44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

First in the series, this book comprises of 110 sections was originally serialized in the Scotsman. We follow the lives of residents of an Edinburgh boarding house. We're first introduced to Pat, 21, who is on her second "gap year" (her first yearlong break from her studies was such a flop she refuses to discuss it). She is employed at a minor art gallery and newly settled at the eponymous address, where she admires vain flatmate Bruce and befriends neighbor Domenica. A low-level mystery develops about a possibly valuable painting that Pat discovers, proceeds to lose and then finds in the unlikely possession of Ian Rankin, whose bestselling mysteries celebrate the dark side of Edinburgh just as Smith's explore the (mostly) sunny side. The possibility of romance, the ongoing ups and downs of the large, well-drawn cast of characters, the intricate plot and the way Smith nimbly jumps from situation to situation and POV to POV.

I can see how this was written as a serial as each section has a bit of an ending with a bit of a cliffhanger so you want to read the next installment to find out what happened next. I love all of McCall Smith's works and enjoyed this as much as his other series. I listened to this on CD in the car and it was something I looked forward to every day while driving. I'm so glad that there are more out there to read.