Enjoying this series by Alexander McCall Smith. Also listening to it on audible so takes some time to move through the book.

It's rather an unusual phenomenon to find myself laughing out loud at a procedural. But The Department of Sensitive Crimes is anything but run-of-the-mill, and unusual experiences are to be expected.

Alexander McCall Smith writes books that are quirky but thoughtful - heart-warming but never schmaltzy. This is the first in a new series, poking some gentle fun at the (vast amount of) Nordic Noir genre - laughing with, not at, though. It's an important distinction.

Ulf Varg has a lot to live up to when it comes to being an Alexander McCall Smith protagonist and I'm not entirely sure he's all the way there in this book. This author does tend to longer series though, with plenty of character growth and development, and he's certainly in a good place if you assume the same patterns are on their way to him. He's certainly a character I could read a few books about in the meantime.

"Being Swedish was not always easy, but you had to do your best, and hope that you didn't slip, and become... well, mediterranean in outlook'
New series of my favourite writer Alexander McCall Smith set in Sweden and are detective series. I can't call it crime series as the 'sensitive crimes' are the ones that do not end up in court (or hardly) or in jail and do not involve blood, gore and guns. They are 'sensitive' and 'intelligent'. I would say 'white-starched collar' crimes.
We meet main charachter Wolf Wolf - Ulf Varg - the head of this unusual unit and his colourful team while they investigate three crimes.
For me, the crimes are not that important, what is important and interesting are interactions between characters and so McCallSmith-like philosophical discussions and witty verbal sparring of the characters.
These new series promise to be just what doctor ordered - cozy, interesting, intellectually-chalenging and so very much comfortable like a nice woolen blanket on a cold night. Get a cup of tea and a cake. Read on.

Alexander McCall Smith is a prolific writer. I have no idea how he manages to write so many books! He had a life before writing, and he still has a very full life (outside of writing) now. And the books are on so many different themes – The Department of Sensitive Crimes being a case in point. Written in the same ‘inside-one’s-thoughts’ style as The Sunday Philosophy Club, yet transplanted to a different culture : it totally works! Humankind has much in common, the world over – yet with enough difference to maintain interest. I will certainly be looking forward to further books in this series...

The Department of Sensitive Crimes is the first in a new series, by the much-loved author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series - Alexander McCall Smith. Having written a number of series, it’s always tempting to delve into McCall’s newest writing, as I adore his warmth and philosophical observations. Whilst this proved a very different read, it was still light and quirky with his signature ramblings:

‘Sometimes we stumble over the truth. We think we find it, but it finds us.’
Anna asked, ‘Does that matter? What counts is the result, not the route by which one reaches the result. it’s often all a matter of luck.’
Ulf pondered this. The role of luck in human affairs had always intrigued him. So much of what we did was influenced by factors that were beyond our control –the vagaries of others, sequences of events that we initiated in ignorance of where they would lead, chance meetings that led to the making of a decision that would change our life.’

I am a huge fan of McCall's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and have delved into some of his other tales but sadly this one was not up there with my favourites even though it follows a similar vein as No.1 Ladies. We have a detective working on quirky cases who contemplates and passes observations. The ‘crime’ side of the novel is very gentle, much like No.1 Ladies. The problem I feel is that, that being character driven, Ulf and associated characters do not portray the same charms as Mma Ramotswe and crew. It seemed to lack that unique attraction and heartfelt engagement of the African plains. Maybe it was not transferable to Sweden?

Still, it is McCall’s writing that I enjoy and a pleasant enough read, sprinkled with the musings that we have come to love and expect.

‘There were subtleties in the claiming of space; we staked out our territory on beaches, small squares of sand to which we felt entitled to return after our swim; we created all sorts of unseen boundaries, temporary and informal, by leaving our possessions on seats and benches – a jacket left on a chair made a claim every bit as specific and discouraging as a notice of legal title. This is mine –I’m coming back. Don’t think of sitting here.’



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

A strange little book, not unenjoyable, just a bit bizarre. We follow along with detective Ulf Varg and his team at the Department Of Sensitive Crimes in Sweden as they try to solve some curious cases, including a stabbing in the back of the knee and the disappearance of an imaginary boyfriend. Witty and full of eccentric characters, I found myself chuckling a couple of times. I was amused by the quirkiness of both the characters and the storyline. I'm still sitting here shaking my head at what I just read, but at the same time it was oddly appealing and I would definitely read more from this author.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is completely in line with the gently philosophical 'No 1 Ladies Detective Agency' series. the central character is Ulf Varg, a Swedish detective with the Department of Sensitive Crimes, where he works with a number of quirky staff who all enjoy discussions about obscure facts and strange observations.
In amongst all this sometimes distracting conversation there are a few mysteries involving a minor stabbing, a missing imaginary boyfriend and a health spa with strange goings on.
Ulf is known to be a very kind and understanding person often to his own detriment. He is the owner of a deaf dog that he has taught to lip read but missing a significant other from his life.
Highly recommended if you feel like reading something nice with gentle, clean humour.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the opportunity to review this book.

I'm more of a dabbler than a hardcore fan of this author (although I do have a favourite series - Isabel Dalhousie), but when I found out he was turning his hand to Scandi-crime I couldn't resist. While this was a good, short read, overall I have to say I could take it or leave it.

Detective Ulf Varg is the nominal head of the Department of Sensitive Crimes, an offshoot of the Malmö Police Department in southern Sweden. When the police can't work out what to do with their more unusual cases, they refer them on to Ulf and his small team. Sometimes they are very busy, and at other times ... they can be found at the café across the road. In this book the team tackles 3 sensitive crimes, although in fact perhaps only the first one is an actual crime in the legal sense.

I guess in this first book the author is focused more on establishing his major characters and setting the tone for the series. It is successful in that regard. But for me the plot didn't hold a lot of interest. The crimes were a bit weird (not due to their sensitivity, I might add!). The second one - by far the biggest chunk of the book - seemed unresolved. Then when the third started to veer into the paranormal I began to question the author's intent. "This is ridiculous," said Ulf - and I had to agree.

Detective Varg is a great character, and I think this series has potential. I can imagine checking back in at a later point to see how it develops, but I won't rush.

A light and gentle read with McCall Smith's signature warmth and homespun philosophy. None of the 'sensitive' crimes passed on to the Department are very serious but are thoughtfully handled and resolved by Detective Varg.

I'm a big fan of the author's No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street but this one doesn't have quite the same appeal to me. However, McCall Smith's books have a habit of creeping up on you and perhaps given time and some more interesting crimes this has the potential to become a favourite too.

The Department of Sensitive Crimes was an unusual police department. Run by head detective Ulf Varg, with Anna, Erik and Carl as his off siders, Ulf found himself working more with Anna than the others. But the crimes were passed on to them from other departments because of their sensitive natures.

With the combination of a low-level stabbing, a missing imaginary friend then a missing real friend (or was she?) as just the start, plus Ulf’s dog Martin being treated for depression – it really was a strange and uncanny series of cases. But would Ulf and his team find the culprits? Would Martin overcome his depression? And would the feelings he was developing for Anna stay buried?

The Department of Sensitive Crimes is the 1st in the Detective Varg series, by Alexander McCall Smith, well known and much-loved author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. It was certainly different; a quick, light-hearted read (with a lot of rambling off-topic) – I’m keen to see what the 2nd in the series will be like. Recommended.

(I must say the formatting is atrocious, but that’s because it’s an ARC 😊)

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Please note that I am already one of this author's biggest fans!

Another new series by Alexander McCall Smith and it starts well. He tries something slightly different this time and takes a gentle poke at the crime genre, specifically Nordic Noir. There is nothing dark in this book at all as Detective Varg and his odd team attempt to solve a series of "sensitive" crimes. Most of the characters are like the author himself and they ramble at length and philosophise on anything at the drop of a hat.

Varg is a sympathetic and very likeable character but he is not yet in the same league as Isabel Dalhousie, Mma Ramotswe or even little Bertie. I cannot remember now whether those characters appeared fully formed in their first outing or if they developed as they went along, but I will be very happy to see more of Ulf Varg and get to know him better.

A very enjoyable book as long as you like this kind of thing - quirky, thoughtful and character driven. A detective novel with scarcely an angry word and certainly no nasty stuff:)

The description sounded absolutely intriguing and it wasn't an extensively long book.
We follow a middle aged man called Ulf Varg and his colleagues solving odd and mysterious crime cases.
This was an enjoyable read but I found the book itself wasn't properly edited regarding starting sentences with capital letters instead of lower case. There were a ton of mistakes in there which drove me nuts reading. I'm not sure if this was a software issue. I turned out to be the same format on my Kindle and on my phone.
That's why I can only give this 2 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette for providing me with an eARC.

‘I’ve heard that the Department of Sensitive Crimes is known for its discretion.’

In the city of Malmö in Sweden, the police department has a Department of Sensitive Crimes. Detective Ulf Varg works there with his colleagues Anna Bengsdotter, Carl Holgersson and Erik Nkyvist. They also work closely with Blomquist, a uniformed police officer.

What do we learn about Ulf Varg? We first meet Ulf as he undergoes a free association session with his therapist, Dr Svensson. We learn that he is aged 38, was once briefly married and is now single. Soon after we learn that Ulf’s dog Martin, is hearing-impaired, but is capable of lip-reading in Swedish. Intriguing stuff. But what kind of work does a Department of Sensitive Crimes actually do?

If you are hoping for another gritty, gruesome entry in the Scandinavian Noir category, you may initially be disappointed. Alexander McCall Smith has dubbed The Department of Sensitive Crimes as ‘Scandinavian Blanc’. Ulf Varg and his colleagues investigate odd crimes. First there’s a case in which a man is stabbed in the back of the knee. Who stabbed him, and why in the back of the knee? And then there’s the case of the missing boyfriend. But the most sensitive case involves the relative of the Commissioner for Police and a spa on the Swedish south coast. While Ulf is investigating these odd crimes, he is also concerned about Martin who has become depressed. Exactly how do you treat a hearing-impaired dog for depression? To say more could possibly spoil the story, and I’d hate to do that.

I’m a huge fan of Alexander McCall Smith’s novels, especially the 44 Scotland Street series and the Von Igelfeld books. I love his gentle humour and his perceptive observations. This novel is the first in a series, and I look forward to reading the next. It’s fun, and nobody gets killed.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Absolutely wonderful. But who would expect anything up wonderful from Alexander McCall Smith. Much like when I first read one of his books and could almost imagine him to be a slightly large African woman, it’s hard to believe he is in fact, NOT, a Swedish detective. As usual he writes beautifully, and develops relationships between all his characters and you as a reader. I will definitely be adding a hard copy of The Department of Sensitive Crimes to my own little book shelf.