A Conspiracy of Friends

Corduroy Mansions #3

by Alexander McCall Smith

The universe seems to be conspiring against Freddie de la Hay and his neighbors at Corduroy Mansions, as they all struggle with their nearest and dearest in this captivating third installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s London series.

Berthea Snark is still at work on a scathing biography of her son, Oedipus, the only loathsome Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament; literary agents Rupert Porter and Barbara Ragg are in a showdown for first crack at the Autobiography of a Yeti manuscript; fine arts graduate Caroline Jarvis is exploring the blurry line between friendship and romance; and William French is worrying that his son, Eddie, will never leave home, even with Eddie’s new, wealthy girlfriend in the picture. But foremost in everyone’s mind is William’s faithful dog, Freddie de la Hay, who has disappeared while on a mystery tour of the Suffolk countryside. Will Freddie find his way home, or will Corduroy Mansions be left without its beloved mascot?

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Audiobook, London, Scotland, Contemporary, British Literature

368 pages, Serialized Digital Download

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Alexander 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.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is the 3rd book in the 'Corduroy Mansions' series, which centers around an apartment building in the Pimlico section of London. The residents of the building - and their friends, relatives, neighbors, acquaintances, and co-workers - get up to all sorts of amusing antics. The book can be read as a standalone.


Pimlico section of London

*****

In this book we visit with some familiar characters and see what they're up to.

Twenty-something Caroline Jarvis has a degree in art history and works as a photographer's assistant.



Caroline's parents want their daughter to spend less time with her best friend James, a gay young man who's not a viable marriage prospect. Thus, Caroline's mom engages in a little behind the scenes manipulation for her daughter's own good.



And Caroline makes a regrettable mistake.

*****

Middle-aged William French owns a wine store and lives with his beloved dog, Freddie de la Hay. One weekend William and Freddie de la Hay go to the country to visit William's lifelong friend Gerald and his wife Maggie. Unfortunate consequences ensue.



Freddie de la Hay disappears and Maggie reveals a disturbing secret she's been harboring for decades. A bit of trouble follows and William gets assistance from his friend Marcia Light - who carries a torch for him.....



.....and his neighbor Mr. Singh.



FYI: I was amused to learn that Freddie de la Hay (my favorite character) can fasten his own seat belt in a car.

*****

Berthea Snark is a psychologist and writer with a lot on her mind.



Berthea can't stand her son, Oedipus Snark, a self-absorbed minor politician with delusions of grandeur.



Berthea does love her brother Terry Moongrove, a good-natured fellow with his head in the clouds. Terry is always on the brink of either accidently killing himself or being victimized by con artists, so Berthea keeps a close eye on him.

In this book, we see Oedipus (as usual) avoiding work and trying to throw his weight around. He also joins colleagues on a trip to the CERN supercollider, where he tries to be a know-it-all and embarasses himself.

Terry also reveals his latest obsession - owning and driving a race car.



*****

Barbara Ragg, a book editor, is the ex-girlfriend of Oedipus Snark, who was a neglectful, indifferent boyfriend. She's now dating Hugh, whom she hopes to marry.



Barbara feels guilty about a couple of things and 'confesses' them to Hugh. Hugh returns the favor, relating a shocking story about working in Colombia, South America.

*****

We also look in on some other characters including William's ne'er do well son Eddie and his girlfriend; Barbara's resentful business partner, Rupert Porter; an author writing a true-life book about a Yeti; and others.

This is a humorous, entertaining book that should probably be enjoyed with a cup of tea or a glass of wine. Recommended for people who want a restful, low-stress book for a relaxing read.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read books for so many reasons. We read to educate ourselves. We read to challenge ourselves. We read to explore new ideas and feelings. We read to think thoughts we've never thought before. We read to visit places, people, and times we'd otherwise never be able to. We read to escape the present. We read to bask in the beauty of the written word. And sometimes we just want a good story, the sort you tell over dinner with friends or the sort that makes a comforting bedtime story, no matter what your age.

These books don't really educate. They're not high literary fiction (whatever that is). They do amuse you. They do introduce you to characters you're glad to have met. The writing is enjoyable. And sometimes they even make you think. But mostly they're stories to be enjoyed for the story's sake. The characters are the jewels of the books, and almost the whole reason to read.

This book, the third in the Corduroy Mansion series transcended the success of the first two. It was funnier, deeper, more believable and more human. I don't know if this is because it's actually better or because I listened to the audiobook. Books always sound more intelligent when read by someone with a British accent. (I highly recommend reading the Harry Potter books this way.)

But I'm not sure that's it. I think McCall Smith really hit his stride here in figuring out the heart of his characters, and I think that's what made it a better book. Parts of it were laugh-out-loud funny and parts of it were deeply thought-provoking. It also takes a certain amount of cheek to decry authors who use deus ex machina tactics to change a character's whole personality and then use the Large Hadron Collider the way McCall Smith did. But I feel like he did it consciously, just to tweak us.

I was sad about the ending; it felt rushed, and we didn't get to see some of the scenes I'd hoped we would. But I still highly recommend these books. It's nice, every now and then, to just read a calm, non-histrionic book about decent human beings.

[Bbainbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 may be a bit high here. Nice finish, but I prefer the Scotland Street crew, perhaps because they have both a dog and a boy. Still... Entertaining.

[Boadicea · Rating 2 out of 5]

A shaggy dog story with improbable characters, unbelievable storylines and moral dilemmas masquerading as fiction served up in 70 separate chapters over 263 pages.
For a reader who has a soft spot for Mme Precious Ramotse and her long-suffering fiancé, as espoused in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, this was a considerable disappointment.
It was so nearly a DNF, but I kept going despite the tedium, overdone irony and misadroit lampoons, having begun to question my own sense of humour and starting to gag! However, it didn't get ANY better.

In his own words:"The circumstances that came about often petered out in a lame way; characters who had been central to the narrative simply went away, sometimes without any explanation." I couldn't have put it better myself!
Or, as a more concise review concluded, just 'meh'!

1.5*-the 0.5 is for the dog!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everytime I read a book by Alexander McCall Smith I wish that I could live among his characters and in his locations! This third installment in the Corduroy Mansions series is no exception. The life events of the characters - while (in most cases) not earth-shattering and described so thoroughly and thoughtfully it is like we are experiencing them ourselves, or at least sitting on the sofa and hearing about them from a friend. Freddy de la Hay has an adventure (again) and both William and his son Eddie are swept along in their romantic lives, we learn more about the downstairs neighbors and, of course, Oedipus Snark and his mother and uncle. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that it's a fun read and you should try it.

[Camelia Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful episode of AMS sitcom, brought to you by residents at Corduroy Mansions and their friends. My favorite character in this episode is Freddie de la Hay, who has become my favorite fictional dog.

[Graeme · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit that I am addicted to Alexander McCall Smith, a sucker for his gentle universe, a place where really bad things happen in the most human ways like when Caroline destroys her friendship and unfulfilled romantic attachment to James in this book, but kindness and wisdom prevails. And in the ultimate test of all fiction, I find meaning and learn to live better.

I do have to admit, however, that he seems to be in production mode, throwing the cast of Corduroy characters back in the pot and stirring up some new, slightly entwined stories. They lack depth and magic, and leave far too much unexplained, or just silly. Such as the absurdly-named Oedipus Snark's magical personality change after being trapped in the Large Hadron Collider.

You can still keep the fans of all your series happy, Sandy, (forgive the intimacy, but we must speak man-to-man) but just take a little longer on each one and let them stew.

I am powerless to resist these books, but I wish Sandy would remember that we love him for his wisdom, wit and unexpected story twists, not for the size of his canon. As the actress said of the Archbishop.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was....

It was...


Hmm.

I don’t even know how to rate it. Did it keep me up well past midnight, seriously invested in tying up all the loose ends? Yes. Interesting writing as always. I mean, I enjoyed it.

But seriously. Between the yeti, the particle collider, the gigolo, and all the other stuff, I just...

*wanders away muttering and finally decides it’s time for a lie-down*

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I'd give this series a try as I couldn't find the remaining von Igelfeld Entertainment book I haven't read in any bookshop in London.

Well, I'm glad I did as I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the people who live in and around Corduroy Mansions in Pimlico.

Caroline has been looking for a boyfriend and is wondering whether a friend of hers could be the right man for her. Then she meets another man who wants to take a room in her flat and when he comes to the hospital after she's involved in an accident, she knows that he's the one for her.

Barbara finds out a dark secret of her boyfriend's past and realises as she crosses a park that he's not the one for her after all. She then indulges in some murky practices to ensure her partner at a publishing firm doesn't steal one of her authors.

William goes away for the weekend, is told some shocking news by a friend's wife and loses his dog Freddie de la Hay. However, two friends help him to sort things out.

Berthea Snark has a brother who buys an old racing car and drives it in a race and a son who is the most despised Liberal Democrat MP. However, the son called Oedipus Snark appears to have undergone a personality change after being left in the Large Hadron Collider during a parliamentary visit when a test was being performed.

This book is recommended. It's imaginative and the stories are sufficiently different to maintain my interest.

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terence Moongrove drives sideways. Oedipus Snark gets stuck in the particle accelerator. Hugh remembers his gigolo past. Freddie de la Hay goes down a rabbit hole.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to admit it, but this serialized string of intertwined plot lines, gently and kindly narrated, is starting to appeal to me. Generally I think McCall Smith writes too much for his own good. I only patiently tolerated the first ones in this series, but I've been listening to the recorded versions and have now begun to feel comfortable with some of the characters. The plots are not as predictable as I had expected, and some of them actually do come to an end. This third volume included the (I suppose) fate of one Oedipus Snark, a thoroughly despicable Member of Parliament who is rightly disliked by everyone who has ever known him personally, including his own mother, who is writing a tell-all unauthorized biography about him. Here he is on a junket to Switzerland where he must waste his time pretending to be interested in the CERN particle accelerator. Typically, he ignores instructions to stay with the group and wanders into the tunnel just before it is closed for a test. He becomes an anomalous sub-atomic particle event, with completely unexpected (to me) results. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, with or without him.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, I did really enjoy this book. It's reliably sharp and funny and human. But I like the Mma Ramotswe mysteries arebetter than the Corduroy Mansions series; they seem deeper and more coherent. In this episode of "Corduroy Mansions", I was interested in all the characters and quite engaged - but I got frustrated in the end, because we didn't see a confrontation I expected to see. I also think the attempt of the literary agency to book the Yeti who's written an autobiography was - well, perhaps a little abstruse, if that's the word. But Oedipus Snark and his mother Berthea are reliably funny, and I got very worried for William the wine merchant and his little dog. If you've enjoyed earlier books in this series, "A Conspiracy of Friends" is a must-read, and won't disappoint you. But it isn't quite as strong, IMHO, as some of McCall Smith's other titles. There are a few too many loose ends. Perhaps my problem was that I was looking for a story, not a slice of life. As an episodic, humorous commentary on the modern world, this book does shine.

[Nat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many characters (and lots of unlikable ones, IMHO) and too little time to develop any kind of plot. Plus reading about missing dogs freaks me out (yes, I knew going in that that was part of the story, so mea culpa). I'd probably have given this one star except there were a few good one-liners that evoked the writing in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Those made me smile/chuckle. Better than the 44 Scotland Street series, anyway - couldn't even finish the one I tried!

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointment :( stop at #2 if you are considering picking up the Corduory Mansions series, then you wont be disappointed. Kept hoping #3 would pick up, and at times I thought it would. But it didn't.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always with Corduroy Mansions & 44 Scotland Street, a total delight and a balm to the soul.

[Laurel Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 green stars

I rather enjoyed the 2nd book in this series, when Freddie was recruited by the MI6. But this one just didn't appeal very much. I struggled to remember the characters, though the backstories did come back to me, but I really didn't much care for any of them. All the various characters and threads came to a more or less satisfying conclusion, but some of them (Oedipus Snark - REALLY?) in a very strange way. Freddie goes missing, but is found in the end. We finally get to meet the Yeti. Barbara and Caroline have found new loves - I did enjoy the story of Hugh's escapade on a cruise ship - and William, too, has a happy ending. But I think I am glad there are no more tales in this series. I still love Alexander McCall Smith. This just wasn't one of his better efforts.

Description: It seems the universe itself is conspiring against the residents of Corduroy Mansions, as they all find themselves struggling with their nearest and dearest. Oedipus Snark’s mother, Berthea, is still at work on her scathing biography of her son—the only loathsome Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament; literary agents Rupert Porter and Barbara Ragg are still battling each other for first crack at the manuscript of Autobiography of a Yeti; fine arts graduate Caroline Jarvis is busy exploring the blurry line between friendship and romance; and William French is still worrying that his son, Eddie, may never leave home, even though Eddie’s got a new wealthy girlfriend. But uppermost in everyone’s mind is William’s faithful terrier, Freddie de la Hay—without a doubt the only dog clever enough to have been recruited by MI6—who has disappeared while on a mystery tour around the Suffolk countryside. Will Freddie find his way back to Pimlico? Is Corduroy Mansions starting to crumble?

[Jenny Diefenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

My best friend used to tell me how much she loved the No. 1 Ladies Detective Club books. I could never quite connect with them, but Freddie de la Hay’s sweet face on the cover of A Conspiracy of Friends really grabbed me. I felt like I slogged through much of this book & loved other parts of it. My favorite line was William’s son Eddie saying how to “ruin a perfectly decent country. Put people who are bonkers in charge of it and stand back.” The dog was terrific, but I probably won’t read any more Alexander McCall Smith.

[Ed Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, fun and lyrical. Makes you want to strive to be a better person. Also great for wine and dog lovers.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this also. The characters engage in new adventures, they grow personally, yet their natures remain mostly the same. A comfy read that brings numerous smiles.

[Milly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read!

[Lauren Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous light hearted fun, so comical and entertaining. Loved it.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I returned for a visit with the residents and 'adjacents' of Corduroy Mansions after a few years absence. It took a bit to get into the rhythm of the episodic story telling - each chapter or so is dedicated to one character and their circle. The circles do intersect and overlap. I am particularly fond of little Freddie de la Hay and would enjoy an entire book about his adventures!
It's happy endings for all. Although now I need to read the next installment sooner rather than later to see what's in store for Barbara and the Yeti.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to acclimate to the new characters (to me, although it’s 3rd in the series), but just a delight to read.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. I liked this one better than the 3rd one. Hope he writes another in this series. I like following the characters.

[Wendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis for A Conspiracy of Friends explains that the character Barbara is shocked by the revelations of her boyfriend and this confession causes her to question her involvement with him. This is one of the first times in a McCall Smith book that I've actually been offended by a character's thoughts or actions. Wait, that's not true at all. There have been plenty of times I've been properly offended by the actions of a clearly bad guy - as most of McCall Smith's bad guys clearly are from their introduction. Problem here is that I liked Barbara, and then she goes and does something that, if the roles were reversed and she confessed to her boyfriend what he confesses to her, she would be seen only as a terrible victim, and properly so. Her refusal to see him as such is sexist on her part and pretty offensive. I suspect McCall Smith was aiming for something as an amusing surprise but it fell utterly flat for me. It surprised me in that I like this author so much because I usually have such an affinity for the views on life and thoughts of his characters.

A Conspiracy of Friends veers into more unbelievable territory than the first two Corduroy Mansions books (even considering Freddie de la Haye's role in the last one). But I have to wonder how difficult it can be to sustain plots and characterization a for such a long serialization. Not that that's a free pass, but that's okay because there's always a little bit of fun ridiculousness in his stories and that's part of his appeal.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the latest and third book in the Corduroy Mansions series by Alexander McCall Smith and it is outstanding. This whole series is my very favorite of what I've read of his books, which is all but two of the Isabel Dalhousie series and 1/3 of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series...those sets are very wonderful and remarkable in their own rights. There's just something so incredibly charming about this set, though...Maybe because one of the main characters is a quintessentially dog-like loveable little canine.
This author writes astutely, humorously, and with an enormous, seemingly ending insight into human personality, too. One word of advice: don't read the latter part of chapter 4 while eating your breakfast. I was chewing on my cereal and my table was almost spattered with half-masticated goop because I was laughing so hard...glad I didn't choke; was gasping for air by the end of that particular chapter!
The characters and plot scenarios in this book are completely absorbing. I had to put everything else I was reading aside so that I could finish this book in time to take it back to the library, as it will most likely have a special "hold" on it due to its just being published fairly recently. I'd had to put a "hold" on it, earlier, myself. I sure do hope this author will continue to write more books in this awesome series!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the latest and third book in the Corduroy series by Alexander McCall Smith and it is outstanding. This whole series is my very favorite of what I've read of his books, which is all but two of the Isabel Dalhousie series and about 1/3 of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series...those series are very wonderful and remarkable in their own rights. Yet, there's just something so incredibly charming about this set, though...maybe because one of the main characters is a quintessentially dog-like loveable little canine.
This author writes astutely, humorously, and with an enormous, seemingly unending insight into human personality, too. One word of advice: don't read the latter part of chapter 4 while eating your breakfast. I was chewing on my cereal and my table was almost spattered with half-masticated goop because I was laughing so hard...glad I didn't choke; was gasping for air by the end of that particular chapter!
The characters and plot scenarios in this book are completely absorbing. I had to put everything else I was reading aside so that I could finish this book in time to take it back to the library, as it will most likely have a special "hold" on it due to its just being published fairly recently. I'd had to put a "hold" on it earlier, too. I sure do hope that this author will continue to write more books in this awesome series!

[Trish Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I would buy this as a quick light read which it was. Alexander McCall Smith's style remains true to himself, covering the lives of the occupants of Corduray Mansions including the dog Freddie de la Hay. In fact the dog for me was the most amusing and appealing of them all, having a dog ourselves I could just envision the thoughts in his head conjured up by the mere expression on his doggie face.

He flits between characters and places keeping you on your toes, or is it because that's the way he feels his writing should be? Felt deliberate on occasions not natural. McCall , delves into the personal emotional inward thoughts of the characters reactions to incidents, (like Freddie de la Hay's)but their outward responses completely opposite and often contrary. I supposewhat he does is make true observations of typical family behaviour , in other words we often do not display our honest feelings or inner most thoughts to family or friends in case of offense or being mis understood

I've read all of the No 1 Ladies Detectisv Agency , , found this to be by far his most interesting and compeling series, non of the others have matched up, he's a prolific writer, has an exceptional talent but maybe the odd break from this routine writing could benifit him and his readers

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Conspiracy of Friends by Alexander McCall Smith is the 2nd book in his Corduroy Mansions. I was fortunate to have just read the preceding book in the series and having that background greatly added to my enjoyment of this book. Smith makes frequent use of understated dry humor in his writing, and I love the way he gently pokes fun at people through that dry humor. There were many times while reading the book that I found myself chuckling over his descriptions of people's quirks and foibles. Once again, the book revolves around a group of people and one dog, Freddie de la Hay, who live in the flats (or apartments) of an old mansion known as Corduroy Mansions. Some of my favorite passages are ones in which Smith writes about a situation that Freddie ends up in ---telling it from Freddie's point of view. Any one who loves dogs will love these passages. However, the book is definitely not just for dog lovers. Smith weaves many familiar struggles and emotions in human relationships that the reader will recognize in the situations and predicaments the characters find themselves in.

[Anna Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the third in the series of corduroy mansions, although sometimes spookily similar to other Alexander McCall Smith books. It does address moral issues and causes us to think about the relationships we have in our life. He confirms to some social stereotypes which I found a little disappointing and he also in most/all of his books (even in different series) he has a unfaithful or simply fickle girl although he does sometimes do that with males also I find it sad that he has this view of (young) women. However it is a charming, slightly funny, quirky look at human nature with uncanny understanding of the human spirit. It has a lovely relationship which i have enjoyed with a man and his dog it displays the love and affection someone can feel towards his dog and also the loyalty and perception of a dog towards his owner (?) And although it is incredibly easy to read it was enjoyable to read. This was not my favourite if the books but it is lovely none the less. And I am looking forward to another instalment of these diverse characters lives.