In this 24th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series - set in Gaborone, Botswana - Mma Precious Ramotswe and her colleague Mma Grace Makutsi address a variety of concerns, including a shady nightclub, an American woman looking for family connections, and a red dress.
The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
When Mma Ramotswe visits her old friend Mma Potokwane - the director of the Gabarone orphan farm - Mma Ramotswe hears a distressing tale from a housemother called Mma Ikobeng.
It seems that Mma Ikobeng's 30-year-old daughter Alice went to the Cool Singles Evening Club, hoping to meet an eligible bachelor. Alice met a man, but he turned out to be married, and Alice was heartbroken. Worse yet, it seems the nightclub PURPOSELY caters to married men looking to cheat on their wives.
The discovery incenses Mma Potokwane, who observes, "I think somebody should do something about this club....People just stand by and let this sort of thing happen. Well, I say we should fight back."
Mma Ramotswe agrees something should be done about the Cool Singles Evening Club, and knows she needs an undercover agent to investigate the nightspot.
So Mma Ramotswe entrusts the task to part-time apprentice detective Charlie, who was a 'player' before he got married. Charlie uncovers some pertinent information, and guided by Mma Makutsi, he makes a move. Unfortunately Charlie's action has unintended consequences.
Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe is approached by an American woman called Julia Cotterell, who has a distant connection with a Botswana man named Khumo.
Khumo signed up with the Allies during World War II, and finally ended up in Europe, where he became acquainted with Julia's forebears. Now Julia would like to meet Khumo's family, and she asks for Mma Ramotswe's help.
Julia mentions that Khumo came from Mochudi, which is Mma Ramotswe's home town. This leads Mma Ramotswe to ponder: "Years had passed since she had left the village, but it was still her place, the spot to which she knew she could return at whatever stage of life she had reached, and belong. That was the definition of home." Mma Ramotswe and Julia visit Mochudi, and try to make a connection there.
Finally, a red dress meant to be a gift for Mma Ramotswe turns out to be problematic for the traditionally built woman.
In the end, everything is resolved satisfactorally, which is a perk of this uplifting series.
I always enjoy visiting with Mma Ramotswe and the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It's great to see Mma Ramotswe solve problems in her unique and thoughtful fashion.
Thanks to Netgalley, Alexander McCall Smith, and Pantheon for a copy of the book.
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