Investigating the theft of a valuable painting that was supposed to be donated to the Scottish National Gallery, Isabel harbors a growing suspicion that the thieves may be close to the painting's wealthy owner.

Isabel Dalhousie helps a new friend discover the identity of her father. But Isabel also manages to find time for her own concerns: her young son, Charlie, already walking and talking; her housekeeper, Grace, whose spiritualist has lately been doubling as a financial advisor; her niece Cat's latest relationship; and the pressing question of when and how Isabel and Jamie should finally get married.

Sleuth Precious Ramotswe is asked to locate two women, her assistant starts a typing school for men, and the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency gets a competitor when a new agency opens.

ISABEL DALHOUSIE - Book 6

Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective.  Whether investigating a case or a problem of philosophy, the indefatigable Isabel Dalhousie, one of fiction’s most richly developed amateur detectives, is always ready to pursue the answers to all of life’s questions, large

...

"In the latest book in the widely beloved No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Precious Ramotswe takes on a case for a childhood acquaintance but her inquiries will require an even more delicate touch than usual. Mma Ramotswe reconnects with an old friend who has been having problems with her daughter. Though Precious feels compelled to lend a hand, she discovers that getting involved in family affairs is always a delicate proposion. Mr. J.L.B....

Ramotswe tangles with a feral child, the finalists in a beauty pageant and a suspicious cook. In Morality for Beautiful Girls, Precious Ramotswe, founder and owner of the only detective agency for the concerns of both ladies and others, investigates the alleged poisoning of the brother of an important "Government Man," and the moral character of the four finalists of the Miss Beauty and Integrity Contest, the winner of which will almost certainly...

In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: 'You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about. It is a simple device: people brought together entertain one another with tales of what happened to them on trains. It takes place on a journey I frequently...

With the German blitz looming over London and scathing memories of her broken marriage fresh in her mind, La flees to small-town England. To pass the time, La organizes an amateur orchestra, which garners attention from shelter-seeking musicians, including Feliks, a Polish refugee for whom she falls.

Hired by a client who has left a safari guide with a large sum of money, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi head to the camp. Upon meeting the man with the money, Precious has her doubts about the legitimacy of the whole ordeal. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi's fiance, Phuti Radiphuti, has an accident, forcing his domineering aunt to move in with him.