RaveThe Scotsman (UK)While detailing a life as a perpetual outsider in an unsympathetic world could have allowed her to wallow in self-pity, Brady manages to plot a course between the drama of repeated brutal encounters and her inner thoughts with a mixture of excruciating honesty and dark humour ... I don’t know if Brady is a great writer in part because she is autistic, but her deeply personal account of bullying, stripping, homelessness and stand-up is shocking and incredibly moving – and it will make you laugh at subjects that you didn’t think possible.
Tessa Hadley
RaveScotsman (UK)[Free Love] uses the explosion of one family’s domestic setup to draw a fascinating portrait of the politics, manners and morals at the heart of a declining empire in a period of rapid societal change ... Stiletto-sharp humour rounds out these fascinating characters ... The narrative is beautifully pinpointed in the era with evocative descriptions of fashion, food and furniture and the political overtones that can be attached to each ... Hadley writes compellingly fascinating characters viewed from every angle, perfectly encapsulating an era of change.
Alexander McCall Smith
PositiveThe Scotsman... a colourful cast, and while on the surface the narrative appears to be driven by frivolous fallings-out and trivial goings-on, in true McCall Smith style, there are deeper questions revealed in conversations between characters ... These philosophical musings on important questions, coupled with deft wit, set McCall Smith apart from other popular authors. That said, this isn’t one of his finest books. With his rate of output there are bound to be some that you prefer, and I couldn’t warm to these characters in the way that I have, instantly, to Mma Ramotswe, Isabel Dalhousie or Detective Varg. The descriptions of provincial French life and particularly French food – once the restaurant has improved – are delicious. But the story feels flimsy and the author’s ability to nail the characters with just a few flourishes seems strangely lacking. Fortunately, McCall Smith on an off day still compares very well to the average.
Alexander McCall Smith
PositiveThe ScotsmanFans of McCall Smith’s No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series will immediately understand the wit that underpins the character-led narrative. Detective work, as in the case of Mma Ramotswe, is best served by being a student of human quirks and highly attuned to tiny details ... McCall Smith has a supreme talent for sketching truly likeable characters who are free to pontificate on all sorts of areas of interest ... The crimes may be inconsequential but the conversations throughout the book are fascinating ... McCall Smith’s humour is usually described as gentle, but readers familiar with the rhythm of his writing will find plenty here to make them snort ... For the McCall Smith first-timer, particularly one versed in the more usual type of Scandinavian crime, this novel will appear deeply odd. But readers who get the joke – and it is a good one – will be eager for the next installment.
