The Charming Quirks of Others

Isabel Dalhousie is asked to discreetly investigate three finalists for a prestigious headmaster position after an anonymous letter claims one of them is hiding something serious enough to disqualify him for the role. The investigation unfolds with Isabel's characteristic combination of philosophical digression and practical detection, and what she discovers about the candidates is surprising, though what she discovers about herself and her relationship with Jamie proves to be the more consequential revelation. Book seven of Alexander McCall Smith's Edinburgh series.

Davina Porter's settled command of Isabel's voice gives the series its distinctive warmth, her narration suggesting a character whose curiosity extends equally to human nature and the ethics of investigating it. The Edinburgh setting operates almost as a character in Porter's hands, the city's particular blend of intellectual tradition and social reticence providing the atmosphere the mysteries require. At just over eight hours, The Charming Quirks of Others is characteristic McCall Smith: leisurely, observant, and more emotionally alive than its gentleness might initially suggest.