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As a mother, wife, employer and editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, Isabel Dalhousie is aware that to be human is to be responsible. So when a neighbour brings her a new and potentially dangerous puzzle to solve, once again Isabel feels she has no option but to shoulder the burden.
A masterpiece painting has been stolen from Duncan Munrowe, old-fashioned philanthropist, father to two discontented children, and a very wealthy man. As Isabel enters into negotiations with the shadowy figures who are in search of a ransom, a case where heroes and villains should be clearly defined turns murky: the list of those who desire the painting - or the money - lengthens, and hasty judgement must be avoided at all cost. Morals, it turns out, are like Scottish clouds: complex, changeable and tricky to get a firm grip on; they require a sharp observational eye, a philosophical mindset, and the habit of kindness. Fortunately for those around her, Isabel Dalhousie is in possession of all three.
About the author
Alexander McCall Smith, Jg. 1948, wuchs in Zimbabwe und Schottland auf und lebt in Edinburgh mit seiner Frau, zwei Kindern und einer Katze. Er war bis vor kurzem Professor für Medizinrecht. Der erklärte Musikliebhaber spielt das Fagott, unter anderem im 'Really Terrible Orchestra', das er mit gegründet hat. Er veröffentlichte zahlreiche Fach- und Kinderbücher, bevor ihm mit der 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' und der Krimi-Reihe mit Isabel Dalhousie Welterfolge gelangen. Die Romane dieser Reihe werden in 42 Ländern veröffentlicht.