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In the Time of Five Pumpkins: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (26)

by Alexander McCall Smith

New cases arrive with the rains in Gaborone

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Hardcover New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

New cases arrive with the rains in Gaborone

The first rains after a dry summer bring Mma Ramotswe a client who suspects his wife of an affair. As she and Charlie investigate, doubts emerge about how fully the client has explained the situation. A second concern is closer to home: Mma Ramotswe worries that Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s new friend, a prominent figure in the motor trade, may have motives of his own. The cases unfold alongside familiar connections with Mma Potokwane, whose advice and garden-grown pumpkins accompany the story’s Gaborone setting. This installment brings together questions of trust in both professional investigations and personal relationships.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers following Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.
  • Readers interested in women-sleuth mysteries set in Gaborone.
  • Readers who enjoy detective plots involving questions of trust and personal relationships.

Themes

Trust and honestyFriendship and counselCommunityWomen sleuths

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

In this newest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe takes on a number of perplexing situations, and while she tries to maintain her usual impartiality, it's difficult when one of the cases involves someone so close to her heart.

"Delightful . . . The warm humanity infused throughout [these] novels is what brings readers back . . . [McCall Smith] brings out the profound importance of everyday revelations." --San Francisco Chronicle


Mma Ramotswe can sense the rain long before it comes. It's been a long, dry summer, but the first downpour of the season tends to bring with it new growth. In this case, it also brings a new client, who suspects his wife of having an affair. Mma Ramotswe is on the case, and she decides to bring Charlie along. But as they look further into the matter, they begin to suspect their client may not have been entirely truthful in explaining his predicament.

Meanwhile, Mr. J.L.B.'s Matekoni has struck up a new friendship with a man named Mr. Mogorosi, a prominent figure in the motor trade business. Mma Ramotswe is concerned that Mr. Mogorosi may have ulterior motives for his attentions. When the two go on a fishing trip in waters teeming with dangerous crocodiles, she begins to worry for Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's safety.

And though Mma Ramotswe has never quite perfected Mma Potokwane's delicious fruit cake recipe, she can always rely on her old friend for a steaming cup of red bush tea, some wise counsel, and a generous slice of cake. As welcome storms roll in to the little city of Gaborone, the pumpkins in Mma Potokwane's garden flourish, as do her keen insights. These will prove invaluable to Mma Ramotswe as she navigates these sensitive matters with her usual good humor and compassion.
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