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3.5 

The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf

By Alexander McCall Smith
The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf by Alexander McCall Smith digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

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.

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20 Reviews

3.5
“Detective Varg is a smart, kind, somewhat socially awkward weirdo who seems to get caught up in his thoughts about nearly everything, so of course I love him! Connections to the Three Little Pigs fairy tale were fun with a missing house rather than one "blown down". This quirky non-murder mystery definitely whetted my appetite to check out another Varg novel. What a fun read!”
“Easy going read”

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