*** The Second Stranger by Martin Griffin

The Second Stranger takes place on a stormy night in a secluded Scottish hotel that creates a perfect closed-house mystery–with the arrival of two strangers who bizarrely claim to be the same person. The night manager and one of the guests will need to figure out what to do while battling dangerous criminals. The plot is nicely twisted and takes full advantage of the setting.

** Life Between the Tides by Adam Nicolson

I will readily admit that I did not finish Life Between the Tides because its tempo requires a patience I simply do not possess. It focuses on a small stretch of a Scottish beach the author has observed for years, and each chapter features a particular creature with all kinds of scientific and occasionally literary facts about it (at least the first half, I cannot vouch for what happens later!) If you like nature and are a patient observer, you will get to the end.

** The Quiet Side of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith

The Quiet Side of Passion finds Isabel Dalhousie in her usual over-thought life with excessive demands on her time and patience she will not run down–and impulsive nosey initiatives she cannot resist. This time, there is an entertaining, if unlikely au-pair, and a mysterious dalliance. It’s all a little slow moving but reasonably entertaining.

*** Love in the Time of Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith

In the 44 Scotland Street series, Love in the Time of Bertie starts with a funny essay on brown furniture, but my favorite part was to see seven-year old Bertie’s resourcefulness in the light of this mother’s heavy-handed requests. What if we decided, as a society, that children can take care of themselves a lot more than we give them credit for?

*** A Promise of Ankles by Alexander McCall Smith

A Promise of Ankles sees my favorite character, seven-year old Bertie, finally able to live in Glasgow, temporarily, along with the usual assortment of characters. More attentive editing would help cut out repetitive descriptions and one big name error, but it’s all very charming, as always.

* Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

Shuggie Bain, by the same author, was dark. Young Mungo with a similar theme of an impoverished family headed by an alcoholic mother, albeit with older children, is just hopeless. There’s poverty, abandonment, wanton violence, rape, and, to top it all, murder. There are some small moments of grace, but very few indeed. Avoid this book if you are feeling even a little down.

** A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith

A Distant View of Everything starts with a new baby and a very reluctant big brother, in a well-captured domestic scene. Our resident philosopher then investigates a report of a deceitful wooer, only to find that the deceit may not be where we most expect it.  It’s all nice and calm and, as often, a little slow moving.

** The Novel Habits of Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

In The Novel Habits of Happiness, Isabel Dalhousie makes rather shocking classist assumptions about her niece’s new boyfriend–which she barely acknowledges, somehow– and is also asked to investigate a child’s fanciful recollection of a past life, leading to a delightful excursion. The best part of this installment for me was her discovery that her hatred for a fellow philosopher might have blinded her to his private struggles.

** The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith

The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds follows Isabel Dalhousie as she is asked to solve problems large and small, including the theft of a painting and the sudden mathematical ability of her son. The story moves slowly as she carefully considers each aspect of the situation, but it’s charming enough.

*** The Peppermint Tea Chronicles by Alexander McCall Smith

Following A Time of Love and Tartan, The Peppermint Tea Chronicles finally see Bertie’s overbearing mother move away, to everyone’s relief. Will it be for ever? There is a new dog, an unexpected ballet vocation, and the test of a plane that’s built quite right. A few too many moans about how things used to be better in the past, but overall it’s quite delightful.