The Conditions of Unconditional Love: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (15) (Isabel Dalhousie)

by Alexander McCall Smith

Everyone’s favorite moral philosopher and amateur sleuth, Isabel Dalhousie, is back and once again finds herself facing a number of tricky situations and philosophical questions, both public and private.

“McCall Smith’s assessments of fellow humans are piercing and profound . . . [His] depictions of Edinburgh are vivid and seamless.” —San Francisco Chronicle

It seems as if Isabel’s life has fallen into a comfortable and tidy rhythm. Well, as tidy as things can be with two small boys wreaking havoc around the house. But when her husband, Jamie, invites a woman named Dawn—recently embroiled in a contentious affair with a member of Jamie’s orchestra—to stay with them, things begin to go awry. Strange noises can be heard from the upper floor, even when Dawn is supposedly at work, and the couple wonders whether something more nefarious may be afoot.

If that weren’t enough, Professor Robert Lettuce is staging an academic conference and has asked Isabel to publish the conference papers in a special issue of the Review of Applied Ethics. But something is definitely suspect about the funding, and it will be up to Isabel to sort it out. As the truth comes to light, Isabel must once more rely on her kindness, powers of deduction and philosophical expertise to navigate these sensitive matters.

• ISBN10: 0593701720
• ISBN13: 9780593701720
• Publish Date: 16 July 2024 (first published 6 June 2024)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Pantheon
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593701720

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Conditions of Unconditional Love is the 15th Isabel Dalhousie novel by Alexander McCall Smith. Released 16th July 2024 by Knopf Doubleday on their Pantheon imprint, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is such a gently written, slow, introspective series. The main character is a philosopher and the books more or less revolve around her life and experiences and the lives of the people in her orbit: her husband Jamie, her sons Magnus & Charlie, her niece Cat, her housekeeper/factotum/nanny Grace and others who live in the village and/or academic colleagues. The narrative moves along quite slowly and the overall effect is of a long and unhurried chat with an old friend.

It's not necessary to have read the books in order, however, the large changes which occur (marriage, children, etc) will be obvious if they're read out of order. For readers who are unfamiliar with the author's style, the stories are episodic and not directly narrative.

Especially with the desperate struggles, illnesses, upheavals, and sadness which seem universal in the world right now, this series and these characters are a balm to the soul. It's full of music, food, and Scottish sensibility. Relaxing, refreshing, and absolutely wonderful. It's one of the few series which can be revisited over and over without ever getting stale.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.