The Department of Sensitive Crimes

A Detective Varg Novel

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

From the beloved and best-selling author of the number one Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a lighthearted, comedic novel about a Swedish police department tasked with solving the most unusual, complicated, and, often, insignificant crimes.

The detectives who work in Malmo Police's Department of Sensitive Crimes take their job very seriously. The lead detective, Ulf Varg, prioritizes his cases above even his dog's mental health. Then, there are detectives Anna Bengsdotter, who keeps her relationship with Varg professional even as she realizes she's developing feelings for him...or, at least, for his car, and Carl Holgersson, first to arrive in the morning and last to leave, who would never read his colleagues' personal correspondence - unless it could help solve a crime, of course. Finally, there's Erik Nykvist, who peppers conversations with anecdotes about fly fishing.

Along with an opinionated local police officer named Blomquist, the Department of Sensitive Crimes takes on three extremely strange cases. First, the detectives investigate how and why a local business owner was stabbed...in the back of the knee. Next, a young woman's imaginary boyfriend goes missing. And, in the final investigation, Varg must determine whether nocturnal visitations at a local spa have a supernatural element.

Using his renowned wit and warmth, Alexander McCall Smith brings a unique perspective on Scandinavian crime. Equal parts hilarious and heartening, The Department of Sensitive Crimes is a tour de farce from a literary master.

©2019 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2019 Recorded Books

Another good story by the author. The narration was outstand

I always enjoy Alexander McCall Smith’s stories this one did not disappoint. I can’t wait to listen the next one.
The reader was excellent and he mastered the pronunciation Swedish words seamlessly throughout the story.

A Good and Entertaining Read

“The Department of Sensitive Crimes” was a good and entertaining read by Alexander McCall Smith. Alexander McCall Smith’s writing is good, flows well and very comfortable. It was another relaxing experience about the human experience. The narrator, David Rintoul did a great job. Experienced as an Audio book.

Police work in an ideal world

This is the first novel outside of the First Lady’s Detective series that I’ve listened to. The same gentle humor dialogue I enjoyed in Botswana now thousands of miles north in Malmo, Sweden

Made me smile

Quirky characters and unusual “cases” add up to a very appealing, low-key book. Think of it as the antidote to too many graphic crime novels. The writing and narration are both very good. The book has both humor and pathos. Musings like “Life is a progression of partings” could be depressing in the hands of a less skilled writer, but here they are not. I hope for more books in this series.

Very quirky story

I hated this book at the beginning and was too lazy to send it back, so I kept listening and I started to like it a little more, but it’s a cross between annoying and quirky.

A Compassionate Sense of Humor

The smile never left my face throughout this spoof on life, culture and detection. Alexander McCall Smith delivers a light-hearted look at our situation, which is nevertheless penetrating. David Rintoul narrates with complete alignment to the vision - a delight. Thank you both!

Review for the Department of Sensitive Crimes

This was for the most part a wonderful story and well written. Definitely well performed. Only the last story regarding werewolves and wolves was a letdown. The first 2/3 of the book was delightful, but the interjection of the third story seemed out of place. I would have preferred the author had intertwined the storylines established in the first part of the book in the end in a humorous way. I think this could have been successful because of the oddness of the premise of the story and the nature of the “crimes“ investigated by the main character. Still I think this is a wonderful debut book, and I look forward to the next.

Entertaining throughout!

While we enjoyed every bit, portions of the audiobook were difficult to hear on the highway. We had to turn up the volume considerably, which occasioned alarming intrusions of text messages or phone calls at high volume. But it was worth it!

very boring story

I was very disappointed with this read...very boring leads to NOTHING!!!! DONT bother I can't believe Alexander McCall Smith wrote this?????????

Highly Amusing

This is a laugh out loud funny book. I listened to the audible edition of this book on my run, and couldn't help startling innocent strangers as I guffawed from one chapter to the next. I love the humor, the philosophy, the poignant longing of the characters to break free from their inner and outer restraints. This is the first in this new series that the author dubs "Scandinavian blanc," as opposed to Scandinavian noir, following the life and cases of detective Ulf Varg. Like McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series, this volume is episodic in structure, with no real resolution to the over-arching structure of the series, which is perhaps its only real weakness — We're left wondering what Ulf will do next, and that, I suspect, is the mark of a good series. Like life, it will take time to unfold.