The Enigma of Garlic (44 Scotland Street)

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Olive and Pansy indulge in cancel culture but are unable to get Tofu to react as intended; Irene coins the term “toxic caninity” with reference to the gold-toothed Cyril; Sister Maria-Fiore reveals a past in the Vatican’s Intelligence Service and puts it to good use in discovering the truth about Fat Bob. Big Lou and Fat Bob’s wedding was earlier this spring, and the rumors of Fat Bob’s infidelity began to circulate quietly but steadily, starting at the reception itself. How juicy. But how sad, as Big Lou had every right to marital happiness at long last, and having these suspicions whirl about her (unbeknownst to her, of course) was unsettling. Roger and Angus, stalwarts of the 44 Scotland Street clan, investigated the rumors. Without invitation or consideration, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna join them one afternoon at a café. The three observe Fat Bob and make assumptions about his marriage and his faithfulness. Domenica Macdonald mentally lauds the virtue of inaction: not fixing what isn’t broken; the electrically-changed Bruce Anderson stuns his friends by heading to Pluscarden, intent on becoming a monk; Turner Prize judge, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna reveals a radical plan likely to upset its protagonists.

Seven-year-old Bertie continues to embody goodness, often to his detriment. He attends a summer camp with his friend, Randall Braveheart MacPherson, where Olive and Pansy continue tormenting them. Olive insists that Bertie's future will include his marriage to her. Bertie fears his fate will be connected with the alignment of the stars and planets and will doom him to such a dreaded marriage. He gets in trouble when Olive endangers the group on a hike. She blames Bertie, who accepts the blame. He still regards Glasgow as a joyful promised land where he would be free of restrictions and Olive. I really hope Big Lou’s marriage holds up — she certainly deserves some happiness — although I have my doubts about her new husband. And I want to scream at Stuart “What the hell are you doing?”It’s the most anticipated event of the decade—Big Lou and Fat Bob’s wedding—and everyone is invited! But the relative peace and tranquillity of 44 Scotland Street is about to be disrupted. Domineering Irene is set to return for a two-month stay, consigning young Bertie to a summer camp. Not content with that, she somehow manages to come between the enigmatic nun, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna, and her friend, the hagiographer, Antonia Collie. Home> Fiction from Scotland> The Enigma of Garlic: A 44 Scotland Street Novel The Enigma of Garlic: A 44 Scotland Street Novel By (author) Alexander McCall Smith

At Big Lou’s wedding, Bertie’s nemesis, Olive reinforces her intent to make him marry her, after which she and her lieutenant, Pansy force Bertie and his best friend, Ranald Braveheart Macpherson to dance with them; then, not yet long wed, Big Lou is given cause to doubt Fat Bob’s goodness: no honeymoon, Bob frequently absent, and murmurings… Bertie was composed of goodness, and sometimes goodness means that you take the blame for things you haven’t done. You accept it. You bear it. And he had borne so much in his brief seven years that a little more would not make much difference.”A collective sigh of relief must have been heard from many readers lips when she left Scotland Street. Ok. AMcS. I need a little word with you. I love these books and I have become increasingly fond of several of the characters and three of them Bertie , Big Lou and Cyril the dog aren’t particularly well served in this instalment. And frankly I felt was all a bit rushed. Bertie and Ranald are dismayed to find they can’t even escape Olive and Pansy at summer camp: “He felt that there was some cosmic plan that meant that he would never be completely free of Olive’s influence. Perhaps she was right when she said that he would, in due course, have to marry her; perhaps that was his unavoidable destiny, decreed by some indifferent Fate somewhere, perhaps even by the planets in their unchangeable rotations. If that was the case, his only hope, he had decided, was to make good his escape to Glasgow.” Poor Bertie! As for Bruce, I am left wondering how long this new persona will last. Not to be too much of a pessimist, and I do believe people can change, but … really??

How was that working out?” Smith wondered aloud. It was a great opportunity for Borthy, it seems, and his fortunes improved almost immediately. More on Bruce later. It's the most anticipated event of the decade—Big Lou and Fat Bob's wedding—and everyone is invited! But the relative peace and tranquillity of 44 Scotland Street is about to be disrupted. Domineering Irene is set to return for a two-month stay, consigning young Bertie to a summer camp. Not content with that, she somehow manages to come between the enigmatic nun, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna, and her friend, the hagiographer, Antonia Collie. When Irene turns up at the Scotland Street flat without advance notice, readers will be cheering Nicola on as she handles the unwelcome arrival, but that doesn’t go quite how either woman expects; Bertie is booked into summer-camp, and hopes he will be allowed a penknife; Elspeth lies to Matthew, and they both spend quite some time agonising over it. Smith then turns the conversation a bit inward; this is the time in our afternoon of sherry and friendship that I have come to expect. We both have a gentle bewilderment at the quandary of growing old. At 20, we thought we’d do it in our 30s; at 30, we thought we’d do it when we had the wisdom and insight of our 40s. But, of course, the 40s are a busy time in the lives of most, and the great projects are put off until the 50s --- and beyond --- into the vague lists of injury time. And then, at some stage, the whistle blows and it’s too late.Some of the storylines in this particular instalment were a little jarring. Still, at least there was no Nudist association or Duke of Johannesburg storyline. This sixteenth (!!) volume of the 44 Scotland St series is as full of kindness, gratitude, humbling observations, and humor as the others. We meet most of the same characters in many of the same situations as usual and catch up with what they have been doing.