Edinburgh philosopher and amateur sleuth Isabel Dalhousie finds herself tested as a parent, philosopher, sleuth, and friend in the ninth book of her mystery series. When a wealthy art collector seeks her help when a valuable painting is stolen from him, she discovers that the thieves are closer to the owner than he would have expected. At the same time, Isabel must decide what to do with her son when she discovers he's a budding mathematical genius....

There is never a quiet moment on 44 Scotland Street. In The World According to Bertie, Pat deals with the reappearance of Bruce, which has her heart skippingand not in a pleasant way. Angus Lordie's dog Cyril has been taken away by the authorities, accused of being a serial biter. Unexpectedly, Domenica has offered to help free him. As usual, Big Lou is still looking for love, and handing out coffee and advice to the always contemplative Matthew....

While investigating the murders of two teenagers at an Edinburgh boarding school by a reclusive former soldier, Inspector Rebus faces possible suspension when the man stalking his partner dies in a fire Rebus is suspected of setting.

"A missing private investigator is found locked in a car hidden deep in the woods. Worse still--both for his family and the police--is that his body was in an area that had already been searched. Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke is part of a new inquiry, combing through the mistakes of the original case. There were always suspicions over how the investigation was handled, and now--after a decade without answers--it's time for the truth. Every officer...

It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand its interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults...

When friends from Dallas arrive in Edinburgh and introduce Isabel to Tom Bruce, a bigwig at home in Texas, several confounding situations unfurl at once. Tom's young fiancée's roving eye leads Isabel to believe that money may be the root of her love for Tom. But what, Isabel wonders, is the root of the interest Tom begins to show for Isabel herself? And she can't forget about her niece, Cat, who's busy falling for a man whom Isabel suspects of being...

Sent to man an abandoned police station during an international conference between the leaders of the free world, Inspector John Rebus investigates the suspicious falling death of a delegate at an Edinburgh banquet.

After a patient dies accidentally, an impeccably credentialed doctor is accused of fraudulent involvement with a new drug. Isabel Dalhousie launches an investigation, concerned that a good man's reputation will be ruined. Could the doctor be taking the fall for someone else's mistake? Or did a nefarious pharmaceutical company put its lofty ambitions ahead of safety?