Bruce Smith

Advantages: Good characterisation
Disadvantages: Slow moving in places

...taking second place to the former. Irritated by Bruce's egotism, Pat becomes friends with Domenica MacDonald, an anthropologist and a shrewd judge of character, who lives in the flat across the landing. Much of the early part of the book is taken up with introducing us to the various characters as they go about their daily business, and we're quickly given a detailed picture of each of their personalities. Unlike his Ladies' Detective Agency series, in which the characters tend to be mainly virtuous folk, McCall Smith has, in this novel, explored some of human nature's less pleasant traits, resulting in a much broader assortment of individuals than we've seen in the African-based novels. Apart from the narcissistic Bruce, there's self-centred, social-climbing Irene Pollock, who occupies the flat downstairs. Convinced that the pre... Read review

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Advantages: Funny and engaging
Disadvantages: Some of the characters are less interesting

...Alexander McCall Smith was born in Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia, 58 years ago (you do the maths, I'm on holiday) and he left for Edinburgh at the age of 18 to study law. He also got part of his education at the University of Botswana and he has had visiting professorships at Universities in both Europe and the US. He is now Eremitus Professor of Medial Law at the University of Edinburgh, and he has also been back to Botswana to help set up a new law school. At the moment, McCall Smith lives in Edinburgh with his wife, two daughters and a cat named Gordon. For fun he plays wind instruments (!) and he is the co-founder of an amateur orchestra called "The Really Terrible Orchestra" in which he plays the bassoon. Even though he has written over 50 books in total (including collections of short stories, academic books and children's books) his... Read review

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Advantages: Realistic characters, funny in places
Disadvantages: Can't think of any

...Espresso Tales is the second volume of Alexander McCall Smith's serial novel depicting the everyday lives of a small group of people living in an Edinburgh house, and those of their friends and acquaintances. The first book, suitably entitled 44 Scotland Street, served as a pleasantly entertaining introduction to the characters and their backgrounds, and while at times the various storylines appeared to be meandering in no particular direction, the book was in fact setting the scene nicely for this, the second instalment. Many threads were left unfinished deliberately, and thus, Espresso Tales continues almost directly where 44 Scotland Street left off. Pat, a student with two gap years behind her, has decided to stay in Edinburgh, to the relief of her father, and continues to lodge with Bruce, her brief infatuation with him now well... Read review

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