Isabel Dalhousie is a wealthy 40-ish-year-old philosopher and amateur detective in Alexander McCall Smith’s popular series. Single and living in Edinburgh, Isabel is a seemingly logical and unemotional person at the beginning of the series, but she is confronted with relationships and moral dilemmas that challenge her assumptions about herself and people throughout the series.

Readers enjoy the books for their mix of romance and light-hearted mysteries, and, like many Alexander McCall Smith novels, they are comedic and filled with a delightful ensemble cast of characters.

Fans of the Isabel Dalhousie novels recommend reading the series in order to fully enjoy the amateur sleuth’s mysteries and moral philosophy. There are currently three short stories in the series that fall into the chronology as follows: The Perils of Morning Coffee (8.5), At the Reunion Buffet (10.5), and Sweet, Thoughtful Valentine (10.7). However, these short stories can be read as standalone stories.