Espresso Tales

Alexander McCall Smith returns to 44 Scotland Street in the second installment of the series. Many of the story lines and characters return to entertain the reader. Most prevalent is little Bertie whose mom is dictating every aspect of his six-year-old life. Bertie finds adventure through a few plots to undermine his mom and he finds a supporter in his father. Bruce gets his comeuppance when he tries to become a wine broker. Pat decides to return to school while continuing to work with Matthew.


Overall I enjoyed the second book in the 44 Scotland series better than the first. The key for me was more Bertie. His adventures in this book had me giggling. I hope his father continues to support Bertie’s opinions and wishes. I also enjoyed that good-looking, obnoxious Bruce was not as easily successful as he thought he would be in the wine trade. I look forward to reading the next installment, Love Over Scotland.