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The Good Mayor by Andrew Nicholl

This novel won the Saltire First Book Award, and I can see why. It's a very sweet, quirky love story and Andrew Nicholl has made it feel timeless. It takes place in Dot, an imaginary Baltic city. Tibo Krovic, the mayor, is the sort of character James Stewart used to play: a totally decent, small-town guy who always does the right thing. His terrible problem is that he's in love with his secretary, Agathe, who's married, and recently lost a baby.

Gradually, he realises that Agathe might be in love with him, too. So they go out on regular lunch dates. But poor Krovic simply does not know how to make his move; he sits in agonies of indecision as he watches his chance for happiness slipping away. You don't know if there's going to be a happy ending until the very end.

Synopsis by Foyles.co.uk

Every day, Mayor Tibo Krovic stops off at the local cafe on the way to work, drinks his Viennese coffee with extra figs, leaves a bag of sweets for the owner, and goes to wait in his office for the arrival of his glorious secretary Agathe. He has worshiped Agathe from afar for years but she has always been out of reach. However, a family tragedy has changed things in Agathe's home and a chance occurrence one day leads her to confide in Tibo. What ensues is a magical story of love, fate, mistakes and ginger biscuits that is both deliciously funny and intensely moving.

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