Part of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, book 2
First published 2002
Precious Ramotswe operates her detective agency from Gaborone, tracking down missing persons and solving domestic mysteries across Botswana. She investigates a cheating spouse, exposes a dishonest domestic worker, and searches for an American who vanished into the countryside years earlier. Between cases, Precious considers her upcoming wedding to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, a reliable garage owner who offers her stability and companionship. Her secretary Grace Makutsi, who scored ninety-seven percent at secretarial college, earns a well-deserved promotion for her sharp instincts and dedication. As Precious solves other people's problems with patience and insight, her own life transforms unexpectedly when two children join her household. She balances her professional duties with personal decisions, guided by traditional wisdom and practical common sense. The cases reveal human nature in all its complexity, while Precious discovers that family can arrive in surprising ways.
Genres: romance, african-literature, mystery, contemporary, detective
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Botswana, Gaborone
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
227 pages · Paperback · Random House Anchor