Publisher, Recorded Books (August 2007)

NOTE: RETAIL EDITIONS are packaged in attractive, compact cardboard, jewel-case or DVD shrink-wrapped cases, with full-color art.

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Award-winning, New York Times best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith—creator of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series of novels—delivers the fourth tale from his charming Isabel Dalhousie series, featuring the highly ethical and plucky protagonist.

Isabel Dalhousie is back, in the latest installment of this enchanting, already beloved, best-selling series.

In addition to being the nosiest and most sympathetic philosopher you are likely to meet, Isabel is now a mother. Charles, her newborn son, presents her with a myriad wonders of a new life, and doting father Jamie presents her with an intriguing proposal: marriage. In the midst of all this, she receives a disturbing letter announcing that she has been ousted as editor of the Review of Applied Ethics by the ambitious Professor Dove.

None of these things, however, in any way diminishes Isabel's curiosity. And when she attends an art auction, she finds an irresistible puzzle: two paintings attributed to a now-deceased artist appear on the market at the same time, and both of them exhibit some unusual characteristics. Are these paintings forgeries? This proves to be sufficient fodder for Isabel's inquisitiveness. So she begins an investigation... and soon finds herself diverging from her philosophical musings about fatherhood onto a path that leads her into the mysteries of the art world and the soul of an artist.

About the Author: Alexander McCall Smith has written more than 50 books covering a wide range of topics and directed at many different audiences. His works include Forensic Aspects of Sleep and The Criminal Law of Botswana, children’s book The Perfect Hamburger, and a collection of stories called Portuguese Irregular Verbs. A professor of medical law at Edinburgh University, he was born in what is now Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of Botswana.

About the Performer: Davina Porter divides her time between theater work, her family, and the Recorded Books studio. Born in London, her four children are now grown and two are pursuing career in the United Kingdom. Davina spends each summer at the Vineyard Playhouse on Martha’s Vineyard, where she enjoys her theater roles, in plays such as Lettice and Lovage, and the venerable old resort town. She is also Chairman of the Board of the Westport, Connecticut Community Theater, where she has been an active member for many years.

In addition to her work in the Vineyard and Westport, Davina Porter’s acting career has taken her to theaters in Boston, New York City, and Fairfield University as Artist in Residence. She has received critical acclaim for her roles in plays that range from light comedy like Bedroom Farce to the moving Agnes of God.