The Enigma of Garlic: 44 Scotland Street Series
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-03-08 18:21:26
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alexander McCall Smith
- ISBN：0593685199
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Colin Forbes
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Tired。An awful lot of the joy has gone out of this series for me。There were a couple of stand out chapters， mostly Bertie related， but few and far between。 Irene returns， but is basically off-screen the entire time。 She's a changed woman and is unfortunately rather dull as a result。Bruce gets a lot of chapters， and is suddenly the blandest character in the book。Has AMS lost his touch？ Tired。An awful lot of the joy has gone out of this series for me。There were a couple of stand out chapters， mostly Bertie related， but few and far between。 Irene returns， but is basically off-screen the entire time。 She's a changed woman and is unfortunately rather dull as a result。Bruce gets a lot of chapters， and is suddenly the blandest character in the book。Has AMS lost his touch？ 。。。more
Philippa
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Can a person change？ This is the essential question for this instalment of the Scotland Street series。 This edition meanders， suggests an answer but my guess is it will develop in the next edition。 Thus it seemed just a bit too pedestrian。
Marianne
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“Bertie was composed of goodness， and sometimes goodness means that you take the blame for things you haven’t done。 You accept it。 You bear it。 And he had borne so much in his brief seven years that a little more would not make much difference。”The Enigma Of Garlic is the sixteenth book in the popular 44 Scotland Street Series by Scottish author， Alexander McCall Smith。 The reader is， once again， brought up to date on the lives of our favourite Edinburgh residents。 We learn that， as Nicola Pollo “Bertie was composed of goodness， and sometimes goodness means that you take the blame for things you haven’t done。 You accept it。 You bear it。 And he had borne so much in his brief seven years that a little more would not make much difference。”The Enigma Of Garlic is the sixteenth book in the popular 44 Scotland Street Series by Scottish author， Alexander McCall Smith。 The reader is， once again， brought up to date on the lives of our favourite Edinburgh residents。 We learn that， as Nicola Pollock and Stuart discuss the validity of stereotypes， Nicola has decided to remedy her son’s year of being single by going online; with regards the kitchen， Angus Lordie admits that “between the recognition of duty and its fulfillment there was often something of a gap。"Domenica Macdonald mentally lauds the virtue of inaction: not fixing what isn’t broken; the electrically-changed Bruce Anderson stuns his friends by heading to Pluscarden， intent on becoming a monk; Turner Prize judge， Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna reveals a radical plan likely to upset its protagonists。At Big Lou’s wedding， Bertie’s nemesis， Olive reinforces her intent to make him marry her， after which she and her lieutenant， Pansy force Bertie and his best friend， Ranald Braveheart Macpherson to dance with them; then， not yet long wed， Big Lou is given cause to doubt Fat Bob’s goodness: no honeymoon， Bob frequently absent， and murmurings…When Irene turns up at the Scotland Street flat without advance notice， readers will be cheering Nicola on as she handles the unwelcome arrival， but that doesn’t go quite how either woman expects; Bertie is booked into summer-camp， and hopes he will be allowed a penknife; Elspeth lies to Matthew， and they both spend quite some time agonising over it。 Olive and Pansy indulge in cancel culture but are unable to get Tofu to react as intended; Irene coins the term “toxic caninity” with reference to the gold-toothed Cyril; Sister Maria-Fiore reveals a past in the Vatican’s Intelligence Service and puts it to good use in discovering the truth about Fat Bob。Bertie and Ranald are dismayed to find they can’t even escape Olive and Pansy at summer camp: “He felt that there was some cosmic plan that meant that he would never be completely free of Olive’s influence。 Perhaps she was right when she said that he would， in due course， have to marry her; perhaps that was his unavoidable destiny， decreed by some indifferent Fate somewhere， perhaps even by the planets in their unchangeable rotations。 If that was the case， his only hope， he had decided， was to make good his escape to Glasgow。” Poor Bertie！Not only Bruce’s acquaintances and those who know Irene will be somewhat incredulous at the disappearance of their arrogance: the reader， too， will be wondering whether their love-to-hate characters will ever return to their former selves。 Characters muse on the quality of bacon rolls， on words used ironically， on exceptionalism。 As well as the usual poem with which Angus graces his party guests， there’s a bonus love poem for Elspeth。 This is comfort reading at its finest， and every new instalment is eagerly anticipated。 。。。more
Anne Fenn
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In which several characters from 44 Scotland Street series undergo radical change。 Surprising， uplifting， gently critiquing the modern world as usual。
Felicity
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Ok。 AMcS。 I need a little word with you。 I love these books and I have become increasingly fond of several of the characters and three of them Bertie ， Big Lou and Cyril the dog aren’t particularly well served in this instalment。 And frankly I felt was all a bit rushed。 And why is Irene suddenly called Irenie？A nickname or pet name implies fondness and she is perhaps one of the less loved characters due to her overbearing nature with Bertie 。A collective sigh of relief must have been heard from Ok。 AMcS。 I need a little word with you。 I love these books and I have become increasingly fond of several of the characters and three of them Bertie ， Big Lou and Cyril the dog aren’t particularly well served in this instalment。 And frankly I felt was all a bit rushed。 And why is Irene suddenly called Irenie？A nickname or pet name implies fondness and she is perhaps one of the less loved characters due to her overbearing nature with Bertie 。A collective sigh of relief must have been heard from many readers lips when she left Scotland Street。 Some of the storylines in this particular instalment were a little jarring。 Still， at least there was no Nudist association or Duke of Johannesburg storyline。 I’m nervous for Bertie now that Irene is back on the scene。 Please give him a happy ending。 Or at least a couple of chapters about Irn Bru and happy boyish adventures because having Olive and Pansy at the camp really sucked the joy out of what could have been a charming adventure。 Sorry I know he’s a fictional character I just really love Bertie Pollock。 A little less erudite observation please and a little bit more fun。 。。。more
Wendy
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I love this series and always look forward to the latest instalment。 Wonderful as ever。
Tessa
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Nothing but love for AMS ❤️🔥
Kim
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Always a comforting balm for the soul。 As always sad to leave the inhabitants of 44 Scotland street。 Always has me yearning for my homeland。 Looking forward to the next instalment as always。
Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller
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Lovely to be reunited with these characters again。 I especially have a soft spot for Bertie。
David Dewata
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Pertama kalinya serial ini saya beri bintang tiga。 Beberapa hal buat saya， cerita tidak banyak berkembang padahal sudah belasan episode。 Yup， ada beberapa potensi tapi masih kurang kuat。Atau mungkin saya yang mulai bosan。
Betty Grossheim
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I have enjoyed all of my visits to 44 Scotland Street。 Keeping up with Bertie， his father Stewart plus Angus， his dog， Dominica， Matthew and all of the other intriguing personalities is like visiting good friends。
Adele
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My enjoyment of this series doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny。 Nothing really happens， chapters meander from one to another， in and out of the lives of the now familiar residents that orbit Scotland Street。 But somehow the formula; unassuming wisdom， infused with wit and warmth， works and comfortably envelops you。
Phrynne
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Back to one of my favourite places in the world， 44， Scotland Street in Edinburgh。 In this delightful book there is a big wedding， a dangerous summer camp and an enlightening visit to a monastery。 The dreaded Irene is back， Bertie is just too nice， someone seems to be having an affair， and a nun busies herself with espionage。 And as for Stuart - well I despair of him。Only Alexander McCall Smith can write a book quite like this。 Now， can leopards ever really change their spots？ I cannot wait for Back to one of my favourite places in the world， 44， Scotland Street in Edinburgh。 In this delightful book there is a big wedding， a dangerous summer camp and an enlightening visit to a monastery。 The dreaded Irene is back， Bertie is just too nice， someone seems to be having an affair， and a nun busies herself with espionage。 And as for Stuart - well I despair of him。Only Alexander McCall Smith can write a book quite like this。 Now， can leopards ever really change their spots？ I cannot wait for the next book to find out。 。。。more
Trelawn
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More goings on from Scotland Street and it would seem there may be more installments to follow
Samantha Charles
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Like a cosy blanketLike a cosy blanket， another lovely comforting instalment of the Scotland Street story to snuggle up with。 Unsustainable as ever。
Laura
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I follow the 44 Scotland Street series and usually enjoy them。 However， I didn't like this one as much as the previous books。 I think it meandered a bit too much。 There was too much gentle wisdom and not enough quirky characters。 Also， two characters appeared to have had major characters changes， which made the book a bit dull， I thought。 I won't say more as I don't want to include spoilers。 I follow the 44 Scotland Street series and usually enjoy them。 However， I didn't like this one as much as the previous books。 I think it meandered a bit too much。 There was too much gentle wisdom and not enough quirky characters。 Also， two characters appeared to have had major characters changes， which made the book a bit dull， I thought。 I won't say more as I don't want to include spoilers。 。。。more
Derek Stephen
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As ever AMS nails with precision the moral dilemmas that must face the middle classes of Auld Reekie。 The gentle humour that ripples through the pages of the entire 44 Scotland Street series continue to bring a smile to the face。 And in this latest episode the biggest shock of all - if you really believe leopards can change their spots - enough said on that。 Downtrodedness （if there isn’t such a word then there should be） must be genetic as poor Bertie continues a life that reflects his father， As ever AMS nails with precision the moral dilemmas that must face the middle classes of Auld Reekie。 The gentle humour that ripples through the pages of the entire 44 Scotland Street series continue to bring a smile to the face。 And in this latest episode the biggest shock of all - if you really believe leopards can change their spots - enough said on that。 Downtrodedness （if there isn’t such a word then there should be） must be genetic as poor Bertie continues a life that reflects his father， Stuart’s。 We are left as ever with wanting to know what is next in the live’s of all these wonderful characters that so many of us hold dear to our hearts。 A great read。 。。。more
Alisha
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The last chapter ran today in The Scotsman。 It’s becoming a fall tradition of mine to read along as Alexander McCall Smith publishes one chapter a day in the newspaper from September through November， and then releases the book at the end。Another enjoyable， meandering， philosophical， barely plotted， semi-pointless outing amongst the denizens of Edinburgh。
Ronald Schoedel III
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Every autumn， I look forward to the latest installment of 44 Scotland St。 Reading each book is like sitting down with old friends to discuss what’s been going on in their lives and their spheres of influence。 This latest installment was a delight。 As always， Alexander McCall Smith has incorporated some tension into several of the plot lines within this book with resolutions that involve， as his plots usually do， characters who choose to act with kindness， humility， and concern for others。 Even B Every autumn， I look forward to the latest installment of 44 Scotland St。 Reading each book is like sitting down with old friends to discuss what’s been going on in their lives and their spheres of influence。 This latest installment was a delight。 As always， Alexander McCall Smith has incorporated some tension into several of the plot lines within this book with resolutions that involve， as his plots usually do， characters who choose to act with kindness， humility， and concern for others。 Even Bruce and Irene。 As always， Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna is her hilariously helpful self by way of being nosy， but in doing so， resolves a huge concern for Big Lou following her wedding。 Bruce’s visit to the monastery changes his life even more。 Irene is a changed woman。 Wait， really？ We shall see， I suppose。 I only wish we’d had more interaction with Bertie in this novel。 The eternal seven-year-old is largely absent here， with only a few peeps into his camping （mis）adventures。 What there is of Bertie， though， shows his patience and kindness， and is endearing and makes one love him even more。 Already looking forward to 2024’s volume。 。。。more
Linda Mitchell
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Not sure about this one I've read and loved all the Scotland Street books lots of the storylines seem to be written without too much thought， Berties camp， situation with Stuart and Irene for example just got the feeling these stories were hurriedly glossed over but having said that lots to like and enjoy just not my favourite Not sure about this one I've read and loved all the Scotland Street books lots of the storylines seem to be written without too much thought， Berties camp， situation with Stuart and Irene for example just got the feeling these stories were hurriedly glossed over but having said that lots to like and enjoy just not my favourite 。。。more
Shanitha
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This series is such a delight。 The author takes the most ordinary event and makes it a point for reflection。 This story is again packed to the hilt with an elborate discussion of every day events: tending to a garden， online dating， bullies， wanting to escape from the routine of life， kife changing occurrences。Its an absolute treat。
tpg0
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As an AI language model， I don't have personal opinions and preferences like humans do。 However， I can provide you with some information about the book 'The Enigma of Garlic: 44 Scotland Street Series。' 'The Enigma of Garlic' is the sixth book in the 44 Scotland Street series by popular Scottish author， Alexander McCall Smith。 The series follows the lives of several residents of 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh， including the irrepressible six-year-old Bertie， his overbearing mother Irene， the charming art gallery owner Matthew， and the inscrutable detective Angus Lordie。 In this particular book， McCall Smith explores the mysterious powers of garlic and its various uses in cooking， medicine， and folklore。 Alongside this， the novel delves into the personal lives of the characters， including Bertie's attempts to escape his mother's clutches， Matthew's romantic adventures， and Angus's investigation into a case involving stolen paintings。 Overall， 'The Enigma of Garlic' is a light-hearted and engaging read that offers an entertaining insight into the world of 44 Scotland Street。 If you enjoy McCall Smith's witty and charming writing style， you will likely enjoy this book。
tpg1
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As an AI language model， I do not have personal preferences and opinions like humans do。 However， I can provide some information about the book 'The Enigma of Garlic: 44 Scotland Street Series'。 'The Enigma of Garlic' is the sixth installment in the charming and entertaining '44 Scotland Street' series by Alexander McCall Smith。 Set in the heart of Edinburgh， Scotland， the book follows the lives of various characters who live in the same building on Scotland Street。 In this book， we meet up with the cast of characters who are all dealing with their own unique struggles and challenges。 We have Bertie， the precocious 7-year-old who longs for a normal childhood; Domenica， the globe-trotting anthropologist who returns home to Edinburgh， and Pat， who's now a successful businesswoman with romantic issues。 Overall， 'The Enigma of Garlic' is a witty， engaging and feel-good book that provides an enjoyable read。 Alexander McCall Smith's writing is richly descriptive， and he captures the essence of Edinburgh beautifully。
tpg2
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