A Time of Love and Tartan
44 Scotland Street Series (12)
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4.5 • 43 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's perennially popular and irresistibly charming 44 Scotland Street series.
When Pat accepts her narcissistic ex-boyfriend Bruce's invitation for coffee, she has no idea of the complications in her romantic and professional life that will follow. Meanwhile, Matthew, her boss at the art gallery, attracts the attention of the police after a misunderstanding at the local bookstore.
Whether caused by small things such as a cup of coffee and a book, or major events such as Stuart's application for promotion and his wife Irene's decision to pursue a PhD in Aberdeen, change is coming to Scotland Street. But for three seven-year-old boys--Bertie Pollock, Ranald, and Big Lou's foster son, Finlay--it also means getting a glimpse of perfect happiness.
Alexander McCall Smith's delightfully witty, wise and sometimes surreal comedy spirals out in surprising ways in this new installment, but its heart remains where it has always been, at the center of life in Edinburgh's New Town.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Smith's spirited 12th 44 Scotland Street novel (after 2017's The Bertie Project) sees the residents of Edinburgh's Scotland Street and their associates grapple with domestic problems great and small. Anthropologist Domenica Macdonald wonders about the viability of her marriage to artist Angus Lordie while preparing for a visit from Rwandan pygmies; government statistician Stuart Pollock faces intense competition for a promotion and a difficult wife with other priorities in Aberdeen; art gallery assistant Pat Macgregor finds it hard to shake an egotistical ex-boyfriend who has plans for her; and gallery owner Matthew Duncan deals with the fallout of an uncomfortable encounter with his former English teacher and the demands of his two-year-old triplets. Meanwhile, Stuart's seven-year-old son, Bertie, makes a significant discovery in Drummond Place Gardens and contends with his know-it-all classmate, Olive. Despite the lack of any mystery, fans of Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series will enjoy the stimulating and often comic company of Scotland Street's inviting neighbors.
