Dear Readers, I know that you have to be positive, but you can’t help regretting the end of summer, when there are so many things still to be done and when you think that the trees might make just a little bit of an effort to remain green for a short while longer before … […]

Dear Readers, This is being written on a January afternoon which, at our latitude, will always be a short one. At 56 degrees North, which is where our house in the Scottish Highlands is, by four o’clock darkness has descended. And yet the winter light – when it is present – can be most beguiling. […]

Dear Readers, Christmas and New Year are good times to catch up on reading. I like to find somewhere in the house that is quiet and warm and bury myself in a book. Occasionally I surface to meet friends or family, and then return to that wonderful retreat that is a good book! But it’s […]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo introduced us to ‘Scandi-Noir’. Now, it’s time to discover Alexander McCall Smith’s world of Scandi-Blanc . . . So, what is it? Scandi-Blanc is a wholly original genre of fiction created by internationally bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith marked by wit, warmth and unusual crimes and criminals. It’s the […]

Dear Readers, I have just returned from Botswana and am now back in Scotland. Autumn is upon us in a convincing way, having tried to make its appearance this year in June, July, August and September. The trees really believe the weather now and are taking appropriate action. (Those Autumn Leaves, by the way, was […]

April 2018   Dear Readers,   A few weeks ago, I returned from my Australian tour. I am now in Edinburgh and working on two or three projects that are getting to an advanced stage. I was sorry to leave Australia – I always enjoy being there, but on one thing most of us can […]