Bertie's Theory of Ice Cream: A 44 Scotland Street Novel
By (Author) Alexander McCall Smith
Birlinn General
Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited
14th November 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Category fiction
Family life fiction
Fiction: general and literary
Fiction and Related items
Hardback
256
Width 138mm, Height 216mm, Spine 20mm
424g
"It's like ice cream, Mr Flynn," Bertie continued. "When you have ice cream, you need to eat it straight away, otherwise it melts. If there are people who haven't got any, you should share it, if you can."
When despair for the world grows, Bertie's theory of ice cream reminds us that it's the simple pleasures in life that we should hold onto. And everyone's favourite seven-year-old has a lot to put up with: at home, Irene is planning lessons on Irish Culture for Bertie; at school, he is forced to join Olive and Pansy's book group, and during a day out with his best friend Ranald Braveheart Macpherson, the boys find themselves unexpectedly invited to a wedding.
Meanwhile, Bruce's latest property venture goes horribly wrong after trying to move a flat's front door to give it a more prestigious address. At Nine Mile Burn, Matthew and the triplets try to adopt an unwillingly-vegan dog. And Sister Maria-Fiori dei Fiore Montagna discovers the missing part of the Stone of Scone in Drummond Place Gardens.
Filled with Alexander McCall Smith's trademark warmth and humour, this latest book in the series is a must-read.
'Today there is hardly anyone who reads English at all who does not know and enjoy the doings of the denizens at that address and their friends and associates'
-- Peter Costello * Irish Catholic *Alexander McCall Smithis the author of the highly successfulNo. 1 Ladies' Detective Agencyseries, which has sold over twenty-five million copies. Since then he has devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into over forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world. These include the44 Scotland Streetnovels, first published as a serial novel in theScotsman, theIsabel Dalhousienovels, theVon Igelfeldseries and theCorduroy Mansionsnovels.