If only Pat Macgregor had an inkling of the embarrassment romantic, professional, even aesthetic that flowed from accepting narcissistic ex-boyfriend Bruce Anderson's invitation for coffee, she would never have said yes. And if only Matthew, her boss at the art gallery, hadn't wandered into his local bookshop and picked up a particular book at a particular time, he would never have knocked over his former English teacher or attracted the attentions...

Want to know how to play gruesome games like Twisting the Cow? What the Scots used to do with burnt pigeon droppings? Whether you're glaikit, douce or peelie-wally? Find out the truth about William Wallace, the disgusting details of sick Scottish torture techniques, and how to terrify a tourist with gory Scottish ghost stories.

It is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life. She dreams of greater things: a house with its own front door and a life bought and paid for outright (like her perfect, but false, teeth). But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and soon she and her three children find themselves trapped in a decimated mining town. As she descends deeper into drink, the children try their...

In a house of lies, who can ever know the truth?

At the bottom of a sharply descending street - in the topographical sense - in Edinburgh's Georgian New Town, new residents have moved in to number 44 Scotland Street, joining the already well-known and much-loved denizens of that remarkable building. They appear to be a bit of a mystery, but so, too, do other things. What exactly did Sister Maria-Fiore, the aphorism-coining socialite nun, find on the No. 23 bus? Could it be the remains of a hitherto...

Jarrold-Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guides are the ideal companion for country walks throughout the British Isles.

Mike Mackenzie is a self-made man with too much time on his hands and a bit of the devil in his soul. He is looking for something to liven up the days and perhaps give new meaning to his existence when a chance encounter offers him the opportunity to do just that. He is going to commit the perfect crime.

Ruby's singing career is on the verge of hitting the big time, when her voice breaks. Fearing her career is over, she signs up for a retreat in Tenerife to recover. But an unexpected call from a stranger on a remote Scottish island takes her on a short trip to sort out some family business. It's time to go and see the grandfather she's never met. City girl Ruby knows she will be happy to leave the windswept beaches behind as quickly as she can, especially...

Bertie and the gang return for another series of heart-warming, laugh-out-loud escapades in Edinburgh's favourite street. Told with all of McCall Smith's customary charm and deftness, this will be your perfect summer read.

Over 50 walks are covered here, ranging from short strolls such as around the The Knab in Lerwick, or to the Staneydale Temple on Shetland, to more challenging routes such as a traverse of the North Hoy hills on Orkney.