The Careful Use of Compliments: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (4) (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries)
by Alexander Mccall Smith
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alexander Mccall SmithEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-26
ISBN: 1400077125
Number of pages: 247
Publisher: Anchor
Book Reviews of The Careful Use of Compliments: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (4) (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries)
Book Review: A Gem
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read and reviewed the first four books in this series one after another so I think the differences are more clear to me than they would have been if I had read each one months or years apart. The series continues to improve and this time I think the author got it right. I've finally gotten a sense of the soulful beauty of Scotland the "mystery" was FINALLY resolved satisfactorily.
As other reviewers have noted, you can't even really call these mystery novels. Isabel is not a private detective, a member of law enforcement, a lawyer, or a mystery writer. She just has a compulsive habit of "looking into things," almost always without invitation. In fact, the "mysteries" are usually a secondary part of the story. The most interesting part of the books is the description of the relationships between Isabel, her friends and family members, and her housekeeper, Grace.
I do have a couple of continuing complaints about the series. First, Isabel identifies herself as a "philosopher," not as a description of her personality or interests, but as if that's some sort of a profession. She is not Socrates, she's the editor of a journal called "The Review of Applied Ethics." In fact, she doesn't even write the articles herself.
Second, when her interior dialogue gets going on the subject of philosophy, things can quickly get boring. Isabel tends to over-think everything and she takes herself way too seriously. On one hand you have to admire the way she lives according to a moral code, and on the other hand you sometimes want to say, "Get over yourself."
Still, book by book, Isabel's character is becoming more fully formed and her honesty, vulnerability and loving nature keep readers interested in knowing what will happen to her next.
More The Careful Use of Compliments: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (4) (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries) reviews:
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