The bestselling author of theNo. 1 Ladies Detective AgencySeries brings his trademark warmth & wisdom to his novel chronicling the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street that's 'as charming as the bohemian street in which it's set' (Scottish Daily Record)The story revolves around the comings & goings atNo. 44 Scotland Street, a fictitious building in a real street inEdinburgh. Immediately recognisable are theEdinburghchartered surveyor, stalwart of theConservative Association, who dreams of membership ofScotland'smost exclusive golf club. We have the pushyStockbridgemother, & her prodigiously talented five-year-old son, who is making good progress with the saxophone & with his Italian. Then there isDomenica Macdonaldwho is that type ofEdinburghlady who sees herself as a citizen of a broader intellectual world. InMcCall Smith'shands such characters retain charm & novelty, simultaneously arousing both mirth & empathy.44 Scotland Streetis vintageMcCall Smith, tackling issues of trust and honesty, snobbery & hypocrisy, love & loss, but all with great lightness of touch. Clever, elegant & funny, this is a novel that provides huge entertainment but which is underpinned by the moral dilemmas of everyday life & the characters' struggles to resolve them.Contains an exclusive extract fromThe Department of Sensitive Crimes, the first novel in the newDetective Vargseries byAlexander McCall Smith.