It's so strange to be reading a book in which nothing much happens but which I can barely make myself put down at bedtime! I hesitate to know who to recommend these books to, because, yeah, nothing much happens, but to me they are fascinating reading. ( )

Bertie's grandmother improves his life, politics among nudists, Matthew discovers valuable paintings in hidden room and Irene returns from Bedouin harem

Meh. Best character was the "fictional" Fersie McPherson, and the best scene was Bertie setting Ulysses down on the airport luggage carousel. Not enough to sustain a whole book. I still prefer the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series. ( )

The 10th book in McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street series finds Irene Pollock still installed in the Bedouin harem and Bertie’ father Stuart, has asked his mother to come to Scotland from her home in Portugal to help him with the boys. This proves to be a bit of heaven for Bertie, as his grandmother approves of everything his mother despises and vice versa. So good-bye psychotherapy, yoga, and Italian lessons and hello pizza, kilts and visits to his friend, Ranald Braveheart McPherson.

Meanwhile, Matthew & Elspeth find a secret room in their new house containing some valuable paintings. The Duke of Johannesburg is confronted by the heraldic police. Bruce is enlisted to distract Pat’s gather’s Czech girlfriend away from him. The Scottish Nudist are feuding with members in Glasgow, and Irene returns, but Bertie’s grandmother does not leave.

Once again, these books are a cure for what ails you, and I hope this series goes on forever. ( )

Calm, casual, charming, witty, intriguing, oddly thought-provoking, sometimes captivating, and sweetly honest though occasionally Machiavellian, Alexander McCall Smith’s tenth Scotland Street novel continues to gather its characters in, scatter them apart (poor Irene, still trapped in a harem leaving Bertie free to avoid psychotherapy!), and invite readers into the intricacies of vastly different lives. The nudists might catch cold in an Edinburgh park; the little brother might look too much like the therapist; the house might have a genuine secret room; and the seller might have secrets. But it’s all resolved with pleasing conversation, light-hearted banter, and the occasional oddly scary flight into deepening darkness. Coffee and stronger brews are drunk. Streets are walked, or travelled by bus. Edinburgh comes to life, as always in these books, and the reader learns as much from what’s not said as from what’s written down. A quick read if you’re a fast reader, and an easy read to pick up and put down if you’re not, this is a book where the world turns, the people turn to each other, and love is still there behind all our trials and tribulations. An enjoyable novel.

Disclosure: A friend gave me a copy to add to my library. Thank you! ( )