The Comfort of Saturdays: Smith McCall

Isabel Dalhousie is a new mother and a connoisseur of philosophy; she d rather not be a sleuth. But when a chance conversation at a dinner party draws Isabel into the case of a doctor whose career has been ruined, she cannot ignore what may be a miscarriage of justice. Because for Isabel ethics are not theoretical at all, but an everyday matter of life and death.

As she attempts to unravel the truth behind Dr Thompson s disgrace, Isabel s patient intelligence is also required to deal with challenges in her own life. There is her baby son Charlie; Cat s deli to look after, not to mention her vulnerable assistant Eddie; and a mysterious and unlikeable composer who has latched on to Jamie, making Isabel fear for the future of her new family.

Isabel treads a difficult path between trust and gullibility, philanthropy and interference, while keeping in her sights the small but certain comforts of family, philosophy and a fine Saturday morning.