Those were his thoughts. But how could he say any of that to her? Any time he tried to tell her what was in his heart, the words which came to him seemed so inadequate. A mechanic cannot be a poet, he thought, that is not how things are. So he simply said:
“I am very happy that I fixed your van for you. I would have been sorry if somebody else had lied to you and said it was not worth fixing. There are people like that in the motor trade.”
“I know,” said Mma Ramotswe. “But you are not like that.”
He said nothing. There were times when you simply had to speak, or you would have your lifetime ahead to regret not speaking. But every time he had tried to speak to her of what was in his heart, he had failed. He had already asked her to marry him and that had not been a great success. He did not have a great deal of confidence, at least with people; cars were different, of course.
“I am very happy sitting here with you …”
She turned to him. “What did you say?”
“I said, please marry me, Mma Ramotswe. I am just Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, that’s all, but please marry me and make me happy.”
“Of course I will,” said Mma Ramotswe.
“A literary confection. …
There is no end to the pleasure.”
—The New York Times Book Review
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY
Volume 1
Millions of readers have fallen in love with the traditionally built, eminently sensible, and cunning proprietor of the only ladies’ detective agency in Botswana.
TEARS OF THE GIRAFFE
Volume 2
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is growing, and in the midst of solving her usual cases—from an unscrupulous maid to a missing American—sensible and cunning detective Mma Ramotswe ponders her impending marriage, promotes her talented secretary, and finds her family suddenly and unexpectedly increased by two.
MORALITY FOR BEAUTIFUL GIRLS
Volume 3
While trying to resolve some financial problems for her business, Mma Ramotswe finds herself investigating the alleged poisoning of a government official as well as the moral character of the four finalists of the Miss Beauty and Integrity contest. Other difficulties arise at her fiancé’s Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, as Mma Ramotswe discovers he is more complicated than he seems.
The mysteries are “smart and sassy … [with] the power to amuse or shock or touch the heart, sometimes all at once.”
—Los Angeles Times
THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN
Volume 4
Mma Ramotswe is content. But, as always, there are troubles. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has not set the date for their wedding, her assistant Mma Makutsi wants a husband, and worst of all, a rival detective agency has opened up in town. Of course, Mma Ramotswe will manage these things, as she always does, with her uncanny insight and good heart.
THE FULL CUPBOARD OF LIFE
Volume 5
Mma Ramotswe has weighty matters on her mind. She has been approached by a wealthy lady to check up on several suitors. Are these men interested in her or just her money? This may be difficult to find out, but it’s just the kind of case Mma Ramotswe likes.
“One of the best, most charming, honest, hilarious, and life-affirming [series] to appear in years.”
—The Plain Dealer
IN THE COMPANY OF CHEERFUL LADIES
Volume 6
Precious Ramotswe is busier than usual at the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency when the appearance of a strange intruder in her house and a mysterious pumpkin in her yard add to her concerns. But what finally rattles Mma Ramotswe’s normally unshakable composure is the visitor who forces her to confront a painful secret from her past.
BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS
Volume 7
Mma Ramotswe and her inestimable assistant, Grace Makutsi, have their hands full with finding a cobra in their office and investigating the medical clinic and the local advice columnist. But the most troubling situation is in Mma Makutsi’s personal life. When her wealthy fiancé misses their customary dinner date, Mma Makutsi wonders if he’s having second thoughts about their engagement, but Mma Ramotswe once again steps in with calming, sage advice.
“A quiet joy, a little gem … set apart from the genre by the quality of its writing, as well as by its exotic setting.”
—The Boston Globe
THE GOOD HUSBAND OF ZEBRA DRIVE
Volume 8
In the life of Mma Ramotswe there is rarely a dull moment, and lately her husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, has been keeping her occupied above all else. He has been hinting for some time now that he intends to do something special for their adopted daughter, Motholeli, but when his plan hits some snags he finds himself lucky to be married to the ever-resourceful, ever-understanding Precious Ramotswe.
THE MIRACLE AT SPEEDY MOTORS
Volume 9
Investigating her latest case, Mma Ramotswe has to trek to a game preserve, where she rediscovers the breathtaking beauty of her beloved Botswana. She is there to uncover the truth about an elderly American traveler whose safari proved to be his last journey. What she discovers is a surprise to everyone concerned.
“One of the most entrancing literary treats of many a year. A tapestry of extraordinary nuance and richness.”
—The Wall Street Journal
TEA TIME FOR THE TRADITIONALLY BUILT
Volume 10
Mma Ramotswe’s white van, in need of repair, is replaced with a new, characterless vehicle by her husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. She sets out to find the van, unaware that it has been stolen from the man who bought it. Elsewhere, the owner of a local football team has enlisted the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to help explain its dreadful losing streak: surely someone must be fixing the games.
THE DOUBLE COMFORT SAFARI CLUB
Volume 11
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi travel to the north of Botswana, to the stunning Okavango Delta, to visit a safari lodge where several unexplained and troubling events have occurred–including the demise of one of the guests.
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ HBO® SERIES
Filmed entirely on location in Botswana and coproduced with the Weinstein Company and the BBC, the series began with a two-hour pilot directed by Anthony Minghella (The English Patient). The series is now available on DVD.
For more information about the series, please visit: www.hbo.com/no1ladiesdetectiveagency
____________________________________________________________
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY BOXED SETS
3-volume includes: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Tears of the Giraffe, and Morality for Beautiful Girls
5-volume includes: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, and The Full Cupboard of Life
THE ISABEL DALHOUSIE NOVELS
“The literary equivalent of herbal tea and a cozy fire… McCall Smith’s Scotland [is] well worth future visits.”
—The New York Times
The Sunday Philosophy Club
Volume 1
Isabel Dalhousie is fond of problems, and sometimes she becomes interested in problems that are, quite frankly, none of her business—including some that are best left to the police. Filled with endearingly thorny characters and a Scottish atmosphere as thick as a highland mist, The Sunday Philosophy Club is an irresistible pleasure.
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate
Volume 2
While taking care of her niece Cat’s delicatessen, Isabel meets a heart transplant patient who has had some strange experiences in the wake of his surgery. Against the advice of her housekeeper, Isabel is intent on investigating. Matters are further complicated when Cat returns from vacation with a new boyfriend, and Isabel’s fondness for him lands her in another muddle.
The Right Attitude to Rain
Volume 3
When Isabel’s cousin from Dallas arrives in Edinbu
rgh, she introduces Isabel to a bigwig Texan whose young fiancée may just be after his money. Then there’s her niece, Cat, who’s busy falling for a man whom Isabel suspects of being an incorrigible mama’s boy. Isabel is advised to stay out of it all, but the philosophical issues of these matters of the heart prove too tempting for her to resist.
“Offers tantalizing glimpses of Edinburgh’s complex character and a nice, long look into the beautiful mind of a thinking woman.”
—The New York Times Book Review
The Careful Use of Compliments
Volume 4
There’s a new little Dalhousie on the scene, and while the arrival of Isabel’s son presents her with the myriad wonders of life, it doesn’t diminish her curiosity about other things. While attending an art auction, she discovers a mystery revealed in one of the paintings, launching her into yet another intriguing investigation.
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday
Volume 5
A doctor’s career has been ruined by allegations of medical fraud and Isabel cannot ignore what may be a miscarriage of justice. Meanwhile, there is her baby, Charlie, who needs looking after; her niece, Cat, who needs someone to mind her deli; and a mysterious composer who has latched on to Jamie, making Isabel decidedly uncomfortable.
“Whimsical. … [A] memorable cast of characters.… [McCall Smith’s] fans are sure to embrace these moral peregrinations among the plaid.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
The Lost Art of Gratitude
Volume 6
When Minty Auchterlonie takes Isabel into her confidence about the complicated troubles at the investment bank she heads, Isabel finds herself going another round: Is Minty to be trusted? Or is she the perpetrator of an enormous financial fraud? As always, there is no end to the delight in accompanying Isabel as she makes her way toward the heart of every problem.
THE 44 SCOTLAND STREET SERIES
“Will make you feel as though you live in Edinburgh. … Long live the folks on Scotland Street.”
—The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
44 SCOTLAND STREET
Volume 1
All of Alexander McCall Smith’s trademark warmth and wit come into play in this novel chronicling the lives of the residents of a converted Georgian town house in Edinburgh. Complete with colorful characters, love triangles, and even a mysterious art caper, this is an unforgettable portrait of Edinburgh society.
ESPRESSO TALES
Volume 2
The eccentric residents of 44 Scotland Street are back. From the talented six-year-old Bertie, who is forced to arrive in pink overalls for his first day of class, to the self-absorbed Bruce, who contemplates a change of career in between admiring glances in the mirror, there is much in store as fall settles on Edinburgh.
LOVE OVER SCOTLAND
Volume 3
Complications continue in the lives of the denizens of 44 Scotland Street. From conducting perilous anthropological studies of pirate households to being inadvertently left behind on a school trip to Paris, the wonderful misadventures of these residents will charm and delight.
“McCall Smith’s assessments of fellow humans are piercing and profound. … [His] depictions of Edinburgh are vivid and seamless.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BERTIE
Volume 4
There is never a quiet moment in the tenement on 44 Scotland Street. Pat is forced to deal with the reappearance of Bruce, which has her heart skipping—and not in the most pleasant way. Angus Lordie’s dog, Cyril, has been taken away by the authorities, accused of being a serial biter, but Domenica has unexpectedly offered to help free him. And Bertie, the beleaguered Italian-speaking prodigy and saxophonist, now has a little brother, Ulysses, who he can only hope will distract his mother, Irene.
The sensational fifth installment in the “utterly enchanting” 44 Scotland Street series
—Chicago Sun-Times
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF SCONES
Volume 5
Featuring all the quirky characters we have come to know and love, The Unbearable Lightness of Scones finds Bertie, the precocious six-year-old, still troubled by his rather overbearing mother, Irene, but seeking his escape in the Cub Scouts. Matthew is rising to the challenge of married life with newfound strength and resolve, while Domenica epitomizes the loneliness of the long-distance intellectual. Cyril, the gold-toothed star of the whole show, succumbs to the kind of romantic temptation that no dog can resist and creates a small problem, or rather six of them, for his friend and owner, Angus Lordie.
“Superlative. … [An] understanding, affectionate look at [the] human frailties … foibles … and misadventures of a precocious six-year-old, Bertie Pollock, and a host of other folks in contemporary Edinburgh.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
THREE NOVELLAS INTRODUCING THE ECCENTRIC AND EVER-LIKABLE PROFESSOR DR VON IGELFELD
“A deftly rendered trilogy … [with] endearingly eccentric characters.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
Welcome to the insane and rarified world of Professor Dr MoritzMaria von Igelfeld of the Institute of Romance Philology. Von Igelfeld is engaged in a never-ending quest to win the respect he feels certain he is due—a quest that has a way of going hilariously astray.
Portuguese Irregular Verbs
The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs
At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances
ALSO BY ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
LA’S ORCHESTRA SAVES THE WORLD
It is 1939, and Lavender—La to her friends—has fled London for small-town life to avoid German bombs and to escape memories of her shattered marriage. As the war drags on, in need of some diversion and to boost the town’s morale, La organizes an amateur orchestra, drawing musicians from the village and local RAF base, including Feliks, a shy Polish refugee who becomes La’s prized recruit. Does La’s orchestra save the world? The people who come to hear it think so. But, what will become of it after the war is over? And what will become of La herself?
“Delightful. … A fresh and unforgettable story about the power of human kindness. Highly recommended.”
—Booklist (starred review)
The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales from Africa
“These are pithy, engaging tales, as habit-forming as peanuts.”
—Publishers Weekly
Available at your local bookstore, or visit www.alexandermccallsmith.com
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Alexander McCall Smith
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WWW.ALEXANDERMCCALLSMITH.COM
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ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH
THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY
Alexander McCall Smith is a professor of medical law at Edinburgh University. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of Botswana. He is the author of over fifty books on a wide range of subjects, including specialist titles such as Forensic Aspects of Sleep and The Criminal Law of Botswana, children’s books such as The Perfect Hamburger, and a collection of stories called Portuguese Irregular Verbs.
First Anchor Books Edition, August 2002
Copyright © 1998 by Alexander McCall Smith
&nbs
p; All rights reserved under International and Pan-American
Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by
Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York,
and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada
Limited, Toronto. Originally published in softcover
in Scotland by Polygon, Edinburgh, in 1998.
Anchor Books and colophon are registered trademarks
of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McCall Smith, R. A.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency / Alexander McCall Smith.
p. cm.
1. Women private investigators—Botswana—Fiction. 2. Botswana—Fiction.
I. Title: Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency. II. Title.
PR6063.C326 N6 2002
821'.914—dc21
2002018694
www.anchorbooks.com