Alexander McCall Smith - Friends, Lovers, Chocolate

Pros: A thought provoking novel on the philosophical issues of love, life, temptation and self-control.

Cons: The characters have rich personalities with scantily drawn appearances

The Bottom Line: The plot and characters are interesting, the situations are believable, and there’s enough tension to keep things moving along without being dull or predictable

Review: Friends, Lovers, Chocolate: The Sunday Philosophy Club Sue's Pre-Ramble I ordered Friends, Lovers, Chocolate written by Alexander McCall Smith from Zooba, one of my online book clubs (all books are $9.95 and no s/h ...

Pros: Subtle humour, warm relationships, easy-going storytelling.

Cons: Tendency to drop characters without 'completing' them.

The Bottom Line: Still worth reading because of McCall Smith's style, humour, and quirkiness.

Review: In McCall Smith’s No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, in 44 Scotland St (to which he’s now written a sequel), and also in his newer series, The Sunday Philosophy Club, his main characters are all women. Furthermore, his male characters have what might ...

Pros: Pleasant narrative, Scottish setting, gentle discourse on the nature of ethics

Cons: Resolution of the central plot is contrived and unconvincing

The Bottom Line: Friends, Lovers, Chocolate is charming as ethical discourse. As a mystery novel, it doesn't quite satisfy.

Review: Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith is the second in a series of three (so far) novels featuring Isabel Dalhousie, editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. Set in the city of Edinburgh, this slim volume is a delightful ...