The Department of Sensitive Crimes

If you aren’t ready for Scandinavian Noir, perhaps you’d like a dose of Scandinavian Blanc. Alexander McCall Smith excels at mysteries on the lighter side—which isn’t to say this book isn’t very strange, with its own hints of darkness. Detective Ulf Varg and his colleagues solve crimes that are deemed too weird for the regular police: a possible werewolf menacing a spa, a non-lethal knee-stabbing, and a missing (imaginary) person. AMS’s great gift is imbuing small puzzles with weight and humanity. And if the human cast here isn’t off-kilter enough for you, be reassured…there’s also a dog who can lipread… show more.

All of McCall Smith’s books have a generous streak of affection for humans in general, and the slightly weird and offbeat type of humans in particular. Ulf Varg, the protagonist of this series, is a detective in the Swedish Department of Sensitive Crimes, and much of his time is spent engaged in philosophical musings that may or may not have much bearing on his cases. This is a gentle, sweet book, with lots of thoughtful, and softly humorous takes on humanity. It’s very charming, and while it’s not a gripping read, it’s the sort of book that leaves warmth in… show more.