To the Land of Long Lost Friends

Although the three cases in the To The Land of Long Lost Friends by Alexander McCall Smith are not paying clients for Mma Ramotswe, but as always she is entirely dedicated to results. 

While having lunch one day, Precious is startled to see someone she thought was "late." Her friend Calviniah Ramoroka had been reported killed in a road accident, but her she was having lunch at the same place as Precious. Precious soon learns there was someone else with the same name killed in the accident. 

She is so relived her friend is still alive and promises to help her reconcile with her daughter. It seems Calviniah's twenty-four-year-old daughter suddenly has no time for her mother. As much as she has tried to understand why this has happened, Calviniah believes she hasn't done anything to deserve the cold shoulder. 

Precious also learns another friend of theirs has lost all her money. Poppy was the owner of a large store in Francistown and now she has given all her money to a a minister who started his own church called the Church of Christ, Mechanic. 

With no real cases to deal with, Precious decides to help Calviniah reconcile with her daughter and get Poppy's money back. Suddenly the two cases have an overlap and with her usual flair and folksy wisdom, Precious finds a way to solve both cases and wrap up another one she thought was solved.

And then there's Charlie who wants to marry Queenie-Queenie but he had no money to pay the bridal dowry. Poor Charlie, only an assistant, not even a detective. 

As usual this delightful series enables the reader to take a deep breathe of the clear air in Botswana and relax a little.