I’ve just finished the third book for the week: Alexander McCall Smith’s novel, “44 Scotland Street”. The novel was serialised over 110 episodes in the Scotsman newspaper in the first half of 2004. The story follows the exploits of Pat McGregor, a twenty year old Edinburgh woman who has a second go at a gap year. She moves into the flat of Bruce Anderson, a narcissistic body building surveyor, and takes up a job as gallery assistant to ineffectual Matthew. In the process she meets anthropologist neighbour Domenica Macdonald and portrait painter Angus Lordie. There’s Irene, the obsessive mother of Bertie, Italian-speaking five-year-old saxophonist. And Stuart her husband.
It’s a gentle read – with an almost tongue in cheek account of life in Edinburgh. I’ve never been there but Douglas, the chap who gave us the book earlier this year, says McCall Smith has done an excellent job.
Alexander McCall Smith is better known for his series, The No. 1 Ladies’s Detective Agency, featuring Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s leading, and only, female private detective. He has a web site, www.mccallsmith.com with news on his books and an audio extract from the audiobook, “In the Company of Cheerful Ladies”. He has also started a couple of other series: the Sunday Philosophy Club, featuring Edinburgh sleuth Isabel Dalhousie, and the von Igelfeld series, starring Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfield.
According to The Scotsman, McCall Smith is about to release his second Scotland Street novel, Espresso Tales, and may well go on to start a third series of episodes. He has been here in Australia recently, putting in an appearance in Brisbane this last month. McCall Smith’s books are published by Polygon, an imprint of Scottish publishing company Birlinn.