Alexander McCall Smith

This is the story of Herb la Fouche, of St Julien, Ontario, a fictional town just over the Quebec border. It is the story of how Herb, a good, quiet and unassuming man, a chemistry teacher, comes up with a unique invention and ends up on the Caribbean island of Martinique. There he meets and marries Celine, the divorced sister of the local police chief, Alphonse Charbonneau. Herb’s life amounts to very little, but in this marriage he at last finds happiness and a certain nobility. All around are people whose voices are louder, their actions ostentatious, but it is the quiet life of Herb La Fouche that ultimately triumphs. This engagingly crafted novel, about the nobility of an ordinary life, is written with considerable substance and gravity. With characteristic charm and grace, The Love Story of Herb la Fouche is unashamedly feel-good with plenty of humour, tinged with poignancy.

It is 1984, and the UK is experiencing a moment of great significance: the miners’ strike. In mining communities throughout the country, passions run high as the confrontation between the Government and the miners is notched up. In the affected communities, there is real hardship as the families of striking miners go without. In slow motion, an old way of life is brought to an end. In Edinburgh, in a large flat overlooking the Meadows, six students are facing the end of an academic year, preparing to go their separate ways in a changing world. Over three years, they drift apart through the twists and turns of life, before meeting up for a reunion in 1987, for what may well be their last evening together. It becomes clear to all that sometimes you have to let go of the past. You take away its lessons, but you let the rest go.

A New York Times Bestselling Author The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 26) Life is never dull for Botswana's premier lady detective, Precious Ramotswe. As a particularly delicate situation is brought to her attention, she must set out to investigate the peculiar circumstances surrounding the case. Eventually, Mma Ramotswe will realize that the truth, as ever, is more complicated than it first seems. With the generosity and good humor that guide all her endeavors, Mma Ramotswe will untangle these questions and prove that with a healthy dose of wisdom and a steaming cup of red bush tea, compassion will win the day.

Book 26 in the multi-million copy bestselling and perennially adored No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency seriesThe rains are coming, but not just yet. When they do, there will be green shoots of growth throughout Botswana. Pumpkins will flourish - particularly those of Mma Potokwani, matron of a children's home and old friend of Precious Ramotswe. Mma Potokwani and Mma Ramotswe have many other things to talk about, including a new friendship that Mr J.L.B. Matekoni has struck up with Mr Freddie Mohlala, a prominent figure in the motor trade. Freddie Mohlala has invited Mr J.L.B. Matekoni to go fishing with him on the local dam - which is home to some fairly nasty crocodiles. They do not catch anything, but something nearly catches them.In the meantime, Mma Ramotswe looks into what seems to be a straightforward matter involving a husband who thinks his wife may be having affair. But there is a surprise in store: she, it transpires, suspects that he himself has a lover. This is obviously a case that will require tact - which of course is a quality Mma Ramotswe has in abundance. Along with kindness.For Botswana is a kind country, and in this latest visit to the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency we are reassured that no matter how unhappy the world may be, there is always an oasis of courtesy and peace in that special place in southern Africa. To which you are now invited.

In this latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe and her loyal associates take on a sensitive new case and learn valuable lessons. "Delightful . . . The warm humanity infused throughout these] novels is what brings readers back . . . McCall Smith] brings out the profound importance of everyday revelations." --San Francisco Chronicle Life is never dull for Botswana's premier lady detective, Precious Ramotswe. As a particularly delicate situation is brought to her attention, she must, with the help of her loyal associate Grace Matsuki, set out to investigate the peculiar circumstances surrounding the case. Over the course of their inquiries, unexpected information continues coming to light, leaving the pair puzzled--eventually, Mma Ramotswe will realize that the truth, as ever, is more complicated than it first seems. With the generosity and good humor that guide all her endeavors, Mma Ramotswe will untangle these questions for herself and her loved ones, and prove that with a healthy dose of wisdom and a steaming cup of red bush tea, compassion will always win the day.

In this latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi take on an intriguing new case and uncover surprising truths In the rolling hills just outside Gaborone, surrounded by a grove of acacia trees, lies The Great Hippopotamus Hotel. With spacious rooms overlooking the Botswanan countryside and a fine and loyal staff, the hotel has served as a refuge to weary travelers for many years. But a sudden string of misfortunes threatens to ruin the hotel's reputation. Food poisoning befalls an unlucky diner, laundry mysteriously disappears from the drying line, and a scorpion stings one of the guests. Mishap after mishap, until it seems these incidents are more than simple coincidences--something foul is afoot. Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are on the case to find out who could be responsible for these unfortunate events. The answer at first seems clear, especially when they find out Violet Sephotho is involved. But as they dig deeper, they realize that the solution is not as simple as it initially seems. Meanwhile, one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's most important clients has asked him to source a sports car, putting him in a ticklish position as the man's wife seems to be unaware of the purchase and the client is taking great pains to keep it that way. Nevertheless, with a healthy dose of good humor and kindness, Mma Ramotswe and her associates must help restore the reputation of the hotel and prove that even the most difficult situations can be remedied with honesty and compassion.

"It’s like ice cream, Mr Flynn," Bertie continued. "When you have ice cream, you need to eat it straight away, otherwise it melts. If there are people who haven't got any, you should share it, if you can." When despair for the world grows, Bertie’s theory of ice cream reminds us that it’s the simple pleasures in life that we should hold onto. And everyone’s favourite seven-year-old has a lot to put up with: at home, Irene is planning lessons on Irish Culture for Bertie; at school, he is forced to join Olive and Pansy’s book group, and during a day out with his best friend Ranald Braveheart Macpherson, the boys find themselves unexpectedly invited to a wedding. Meanwhile, Bruce’s latest property venture goes horribly wrong after trying to move a flat’s front door to give it a more prestigious address. At Nine Mile Burn, Matthew and the triplets try to adopt an unwillingly-vegan dog. And Sister Maria-Fiori dei Fiore Montagna discovers the missing part of the Stone of Scone in Drummond Place Gardens. Filled with Alexander McCall Smith’s trademark warmth and humour, this latest book in the series is a must-read.

Imagine you're on a train. Think about all the other people on the train with you, what their lives are or have been, and the different experiences you've all had. But there is one more thing that you undoubtedly all share: you have all been in love at one time or another. In this surprising and poignant story, four strangers meet on a journey from Edinburgh to London. Each has a tale of love and of railways: for Mark, a brief encounter on a railway platform leads to an impulsive and possibly dangerous decision; Kay recounts the long journey back to her childhood home in Australia and the love that was there; David remembers a teenage friendship that faded into love; and Michael makes a discovery that art and people may not be what they seem to be at first glance. These are very different experiences, but throughout them all runs a deep current of love. And loving others, as one of the characters observes, is the good thing we do in our lives.

Everyone's favorite moral philosopher and amateur sleuth, Isabel Dalhousie, is back and once again finds herself facing a number of tricky situations and philosophical questions, both public and private. "McCall Smith's assessments of fellow humans are piercing and profound . . . His] depictions of Edinburgh are vivid and seamless." --San Francisco Chronicle It seems as if Isabel's life has fallen into a comfortable and tidy rhythm. Well, as tidy as things can be with two small boys wreaking havoc around the house. But when her husband, Jamie, invites a woman named Dawn--recently embroiled in a contentious affair with a member of Jamie's orchestra--to stay with them, things begin to go awry. Strange noises can be heard from the upper floor, even when Dawn is supposedly at work, and the couple wonders whether something more nefarious may be afoot. If that weren't enough, Professor Robert Lettuce is staging an academic conference and has asked Isabel to publish the conference papers in a special issue of the Review of Applied Ethics. But something is definitely suspect about the funding, and it will be up to Isabel to sort it out. As the truth comes to light, Isabel must once more rely on her kindness, powers of deduction and philosophical expertise to navigate these sensitive matters.

The latest book in Alexander McCall Smith's entertaining and hilarious Professor von Igelfeld seriesProfessor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld is not just any German professor - he is the author of that great work of scholarship, Portuguese Irregular Verbs. His eminence in language studies is widely recognised, even if it is rarely acknowledged by his colleague, Professor Detlev-Amadeus Unterholzer, author of a much less important work on the subjunctive. Their rivalry bubbles away under the surface, but is apt to come into the open if something unusual disturbs the calm waters of the institute in Regensburg in which they both work.One such event is the arrival from New Orleans of two visiting scholars. These ladies, Professor Pom Pom Boisseau, and her friend, Professor Alice Martinique, are both experts in the Provençal language as well as being keen bikers. When they choose to arrive on large, noisy motorbikes, Unterholzer is shocked, but von Igelfeld is rather taken with Pom Pom. In fact, he is very taken with her, even to the extent of going for a ride with her on her motorbike.Anybody can tell that this infatuation will lead to disappointment, if not worse. But for von Igelfeld, disasters often arrive in twos and threes. The great professor is invited to attend a student occasion in which the old habit of duelling rears its head. He is handed a sword...Von Igelfeld may suffer humiliation after humiliation, but at the end of it all there is the promise of a visit to Louisiana, a culinary paradise, where important research is being undertaken into communication among oysters.

BOOK 15 IN THE MUCH-LOVED ISABEL DALHOUSIE SERIES'You can't go out of the house without tripping over a philosophical question.' That is a remark made by Isabel Dalhousie to Jamie, the bassoonist who is her handsome younger husband. Isabel's own life, of course, points to the truth of this observation: she seems to attract philosophical problems in much the same way as a magnet attracts iron filings.In this latest movement in the symphony of her life, Isabel is faced with novel challenges, each of which tests her resolution to do the right thing. Dawn, a nurse in an infectious diseases ward, is let down by her lover and needs a place to live. Not surprisingly, Isabel offers her a roof over her head. What do you do, though if your house-guest locks herself away and avoids all contact?And then there is the pompous and slippery Professor Robert Lettuce. He is planning a prestigious conference, and involves Isabel in it. But look at the budget: why is there such a large payment for Lettuce himself and for a young female assistant? Isabel is suspicious.Other intriguing problems abound, including Isabel's involvement in a book group threatened by discord and bickering. Isabel remains calm. Of course she does. She knows the power of love, reason, and a clear head to resolve all of these issues, and more.PRAISE FOR THE ISABEL DALHOUSIE NOVELS:'Isabel Dalhousie's charm is undeniable' Sunday Times'The No. 2 Lady Detective . . . anyone who loves Precious cannot fail to be charmed' Mail on Sunday'Delightful . . . McCall Smith is a writer who celebrates kindness, in short supply in the world today' Sunday Telegraph'McCall Smith's greatest gift as a writer - and God knows this is just one of many - is that he can write likeable characters' New Statesman

'A call to arms for a better society' – BBC Radio 4 Often a small and seemingly insignificant event can change the course of our lives. Not long after starting a new job, Neil meets Chrissie. Romance soon blossoms and together they move to a lavish flat in Edinburgh. Everything seems to be falling into place perfectly. But an innocuous, throw-away comment unintentionally causes Neil’s career to collapse, and, at the same time, a cruel betrayal shatters the life he thought he knew. His only option is to escape to the secluded, remote beauty of a breathtaking Hebridean island. Here, he finds a different way of life, and new friendships develop. But he can’t escape the past forever, and soon he must confront a life-changing decision once more. From the world's favourite author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, this novel is about chance encounters; it is richly atmospheric and packed with compassion and humour. Praise for Alexander McCall Smith's writing: 'The author's prose has the merits of simplicity, euphony and precision. This is art that conceals art' – Sunday Telegraph 'Bags of warmth and wisdom and easy, accomplished writing that begs for a comfy chair' – The Times 'Charming, delightful, feel-good stuff' – Daily Express

What if you met the person you were destined to be with? And what if you never saw them again . . . ? There’s a new case for the Perfect Passion Company. After a serendipitous meeting in a supermarket, Clea meets the man of her dreams. But having left suddenly without his phone number, she can’t stop thinking about what might have been. Can apprentice matchmaker Katie, with the help of her enigmatic neighbour William, help orchestrate the forces of Kismet and choreograph another happy union? And now that the newly single William’s engagement is off, can Katie seize the moment to tell him how she feels before her chance has gone forever?

Three classic adventure tales in one from the bestselling author of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Imagine living in the heart of Africa. Imagine living in a place where the sun rises every morning over blue mountains. Akimbo and his parents live on the edge of an African game reserve. It's his father's task to protect the thousands of amazing animals who make it their home, and wildlife-loving Akimbo dreams of helping him. In these three adventures, Akimbo protects elephants from poachers, saves a lion cub from a trap, and rescues a man from a crocodile! This 3-in-1 collection contains Akimbo and the Elephants, Akimbo and the Lions and Akimbo and the Crocodile Man. Fans of The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories will love these stories of wild animals and thrilling adventures. Alexander McCall Smith grew up in Zimbabwe and then moved to Scotland. He was a professor of Medical Law and has written almost 100 books, including the well-loved and bestselling No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. He lives in Edinburgh. Illustrator Peter Bailey has worked with some of Britain's best-known authors and poets, including Allan Ahlberg, Dick King-Smith, Michael Morpurgo and Philip Pullman.