Alexander McCall Smith

Things are looking up for seven-year-old Bertie Pollock. The arrival of his spirited grandmother and the absence of his meddlesome mother-who is currently running a book club in a Bedouin harem (don't ask)-bring unforeseen blessings: no psychotherapy, no Italian lessons, and no yoga classes. Meanwhile, surprises await Scotland Street's grown-ups. Matthew makes a discovery that could be a major windfall for his family, but also presents a worrisome...

When she joins Aunt Japonica and Aunt Thessalonika on a trip to America, nine-year-old Harriet meets yet another relative--Aunt Formica, a cowgirl who is having trouble with some clever and mysterious cattle rustlers.

Readers who fell in love with Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, now have new cause for celebration in the protagonist of these three light-footed comic novels by Alexander McCall Smith. Welcome to the insane and rarified world of Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld of the Institute of Romance Philology. Von Igelfeld is engaged in a never-ending quest to win the respect he feels certain he is due-a quest which...

"Mma Ramotswe has her hands full both at home and in the office. To add to her current challenges, her devoted partner, Grace Makutsi, has decided to branch out on her own and open The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe. But even "Miss 97 Per Cent" can't quite meet all the demands of running a business--not to mention those that a lightning strike makes on her building. Eventually, she'll have to accept all the help she can get--even if it comes from a completely...

Dream Angus comes to you at night and bestows dreams - you may spot him skipping across the hills, his bag of dreams by his side. Just the sight of him may be enough to make you fall in love, for he is also the god of love, youth, and beauty. Divine Angus is cherished by all but fated to love only the beautiful Caér, swan maiden from his own dreams. Crafting an ancient myth into a tale fabulously and irresistibly new, Dream Angus is the epitome...

"For the residents of 44 Scotland street, life in Edinburgh's intriguing New Town is a thing to be relished. After all, there are new faces to excite Domenica's anthropological imagination, precious moments with his triplets for Matthew to savor, and the prospect of a trip to the promised land of Glasgow for young Bertie. But there are mysteries that need solving too. Could Angus Lordie's dog, Cyril-the only dog in Scotland with a gold tooth-have...

"Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and his colleagues at the University of Regensburg's Institute of Romance Philology pride themselves on their unwavering commitment to intellectual excellence. They know it is their job to protect a certain civilized approach to the scholarly arts. So when a new deputy librarian, Dr. Hilda Schreiber-Ziegler, threatens to drag them all down a path of progressive inclusivity, they are determined to stop her in...

"Approached in the park by a shadowy figure, Angus Lordie is mistaken for a journalist and becomes privy to some controversial plans of the Scottish Parliament - but just what is he meant to do about it? At school, a new member of Bertie's class, Galactica MacFee, quickly comes between Bertie and Olive, leaving him no choice but to skip town. And the indomitable Irene finds herself yet again in Edinburgh . . . but this time there might be romance...

"Precious Ramotswe has two new friends at school and they have the funniest and most resourceful pet you can imagine. But they are upset that their family's most valuable possession, their cow, has gone missing. Precious has a plan to find the missing animal but she needs the help of another in her search. Will she succeed and what obstacles will she face on her path?"-- http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk.