In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

by Alexander McCall Smith

Part of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, book 6

First published 2005

Precious Ramotswe thought she had her hands full at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Her assistant Mma Makutsi struggles through dance lessons with a clumsy partner who can barely manage a simple step. At home on Zebra Drive, a strange intruder has been prowling around her house, leaving behind the puzzling evidence of a pumpkin. Her husband Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni wrestles with mounting problems at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, made worse when one of his apprentices abandons his duties to chase after a wealthy woman. But these troubles pale when an unexpected visitor arrives at Ramotswe's door. This person carries knowledge of something Ramotswe has kept buried, a secret that threatens to shake the steady foundation of her life. As the confrontation unfolds under the wide skies of Botswana, Ramotswe must decide whether to face what she has long avoided or let the past remain hidden.

Genres: african-literature, mystery, contemporary, detective

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family

Setting: Botswana, Zebra Drive, Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors

Period: Contemporary

233 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon

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