Alexander McCall Smith

The best-selling author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency presents a modern rendering of Jane Austen's classic that follows the experiences of a college graduate who returns to the side of her health-nut father and interferes in the personal lives of her friends.

A Modern Retelling

Emma

THE SECOND BOOK IN THE BELOVED NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIES The one where Precious gains a new family . . . Mma Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is hoping to set up home with Mr J.L.B. Maketoni. But first she must deal with his scheming, misbehaving maid. She also has to confront the most difficult case of her career so far: that of an American who went missing ten years ago, and about whom all leads have long since dried up. Then there are not one, but two sudden additions to Mma's family . . .

Tears of the Giraffe

From the beloved and bestselling author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a lighthearted comedic novel about a Swedish police department tasked with solving the most unusual, complicated, and, often, insignificant crimes. The detectives who work in Malmo Police's Department of Sensitive Crimes take their job very seriously. The lead detective, Ulf Varg, prioritizes his cases above even his dog's mental health. Then there are detectives Anna Bengsdotter, who keeps her relationship with Varg professional even as she realizes she's developing feelings for him . . . or at least for his car, and Carl Holgersson, first to arrive in the morning and last to leave, who would never read his colleagues' personal correspondence--unless it could help solve a crime, of course. Finally, there's Erik Nykvist, who peppers conversations with anecdotes about fly fishing. Along with an opinionated local police officer named Blomquist, the Department of Sensitive Crimes takes on three extremely strange cases. First, the detectives investigate how and why a local business owner was stabbed . . . in the back of the knee. Next, a young woman's imaginary boyfriend goes missing. And, in the final investigation, Varg must determine whether nocturnal visitations at a local spa have a supernatural element. Using his renowned wit and warmth, Alexander McCall Smith brings a unique perspective on Scandinavian crime. Equal parts hilarious and heartening, The Department of Sensitive Crimes is a tour de farce from a literary master.

A Detective Varg Novel

The Department of Sensitive Crimes

In a retelling of an ancient Celtic myth about Angus, the god of love, youth, and beauty and a trickster who turns one's romantic dreams upside down, five young men named Angus parallel the god's story as they search for true love.

The Celtic God of Dreams

Dream Angus

Von Igelfeld is the world's leading scholar on Portuguese irregular verbs, having written a majestic, nearly 1,200-page book on the subject. As one review says, "There is nothing more to be said on this subject. Nothing." But in other matters, von Igelfeld is not nearly so skilled. Whether haplessly playing tennis against an equally dreadful opponent, or committing his friends to swordfighting duels without their knowledge, von Igelfeld is somewhat naive in the ways of the world. Yet that does not stop him from having a go at life, and the results are always humorous.

Portuguese Irregular Verbs

'While My Italian Bulldozer certainly advocates a kind, considerate, some might even say old-fashioned approach to resolving affairs of the heart, it also succeeds in subtly, almost imperceptibly ripping up the traditional rules of the romantic comedy and creating something refreshingly original' Scotsman When writer Paul Stewart heads to the idyllic Italian town of Montalcino to finish his already late book, it seems like the perfect escape from stressful city life. Upon landing, however, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he discovers his hired car is nowhere to be found. With no record of any reservation and no other cars available it looks like Paul is stuck at the airport. That is, until an enterprising stranger offers him an unexpected alternative. While there may be no cars available there is something else on offer: a bulldozer. With little choice in the matter, Paul accepts and so begins a series of laugh out loud adventures through the Italian countryside, following in the wake of Paul and his Italian Bulldozer. A story of unexpected circumstance and lesson in making the best of what you have, My Italian Bulldozer is a warm holiday read guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

My Italian Bulldozer

Features two stand-alone BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

This latest installment of the beloved and best-selling series--as endearing and delectable as ever! Business is slow at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, so at Mma Makutsi's suggestion, Mma Ramotswe is persuaded to take her first-ever holiday. But just as she's about to depart, a new client arrives: a young woman whose father was considered a hero in Botswana but whose reputation is now being called into question. Mma Ramotswe almost cancels her trip, but Mma Makutsi is adamant that she and Charlie have the situation in hand. Precious can't relax, however, if she doesn't know what's going on at the agency, so she enlists Charlie to be her eyes and ears while she's away. But Charlie may not be an altogether reliable emissary, particularly with much of his attention devoted to his newly adopted dog. In the end, it's an investigation that will affect everyone at the Agency, and a reminder for us all that ordinary human failings should be treated with a large helping of charity and compassion.

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (16)

The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine

Traveling to northern Botswana where they are impressed by the natural beauty of the Okavango Delta, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi visit a safari lodge where they encounter discontented locals and struggle with untimely wedding issues.

The Double Comfort Safari Club

Precious Ramotswe tries to recover her trusty white van after her husband sells it and replaces it with a characterless modern vehicle, while The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency tries to discover if a local football team's games are fixed.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

Precious Ramotswe heads to a Botswana game preserve to investigate the death of an elderly American tourist, while at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe's husband suddenly decides to mortgage the garage.

The Miracle at Speedy Motors

Hoping to reclaim a van that was featured in a possible prophetic dream, Precious and Grace find themselves helping an apprentice of Phuti Radiphuti, investigating a cattle poisoning and considering Grace's possible marriage to Phuti.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

THE EIGHTEENTH BOOK IN THE BELOVED NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIES The one with the other Mma Ramotswe . . . The dismissal of an employee at a thriving local business leads to an investigation by Precious Ramotswe and self-appointed Principal Investigating Officer Grace Makutsi. But Mma Ramotswe also has to contend with the re-appearance of her ex-husband, and the arrival of a long-lost relation: another Mma Ramotswe. Can Precious draw on her strength, compassion and powers of detection to manage these surprises from the past? 'A delight' Daily Telegraph

The House of Unexpected Sisters

* The eighth instalment of Alexander McCall Smith's wonderful No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

The No.1 ladies detective agency. Smart and sassy with the power to amuse or shock or touch the heart, sometimes all at once.

The Kalahari Typing School for Men

Assisting the proprietor of the Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, Mma Ramotswe begins to suspect that a saboteur is behind a string of unfortunate mishaps; while Mma Makutsi prepares for the birth of her child in spite of difficult family controversies.

The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon

The latest instalment from the beloved THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY series . . . TO THE LAND OF LONG LOST FRIENDS 'Every page contains a gem of wit and insight' Scotsman As Botswana waits for rain to nourish the land, Precious Ramotswe's thoughts turn to love and friendship as vital nourishment for the soul. Times are changing, she realises. These days, more and more women are not content just to be a man's wife. The men, however, are suspicious of the notion of vegetarianism, let alone gender equality . . . At a local wedding Mme Ramotswe bumps into a long-lost friend, Calviniah, who confesses that her only daughter Nametso has inexplicably turned away from her. Not only that, an old acquaintance has simultaneously lost all her money and found solace in a charismatic ex-mechanic turned reverend, who seems to have cast a spell over several ladies in the region. With little work on at the agency, Precious and her colleague Mme Makutsi see no harm in investigating these curious situations. Meanwhile, part-time detective Charlie is anxious. He has few prospects and little money, so how can he convince his beloved Queenie-Queenie's father to approve of their marriage? As Precious and Mme Makutsi dig deeper into the stories of Nametso and the mysterious reverend, Precious once again ponders the human condition. She chooses to believe in goodness, that if our hearts are open, true equality can be found with one another. But in this world can that assumption be justified? It will take all her ingenuity and great moral sense to get to the heart of the matter.

To the Land of Long Lost Friends

To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose; it is summer in Scotland Street (as it always is) and for the habitués of Edinburgh's favourite street some extraordinary adventures lie in waiting.For the impossibly vain Bruce Anderson - he of the clove-scented hair gel - it may finally be time to settle down, and surely it can only be a question of picking the lucky winner from the hordes of his admirers. The Duke of Johannesburg is keen to take his flight of fancy, a microlite seaplane, from the drawing board to the skies. Big Lou is delighted to discover that her young foster son has a surprising gift for dance but she is faced with big decisions to make on his and her futures. And with Irene now away to pursue her research in Aberdeen, her husband, Stuart, and infinitely long-suffering son, Bertie, are free to play. Stuart rekindles an old friendship over peppermint tea whilst Bertie and his friend Ranald Braveheart Macpherson get more they bargained for from their trip to the circus. And that's just the start ...Take a few minutes to relax with a cup of your favourite tea and savour the affairs of the world in microcosm, teeming with life's loves and challenges. Little dramas writ large by the master chronicler of modern life and manners.

A 44 Scotland Street Novel

The Peppermint Tea Chronicles

A humorous look at the ups and downs of life for the residents of 44 Scotland Street.

The World According to Bertie

"Originally published in hardcover in Great Britain by Little, Brown, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, a Hachette UK company, London, in 2020"--Copyright page.

Alexander McCall Smith

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