Part of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, book 17
First published 2016
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi run the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency together in Botswana. A new client arrives with an unusual request. She left Botswana thirty years ago and wants to rediscover the life she abandoned. The case splits the two detective partners down the middle. Each woman believes she has found the right approach to help their client. Their methods pull them in opposite directions. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe faces other complications. She must rescue Mr Polopetsi from a brewing disaster that could affect many people. Fanwell the mechanic brings a stray dog into their workplace. Their old nemesis Violet Sephotho creates fresh trouble. The summer heat bears down on Botswana as the agency struggles with these challenges. The partnership between Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi faces its biggest test. Their friendship strains under the pressure of disagreement. The client's search for her past forces everyone to confront difficult truths about moving forward.
Genres: african-literature, mystery, contemporary, detective
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Botswana
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
227 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon