Ten books that show how Edinburgh is a characterful city

Explore the streets through the eyes of some of its most famous authors

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark The best known novel by Dame Muriel Spark, right, published in 1961, tells the story of a charismatic teacher at an Edinburgh girls’ school. Miss Brodie’s elite group of pupils – the ‘crème de la crème’ – learn about her love of travel, art and fascism. However, Brodie’s tangled love affairs mean that her prime cannot last forever. A Work of Beauty, by Alexander Mccall Smith The author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series brings together stories, photographs, maps and paintings in this unique love letter to Scotland’s capital. Giving readers both the big picture and the hidden detail, this book provides a tour of Edinburgh through the past and the present. A Work of Beauty gives you the chance to learn more about the city’s most famous landmarks, its lost buildings, and its most fascinating characters. Knots and Crosses, by Ian Rankin This brilliantly suspenseful 1987 book is the first in the Rebus series by Ian Rankin, above, in which the harddrinking detective must help investigate the brutal murder of two young girls, while struggling with his own dark past. Taunted by a puzzle of knotted string and matchstick crosses, Rebus is the only one who can solve the crime. A Method Actor’s Guide to Jekyll and Hyde, by Kevin Macneil This funny and touching 2010 novel follows the story of Robert Lewis, a troubled young actor whose life is getting out of control. While starring in a new adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde in Edinburgh, Robert’s life takes a turn for the worse, with everything beginning to crumble around him. This novel explores the nature of duality, with a healthy dose of humour and plenty of heart. Burke and Hare: The Graphic Novel, by Martin Conaghan and Will Pickering This award-winning 2011 graphic novel re-examines the bloody history of Burke and Hare, the infamous Edinburgh murderers who sold the corpses of their victims to the anatomist Dr Robert Knox. Painstakingly researched and beautifully illustrated, this book brings to life the horror of Burke and Hare’s crimes. The story sticks to the facts, and provides a very atmospheric view of 19th century Edinburgh. The Heart of Midlothian, by Sir Walter Scott Beginning with the Edinburgh riots of 1736, Walter Scott’s 1818 historical masterpiece centres on the grim Tolbooth prison, known as the Heart of Midlothian. Scott, above, tells the story of Jeanie Deans, a young woman who travels from Edinburgh to London on foot to beg for a royal pardon for her sister. Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson This rollicking adventure, published in 1886, begins with the orphan David Balfour, who goes to live with his reclusive uncle in the Cramond. After finding out his uncle’s villainous intentions, David escapes before being kidnapped and imprisoned on a ship bound for the Carolinas. Set in the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion, this novel offers unforgettable characters and a gripping story. One Good Turn, by Kate Atkinson This wryly funny and thrillingly addictive novel from 2006 begins when Edinburgh Festival punters witness a road rage incident. Jackson Brodie, a former private detective, sees the attack, but soon becomes a murder suspect. As one character’s story is revealed, another makes itself known, each with their own troubles and longings. This is a thriller which packs emotional punch. Edinburgh: Mapping the City, by Chris Fleet and Daniel Maccannell The history of Edinburgh is tied up in its architecture. This beautiful book includes 71 maps of Edinburgh which tell the story of the city, beginning over five centuries ago. The maps each have their own tales to tell, showing how the city has changed and developed over time. Anyone who is interested in Scottish history will love this cartographic journey. Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh This cult classic novel from 1993 revolves around the lives of heroin addicts in Edinburgh, revealing the darkest, ugliest parts of their personalities, and of the city. Welsh, above, brings both wit and compassion to a grim subject matter.

MADDY SEARLE