The Lost Art of Gratitude

Feeling a bit paranoid investment banker Minty Auchterlonie fears someone detests her so much that they are trying to harm her. First government tax agents are investigating her though she has no idea why suddenly they are doing it unless someone tipped them off. Second she received a funeral wreath from an unknown sender. At a child's birthday party, Minty tells her friend Scottish philosopher Isabel Dalhousie, whose not quite two year old son Charlie is at the bash, that she believes someone is after her. Isabel investigates using skills honed by being the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. She questions the most likely suspect Jock Dundas, who believes he sired Minty's son during an affair they had; he wants time with his alleged offspring or he will expose her to her spouse Gordon McCaig. Meanwhile her enemy accuses Isabel of failing to prevent plagiarism at the Review and her lover Jamie asks her to marry him so they and their son Charlie can be a family. If you seek a bit more action turn to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency tales. However as with Precious's detecting, Isabel is a great focus who holds the intelligent slice of life plot together (see The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday). Character driven, readers will enjoy this sage saga as evil comes in many shapes, but never a Dove as Isabel learns first hand The Lost Art Of Gratitude as no one seems to appreciate her efforts. Harriet Klausner

Once again McCall Smith creates a novel which makes us think and smile at the same time. He poses original questions and makes thoughtful observations in the course of telling a delightful story. Isabel, Jamie and Charlie, along with other familiar figures in Edinburgh, share everyday experiences and explore personal relationships that are never dull.

This book as the others in this series was delightful. The characters are well drawn, the story is just the right pace.

If you've never read this author, start now (unless you need blood, guts, and sweaty sex...then skip him). He's written four different Series...ALL are worthwhile.

THE LOST ART OF GRATITUDE continues the adventures of Isabel Dalhousie, a wealthy, middle-aged divorcee who is also a Doctor of Philosophy. For the uninitiated, Isabel enjoys the leisure to sit in contemplation, observing passersby in a window seat of a favorite High Street coffee shop, meditating on their comings and goings. But now that she has two-year-old son Charlie to look after, her life has changed dramatically. The joys and demands of motherhood consume much of her time, and as the sole owner and publisher of the Review of Applied Ethics, the magazine of philosophical essays, she finds her days and evenings fuller than ever. When she faced being forced out of the editorial position by two of its quarrelsome directors, Professors Dove and Lettuce, she simply bought the magazine outright. Maintaining full editorial control is far more satisfactory, but her new lifestyle leaves less time for her to worry about what other people are doing and why they are doing it. In addition to being a powerful magazine publisher, Isabel is a woman with the well-earned reputation of being a bit "nosy" among her peers (if you hadn't figured that out already). But Isabel would prefer to describe herself as inquisitive or curious or observant but never nosy...she just likes to be of help. And unfortunately for Isabel, her method for solving problems (either through discretion or butting in where she's not welcome) occasionally catches up with her, which is what sets off the plot in McCall Smith's sixth Dalhousie novel. One day, when Isabel and Charlie are enjoying an outing, she runs into Minty Auchterlonie, a remote acquaintance with whom she has tangled in the past. She tries to avoid Minty and her pushy little boy who is Charlie's age. But Minty, a powerful, wealthy investment banker who moves in the same social circles as Isabel, seems determined to reestablish their relationship and invites Isabel and Charlie to her son's birthday party. There, Isabel discovers Minty's real reason for the impromptu invitation: she is being blackmailed over a dark, personal secret, and because she has heard of Isabel's unique success at discreetly handling such ticklish situations, she seeks her help. When Isabel finds herself manipulated into meeting with a prominent local attorney who is the purported blackmailer, she not only feels used but also suspects that Minty has misled her and everything may not be as it appears. And to make matters worse, Professors Dove and Lettuce turn up at her home office with evidence that Isabel has allowed a plagiarized article to be published in her magazine. Isabel is nothing if not meticulous in her vetting of all articles for publication, so she is quite disturbed at the potential for scandal and loss of reputation. Again, things are not quite as they seem, and Isabel's unique approach to resolving the dilemma is amusing and infinitely satisfying --- not only for her but for the reader as well --- once again proving that even dic