Isabel is now a mother, Charlies, her newborn son, presents her with a myriad wonders of a new life. Her lover, 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.
I quite enjoy this unusual philosopher. Alexander McCall Smith is one of my favorite writers and I find all his series so different from each other. He really makes the city of Edinburgh come to life. this series is not for everyone as it is not a traditional mystery but more of a philosophical look at life and relationships.