This is the 18th book in the "44 Scotland Street" series. It can be read
as a standalone, but familiarity with the series is a plus.
In
these affable, humorous books Alexander McCall Smith follows the lives
of a group of people who reside in Edinburgh's "New Town" neighborhood.
Many of the characters live in apartments at 44 Scotland Street - and
others are their neighbors, friends and acquaintances.
*****
Portrait artist Angus and his loyal dog Cyril are taking a walk around their Edinburgh neighborhood for exercise and fresh air.
Angus
and Cyril happen to meet Sister Maria-Fiore del Fiori di Montagna, a
relative newcomer to Edinburgh. Sister Maria-Fiore, who wears an elegant
tartan habit, is known for her trite original aphorisms and her rapid
rise on the Edinburgh social ladder.
The
nun is seen at every exhibition opening, attends the opening of
parliamentary sessions, is at the national day celebrations of every
consulate, is an honorary member of the Watsonian Society, is an
honorary patron of both Scottish Opera and the Royal Scottish Museum,
and is a trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland.
And to
Angus's IMMENSE ENVY, Sister Maria Fiore has now been elected a member
of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. There is no higher peak
to scale, with or without oxygen. 
Later
on, Sister Maria-Fiore tells Angus she has a piece of the Stone of
Scone. This famous stone had been used in the coronation of Scottish
monarchs before it was taken to England in 1296. In 1950 it was stolen
back by Scotsmen, then returned to England. Somehow, the nun got hold of
a piece, and she wants Angus to help her keep it secret and safe.
*****
Art
gallery owner Matthew and his wife Elspeth are raising their 7-year-old
triplets, Rognvald, Fergus, and Tobermory, in the suburbs near
Edinburgh.
When
Matthew goes over to welcome the new neighbors, Robert and Maureen, the
couple are hoity-toity about their carbon-neutral vegan lifestyle, and
suggest Matthew's family is irresponsible and wasteful. This annoys
Matthew no end.
So
when Robert and Maureen's unhappy dog Ralph - who objects to being a
vegan - keeps coming over to play with the triplets and eat sausages,
Matthew devises a plan to keep him.
*****
Bruce,
an erstwhile surveyor, is proud of his spectacular good looks, which
have always attracted rich girlfriends. However, Bruce knows he won't be
gorgeous forever, and embarks on a money-making real estate scheme that
has an unanticipated outcome.
*****
Affable Big Lou, who owns Big Lou's Coffee Shop, overhears a conversation between two patrons.
The men are the chairman and secretary of the Association of Scottish
Nudists. The Edinburgh contingent of the nudist society is at odds with
the Glasgow members, who want to move the association from Moray Place
to new headquarters. The secretary resists, despite the fact he's
cold-shouldered by Moray Place residents who don't like nudists in their
midst - even though he offers them a cut-rate membership subscription. 
*****
Seven-year-old Bertie Pollock is the star of the series.
For
all his young life, Bertie has been the project of his mother Irene,
who made Bertie go for psychoanalysis, subjected him to a
sensory-deprivation tank, and made him take saxophone lessons, yoga
classes, Italian lessons, and more. Irene also gave Bertie a little
brother, who suspiciously resembles Bertie's psychoanalyst, Dr.
Fairbairn.
Luckily
for Bertie and his father Stuart, Irene went off to study for a Ph.D.
with Dr. Fairbairn. Irene then fell in love with a fisherman in northern
Scotland, and moved in with him.
Now Bertie is being raised by his father and his grandmother Nicola, with occasional visits from Irene. 
Irene
hasn't completely abandoned project Bertie, though, and makes plans to
get Bertie an Irish passport, preceded by tutoring in Irish culture.
In
the meantime, grandma Nicola has a 'meet cute' with a nice-looking
cyclist named David, whose bag of potatoes breaks and litters the
street. Later on, when David suggests he and Nicola see a Scottish opera
together, Nicola is excited about the date, which doesn't go as
expected.
Meanwhile, Bertie is still being tormented by his classmate Olive.
Olive
insists she's Bertie's fiancée and bosses him around mercilessly. This
time, Olive makes Bertie join her bookclub, so his mind doesn't dwell on
things that are bad for him. By this Olive means Bertie's friend Ranald
Braveheart Macperson, whom Olive doesn't like. (I'd love to see Bertie
tell Olive to get lost....maybe in a future book.)
Regardless, Bertie and Ranald go off and have an unexpected adventure.
*****
The story winds up when Angus and his wife Domenica have a buffet dinner party for their friends, and Angus reads a lovely poem.
As
always, it's a pleasure to visit with the folks in Edinburgh and its
suburbs. I look forward to the next installment in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley, Alexander McCall Smith, and Vintage for an ARC of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
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