A Conspiracy of Friends
A Corduroy Mansions Novel (3)
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4.2 • 30 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
CORDUROY MANSIONS - Book 3
In the Corduroy Mansions series of novels, set in London’s hip Pimlico neighborhood, we meet a cast of charming eccentrics, including perhaps the world’s most clever terrier, who make their home in a handsome, though slightly dilapidated, apartment block.
It seems the universe itself is conspiring against the residents of Corduroy Mansions, as they all find themselves struggling with their nearest and dearest. Oedipus Snark’s mother, Berthea, is still at work on her scathing biography of her son—the only loathsome Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament; literary agents Rupert Porter and Barbara Ragg are still battling each other for first crack at the manuscript of Autobiography of a Yeti; fine arts graduate Caroline Jarvis is busy exploring the blurry line between friendship and romance; and William French is still worrying that his son, Eddie, may never leave home, even though Eddie’s got a new wealthy girlfriend. But uppermost in everyone’s mind is William’s faithful terrier, Freddie de la Hay—without a doubt the only dog clever enough to have been recruited by MI6—who has disappeared while on a mystery tour around the Suffolk countryside. Will Freddie find his way back to Pimlico? Is Corduroy Mansions starting to crumble?
Readers will be captivated once again by McCall Smith’s genius for storytelling, his insight into his beautifully crafted characters and his eye for the quirky details of modern life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Short on plot but teeming with charm, this confection takes its cue from Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. For the third time, Smith (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) visits the self-contained fictional world encompassing the residents of Corduroy Mansions in London's Pimlico neighborhood. The book opens by introducing an immense ensemble cast, which includes Oedipus Snark, "the only truly nasty Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament"; his mother, Berthea, at work on a "hostile biography" of her son; Berthea's brother, a New Ager called Terence Moongrove; literary agent (and Snark's former lover) Barbara Ragg; her odious business partner, Rupert Porter; as well as the hapless, affable wine merchant William French and his dog, Freddie de la Hay. Each has his or her own tale: a conflict at work, a longing for love, the search for new smells (that would be Freddie). There are as many plots in this genial, satisfying narrative as there are characters, and it's a testament to Smith's gifts as a storyteller that he's able to bind the whole together with such a slender narrative thread. His ample humor and grace helps.
Customer Reviews
Great, except one glitch
At the end of each chapter the last page is omitted and the next to last is repeated.
A conspiracy of friends
At the end of each chapter in the e book, the last page is omitted and the next to last repeated.