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ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH has a double existence. He is a Professor of Medical Law, but also an author who has now written over fifty books on a wide range of subjects. These range from specialist titles such as 'Forensic Aspects of Sleep', (the only book on the subject) to 'The Criminal Law of Botswana' (also the only book on the subject) and from the widely translated 'The Perfect Hamburger' (a children's novel) to 'Portuguese Irregular Verbs' (a collection of stories about eccentric German professors). His collection of African stories, 'Children of Wax', received critical acclaim and has been the subject of an award-winning film.
Genres: General Fiction, Mystery, Children's Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical, Fantasy
Series
Harriet Bean
1. The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean (1990)
2. Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats (1992)
3. The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean (2006)
1. The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean (1990)
2. Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats (1992)
3. The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean (2006)
Akimbo
1. Akimbo and the Elephants (1990)
2. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man (2005)
3. Akimbo and the Lions (2005)
4. Akimbo and the Snakes (2006)
5. Akimbo and the Baboons (2008)
1. Akimbo and the Elephants (1990)
2. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man (2005)
3. Akimbo and the Lions (2005)
4. Akimbo and the Snakes (2006)
5. Akimbo and the Baboons (2008)
No 1 Ladies' Detective agency
1. The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998)
2. Tears Of The Giraffe (2000)
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
4. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
5. The Full Cupboard of Life (2003)
6. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
7. Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
8. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
9. The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)
10. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (2009)
11. The Double Comfort Safari Club (2010)
12. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (2011)
13. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection (2012)
13.5. The Cleverness of Ladies (2012)
14. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon (2013)
15. The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe (2014)
16. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine (2015)
17. Precious and Grace (2016)
18. The House of Unexpected Sisters (2017)
19. The Colours of all the Cattle (2018)
20. To the Land of Long Lost Friends (2019)
21. How to Raise an Elephant (2020)
22. The Joy and Light Bus Company (2021)
23. A Song of Comfortable Chairs (2022)
The Slice of No.1 Celebration Storybook (2013)
Precious Ramotswe: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
1. The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998)
2. Tears Of The Giraffe (2000)
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
4. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
5. The Full Cupboard of Life (2003)
6. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
7. Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
8. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
9. The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)
10. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (2009)
11. The Double Comfort Safari Club (2010)
12. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (2011)
13. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection (2012)
13.5. The Cleverness of Ladies (2012)
14. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon (2013)
15. The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe (2014)
16. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine (2015)
17. Precious and Grace (2016)
18. The House of Unexpected Sisters (2017)
19. The Colours of all the Cattle (2018)
20. To the Land of Long Lost Friends (2019)
21. How to Raise an Elephant (2020)
22. The Joy and Light Bus Company (2021)
23. A Song of Comfortable Chairs (2022)
The Slice of No.1 Celebration Storybook (2013)
Precious Ramotswe: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld
1. Portuguese Irregular Verbs (2003)
2. The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs (2003)
3. At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (2003)
4. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil (2011)
5. Your Inner Hedgehog (2021)
1. Portuguese Irregular Verbs (2003)
2. The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs (2003)
3. At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (2003)
4. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil (2011)
5. Your Inner Hedgehog (2021)
Isabel Dalhousie
1. The Sunday Philosophy Club (2004)
2. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (2005)
3. The Right Attitude to Rain (2006)
4. The Careful Use of Compliments (2007)
5. The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (2008)
aka The Comfort Of Saturdays
6. The Lost Art of Gratitude (2009)
7. The Charming Quirks of Others (2010)
8. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth (2011)
8.5. The Perils of Morning Coffee (2011)
9. The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds (2012)
10. The Novel Habits of Happiness (2015)
10.5. At the Reunion Buffet (2015)
10.7. Sweet, Thoughtful Valentine (2016)
11. A Distant View of Everything (2017)
12. The Quiet Side of Passion (2018)
13. The Geometry of Holding Hands (2020)
14. The Sweet Remnants of Summer (2022)
1. The Sunday Philosophy Club (2004)
2. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (2005)
3. The Right Attitude to Rain (2006)
4. The Careful Use of Compliments (2007)
5. The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday (2008)
aka The Comfort Of Saturdays
6. The Lost Art of Gratitude (2009)
7. The Charming Quirks of Others (2010)
8. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth (2011)
8.5. The Perils of Morning Coffee (2011)
9. The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds (2012)
10. The Novel Habits of Happiness (2015)
10.5. At the Reunion Buffet (2015)
10.7. Sweet, Thoughtful Valentine (2016)
11. A Distant View of Everything (2017)
12. The Quiet Side of Passion (2018)
13. The Geometry of Holding Hands (2020)
14. The Sweet Remnants of Summer (2022)
44 Scotland Street
1. 44 Scotland Street (2005)
2. Espresso Tales (2005)
3. Love Over Scotland (2006)
4. The World According to Bertie (2007)
5. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (2008)
6. The Importance of Being Seven (2010)
7. Bertie Plays The Blues (2011)
8. Sunshine on Scotland Street (2012)
9. Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers (2013)
10. The Revolving Door of Life (2015)
11. The Bertie Project (2016)
12. A Time of Love and Tartan (2017)
13. The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (2019)
14. A Promise of Ankles (2020)
15. Love in the Time of Bertie (2021)
16. The Enigma of Garlic (2022)
1. 44 Scotland Street (2005)
2. Espresso Tales (2005)
3. Love Over Scotland (2006)
4. The World According to Bertie (2007)
5. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (2008)
6. The Importance of Being Seven (2010)
7. Bertie Plays The Blues (2011)
8. Sunshine on Scotland Street (2012)
9. Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers (2013)
10. The Revolving Door of Life (2015)
11. The Bertie Project (2016)
12. A Time of Love and Tartan (2017)
13. The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (2019)
14. A Promise of Ankles (2020)
15. Love in the Time of Bertie (2021)
16. The Enigma of Garlic (2022)
Corduroy Mansions
1. Corduroy Mansions (2009)
2. The Dog Who Came in From the Cold (2010)
3. A Conspiracy Of Friends (2011)
1. Corduroy Mansions (2009)
2. The Dog Who Came in From the Cold (2010)
3. A Conspiracy Of Friends (2011)
Precious Ramotswe
0.5. The Great Cake Mystery (2012)
1. Precious and the Monkeys (2010)
aka Precious and the Puggies
2. Precious and the Mystery of Meerkat Hill (2012)
aka The Mystery of Meerkat Hill
3. Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion (2013)
4. Precious and the Zebra Necklace (2015)
Young Precious (2018)
0.5. The Great Cake Mystery (2012)
1. Precious and the Monkeys (2010)
aka Precious and the Puggies
2. Precious and the Mystery of Meerkat Hill (2012)
aka The Mystery of Meerkat Hill
3. Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion (2013)
4. Precious and the Zebra Necklace (2015)
Young Precious (2018)
Detective Varg
0.5. Varg in Love (2012)
0.75. The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists (2019)
1. The Department of Sensitive Crimes (2019)
2. The Talented Mr. Varg (2020)
3. The Man with the Silver Saab (2021)
0.5. Varg in Love (2012)
0.75. The Strange Case of the Moderate Extremists (2019)
1. The Department of Sensitive Crimes (2019)
2. The Talented Mr. Varg (2020)
3. The Man with the Silver Saab (2021)
School Ship Tobermory
1. School Ship Tobermory (2015)
2. The Sands of Shark Island (2016)
3. The Race to Kangaroo Cliff (2019)
4. The Secret of the Dark Waterfall (2020)
1. School Ship Tobermory (2015)
2. The Sands of Shark Island (2016)
3. The Race to Kangaroo Cliff (2019)
4. The Secret of the Dark Waterfall (2020)
Novels
La's Orchestra Saves the World (2008)
No Rest for the Dead (2011) (with Jeff Abbott, Lori Armstrong, David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, Thomas H Cook, Jeffery Deaver, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew F Gulli, Lamia Gulli, Peter James, J A Jance, Faye Kellerman, Raymond Khoury, John Lescroart, Jeff Lindsay, Gayle Lynds, Phillip Margolin, Michael Palmer, T Jefferson Parker, Matthew Pearl, Kathy Reichs, Marcus Sakey, Jonathan Santlofer, Lisa Scottoline, R L Stine and Marcia Talley)
Trains and Lovers (2012)
The Forever Girl (2014)
Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party (2014)
The Good Pilot, Peter Woodhouse (2017)
The Pavilion in the Clouds (2021)
The Love Story of Herb la Fouche (2023)
No Rest for the Dead (2011) (with Jeff Abbott, Lori Armstrong, David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, Thomas H Cook, Jeffery Deaver, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew F Gulli, Lamia Gulli, Peter James, J A Jance, Faye Kellerman, Raymond Khoury, John Lescroart, Jeff Lindsay, Gayle Lynds, Phillip Margolin, Michael Palmer, T Jefferson Parker, Matthew Pearl, Kathy Reichs, Marcus Sakey, Jonathan Santlofer, Lisa Scottoline, R L Stine and Marcia Talley)
Trains and Lovers (2012)
The Forever Girl (2014)
Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party (2014)
The Good Pilot, Peter Woodhouse (2017)
The Pavilion in the Clouds (2021)
The Love Story of Herb la Fouche (2023)
Omnibus
Collections
Sally and the Booted Puss (1994) (with Ben Butterworth, Debjani Chatterjee and Ann Jungman)
Heavenly Date (1995)
Trouble At the North Pole And Other Stories (1996) (with Lisa Bruce, Berlie Doherty and Effin Older)
The Girl Who Married a Lion (2004)
One City (2006) (with Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh)
The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories (2007)
The Baboons Who Went This Way And That (2009)
Ox-Tales:Air (2009) (with Diran Adebayo, Beryl Bainbridge, Helen Fielding, A L Kennedy, D B C Pierre, Vikram Seth, Kamila Shamsie, Helen Simpson and Louise Welsh)
Imagined Lives (2011) (with John Banville, Tracy Chevalier, Julian Fellowes, Terry Pratchett, Sarah Singleton, Joanna Trollope and Minette Walters)
What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur (2011) (with Jeanne DuPrau, Nikki Giovanni, John Green, Karen Hesse, Naomi Shihab Nye, Joyce Carol Oates, Sofia Quintero and Jane Yolen)
Chance Developments (2015)
Marvellous Mix-ups (2016)
Pianos and Flowers (2019)
Tiny Tales (2020)
In a Time of Distance (poems) (2020)
The People's City (2022) (with Charlotte Anne Hamilton, Nadine Aisha Jassat, Ian Rankin and Sara Sheridan)
The Exquisite Art of Getting Even (2022)
The Private Life of Spies and The Exquisite Art of Getting Even (2023)
Heavenly Date (1995)
Trouble At the North Pole And Other Stories (1996) (with Lisa Bruce, Berlie Doherty and Effin Older)
The Girl Who Married a Lion (2004)
One City (2006) (with Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh)
The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories (2007)
The Baboons Who Went This Way And That (2009)
Ox-Tales:Air (2009) (with Diran Adebayo, Beryl Bainbridge, Helen Fielding, A L Kennedy, D B C Pierre, Vikram Seth, Kamila Shamsie, Helen Simpson and Louise Welsh)
Imagined Lives (2011) (with John Banville, Tracy Chevalier, Julian Fellowes, Terry Pratchett, Sarah Singleton, Joanna Trollope and Minette Walters)
What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur (2011) (with Jeanne DuPrau, Nikki Giovanni, John Green, Karen Hesse, Naomi Shihab Nye, Joyce Carol Oates, Sofia Quintero and Jane Yolen)
Chance Developments (2015)
Marvellous Mix-ups (2016)
Pianos and Flowers (2019)
Tiny Tales (2020)
In a Time of Distance (poems) (2020)
The People's City (2022) (with Charlotte Anne Hamilton, Nadine Aisha Jassat, Ian Rankin and Sara Sheridan)
The Exquisite Art of Getting Even (2022)
The Private Life of Spies and The Exquisite Art of Getting Even (2023)
Picture Books
Novellas
Chapter Books
The Perfect Hamburger (1982)
Alix and the Tigers (1988)
The Ice-cream Bicycle (1990)
The Tin Dog (1990)
The Popcorn Pirates (1991)
Spaghetti Tangle (1991)
Jeffrey's Joke Machine (1992)
The Doughnut Ring (1992)
Calculator Annie (1992)
The Muscle Machine (1993)
The Banana Machine (1994)
Paddy and the Ratcatcher (1994)
Teacher Trouble (1994)
Billy Rubbish (1995)
The Bubblegum Tree (1996)
Monkey Boy (2000)
The Joke Machine (2006)
Hari and His Electric Feet (2018)
Max Champion and the Great Race Car Robbery (2018)
Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo (2020)
Alix and the Tigers (1988)
The Ice-cream Bicycle (1990)
The Tin Dog (1990)
The Popcorn Pirates (1991)
Spaghetti Tangle (1991)
Jeffrey's Joke Machine (1992)
The Doughnut Ring (1992)
Calculator Annie (1992)
The Muscle Machine (1993)
The Banana Machine (1994)
Paddy and the Ratcatcher (1994)
Teacher Trouble (1994)
Billy Rubbish (1995)
The Bubblegum Tree (1996)
Monkey Boy (2000)
The Joke Machine (2006)
Hari and His Electric Feet (2018)
Max Champion and the Great Race Car Robbery (2018)
Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo (2020)
Series contributed to
Anthologies edited
Non fiction
Who Invented Peanut Butter? (1993)
Better Than Fiction (2012) (with Joyce Carol Oates and D B C Pierre)
What W. H. Auden Can Do for You (2013)
A Work of Beauty (2014)
An Innocent Abroad (2014) (with John Berendt, Dave Eggers, Richard Ford, Pico Iyer and Jane Smiley)
Better than Fiction 2 (2015) (with Sophie Cunningham, Dave Eggers, M J Hyland, Lloyd Jones, Fiona Kidman, Marina Lewycka, D B C Pierre, Francine Prose and Jane Smiley)
Who Built Scotland (2017) (with James Crawford, Kathleen Jamie, Alistair Moffat and James Robertson)
Better Than Fiction (2012) (with Joyce Carol Oates and D B C Pierre)
What W. H. Auden Can Do for You (2013)
A Work of Beauty (2014)
An Innocent Abroad (2014) (with John Berendt, Dave Eggers, Richard Ford, Pico Iyer and Jane Smiley)
Better than Fiction 2 (2015) (with Sophie Cunningham, Dave Eggers, M J Hyland, Lloyd Jones, Fiona Kidman, Marina Lewycka, D B C Pierre, Francine Prose and Jane Smiley)
Who Built Scotland (2017) (with James Crawford, Kathleen Jamie, Alistair Moffat and James Robertson)
Awards
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Alexander McCall Smith recommends
Maisie Dobbs (2003)
(Maisie Dobbs, book 1)
Jacqueline Winspear
"In Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear has given us a real gift. Maisie Dobbs has not been created - she has been discovered. Such people are always there amongst us, waiting for somebody like Ms. Winspear to come along and reveal them. And what a revelation it is!"
Last Orders at Harrods (2005)
(Last Orders at Harrods Trilogy, book 1)
Michael Holman
"Delightful, entertaining, profound."
Passarola Rising (2006)
Azhar Abidi
"Azhar Abidi is not an author who has his feet on the ground. And that's a compliment."
Blood in the Water (2007)
(Alice Rice Mystery, book 1)
Gillian Galbraith
"This is a vivid and exciting story, set against the background of Edinburgh's legal and medical circles. There is not a dull page from start to finish."
Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders (2007)
(Oscar Wilde, book 1)
Gyles Brandreth
"One of the most intelligent, amusing and entertaining books of the year. If Oscar Wilde himself had been asked to write this book he could not have done it any better."
At the Loch of the Green Corrie (2010)
Andrew Greig
"Exquisitely written, moving and utterly memorable."
Lucia on Holiday (2012)
(Mapp and Lucia, book 10)
Guy Fraser-Sampson
"Lucia is back! This is a wonderful new adventure written with all the style and humour of Benson himself."
The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken (2012)
(Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator, book 3)
Tarquin Hall
"These books are little gems. They are beautifully written, amusing, and intensely readable."
Feast of Artemis (2013)
(Mysteries of the Greek Detective, book 7)
Anne Zouroudi
"Anne Zouroudi writes beautifully - her books have all the sparkle and light of the island landscapes in which she sets them. The Lady of Sorrows, her latest, is a gorgeous treat ... Lovely, delicious prose and plot - as tasty as one of those irresistible honey-soaked Greek confections."
Ghost Moon (2014)
Ron Butlin
"One of the most powerful and compelling pieces to emerge from the pen of this superb writer."
Murder On the Second Tee (2014)
(Flick Fortune and Baggo Chandavarkar, book 2)
Ian Simpson
"Ian Simpson is a real find."
The Monogram Murders (2014)
(Hercule Poirot Mystery, book 1)
Sophie Hannah
"Both faithful to the character and an entirely worthy addition to the canon. The plot is as tricky as anything written by Agatha Christie. Nothing is obvious or predictable in this very difficult Sudoku of a novel. The Monogram Murders has a life and freshness of its own. Poirot is still Poirot. Poirot is back."
By the Book (2018)
Julia Sonneborn
"This utterly charming novel is, above all else, immense fun. The shade of Jane Austen and Julia Sonneborn have collaborated to produce a deftly-crafted tale full of romance, ambition, and wit. The result is a complete delight."
The Crown Agent (2019)
(Crown Agent, book 1)
Stephen O'Rourke
"This is a colourful and fascinating story - the first of what I hope will be many adventures penned by the talented Mr O'Rourke."
The Violin Conspiracy (2022)
Brendan Slocumb
"Magnificent, from the first page to the last, the pace never slackens. It is a gorgeous read. Old violins, international music competitions, human greed, determination, decency--all of these feature in this first-rate novel. The reader will learn about how difficult it is to get anywhere in the world of classical music if your face doesn't fit the prejudiced expectations of some people. All of that is here, and it is all related with dignity, humour and forbearance. It's a wonderful tale by a very fine author who happens to know a lot about music."
The Murder of Mr. Wickham (2022)
(Murder of Mr. Wickham, book 1)
Claudia Gray
"Had Jane Austen sat down to write a country house murder mystery, this is exactly the book she would have written. Devotees of Austen's timeless novels will get the greatest possible pleasure from this wonderful book. Immense fun and beautifully observed. Delicious!"
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