More doings in Scotland Street - Matthew marries Elspeth and they have an eventful honeymoon in Perth Australia, Angus is given a very valuable painting by Lard O'Connor, Domenica is finding time hanging heavily on her hands and misjudges Antonia, Bruce turns over a new leaf after being treated the way he has treated others and Bertie joins cubs with Tofu and Olive and almost escapes the clutches of his weekly psychotherapy. ( )

scones

The latest installment in the Scotland Street series, covering the antics and foibles of a motley cast of characters in the overgrown village which is Edinburgh. While nothing ever quite gets wound up, he at least explains in the introduction of this volume that his aim is to describe real life, not tell a story in the sense of having a beginning, a middle and an end.

McCall Smith keeps a light touch, and continues the tradition of telling small, yet poignant, stories in the ordinary lives of these upper-middle class characters. The developments in "Scones" should be pleasantly surprising for those following the series. An enjoyable, quick read for a rainy Edinburgh day! ( )