The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

by Alexander McCall Smith, 2007

2007 installment of #1 Ladies Detective Series. They just get better and better! LOVE these books. In this one, Mr. JLB Matekoni takes a case- follows the wrong guy – but it actually turns out better than if he’d followed the right guy! (2 men in red cars)

Mma Makutsi quits and thinks she will get a better job – realizes after one morning that she was in the right place and returns much to everyone’s relief.

Charlie quits and has #1 Ladies Taxi Service – has his 1st customer and starts day dreaming, runs a red light and has an accident. So, he comes back, too.

Cases – Hospital deaths – always on the Friday – same bed – it was the floor polisher – she unplugged the breathing machines on that bed and used it for her floor polisher. But the hospital administrator already knew it and didn’t want the woman fired. Mma Ramotswe agreed – she wrote up the case and concluded that no further action was required in respect of incidents in which nobody was to blame.

Mma Makutsi investigated the printing company- supplies kept getting stolen. She gives the suspect the key to the supply cabinet and all authority. He stole everything and took off.

Mr. JLB Matekoni’s case – find out who this woman’s husband is having an affair with – the rudest woman in Botswana. Mr. JLB Matekoni follows the wrong man. She wouldn’t say anything more than he drives a red car and leaves at 5:00 p.m. Two men came out at 5:00 p.m. and got into red cars! When he shows her a picture of the man he followed, it turns out to be her husband’s co-worker going home to his wife. But Mr. JLB Matekoni also overheard a conversation this man had with Charlie Tsongo – a corrupt businessman. And that piece of info made her forget entirely about her husband’s infidelity – they started talking about that.

Also, Mr. JLB Matekoni was heart sick over a photograph that was on the camera when he had his photo developed. It was of Mma Ramotswe and another man – with his arm around her. He finally showed it to Mma Ramotswe and it turned out to be a photo of a woman who looks like Mma Ramotswe and her husband.