Part of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, book 23
First published 2022
Grace Makutsi watches her husband Phuti struggle against ruthless competitors targeting his furniture business. An international company undercuts his prices and launches a polished marketing campaign designed to destroy his reputation for quality and comfort. Phuti built his success on craftsmanship, but profit-focused rivals threaten everything he created. Grace turns to Mma Ramotswe for help devising a counterstrike that might save the business. Meanwhile, an old friend asks Grace to help her troubled son. The boy resists their efforts and proves harder to reach than expected. Grace and Phuti quickly realize they need reinforcements. They call on Mma Ramotswe and the powerful Mma Potokwani to intervene. Grace handles mounting pressures at home while managing these twin crises. The kindness and wisdom that define the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency guide their approach to both problems, promising resolution through patience rather than force.
Genres: fiction, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Africa
Period: 21st-century
256 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown