Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith has written more than 80 books, including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children's books. But he is best known for his internationally acclaimed No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, which rapidly rose to the top of bestseller lists throughout the world. The fifth novel in the series, The Full Cupboard of Life, received the Saga Award for Wit in the UK. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine (November 2015) is the sixteenth book in the series, which has now been translated into 45 languages and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. The first episode of a film adaptation, directed by Anthony Minghella, premiered on HBO in March 2009.

A self confessed serial novelist, McCall Smith is the author of several other series including one beginning with The Sunday Philosophy Club, about a female sleuth named Isabel Dalhousie, which appeared in 2004 and immediately leapt onto national bestseller lists. Another of McCall Smith's serial novels, 44 Scotland Street, was published in book form to great acclaim starting in 2005. Corduroy Mansions, a new serial novel series depicts the lives of the inhabitants of a large Pimlico house, was published and podcasted by the UK's Daily Telegraph, and subsequently in book form in July 2010 followed by The Dog Who Came in from the Cold and A Conspiracy of Friends.

McCall Smith was born in Rhodesia (what is now Zimbabwe) and was educated there and in Scotland. He became a law professor in Scotland, and it was in this role that he first returned to Africa to work in Botswana, where he helped to set up a new law school at the University of Botswana. For many years he was Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, and has been a visiting professor at a number of other universities elsewhere, including ones in Italy and the United States. He is now a Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburgh.

In addition to his university work, McCall Smith was for four years the vice-chairman of the Human Genetics Commission of the UK, the chairman of the British Medical Journal Ethics Committee, and a member of the International Bioethics Commission of UNESCO. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library Award; the United Kingdom's Author of The Year Award in 2004 and Sweden's Martin Beck award. He holds honorary doctorates from 12 universities, most recently  from Southern Methodist University, Dallas. In 2007 he was made a CBE for his services to literature in the Queen's New Year Honors List. In 2010 McCall Smith was awarded the Presidential Order of Merit by the President of Botswana.

Alexander McCall Smith currently lives in Edinburgh with his wife Elizabeth (an Edinburgh doctor), and their two daughters Lucy and Emily. His hobbies include playing wind instruments, and he is the co-founder of an amateur orchestra called "The Really Terrible Orchestra" in which he plays the bassoon and his wife plays the horn.

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Alexander McCall Smith has been honored as Knight Bachelor in His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours List 2024!

Alexander McCall Smith’s latest installment in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series,

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel

to be published in October 2024!

From a Far and Lovely Country (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Book #24)

Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are enjoying a nice meal out at a peri-peri restaurant when an American woman named Julia approaches seeking Mma Ramotswe’s help. Julia’s beloved late grandfather was Botswanan, and he instilled in her an abiding love of his homeland. Now, years after his passing, Julia has come to visit the land he had spoken of so often and to find her relatives. Unfortunately, her grandfather’s stories, while charming and entertaining, were somewhat light on detail; all Julia can remember are a few first names and some descriptions of his village. It’s not a lot to go on, but if anyone is well poised to help, it’s Mma Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier detective.

Meanwhile, a second case leads Mma Ramotswe to look for assistance from an unexpected quarter. For the first time, Charlie leads his own investigation at the detective agency, going undercover into a dubious, word-of-mouth get-together known as the Cool Singles Evening Club, where married men are encouraged to pretend to be single and meet women under false pretenses. Who could be behind such a distasteful venture? Getting to the bottom of this will be a tall order, to be sure, but Charlie is eager for the opportunity.

As Mma Ramotswe learns more about Julia, she begins to understand that Julia’s heartbreak runs deeper than she had initially realized. Together, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Potokwane must find a way to help their client heal and move forward—from both her past and her present. Julia had originally come to Botswana seeking family and connection, but in the warm embrace of Mma Ramotswe and Mma Potokwane, what she ends up finding is a home.

(Pantheon, October 2023)

The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee (44 Scotland Street Book #17)

Angus Lordie is approached in the park by a shadowy, Deep Throat-like figure with government secrets to share, who mistakes him for a journalist. Now Angus is privy to some controversial plans of the Scottish Parliament—but just what is he meant to do about it? Elsewhere, Big Lou’s husband Bob hires a personal trainer who changes his entire outlook on life, much to Lou’s dismay. At the schoolhouse, young Bertie Pollock’s class has a new ringleader, Galactica MacFee, who quickly comes between Bertie and Olive. All this proves too much for Bertie to bear, and he flees to Glasgow with best friend Ranald Braveheart MacPherson in tow. And the indomitable Irene again finds herself in Edinburgh ... and it looks like there might be romance in the air.

Meanwhile, Matthew, too, is keeping busy. He invests in a brand new Pictish Experience Centre, meant to allow residents to experience what life was like for Scotland’s mysterious early people, the Picts. And they may have made a fantastic discovery — the earliest known work of Scottish literature! But what exactly do those mysterious Pictish runes say? As always, McCall Smith draws on his seemingly unlimited stores of goodwill and generosity in describing the goings-on of this beloved cast of characters.

(Vintage, May 2024)

The Perfect Passion Company

As the new manager of The Perfect Passion Company at No. 24 Mouse Lane in New Town, Katie Donald has made it her mission to provide help to the lovelorn citizens of Edinburgh. With the help of her amiable and handsome office neighbor William Kidd, she finds herself making matches for the lonely hearts of Edinburgh who want a more personal touch. In this tale, Katie helps an airline pilot figure out what it is he really wants in a partner by sending him to cooking school. Another customer, a hotelier with a particularly overbearing mother, arrives looking for a bit of freedom – and space. Along the way, Katie learns that the work of the Perfect Passion Company may be a little broader in its scope than she had originally thought. With the tenderness and lightness of touch that only McCall Smith is capable of, this novel offers a glimpse inside the psychology of matchmaking, the search for love and companionship, and the mysterious spark of attraction that can, at times, catch hold of us all.

(Vintage, February 2024)

The Conditions of Unconditional Love (Isabel Dalhousie Book #15)

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.

(Pantheon, July 2024)

The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf (Detective Varg Book #4)

The Department of Sensitive Crimes is downsizing in light of a recent downturn of sensitive crime, and staff members are wondering who among them will be transferred elsewhere. As the bickering between colleagues intensifies, Ulf tries his best to stay above the fray. But when Anna, a longtime friend and coworker, appears to blame him for an old case that went sideways, it seems she may be putting her own job prospects above their friendship.

In the midst of all this, Ulf embarks on an important inquiry: a man's cabin has mysteriously disappeared and Ulf is tasked with finding out what happened. How exactly does one steal a house? And, more to the point, how does one track down a stolen house? Meanwhile, a promising veterinary treatment for deafness in dogs has been announced, and Ulf’s dog, Martin, might be the perfect patient.

This latest novel is another masterful, farcical installment in the series that defines the genre that Alexander McCall Smith is singlehandedly championing: Scandi blanc.

(Pantheon, August 2023)