The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries)
by Alexander Mccall Smith
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alexander Mccall SmithEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-23
ISBN: 0375425136
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Pantheon
Book Reviews of The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries)
Book Review: The Case of the Mistaken Doctor
Summary: 5 Stars
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (2008) is the fifth mystery novel in the Isabel Dalhousie series, following The Careful Use of Compliments. In the previous volume, Isabel bought the Review and fired the editorial board. Then she had a baby.
In this novel, Isabel Dalhousie is a trained philosophers and editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. She is the lover of Jamie, whom she has refused to marry. She is also mother of Charlie, with Jamie as the father.
Jamie is a professional musician, playing the bassoon in several orchestras and symphonies. He also teaches music to teenagers. He is an even tempered man and is usually happy with his life. He is very infatuated with his son.
Grace is Isabel's housekeeper. She is very efficient, but has a few human foibles. She is a member of a group that strongly believes in psychic mediums. She also is infatuated with Charlie and likes to pretend that he is her own son.
Christopher Dove is a philosopher who had tried to get Isabel fired from the position of editor of the Review. But Isabel proved to be more adept at manipulation and foiled this dastardly maneuver.
In this story, Isabel is reasonably content with her life, enjoying her son, her lover, her friends and her profession. However, she has a problem with thinking too much. Probably that is a characteristic of philosophers, but it does tie her mind into knots on occasion.
Dove has submitted an article to the Review. His attached letter has a few snide and misleading remarks, but Isabel feels that it is her duty to treat him better than her friends. After all, he is her enemy and, as a Christian, she should turn her cheek.
The article itself is an adaptation of the Trolley problem. She is not impressed with its originality, but sends it to a couple of Review readers for their evaluation. They both state that they are also not impressed with the article, so she decides to reject it.
Isabel also meets Nick Smart, an American composer dwelling temporary in Edinburgh. Nick pays little attention to Isabel, but seems to be impressed by Jamie. Isabel runs into Nick on other occasions and develops a dislike for the man. Indeed, she becomes jealous of his dealings with Jamie.
Isabel becomes involved in the situation of Marcus Montcrieff, a physician who was blamed for issuing an erroneous report on the side effects of a new pharmaceutical that later caused a fatality. Marcus has been hiding inside his apartment ever since the newspapers had a feeding frenzy over his errors. His wife asks Isabel to look into the matter and, if possible, to correct the public perception of her husband.
Meanwhile, Grace is trying to spend more time with Charlie. She argues that Isabel and Jamie should leave Charlie with her instead of taking him on outings. Both Isabel and Jamie have learned to emphasize their duties as his parents.
This tale mostly revolves around Isabel's other responsibilities and pleasures, but keeps going back to the incident that ruined the reputation of Marcus Montcrieff. Isabel learns more from the other participants in his disgrace and changes her mind several times. But she is certain that he has been sufficiently punished for any mistakes that he has made.
As usual, the processes of Isabel's mind are full of twists and turns, with each inclination being met by a counter argument. One wonders how she gets anything accomplished, but she always seems to come to a firm decision at some point that saves the day. The next volume in this series is The Lost Art of Gratitude. Read and enjoy!
Highly recommended for McCall Smith fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of philosophical ruminations, personal misfortunes, and true romance.
-Arthur W. Jordin
More The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries) reviews:
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Summary of The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries)
In the fabulous new installment in the best-selling adventures of Isabel Dalhousie, Isabel is asked to help a doctor who has been disgraced by allegations of scientific fraud concerning a newly marketed drug. Our ever-curious moral philosopher finds her interest piqued. Would a doctor with a stellar reputation make such a simple but grave mistake? If not, what explains the tragic accident that resulted in the death of a patient? Clearly, an investigation is in order, especially since a man's reputation is in jeopardy. Could he be the victim of someone else's mistake? Or perhaps he has been willfully deceived by a pharmaceutical company with a great deal to gain.Not every problem prompts an investigation (take, for example, her ongoing struggle with her housekeeper, Grace, over the care of Isabel's infant son, Charlie), but, as we've seen, whatever the case, whatever the solution, Isabel's combination of spirit, smarts, empathy, and unabashed nosiness guarantees a delightful adventure.
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