William Crosbie, Dum Vivimus Vivamus(February 4) So, just as rain is a topic mentioned only once, very casually, in The Right Attitude to Rain, a Sunday philosophy club is just a throwaway reference in The Sunday Philosophy Club. I’m starting to get the charm of these books.
There is at least a mysterious death in this installment, which explains how the series must have won its berth in the "mystery" category. However, Isabel doesn't "solve" the puzzle for the usual reasons sleuths solve mysteries -- and she doesn't do anything with the solution once she has it --; it's a very anti-mystery mystery. Her response to the death is an ethical question for Isabel, first and foremost, and for the bulk of the book she dithers away over other small, domestic, ethical issues, just as in The Right Attitude to Rain.
There is so little action! People are met, beverages are drunk, food is eaten, routines are gone through. Still, there's something really pleasant about the tone and pace of these books. Also, both Sunday Philosophy Club and Right Attitude to Rain have ended with a completely surprising twist, for which McCall Smith deserves a lot of credit.
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