LoveReading Says
Accurately christened “Scandi blanc”, Alexander McCall Smith’s Detective Varg series is funny, farcical, and filled with entertaining musings on human nature. And that’s especially true of The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf, the fourth book in the series, that sees Ulf Varg’s Department of Sensitive Crimes forced to downsize after a reduction in said sensitive crimes.
For readers who are new to the delightful Detective Varg books, Ulf Varg is a senior detective. He’s also the “driver of a classic silver Saab, and owner of a hearing-impaired dog known as Martin”. This novel opens with Ulf in typically wistful mode: “Nothing lasts forever, Ulf reminded himself: everything we see around us, people, buildings, roads even Sweden itself would in due course disappear”.
In this case, someone’s cabin has disappeared and it’s down to Ulf to work out what’s happened to it, while his department is about to be shrunk. Add to this fractious feelings from a friend and colleague, and the prospect of Martin’s deafness being treated, and The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf adds up to an engaging, richly rewarding escapist read that throngs with mystery, humour and tender observations.
Joanne Owen
Find This Book In
The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf Synopsis
In the hilarious new novel in the best-selling Detective Varg series, Ulf Varg will need to resolve both a sensitive crime and his own delicate dilemma in the hopes of preserving the peace.
The Department of Sensitive Crimes is downsizing in light of a recent downturn of sensitive crime, and staff members are wondering who among them will be transferred elsewhere. As the bickering between colleagues intensifies, Ulf tries his best to stay above the fray. But when Anna, a longtime friend and coworker, appears to blame him for an old case that went sideways, it seems she may be putting her own job prospects above their friendship.
In the midst of all this, Ulf embarks on an important inquiry: a man's cabin has mysteriously disappeared and Ulf is tasked with finding out what happened. How exactly does one steal a house? And, more to the point, how does one track down a stolen house? Meanwhile, a promising veterinary treatment for deafness in dogs has been announced, and Ulf's dog, Martin, might be the perfect patient.
This latest novel is another masterful, farcical installment in the series that defines the genre that Alexander McCall Smith is singlehandedly championing: Scandi blanc.
About This Edition
About Alexander McCall Smith
Sir Alexander McCall Smith, often referred to as Sandy, is one of the world’s most prolific and most popular authors. His various series of books have been translated into over forty-six languages and have sold more than thirty million copies across the world. These include The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the 44 Scotland Street novels, the Isabel Dalhousie novels and the von Igelfeld series. He also writes stand-alone novels, poetry, children’s fiction, and libretti for short operas. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature, academia and charity in the New Year Honours List 2024.
For many years he was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad before turning his hand to writing fiction. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books. His first book, The White Hippo—a children’s book, was published by Hamish Hamilton in 1980. Alexander lives in Edinburgh.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds twelve honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. In 2007 he received a CBE for services to literature and in 2011 was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2015 he received the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and in 2017, The National Arts Club (of America) Medal of Honor for Achievement in Literature. In 2020, he will receive the honorary fellowship of the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival. The breadth of his body of work vividly evokes places and characters who are infused with humanity, decency, wit and humour – The National Arts Club citation
Click here to read an exclusive interview with Alexander McCall Smith by Mary Hogarth.
A Lovereading guide to the works of Alexander McCall Smith...
The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency was first published in 1998 and then, suddenly, it took off in America to the extent that no less than11 reprints were required in 2003.
Since then, so prolific has been his output, and so has his popularity soared, that there was a time when the sheer multitude of McCall Smith's books led to confusion as to which book fitted into each of the various series under which he writes. One has hardly been able to keep up with the sheer abundance of books published - we reckon at least thirty in less than a decade.
Now, thankfully, things have settled down and the legions of McCall Smiths avid fans can compartmentalise his new books into the four main series under which they sit - The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, The Isabel Dalhousie Novels, The 44 Scotland Street Series and The Corduroy Mansions Series with a few more on top!
There are constant features across the whole panoply of McCall Smith's output. Wry and witty observations about the day-to-day lives of normal people. An innocence and delight in the human condition. And, always, a twinkle on the eye shared by writer and reader. He is a happy writer and that makes for happy readers.
He is best known for the following 4 series of novels (they are shown below in the order they were published) :-
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, The Full Cupboard of Life, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, Blue Shoes and Happiness, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, The Miracle at Speedy Motors, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, The Double Comfort Safari Club, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe, The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine, Precious and Grace.
Isabel Dalhousie series: The Sunday Philosophy Club,Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, The Right Attitude to Rain, The Careful Use of Compliments, The Comfort of Saturdays, The Lost Art of Gratitude, The Charming Quirks of Others, The Forgotten Affairs of Youth, The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds, The Novel Habits of Happiness.
44 Scotland Street series: 44 Scotland Street, Espresso Tales, Love Over Scotland, The World According to Bertie, The Unbearable Lightness of Scones, The Importance of Being Seven, Bertie Plays the Blues, Sunshine on Scotland Street, Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers, The Revolving Door of Life, The Bertie Project, A Time of Love and Tartan.
Corduroy Mansions Series: Corduroy Mansions, The Dog Who Came in from the Cold, A Conspiracy of Friends.
Author Photo © Graham Clark
More About Alexander McCall Smith
