Loved it, as I figured I would: The Department of Sensitive Crimes, by Alexander McCall Smith
Scandi Blanc. Thus has Alexander McCall Smith named his new series. This is how he describes his latest undertaking in The Scotsman:
“I’ve started a new series set in Sweden. I call it ‘Scandi blanc’ as opposed to Scandi noir.
“My central character is a Swedish detective called Ulf Varg – Ulf means ‘wolf’ in Danish and Varg means ‘wolf’ in Swedish so he’s Wolf Wolf.
“He lives in Malmo and works in this department which deals with unusual crimes.
“He has a dog called Marten, and he’s hearing impaired. He’s the only dog in Sweden who can lip-read, but only in Swedish.
“He also has various sidekicks, but all his cases are really peculiar.
“The whole thing is just having great fun. My books never involve any serious crimes. Nobody is ever killed in any of my books, so there’s no murder there.
“There is a case of lycanthropy, though – somebody who is possibly a werewolf. It’s good Scandinavian stuff and I’ve had tremendous fun.
There is also a case of multiple missing persons. But is it actually a case if one of those reported missing never actually existed in the first place?
One of the reasons I love police procedurals is that you have a team of investigators. The individuals who make up that team are often very interesting in and of themselves. And there interactions can also be quite memorable.
From the jacket copy for The Department of Sensitive Crimes:
Ulf “the Wolf” Varg, the top dog, thoughtful and diligent; Anna Bengstdotter, who’s in love with Varg’s car (and possibly Varg too); Carl Holgersson, who likes nothing ,ore than filling out paperwork; and Erik Nykvist, who is deeply committed to fly fishing.
Throw in a local beat cop who is amiable but talks nonstop, and you have an entirely winning (if, at times, exasperating) ensemble.
Alexander McCall Smith is also great on the subject of dogs. Martin (variable spelling ‘Marten’) is an entirely lovable canine. Freddy de la Haye is my all time favorite fictional dog.
I admit I’ve been made slightly anxious by the appearance of this new series. I see there’s a new Precious Ramotswe novel in the offing, but what about the Isabel Dalhousie series? I love both and don’t want to see either of them supplanted. But McCall Smith is such a prolific writer – just have a look at his Wikipedia entry and you can see for yourself. I probably don’t need to worry.
I’m an Alexander McCall Smith junkie; I don’t deny it. I still have the fondest memory of his appearance at the library several years ago.
Long may he write!
Alexander McCall Smith
Books to the Ceiling 
alison41 said,
June 11, 2019 at 10:36 am
He has visited South Africa twice (possibly more times) and I’ve listened to him speak – highly entertaining! His literary output leaves me reeling. I’m a fan of the Scotland Street series.