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, Romance, Historical, Literary Fiction, Fantasy
New Books
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 (1993)
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 (1993)
Akimbo
1. Akimbo and the Elephants (1990)
2. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man (1993)
3. Akimbo and the Lions (1992)
4. Akimbo and the Snakes (2006)
5. Akimbo and the Baboons (2008)
1. Akimbo and the Elephants (1990)
2. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man (1993)
3. Akimbo and the Lions (1992)
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)
The Slice of No.1 Celebration Storybook (2013)
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)
Precious Ramotswe: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
23. A Song of Comfortable Chairs (2022)
24. From a Far and Lovely Country (2023)
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)
The Slice of No.1 Celebration Storybook (2013)
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)
Precious Ramotswe: A Mysterious Profile (2022)
23. A Song of Comfortable Chairs (2022)
24. From a Far and Lovely Country (2023)
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 Comfort Of Saturdays (2008)
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)
15. The Conditions of Unconditional Love (2024)
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 Comfort Of Saturdays (2008)
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)
15. The Conditions of Unconditional Love (2024)
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)
17. The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee (2023)
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)
17. The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee (2023)
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)
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)
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)
4. The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf (2023)
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)
4. The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf (2023)
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)
Perfect Passion Company
1. Cook for Me (2023)
2. A Laborer in the Vineyard of Love (2023)
The Perfect Passion Company (2024)
1. Cook for Me (2023)
2. A Laborer in the Vineyard of Love (2023)
The Perfect Passion Company (2024)
Novels
La's Orchestra Saves the World (2008)
No Rest for the Dead (2011) (with others)
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 Private Life of Spies (2023)
The Love Story of Herb la Fouche (2024)
No Rest for the Dead (2011) (with others)
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 Private Life of Spies (2023)
The Love Story of Herb la Fouche (2024)
Collections
Sally and the Booted Puss (1994) (with others)
Heavenly Date (1995)
Trouble At the North Pole And Other Stories (1996) (with others)
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 others)
Imagined Lives (2011) (with others)
What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur (2011) (with others)
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 others)
The Exquisite Art of Getting Even (2022)
I Think of You (poems) (2023)
Heavenly Date (1995)
Trouble At the North Pole And Other Stories (1996) (with others)
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 others)
Imagined Lives (2011) (with others)
What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur (2011) (with others)
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 others)
The Exquisite Art of Getting Even (2022)
I Think of You (poems) (2023)
Anthologies edited
Picture Books
Novellas and Short Stories
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)
Good Dog Lion (2014)
Freddie Mole, Lion Tamer (2016)
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)
Good Dog Lion (2014)
Freddie Mole, Lion Tamer (2016)
Hari and His Electric Feet (2018)
Max Champion and the Great Race Car Robbery (2018)
Noah Wild and the Floating Zoo (2020)
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)
Omnibus editions
Series contributed to
Awards
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Alexander McCall Smith recommends

A Disappearance in Fiji (2023)
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"This is an utterly charming novel. The setting is exotic and the characters are intriguing. Nilima Rao is an author well worth discovering."

The Murder of Mr. Wickham (2022)
(Mr Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery, book 1)
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"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!"

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 Case of the Reincarnated Client (2019)
(Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator, book 5)
Tarquin Hall
"These books are little gems...beautifully written, amusing, and intensely readable."

The Crown Agent (2019)
(Crown Agent, book 1)
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"This is a colourful and fascinating story - the first of what I hope will be many adventures penned by the talented Mr O'Rourke."
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