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Corduroy Mansions #2
The Dog who Came in from the Cold
This is the second novel in the "Corduroy Mansions" series by Alexander McCall Smith, a serial novel exclusively for Telegraph.co.uk. A new chapter appears online each weekday beginning Monday, September 21, 2009. Audio by Andrew Sachs. Illustrations by Ian McIntosh.
312 pages, Serialised Digital Download
First published January 1, 2009
190 people are currently reading
1994 people want to read
About the author
Alexander McCall Smith
669 books12.7k followersAlexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 584 reviews
July 14, 2011
A second merry romp with the Corduroy Mansions characters. McCall Smith's books are such gentle reads that I kind of feel like I'm floating in a warm tub of quirky humanity. I especially like the occasional splashy observation about life that he throws in. This time William French, failed Master of Wines, is duped into giving up something precious of his to aid the government's battle against spies. It's all vaguely preposterous but, that is the point. We really don't know what our governments are doing. Or our families or our friends for that matter. This same uneasy feeling leaks over on to the rest of the cast of Corduroy Mansions as they try to find their way through their own dealings. Nothing earth shattering here, just a nice soak in the tub.
February 18, 2017
The reader should read the first book in the Corduroy Mansions cozy series Corduroy Mansions before 'The Dog Who Came in from the Cold'. Some of the growing familiarity and love for the characters would be lost if that is the main reason the general reader may seek enjoyment in an adult cozy series.
Despite that 'The Dog Who Came in from the Cold' is an adult read, it reminds me nonetheless of the children's book 'Read with Dick and Jane' (not forgetting Sally, or especially dear Spot, who has a bigger role in his books than this Corduroy dog Freddie).
In '...Cold' characters suffer minor setbacks and significant self-discoveries which allows them to change things in their lives that have been making them unhappy. Three times a dog called Freddie briefly has a walk-on scene, providing an actual second of actual authenticity here and there. Done.
Most of the characters are intelligent grown-ups, but they all ignore the evidence of misbehavior or they purposely choose narcissistic tunnel vision whatever the disaster which is overtaking each one. They each 'think it out' in long insightful passages, exploring their adult observations and ideas with a clear problem-solving facility - and then they each decide on the solution to cover up any confrontation or drama because negativity or direct action is worse in their world than facing the problem. However, being nice somehow turns out to be the correct choice for everybody in this gauzy polite fictional London universe. Love literally solves every difficulty, and Home is where love resides.
I did not enjoy this novel. For me, reading about how these London neighbors, who are determinedly and firmly nice no matter the provocation, handle their various traumas and scares was like watching grass grow. However, if I was the kind of person that enjoys drawing unicorns and smiley faces on police reports, dots my 'i's' with little hearts on death certificates and tries earnestly to see the good in everyone (even if child and animal abuse is involved) I would recommend this novel, which somehow directs every life going off course into a sweet ending of love and satisfaction.
Despite that 'The Dog Who Came in from the Cold' is an adult read, it reminds me nonetheless of the children's book 'Read with Dick and Jane' (not forgetting Sally, or especially dear Spot, who has a bigger role in his books than this Corduroy dog Freddie).
In '...Cold' characters suffer minor setbacks and significant self-discoveries which allows them to change things in their lives that have been making them unhappy. Three times a dog called Freddie briefly has a walk-on scene, providing an actual second of actual authenticity here and there. Done.
Most of the characters are intelligent grown-ups, but they all ignore the evidence of misbehavior or they purposely choose narcissistic tunnel vision whatever the disaster which is overtaking each one. They each 'think it out' in long insightful passages, exploring their adult observations and ideas with a clear problem-solving facility - and then they each decide on the solution to cover up any confrontation or drama because negativity or direct action is worse in their world than facing the problem. However, being nice somehow turns out to be the correct choice for everybody in this gauzy polite fictional London universe. Love literally solves every difficulty, and Home is where love resides.
I did not enjoy this novel. For me, reading about how these London neighbors, who are determinedly and firmly nice no matter the provocation, handle their various traumas and scares was like watching grass grow. However, if I was the kind of person that enjoys drawing unicorns and smiley faces on police reports, dots my 'i's' with little hearts on death certificates and tries earnestly to see the good in everyone (even if child and animal abuse is involved) I would recommend this novel, which somehow directs every life going off course into a sweet ending of love and satisfaction.
September 7, 2012
This fell way short of my expectations, after The Careful Use of Compliments. The wry British humour is still there: especially the way in which he treats hallowed British institutions such as the MI6, the publishing industry etc. There are also passages which are outright funny, and will have you laughing. Consider the following gem:
Americans do not mince their words - it is one of their great qualities, and indeed one of the great causes of misunderstanding between the United States and the United Kingdom, where words are regularly minced so finely as to be virtually unintelligible.
However, the overall product is a great rambling narrative comprising the lives of a group of people living in Corduroy Mansions, London which is apt to leave one confused and a little frustrated. The novel is second of a series, but even though it is supposed to be standalone, I felt that reading of the first book is mandatory if one is to understand the characters at all: also, many plot lines are left loose, possibly to be tied up in subsequent books. It reminded me of a mildly funny sitcom in which eccentric characters come and go as they please.
OK for a vacation weekend read, to while away those lazy afternoons.
Americans do not mince their words - it is one of their great qualities, and indeed one of the great causes of misunderstanding between the United States and the United Kingdom, where words are regularly minced so finely as to be virtually unintelligible.
However, the overall product is a great rambling narrative comprising the lives of a group of people living in Corduroy Mansions, London which is apt to leave one confused and a little frustrated. The novel is second of a series, but even though it is supposed to be standalone, I felt that reading of the first book is mandatory if one is to understand the characters at all: also, many plot lines are left loose, possibly to be tied up in subsequent books. It reminded me of a mildly funny sitcom in which eccentric characters come and go as they please.
OK for a vacation weekend read, to while away those lazy afternoons.
March 1, 2012
These books are like bowls of chocolate ice cream: they always taste the same, but I could eat one every night.
March 4, 2023
Digital audiobook performed by Simon Prebble
Book Two in the Corduroy Mansions series, starring Pimlico terrier Freddie de la Hay.
I love these ensemble works that Alexander McCall Smith writes, where we get to know the residents of a building or neighborhood over time. In this episode a literary agent is representing a new author – The Abominable Snowman; a pair of new-age operators have decided to set up their center for cosmological studies; and Freddie is recruited by M16 to infiltrate a Russian spy ring.
It's been quite some time since I read the first, so, other than Freddie (and his owner James), I don’t remember if these characters are recurring. Doesn’t make much difference, really. Even this snapshot is enough to endear them to me.
Simon Prebble does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He has quite a lot of character to deal with, and he is up to the task .
Book Two in the Corduroy Mansions series, starring Pimlico terrier Freddie de la Hay.
I love these ensemble works that Alexander McCall Smith writes, where we get to know the residents of a building or neighborhood over time. In this episode a literary agent is representing a new author – The Abominable Snowman; a pair of new-age operators have decided to set up their center for cosmological studies; and Freddie is recruited by M16 to infiltrate a Russian spy ring.
It's been quite some time since I read the first, so, other than Freddie (and his owner James), I don’t remember if these characters are recurring. Doesn’t make much difference, really. Even this snapshot is enough to endear them to me.
Simon Prebble does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He has quite a lot of character to deal with, and he is up to the task .
August 26, 2019
This second book in the Corduroy Mansions series started out great, but then it fizzled a bit for me. As you might infer from the title, one storyline has William's dog being involved in a plot to spy on Russians and another character got mixed up with a couple of villains who were hoping he'd sign over his house to them and those two storylines brought this out of the "escape read" place I like to be in when I read Alexander McCall Smith's work.
Simon Prebble's audiobook narration was wonderful, as always. I am not sure if I will continue on with the series.
Simon Prebble's audiobook narration was wonderful, as always. I am not sure if I will continue on with the series.
June 20, 2018
Second book in the series revolving round the characters living in Corduroy Mansions, Pimlico. The series is very similar to the Edinburgh world of the 44 Scotland Street series by the same author, but so far I haven't warmed to these London characters in the same way. Still, these are the same gentle and witty musings on life and love that we expect from Alexander McCall Smith, often charming and sometimes quite odd.
The Dog of the title is Freddie de la Haye, who finds himself loaned out to MI6 by his owner, Will. Elsewhere in the building, Caroline is worrying about her relationship with James and her flat mate Dee is building her health food business. Meanwhile, psychiatrist Berthea Snark visits her brother in Cheltenham and finds his house invaded by a couple of New Age practitioners.
These are gentle tales, full of humanity and wisdom, and the characters are mostly likeable. They are comfort reading, perfect for escapism and relaxation, and I am keen to see what happens to the inhabitants of Corduroy Mansions next, though as yet I am not as involved in their fates as I am with the inhabitants of Scotland Street.
The Dog of the title is Freddie de la Haye, who finds himself loaned out to MI6 by his owner, Will. Elsewhere in the building, Caroline is worrying about her relationship with James and her flat mate Dee is building her health food business. Meanwhile, psychiatrist Berthea Snark visits her brother in Cheltenham and finds his house invaded by a couple of New Age practitioners.
These are gentle tales, full of humanity and wisdom, and the characters are mostly likeable. They are comfort reading, perfect for escapism and relaxation, and I am keen to see what happens to the inhabitants of Corduroy Mansions next, though as yet I am not as involved in their fates as I am with the inhabitants of Scotland Street.
Read
May 27, 2012This is another of McCall Smith's episodic series, like the Edinburgh one I can't remember (not the Isabel Dalhousie series). I'm so mystified how I can adore one of the author's series (Mma Ramotswe), but others I give up on. I gave up on the the Edinburgh one mostly because I couldn't tolerate the child abuse of Bertie (yes, I'm sure it was amusing in the way that the Dursleys' abuse of Harry Potter was amusing, but Bertie can't escape), and I gave up on this one without even finishing this book because all the characters seemed either pettifogging and petty (is that redundant?), or pathetic. I just felt no warmth for them on the author's part, which is why I gave up reading Sharyn McCrumb books, too (she seemed to despise her characters and love pointing out how stupid and pointless they were--if she didn't care about them, why should I?). So, maybe I'm just missing something, but the deep love, respect, sympathy, and affection for characters that pours out of the Mma Ramotswe books is absent here, alas. At least in the first few chapters...
September 1, 2015
Alexander McCall Smith is one of the most entertaining of writers. I like his mysteries. But, in many ways, these books that he has written for serialization in British newspapers are even more enjoyable. The 44 Scotland Street and these Corduroy Mansions novels are such great fun.
I especially like the dogs in both novels. The way he characterizes dogs is wonderful. He doesn't anthropomorphize them, but makes them accessible as dogs. All the characters have such wonderful faults and the crises they go through are so thoroughly pedestrian.
So very much looking forward to the next in the series!
I especially like the dogs in both novels. The way he characterizes dogs is wonderful. He doesn't anthropomorphize them, but makes them accessible as dogs. All the characters have such wonderful faults and the crises they go through are so thoroughly pedestrian.
So very much looking forward to the next in the series!
August 2, 2019
Listened to as an audiobook. Always enjoy Alexander McCall Smith but this one not up to Scotland Street standards.
April 1, 2023
During my Lilliputian days in academe, professors often made a point of saying the only way to appreciate the work of any playwright, be it Shakespeare, Strindberg, or my Aunt Sally, was to see it performed onstage. Simply reading a script is no substitute for that experience. I've found the same principle is sometimes true of novels. It's probably not true of all novels, but the right voice actor can make an audio adaptation that's an improvement over the text. Simon Prebble's reading of The Dog Who Came in from the Cold is an example (not that thus far I've seen a printed copy to compare it with).
This sequel in the Corduroy Mansions series was my first exposure to author Alexander McCall Smith. I selected it almost randomly as a replacement for a needlessly intricate and hard-to-follow tome that I'd decided not to complete. Now I want to read more of his work, or listen to it if possible. The frame of mind this material encourages in me is simply a welcome change of pace.
The dog in question here is a Pimlico terrier named Freddie de la Haye, "owned" by a mild-mannered Londoner, William French, although William sometimes must defend the concept against those who claim one cannot own another being. Well, what is ownership? It means little in the movie The French Connection, when Gene Hackman tells a random guy "Police emergency! I need your car!" Here, the situation is nowhere near as fraught. Nevertheless, Britain's secret intelligence service, MI6, needs Freddy.
From Freddy's point of view, his abrupt change in circumstances is most puzzling, although on the plus side his new owners(?) do give him dog biscuits.
Including a dog seems an almost sure-fire avenue to success in fiction, although Freddy's role in this story is no more central than that of any of several loosely connected humans, most of whom are kind and gentle and anxious to avoid conflict. And come to think of it, minimizing conflict is generally not a good recipe for fiction. So how does this work?
Well, in part, the story benefits from the interest provoked by a recurring interface between differing philosophies of life. For example, some of the characters are preoccupied with magical thinking/New Age concepts, e.g., whether inanimate objects or even substances are, in their own special way, aware, or whether certain geographical locations offer better vibrational energy than others, or whether the Yeti actually exists. They are balanced by unscrupulous characters who know a sucker when they see one, and by still others who're ready to call out bullshit when they see it. Berthea Snark is among the latter, but, alas, she has her own foibles. After all, who in the world would name her son Oedipus?
Another reviewer on GR has complained that this sort of book would appeal to those who like "drawing unicorns and smiley faces on police reports." I understand that reaction, as I feel the same way with regard to stories that put a "cozy" veneer on top of, say, murder mysteries. (When genuine evil is present, I want to see it confronted head-on, preferably with copious bloodshed.) Here, evil is a quasi-comical concept. (Boris Badenov would not be out of place in the Russians' flat.) Therefore, (as in a cartoon) I give it little thought, focusing instead on the prevailing cleverness and gentle humor.
There is after all the position, shared by some folks going all the way back to the Middle Ages, that the best use of literature is as a form of amusement rather than as a means of solving problems or raising pertinent questions. Most of the time, I have had the latter motivation, but can't say it has been terribly helpful in that regard.
The problem I did have with this book—made worse by hearing only 20-minute installments while driving to and from work—is that the large number of characters and individual story-lines were at first hard to keep straight. This, I admit, can be a drawback to audio adaptations. Perhaps I should not have started with the sequel. Eventually I got to know all the players and avidly followed the development of each thread.
At the end there is a summation—a komos in the tradition of ancient Greek comedy—that provides pretty much all the insight one is likely to take away from literature.
This sequel in the Corduroy Mansions series was my first exposure to author Alexander McCall Smith. I selected it almost randomly as a replacement for a needlessly intricate and hard-to-follow tome that I'd decided not to complete. Now I want to read more of his work, or listen to it if possible. The frame of mind this material encourages in me is simply a welcome change of pace.
The dog in question here is a Pimlico terrier named Freddie de la Haye, "owned" by a mild-mannered Londoner, William French, although William sometimes must defend the concept against those who claim one cannot own another being. Well, what is ownership? It means little in the movie The French Connection, when Gene Hackman tells a random guy "Police emergency! I need your car!" Here, the situation is nowhere near as fraught. Nevertheless, Britain's secret intelligence service, MI6, needs Freddy.
From Freddy's point of view, his abrupt change in circumstances is most puzzling, although on the plus side his new owners(?) do give him dog biscuits.
Including a dog seems an almost sure-fire avenue to success in fiction, although Freddy's role in this story is no more central than that of any of several loosely connected humans, most of whom are kind and gentle and anxious to avoid conflict. And come to think of it, minimizing conflict is generally not a good recipe for fiction. So how does this work?
Well, in part, the story benefits from the interest provoked by a recurring interface between differing philosophies of life. For example, some of the characters are preoccupied with magical thinking/New Age concepts, e.g., whether inanimate objects or even substances are, in their own special way, aware, or whether certain geographical locations offer better vibrational energy than others, or whether the Yeti actually exists. They are balanced by unscrupulous characters who know a sucker when they see one, and by still others who're ready to call out bullshit when they see it. Berthea Snark is among the latter, but, alas, she has her own foibles. After all, who in the world would name her son Oedipus?
Another reviewer on GR has complained that this sort of book would appeal to those who like "drawing unicorns and smiley faces on police reports." I understand that reaction, as I feel the same way with regard to stories that put a "cozy" veneer on top of, say, murder mysteries. (When genuine evil is present, I want to see it confronted head-on, preferably with copious bloodshed.) Here, evil is a quasi-comical concept. (Boris Badenov would not be out of place in the Russians' flat.) Therefore, (as in a cartoon) I give it little thought, focusing instead on the prevailing cleverness and gentle humor.
There is after all the position, shared by some folks going all the way back to the Middle Ages, that the best use of literature is as a form of amusement rather than as a means of solving problems or raising pertinent questions. Most of the time, I have had the latter motivation, but can't say it has been terribly helpful in that regard.
The problem I did have with this book—made worse by hearing only 20-minute installments while driving to and from work—is that the large number of characters and individual story-lines were at first hard to keep straight. This, I admit, can be a drawback to audio adaptations. Perhaps I should not have started with the sequel. Eventually I got to know all the players and avidly followed the development of each thread.
At the end there is a summation—a komos in the tradition of ancient Greek comedy—that provides pretty much all the insight one is likely to take away from literature.
April 2, 2017
You'll find mostly enjoyable, wry humour in this book, rather than the 'hilarious' used to describe it on its back cover. Occasionally his irony doesn't work, for example, Berthea's reference to gypsy homes, rounded off with ' Bless them'. This made my toes curl. Mc Call Smith crafts language beautifully but he depicts a London of clubs and public school privilege which grates a little, even when depicted with humour. I was given this book and I'll read his next novel in the series simply because it will be an easy, amusing, well written story and I'd like to know what William French gets up to next. (I wonder whether the 'Just William' novels inspired the protagonist's name..?
February 7, 2025
Ordinarily, I'd probably be less kind to this book, which is a bit bland and not as funny as I was expecting. But because it arrived in my life during a particularly stressful month, it was a very welcome interlude where I didn't have to keep a complex plot straight or ponder big issues. So for that I am grateful. But there are so many better books about a building full of characters (Tales of the City) and English comedy (Wodehouse, Sharpe) that this one feels rather flat and underdeveloped, with too many characters and storylines that never connect. And I wanted way more Freddie with that title! Gentle but not very endearing.
September 7, 2011
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.
August 5, 2011
Several years ago, I came upon FRIENDS, LOVERS AND CHOCOLATE, the second book in Alexander McCall Smiths's Isabel Dalhousie series. I was intrigued with the idea of a philosopher who uses her background in ethics to solve unusual mysteries. The book was such a delight that I made a special effort to find the other books featuring Isabel Dalhousie. Not once was I disappointed---in each book there was a perfect meshing of the characters, a whimsical sense of humor, and life-affirming insight---good, well-written, gentle books that never pandered nor moralized.
And so I was again delighted when Alexander McCall Smith introduced his CODUROY MANSIONS series, based in a charming, if somewhat decrepit, mansion block in London.These books are more reminiscent of E.F. Benson or even P.G. Wodehouse, the pace is more exhilarating, the humor more madcap ( if not completely hilarious) as McCall Smith explores the follies and foibles of his cast of disparate, eccentric. characters.
And so I was again delighted when Alexander McCall Smith introduced his CODUROY MANSIONS series, based in a charming, if somewhat decrepit, mansion block in London.These books are more reminiscent of E.F. Benson or even P.G. Wodehouse, the pace is more exhilarating, the humor more madcap ( if not completely hilarious) as McCall Smith explores the follies and foibles of his cast of disparate, eccentric. characters.
February 7, 2020
I enjoyed this book two of the Corduroy Mansions trilogy more than book one. Perhaps I was already familiar with the characters and ready to hear more about them. My favorites once again were William French, the wine merchant and failed MW (Master of Wines) and his adorable Pimlico terrier, Freddie de la Hay. William is talked into allowing Freddie to be used as an aid to investigating some Russian spies. Berthea needs to rescue her somewhat unusual brother, Terence, from some con artists who want to turn his house into a new-age cosmology center. The other residents of Corduroy Mansions have their own problems to solve. Not too bad this time around. I wonder how book three will end for them all.
November 5, 2014
I am a huge fan of the Precious detective novels set in Botswana. Despite my best intentions, I could not finish this boo. I gave it several tries; but I was not engaged by the characters and there are so many with multiple stories weaving back and forth and totally unrelated that I just got frustrated.
July 27, 2014
Stopped reading this due to complete disinterest in the characters, story (no - stories, multiple, there's no cohesion here), and writing style. Plus I barely remember the first book and tying up all its lose ends was the only reason I ever wanted to read this in the first place.
December 27, 2019
"The heartwarming and hilarious new installment in the Corduroy Mansions series present the further adventures of Alexander McCall Smith's newest beloved character: the Pimlico terrier Freddie de la Hay.
"In the elegantly crumbling mansion block in Pimlico called Corduroy Mansions, the comings and goings of the wonderfully motley crew of residents continue apace. A pair if New Age operators has determined that Terence Moongrove's estate is the cosmologically correct place for their center for cosmological studies. Literary agent Barbara Ragg has decided to represent Autobiography of a Yeti, purportedly dictated to the author by the Abominable Snowman himself. 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. But all of them will be addressed with the wit and insight into the foibles of the human condition that have become the hallmark of this peerless storyteller."
~~front flap
"the foibles of the human condition" -- what a perfect encapsulation of this book. All the characters have their foibles, some more than others, and they ruminate about these foibles almost constantly. But it's charming, reading about someone who frets about the same things you do. And of course Freddie never frets, but just took things as they came -- a lesson to us all.
"In the elegantly crumbling mansion block in Pimlico called Corduroy Mansions, the comings and goings of the wonderfully motley crew of residents continue apace. A pair if New Age operators has determined that Terence Moongrove's estate is the cosmologically correct place for their center for cosmological studies. Literary agent Barbara Ragg has decided to represent Autobiography of a Yeti, purportedly dictated to the author by the Abominable Snowman himself. 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. But all of them will be addressed with the wit and insight into the foibles of the human condition that have become the hallmark of this peerless storyteller."
~~front flap
"the foibles of the human condition" -- what a perfect encapsulation of this book. All the characters have their foibles, some more than others, and they ruminate about these foibles almost constantly. But it's charming, reading about someone who frets about the same things you do. And of course Freddie never frets, but just took things as they came -- a lesson to us all.
November 1, 2021
Alexander McCall Smith is always a gentle read, but with lots of interesting and quirky characters. This is no different, a witty dive into the lives of several people with their own very different issues and adventures in life. Lots of happy endings, so a real feel good read. I enjoyed getting to know them all.
February 2, 2025
Disappointing. A real wade for me. Basically a series of short stories spliced, seemingly randomly, together. Some threads have minimal intersecting, but many don't at all. The title of the book is misleading as Freddie de la Hay, our apparent canine hero, plays a slim part. There is no plot drive, and other than a few slight chuckles, I didn't connect with the humour in this book at all.
March 27, 2019
Funny at times, a bit slow at times, easy read about group of modern Londoners & the dog living in one of the flats!
March 20, 2024
Not as good as the first one
February 15, 2025
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as others that I have read by this author.
August 16, 2023
Wee bit too everyday. Stopped reading at the moment.
February 10, 2022
Charming, relaxing, a good escape!
November 19, 2018
This book had so many characters but I really
didn't have any problem keeping them straight.
The author has a bit of humor here and there which
also lends it self to the story line.
didn't have any problem keeping them straight.
The author has a bit of humor here and there which
also lends it self to the story line.
May 8, 2023
Well, I don't know. A crazy mix of characters that was pleasant. But, the underlying situation worried me Why did he put his dog in danger unnecessarily? I told my dogs, who were listening with me, that I would never allow them to become spies, or police dogs, or cadaver dogs, etc.. Their profession is definitely security of the house and grounds, and, when the FedEx guy is gone and all is secure, cuddling.
September 17, 2022
As might be expected from the title, Freddie de la Hay, our Pimlico terrier living at Corduroy Mansions, finds himself on loan to MI6 for some espionage work. Fortunately, we know that whatever might befall, all will be well in the end. These characters are beginning to grow on me: Freddie, of course, and his owner William French -having turned 50 he is having a bit of a midlife crisis, especially where romance is concerned - Barbara Ragg, who seems to have found true love with the Scotsman she met in the last book, and escaped from her former lover Rupert, who covets her comfortable home - Berthia, the sensible sister of Terrence Moongrove, whose innocence and gullibility never fails to get him into trouble - Caroline and her "sensitive" friend James - is he gay or isn't he? - and the mysterious and elusive Yeti. What all of them come to realize at the end is "There's no place like home."
Audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble.
Book description: In the elegantly crumbling 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 center for cosmological studies. Literary agent Barbara Ragg has decided to represent Autobiography of a Yeti, purportedly dictated to the author by the Abominable Snowman himself. 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. But all of them will be addressed with the wit and insight into the foibles of the human condition that have become the hallmark of this peerless storyteller.
Audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble.
Book description: In the elegantly crumbling 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 center for cosmological studies. Literary agent Barbara Ragg has decided to represent Autobiography of a Yeti, purportedly dictated to the author by the Abominable Snowman himself. 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. But all of them will be addressed with the wit and insight into the foibles of the human condition that have become the hallmark of this peerless storyteller.
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