A review by yvonne_aaf
The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith

funny lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

An enjoyable addition to the Detective Varg series. Book 1 & 1.5 set up the main cast of characters, and in contrast to them, The Talented Mr Varg is a lot more focused on Ulf. I didn’t mind this, but I would have loved to see more of the office dynamics present in the earlier novels, the witty dialogue between the co-workers added so much dimension to those books.

I loved seeing the relationship between Blomquist and Ulf develop, the therapist scenes were entertaining, and being in Ulf’s head so much allowed for some really funny observations. The mysteries were interesting enough to follow, but I wasn’t incredibly invested in them.

I do wish Anna had been a bit more present in the story - this book explores Ulf’s feelings for her in a lot more depth, but despite that she slightly felt like a passive character, her own voice absent from the narrative.

I also didn’t particularly love the outcome of her & Jo’s case, but I understand Ulf’s reasoning for what he did, and it was believable considering his character.