As the temperature rises in Gaborone Precious Ramotswe founder of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective
Agency wonders whether the heat could be the reason that business is particularly slow.
Luckily a slower pace in life is her natural preference unlike her colleague Mma Makutsi who
is alert to every passing observation and inclined to making snap decisions. With fewer cases
to handle Precious has time to contemplate her new neighbours a couple who by the sounds of
it have a rather volatile relationship . . . But then a distant cousin of Mma Ramotswe's comes
to the agency with a plea for help and the ladies decide to pursue the issue together. Armed
with Mma Ramotswe's circumspection and Mma Makutsi's sharp eye they proceed with confidence
and open hearts. What after all could be more straightforward than a family matter? Meanwhile
their colleague Charlie is behaving oddly borrowing Mma Ramotswe's van and returning it in an
unusual condition. Digging a little deeper the explanation is both strange and extraordinary
and takes Charlie along with Mma Ramotswe's husband Mr J. L. B. Matekoni on a hair-raising
night-time expedition. In the end Precious is reminded of the need to view a picture from
every angle to accept the imperfections in people and situations and then find a solution -
preferably over a delicious slice of her friend Mma Potokwani's fruit cake.
