Following on from my last blog post, when a friend claimed on Facebook that I told him that I had been a spy over a few glasses of wine once upon a time (in fact he is a member if my husband’s rock n roll band), I was amused to see The Private Life of Spies by Alexander McCall Smith on my bedside cabinet ready to read.
About the book
I have read several of McCall Smiths novels over the years, in fact I’ve dipped into three of his series, 44 Scotland Street, No 1 Detective Agency, and the Isabel Dalhousie novels, all of which were light, enjoyable reads. This one is a bit different, being a collection of short stories about quite diverse characters, located in different parts of the world, from the UK during WW2, to Italy and France and with backgrounds an eclectic mix including German, Russian and even the Ottomans!
I’m sure each tale required much research to give the reader a sense of authenticity. The book is quirky and tongue-in-cheek, but its humour and clever twists work surprisingly well; each tale giving just enough to get your head around in a most satisfying way, just before bed time!
I’m not usually a short stories fan, but I can certainly recommend this one.
Diana Jackson 