Today, Alexander McCall Smith’s latest book, The Department of Sensitive Crimes, is being published. This is the first book in his newest series, Detective Varg, and is considered ScandiBlanc What may you ask is ScandiBlanc? It’s ‘a wholly original genre of fiction marked by unusual cases. These are the crimes and criminals that you won’t find in the newspaper or on the ten o’clock news…unless it’s a particularly slow news day.’ I’m currently reading this book and will share my review soon. Can you believe this is my first Alexander McCall Smith book?
Title: The Department of Sensitive Crimes
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Series: Detective Varg, #1
Published: April 2019, Pantheon Books
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
Summary:
In the Swedish criminal justice system, certain cases are
considered especially strange and difficult, in Malmo, the dedicated
detectives who investigate these crimes are members of an elite squad
known as the Sensitive Crimes Division.
These are their stories.
The first case: the small
matter of a man stabbed in the back of the knee. Who would perpetrate
such a crime and why? Next: a young woman’s imaginary boyfriend goes
missing. But how on earth do you search for someone who doesn’t exist?
And in the final investigation: eerie secrets that are revealed under a
full moon may not seem so supernatural in the light of day. No case is
too unusual, too complicated, or too, well insignificant for this squad to solve.
The
team: Ulf ‘the Wolf” Varg, the top dog, thoughtful and diligent; Anna
Bengsdotter, who’s in love with Varg’s car (and possibly Varg too); Carl
Holgersson, who likes nothing more than filling out paperwork; and Erik
Nykvist, who is deeply committed to fly fishing.
With the help
of a rather verbose local police officer, this crack team gets to the
bottom of cases other detectives can’t or won’t bother to handle. Equal
parts hilarious and heartening, The Department of Sensitive Crimes is a tour de farce from a true master.
What readers are saying:
“McCall Smith . . . extends his gift for comic situations and insightful
commentary to a projected series set in Sweden . . . Detective Varg
promises to be a complex series character, and the department itself
looks certain to deliver more oddball yet poignant cases.”—Booklist
“The celebrated Scottish storyteller has turned his pen to
Scandi-crime, setting his latest series with Detective Ulf ‘The Wolf’
Varg heading up a department of singular characters in the Swedish city
of Malmo. It’s as if Fox Mulder, Lisbeth Salander’s maiden aunt, and
Kurt Wallander collaborated on a new unit, and it’s great fun.”—Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post (10 Books to Read in April)
“The author of more than 80 books has not lost his literary touch, but
his latest account of the doings at Sweden’s Department of Sensitive
Crimes hits a new high of hilarity.” —Muriel Dobbin, The Washington Times
“With astonishing heart and mind, Alexander McCall Smith launches a bold and original new series. With The Department of Sensitive Crimes, he
invents a new and compassionate genre: Scandi Blanc. I didn’t know
whether to laugh or cry, but in the end I did both. I’m already looking
forward to the next one.”—Alan Bradley, best-selling author of the Flavia de Luce series
“Appealing
. . . The interpersonal relationships McCall Smith so sensitively
portrays and the ethical issues he raises matter far more than the
sleuthing. Fans of gentle mysteries will look forward to the sequel.”—Publishers Weekly
About the Author: Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels and of a number of other series and stand-alone books. His works have been translated into more than forty languages and have been best sellers throughout the world.
He lives in Scotland.
Authors Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
Pantheon Books
April 16, 2019
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1524748210
eBook ISBN: B07FSCX3FM
