Introduction to the series

It was a chance encounter with Armistead Maupin (of Tales of the City fame) in San Francisco which inspired Alexander McCall Smith to write his serial novel about the residents of 44 Scotland Street, a fictitious building in a real street in the author's home town of Edinburgh. With its multiple-occupancy flats, Scotland Street is an interesting corner of the city, verging on the Bohemian, where haute bourgeoisie rub shoulders with students and the more colourful members of the intelligentsia. The comings and goings at 44 Scotland Street first made their way into print in daily episodes in The Scotsman newspaper in the first half of 2004.

New - The Unbearable Lightness of Scones

Here we find Bertie, the precocious six-year-old, still troubled by his rather overbearing mother, Irene, but finding escape in the Cub Scouts. Matthew is rising to the challenge of married life with newfound strength and resolve, while Domenica epitomises the loneliness of the long-distance intellectual. Narcissistic Bruce is wrestling with a big lifestyle decision, and Angus Lordie, portrait painter and pet owner, grapples with unexpected canine problems. And, finally, Angus’s dog, Cyril, the gold-toothed star of the whole show, succumbs to the kind of temptation that no dog can resist . . .

'A tale that seems effortlessly spun.' - The Scotsman

The World According to Bertie

The World According to Bertie revolves around the many colourful characters that come and go at the Edinburgh address, but most importantly in this novel, the beleaguered Italian-speaking prodigy, Bertie. McCall Smith handles the characters with his customary charm and deftness – clever, witty and entertaining – and beautifully illustrated.

‘Reading McCall Smith is like feeling the sun on your back on a summer’s day . . . his characters are instantly recognizable, strangely charming, and always amusing . . . will produce giggles from the stoniest of readers,’ – What’s On London

’The world always seems a much nicer place tucked inside the pages of an Alexander McCall Smith novel.’ – The Herald

Love Over Scotland

Signed copies of Polygon's hardback edition of Love Over Scotland are available to buy now!

In Love Over Scotland Bertie, that most talented 6 year old, continues his heroic struggle against his insufferable mother and her henchman, the psychotherapist Dr Fairbairn; Pat becomes the object of the attentions of a handsome and mysterious admirer; Cyril, that remarkable gold-toothed dog, has a brush with disaster; and Big Lou, as ever, provides coffee and advice for the whole cast of characters.

'His writing is so acute and precise and his love for the country and its people shine through. . . a real feel-good novel with edge.' – Lovereading.co.uk

Espresso Tales

Further escapades from the fringes of the New Town and the occupants of what must surely be Edinburgh's most well-known literary address. Espresso Tales is vintage McCall Smith, tackling issues of trust and honesty, snobbery and hypocrisy, love and loss, but all with great lightness of touch. Clever, elegant and funny, this is a novel that provides huge entertainment but which is underpinned by the moral dilemmas of everyday life and the characters' struggles to resolve them.

‘Thank you for giving us such delights from Edinburgh. I never tire of reading them. Espresso Tales is just perfect.’ – BBC Breakfast News (TV)

44 Scotland Street

The adventure starts with Pat. Now on her second gap year – she moves in to 44 Scotland Street, but she isn’t sure how long she’ll last with her rugby-loving flatmate, Bruce, who is narcissistic, philandering and infuriatingly handsome. Downstairs live pretentious Irene, whose six-year-old son Bertie is in therapy after setting fire to his father’s copy of the Guardian, and Domenica MacDonald, sharp-eyed observer of the whole household’s activities.

'Elegant, precise and evocative, McCall Smith tells an exceedingly good story.' – The Herald