabel Dalhousie to Jamie, the bassoonist who is her handsome younger husband. Isabel's own life, of course, points to the truth of this observation: she seems to attract philosophical problems in much the...
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  • The Careful Use Of Compliments
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    The Sweet Remnants of Summer is the latest instalment in the beloved Isabel Dalhousie series. 'Cosy and effortlessly charming' Herald 'Delightful' Sunday Telegraph 'Humorous and thought-provoking' Undiscovered Scotland Isabel Dalhousie joins the advisory committee of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, but soon finds herself swept up in a delicate dispute between members of a prominent family. David's support for Scottish...
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    Isabel Dalhousie leads an enviable life in Edinburgh, with time for cloud-gazing, civilised conversation and good coffee from Cat's delicatessen. Alongside these pastimes, she must also keep pace with the varied pursuits of her musician husband and their young son Charlie, who is exhibiting the first, rather worrying signs of mathematical genius. An unexpected appeal for help from a collector...
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  • A Distant View of Everything
    Recently distracted by the arrival of her and Jamie's second son, Magnus, Isabel Dalhousie – philanthropic editor of the Review of Applied Ethics – is anxious. The next issue of the Review is far from ready, her eldest, Charlie, is jealous, and their housekeeper, Grace, has an officious approach to childcare. With some relief, Isabel returns to helping out at...
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    The Subtle Pleasures of Indiscretion
    The Subtle Pleasures of Indiscretion is the latest book in the beloved Isabel Dalhousie series. The surface of Isabel Dalhousie's life is usually a tranquil one. From her house in Edinburgh, she edits a philosophical journal. In the background is her long-time housekeeper, Grace, her handsome husband, Jamie, and her two small boys, Charlie and Magnus. Outside, under the cover...
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  • Friends, Lovers, Chocolate
    Isabel Dalhousie thinks often of friends, sometimes of lovers, and on occasion of chocolate. As an Edinburgh philosopher, she is certain of where she stands. She can review a book called In Praise of Sin with panache and conviction, but real life is... well, perhaps a bit more challenging - particularly when it comes to her feelings for Jamie, a...
    By Alexander McCall Smith
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    Sold Out
  • The Conditions of Unconditional Love
    Book 15 in the beloved Isabel Dalhousie series
    By Alexander McCall Smith
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Conditions of Unconditional Love
    BOOK 15 IN THE MUCH-LOVED ISABEL DALHOUSIE SERIES 'You can't go out of the house without tripping over a philosophical question.' That is a remark made by Isabel Dalhousie to Jamie, the bassoonist who is her handsome younger husband. Isabel's own life, of course, points to the truth of this observation: she seems to attract philosophical problems in much the...
    By Alexander McCall Smith
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • The Quiet Side of Passion
    The Twelfth Installment of the Much-Loved Isabel Dalhousie Series It is summer in Edinburgh and Isabel Dalhousie is once again caught between 'gossip' and significant rumour. It is none of her business that Patricia, the mother of her son Charlie's little friend Basil, is estranged from Basil's father, or that the woman has a somewhat brazen attitude to childcare. And...
    By Alexander McCall Smith
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349123127

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 August 2011

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Abacus

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 210g

Pages: 256

Collections

Alexander McCall Smith Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Series: Isabel Dalhousie Novels

About the Author

Following a distinguished career as a Professor of Medical Law, Alexander McCall Smith has turned to writing full-time. He is the author of over sixty books on a wide array of subjects, and his books have been translated into forty-five languages. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife.

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