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Book Summary and Reviews of The Dog Who Came in from the Cold by Alexander Mccall Smith

The Dog Who Came in from the Cold by Alexander Mccall Smith

The Dog Who Came in from the Cold

A Corduroy Mansions Novel

by Alexander Mccall Smith

  • Critics' Consensus (1):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Jun 2011, 304 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In the elegantly crumbling four-story mansion block in Pimlico called Corduroy Mansions, the comings and goings of the wonderfully motley crew of residents continue apace.

A pair of New Age operators has determined that Terence Moongrove's estate is the cosmologically correct place for their Centre for Cosmological Studies. Literary agent Barbara Ragg has decided to represent a man who is writing a book about his time "hanging out" with the Abominable Snowman. And our small, furry, endlessly surprising canine hero, Freddie de la Hay - belonging to failed oenophile William French - has been recruited by MI6 to infiltrate a Russian spy ring.

Needless to say, the other denizens of Corduroy Mansions have issues of their own. All will be addressed with the wit, charm, and insight into the foibles of the human condition that have become the hallmark of this truly peerless storyteller.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Somewhat anemic characters, a silly subplot involving the autobiography of a yeti, and a lack of trenchant observations about human nature may disappoint those expecting the high quality of Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series." - Publishers Weekly

"Seventy-eight more slices of low-key comedy... concerning the denizens of Pimlico's Corduroy Mansions and their lovers, friends and unavoidable relatives. Like Henry James, Smith clearly believes that relations stop nowhere; unlike James, he seems determined to trace every single one of them to its vanishing point." - Kirkus Reviews

"Originally commissioned by The Daily Telegraph as online reading, the Corduroy Mansions novels might not be that gripping, but they're long on charm and geniality." - Library Journal

"There is nothing very vital about The Dog but you cannot beat McCall Smith for subtle musings shot through with insight and wit." - The Telegraph (UK)

This information about The Dog Who Came in from the Cold was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Cloggie Downunder

leaves you feeling warm and snug
The Dog Who Came In From The Cold is the second in the Corduroy Mansions series by Alexander McCall Smith. Once again we join the people of Corduroy Mansions and their friends. An acquaintance who works for MI6 visits wine merchant William French, and his Pimlico terrier, Freddie de la Hay, is drafted to serve his country. Berthea Snark’s brother Terence Moongrove finds his new Porsche makes him feel amorous and is excited about water memory and morphic resonance. Caroline tries to decide whether she wants a relationship with comfortable James or exciting Tim. Barbara Ragg goes on vacation to Scotland with her new fiancé Hugh Macpherson and meets her future in-laws. Berthea Snark has to take action against a pair of charlatans out to fleece Terence. Dee lies and steals and tries to market her goods in a new way. Barbara’s partner at the Ragg Porter Literary Agency betrays a trust and is caught out. Aussie flatmate Jo gives Caroline some very sound advice. There is a delightful piece on homeopathy and risotto gets a few mentions. William’s feckless son Eddie berates him, with justification. And William effects a dramatic rescue. And throughout the happenings, we are treated to McCall Smith’s gentle philosophy and wry humour. I found myself constantly smiling, chuckling, giggling and many occasions, laughing out loud. McCall Smith manages to examine issues in everyday life and still leave the reader feeling good and wanting more. I loved this book.

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Author Information

Alexander Mccall Smith Author Biography

Alexander McCall Smith began the now highly successful 'No 1 Ladies Detective Agency' series in 1996, after being inspired by the sight of a 'traditionally built' Botswanan lady chasing down a chicken for a meal. The first book in the series - 'The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency' was published in the UK in 1998 but didn't arrive in the USA until 2001.

Known to his friends as Sandy, McCall Smith describes the Botswanans as 'genuinely courteous people' He knows Botswana well as he grew up there and also spent several years on the law faculty of the University of Botswana; his volume on the legal system of Botswana (The Criminal Law of Botswana) remains the definitive and in fact, only book on the subject.

In 2004 he published the first in a...

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