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No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

by Alexander McCall Smith

25 books Started 1998 Latest 2024
Publication Reading Order

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a Legal Thriller / Children's Fiction series by Alexander McCall Smith, made up of 25 books published between 1998 and 2024. It begins with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is The Great Hippopotamus Hotel (2024), spanning 26 years of storytelling.

25books
26years active
4decades
~1.1yrs between books
2024latest release
# Title Year Buy
1990s
1 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 1998 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2000s
2 Tears of the Giraffe 2000 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
3 Morality for Beautiful Girls 2001 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
4 The Kalahari Typing School for Men 2002 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
5 The Full Cupboard of Life 2003 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
6 In the Company of Cheerful Ladies 2004 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
7 Blue Shoes and Happiness 2006 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
8 The Good Husband of Zebra Drive 2007 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
9 The Miracle at Speedy Motors 2008 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
10 Tea Time for the Traditionally Built 2009 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2010s
11 The Double Comfort Safari Club 2010 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
12 The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party 2010 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
13 The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection 2012 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
14 The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon 2013 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
15 The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café 2014 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
16 The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine 2015 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
17 Precious and Grace 2016 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
18 The House of Unexpected Sisters 2017 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
19 The Colors of All the Cattle 2018 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
20 To the Land of Long Lost Friends 2019 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2020s
21 How to Raise an Elephant 2020 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
22 The Joy and Light Bus Company 2021 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
23 A Song of Comfortable Chairs 2022 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
24 From a Far and Lovely Country 2023 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
25 The Great Hippopotamus HotelLatest 2024 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series: frequently asked questions

What order should I read the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series?

Start with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998), the first book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.

How many books are in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series?

There are 25 books in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, published between 1998 and 2024.

What is the first book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series?

The first book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, published in 1998 by Alexander McCall Smith.

What is the latest book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series?

The most recent book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is The Great Hippopotamus Hotel (2024) by Alexander McCall Smith.

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About Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith is a British author, best known for his series of novels set in Botswana featuring the character Precious Ramotswe, the proprietor of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. He was born in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) in 1948 and studied law in Edinburgh, Scotland. After working as a lawyer and then a university professor for many years, he began writing fiction in the 1990s. Smith's novels have been translated into over 40 languages and have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. He has also written several other series of novels, including the Isabel Dalhousie mysteries and the 44 Scotland Street series. Smith has received numerous awards for his writing, including the British Book Awards Author of the Year Award in 2005 and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book in 2006. He has also been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to literature. Smith's novels have been praised for their humor, warmth, and insight into human nature. He is considered one of the most popular and successful contemporary British authors.

View all Alexander McCall Smith series →

About the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series

Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels are warm, gentle, life-affirming mysteries set in Botswana. Precious Ramotswe, the country's first female private detective, solves everyday problems — unfaithful husbands, missing daughters, small deceptions — with intuition, kindness, and an unshakeable moral compass.

These are barely crime novels at all; they are really about decency, tradition, and the quiet dramas of ordinary life, told with humour and deep affection for Botswana and its people. Mma Ramotswe's tea-drinking wisdom is the heart of the series.

The books are best read in order from "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," as the recurring characters' lives — especially the agency's prim assistant Mma Makutsi — develop charmingly over time.