Order of Book Series
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Alexander McCall Smith Books in Order

Alexander McCall Smith has written 165 books, published between 1980 and 2026. The first book is White Hippo (1980) and the newest is The Big Cats Dance Party (2026). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
165
Published
1980–2026
Confirmed
165 of 165 titles
Pages on record
20,671 in 108 of 165 books
Reading time
345–517 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 20,671 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 108 of 165 titles with a page count on record.

See all 165 books in order Printable Alexander McCall Smith checklist
Photo of Alexander McCall Smith, author

Sir Alexander McCall Smith, born 24 August 1948, is a Scottish legal scholar and novelist who created The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Born and raised in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), McCall Smith was Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and worked on medical law and bioethics committees. English-language sales passed 40 million by 2010, with translations into 46 languages. The catalogue lists 165 books from White Hippo (1980) to 2026, including 44 Scotland Street, Isabel Dalhousie, Detective Varg and children's titles.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series follows Precious Ramotswe, described as Botswana's first female private detective, and is set in Botswana.

How many Alexander McCall Smith books are there?

Alexander McCall Smith has 165 books, released between 1980 and 2026. They include 16 separate series.

Alexander McCall Smith Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 165 Alexander McCall Smith books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of Alix and the Tigers by Alexander McCall Smith, book 1 of the Young Corgi series (1988)
  2. Cover of Children of Wax: African Folk Tales by Alexander McCall Smith (1989)
  3. Cover of Uncle Gangster by Alexander McCall Smith, book 1 of the Alexander McCall Smith Standalone Novels series (1989)
  4. Cover of The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean by Alexander McCall Smith, book 1 of the Harriet Bean series (1990)
  5. Cover of Suzy Magician by Alexander McCall Smith, book 2 of the Young Corgi series (1990)
  6. Cover of The Joke Machine by Alexander McCall Smith, book 3 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1990)
  7. Cover of Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats by Alexander McCall Smith, book 2 of the Harriet Bean series (1991)
  8. Cover of Akimbo and the Lions by Alexander McCall Smith, book 1 of the Akimbo Series (1992)
  9. Cover of Calculator Annie by Alexander McCall Smith, book 6 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1992)
  10. Cover of Springy Jane by Alexander McCall Smith, book 7 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1992)
  11. Cover of Akimbo and the Crocodile Man by Alexander McCall Smith, book 2 of the Akimbo Series (1993)
  12. Cover of The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean by Alexander McCall Smith, book 3 of the Harriet Bean series (1993)
  13. Cover of Who Invented Peanut Butter? by Alexander McCall Smith, book 8 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1993)
  14. Cover of My Chameleon Uncle by Alexander McCall Smith, book 9 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1993)
  15. Cover of The Princess Trick by Alexander McCall Smith, book 11 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1994)
  16. Cover of Paddy and the Ratcatcher by Alexander McCall Smith, book 12 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1994)
  17. Cover of The Banana Machine by Alexander McCall Smith, book 13 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1994)
  18. Cover of Heavenly Date and Other Flirtations by Alexander McCall Smith (1995)
  19. Cover of Billy Rubbish by Alexander McCall Smith, book 14 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1995)
  20. Cover of The Bubblegum Tree by Alexander McCall Smith, book 15 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1996)
  21. Cover of The Watermelon Boys by Alexander McCall Smith, book 16 of the Alexander McCall Smith Children's series (1996)
  22. Cover of Max & Maddy and the Bursting Balloons Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith, book 1 of the Max & Maddy series (1997)
  23. Cover of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, book 1 of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
  24. Cover of Max & Maddy and the Chocolate Money Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith, book 2 of the Max & Maddy series (1999)
  1. 1
    White HippoAlexander McCall Smith Children's #11980 · 88 pages · confirmed 3/4
    198088
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Alix and the TigersYoung Corgi #11988 · 64 pages · confirmed 3/4
    198864
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Film BoyAlexander McCall Smith Children's #21988 · 61 pages · confirmed 3/4
    198861
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Children of Wax: African Folk TalesAlexander McCall Smith Short Story #11989 · 128 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1989128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Uncle GangsterAlexander McCall Smith Standalone Novels #11989 · 128 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1989128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet BeanHarriet Bean #11990 · 117 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1990117
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Suzy MagicianYoung Corgi #21990 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199080
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The Joke MachineAlexander McCall Smith Children's #31990 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199080
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Tin DogYoung Corgi #31990 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199080
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Harriet Bean and the League of CheatsHarriet Bean #21991 · confirmed 3/4
    1991–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Marzipan MaxAlexander McCall Smith Children's #41991 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199180
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    The Girl Who Changed the WeatherAlexander McCall Smith Children's #51991 · confirmed 3/4
    1991–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Akimbo and the LionsAkimbo Series #11992 · 66 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199266
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Calculator AnnieAlexander McCall Smith Children's #61992 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199280
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Springy JaneAlexander McCall Smith Children's #71992 · 32 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199232
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Akimbo and the Crocodile ManAkimbo Series #21993 · confirmed 3/4
    1993–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet BeanHarriet Bean #31993 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199380
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Who Invented Peanut Butter?Alexander McCall Smith Children's #81993 · 64 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199364
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    My Chameleon UncleAlexander McCall Smith Children's #91993 · 32 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199332
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    The Doughnut RingAlexander McCall Smith Children's #101994 · confirmed 3/4
    1994–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    The Princess TrickAlexander McCall Smith Children's #111994 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199480
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Paddy and the RatcatcherAlexander McCall Smith Children's #121994 · 48 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199448
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    The Banana MachineAlexander McCall Smith Children's #131994 · 96 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199496
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Heavenly Date and Other FlirtationsAlexander McCall Smith Short Story #21995 · 200 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1995200
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Billy RubbishAlexander McCall Smith Children's #141995 · 64 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199564
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 27
    The Bubblegum TreeAlexander McCall Smith Children's #151996 · 96 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199696
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 28
    The Watermelon BoysAlexander McCall Smith Children's #161996 · 89 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199689
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 29
    Max & Maddy and the Bursting Balloons MysteryMax & Maddy #11997 · 80 pages · confirmed 3/4
    199780
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 30
    The No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyNo. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #11998 · 278 pages · confirmed 3/4
    1998278
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Alexander McCall Smith series and characters in order

Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.

Alexander McCall Smith books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. A group whose heading is a link has its own reading-order page; the other groups have no page of their own on this site.

Alexander McCall Smith Children's in order

27 books
  1. 1. White Hippo
  2. 2. Film Boy
  3. 3. The Joke Machine
  4. 4. Marzipan Max
  5. 5. The Girl Who Changed the Weather
  6. 6. Calculator Annie
  7. 7. Springy Jane
  8. 8. Who Invented Peanut Butter?
  9. 9. My Chameleon Uncle
  10. 10. The Doughnut Ring
  11. 11. The Princess Trick
  12. 12. Paddy and the Ratcatcher
  13. and 15 more in the table above

Isabel Dalhousie books in order

16 books by Alexander McCall Smith
  1. 1. The Sunday Philosophy Club
  2. 2. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate
  3. 3. The Right Attitude to Rain
  4. 4. The Careful Use of Compliments
  5. 5. The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday / The Comfort Of Saturdays
  6. 6. The Lost Art of Gratitude
  7. 7. The Charming Quirks of Others
  8. 8. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth
  9. 9. The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds
  10. 10. The Novel Habits of Happiness
  11. 11. A Distant View of Everything
  12. 12. The Quiet Side of Passion
  13. and 4 more in the table above

Alexander McCall Smith Short Story

14 books

14 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Alexander McCall Smith Standalone Novels

8 books

8 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Professor Dr. Von Igelfeld in order

6 books
  1. 1. Portuguese Irregular Verbs
  2. 2. The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs
  3. 3. At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances
  4. 4. Unusual Uses for Olive Oil
  5. 5. Your Inner Hedgehog
  6. 6. The Lost Language of Oysters

Akimbo Series in order

5 books
  1. 1. Akimbo and the Lions
  2. 2. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man
  3. 3. Akimbo and the Elephants
  4. 4. Akimbo and the Snakes
  5. 5. Akimbo and the Baboons

Precious Ramotswe's Very First Cases in order

5 books
  1. 1. The Great Cake Mystery
  2. 2. Precious and the Monkeys
  3. 3. Precious and the Mystery of Meerkat Hill
  4. 4. Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion
  5. 5. Precious and the Zebra Necklace

Detective Varg in order

5 books
  1. 1. Varg in Love
  2. 2. The Department of Sensitive Crimes
  3. 3. The Talented Mr. Varg
  4. 4. The Man with the Silver Saab
  5. 5. The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf

School Ship Tobermory in order

4 books
  1. 1. School Ship Tobermory
  2. 2. The Sands of Shark Island
  3. 3. The Race to Kangaroo Cliff
  4. 4. The Secret of the Dark Waterfall

Perfect Passion Company in order

4 books
  1. 1. Cook For Me
  2. 2. A Laborer in the Vineyard of Love
  3. 3. The Perfect Passion Company
  4. 4. Looking for You

Young Corgi in order

3 books
  1. 1. Alix and the Tigers
  2. 2. Suzy Magician
  3. 3. The Tin Dog

Harriet Bean in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean
  2. 2. Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats
  3. 3. The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean

Corduroy Mansions in order

3 books
  1. 1. Corduroy Mansions
  2. 2. The Dog Who Came in from the Cold
  3. 3. A Conspiracy of Friends

Isabel Dalhousie Short Stories/Novellas

3 books

3 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Max & Maddy in order

2 books
  1. 1. Max & Maddy and the Bursting Balloons Mystery
  2. 2. Max & Maddy and the Chocolate Money Mystery

Alexander McCall Smith Short Stories/Novellas

2 books

2 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Paul Stuart in order

2 books
  1. 1. My Italian Bulldozer
  2. 2. The Second-Worst Restaurant in France

Myths in order

1 book
  1. 1. Dream Angus: The Celtic God of Dreams

Alexander McCall Smith Non-Fiction

1 book

1 title published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Detective Varg Short Stories/Novellas

1 book

1 title published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.

Big-Top Mysteries in order

1 book
  1. 1. The Big-Top Mysteries– The Case of the Vanishing Granny

Writers on Writers in order

1 book
  1. 4. What W. H. Auden Can Do for You

Mysterious Profiles in order

1 book
  1. 24. Precious Ramotswe

Alexander McCall Smith Books in Chronological Order

By publication date, the Alexander McCall Smith books run from White Hippo (1980) to The Big Cats Dance Party (2026), the sequence in the table above. No separate story order is recorded for Alexander McCall Smith in the book listings this catalogue merges, so publication order is the only order on record.

Do you have to read Alexander McCall Smith books in order?

You only need to read Alexander McCall Smith books in order within each series: the books listed here span 16 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Alexander McCall Smith

Start with the first book of the Alexander McCall Smith series you want to read: 44 Scotland Street starts with 44 Scotland Street (2005), No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency starts with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998) and Isabel Dalhousie starts with The Sunday Philosophy Club (2004). The earliest catalogued title overall is White Hippo (1980).

What is the newest Alexander McCall Smith book?

The Big Cats Dance Party (2026) is the newest Alexander McCall Smith book released so far.

Is there a new Alexander McCall Smith book coming?

No next Alexander McCall Smith book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Awards Alexander McCall Smith has won

Wikidata records 3 awards and 2 nominations for Alexander McCall Smith. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

Alexander McCall Smith at a glance

Still publishing
Alexander McCall Smith published a book as recently as 2026.
Release pace
Alexander McCall Smith books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
20,671 pages across the 108 of 165 books with a recorded length, a median of 214 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Alexander McCall Smith books, 58 of 165, were published in the 2010s.
Corroboration
8 of the 165 titles appear in all four independent book listings, and every one of them in at least three.

What the Alexander McCall Smith books are about

122 of the 165 Alexander McCall Smith books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: children's fiction is tagged on 26 of 122. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.