Tears of the Giraffe

alexander mccall smith

Precious Ramotswe is the eminently sensible and cunning proprietor of the only ladies’ detective agency in Botswana. In Tears of the Giraffe she tracks a wayward wife, uncovers an unscrupulous maid, and searches for an American man who disappeared into the plains many years ago. In the midst of resolving uncertainties, pondering her impending marriage to a good, kind man, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, and the promotion of her talented secretary (a graduate of the Botswana Secretarial College, with a mark of 97 per cent), she also finds her family suddenly and unexpectedly increased by two.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres mysteryfictionafricacrimebotswanadetectiveaudiobookmystery thrillercozy mysteryhumor

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1,2000

Series

No. 1 Ladies/ Detective Agency

Places

bulawayo, gaborone, botswana, zimbabwe,

This edition

Format: 240 pages, Hardcover
Published: December 31, 2008 by Pantheon Books
ISBN: 9780375423888
ASIN: 0375423885
Language: English

Characters More characters

Precious Ramotswe

a clever and generous woman who runs the only female-headed detective agency in Botswana -- possibly the only detective agency; she solves crimes based on her knowledge of human nature and hard work...
Puso

a Masarwa orphan and the younger brother of Motholeli; they are Precious Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matakonis foster childrenmore...
Silvia Potokwani

the matron of the orphan farm, always pestering Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni for free repairs...
J.l.b. Matekoni

owner of Tlokweng Speedy Motors...
Motholeli

a Masarwa orphan who is in a wheelchair due to polio; she loves mechanics and is the sister of Puso; they are Precious Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekonis foster childrenmore...
Grace Makutsi

a bespectacled super secretary who rises to become Precious Ramtoswes assistant at the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency; she graduated from the Botswana Secretarial College with a never-equaled 97 percent; she goes a long way from her roots in im...

About the author

alexander mccall smith

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.