Wayward daughters. Missing husbands. Philandering partners. Curious conmen. If you've got a problem and no one else can help you, then pay a visit to Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's only - and finest - female private detective.

Her methods may not be conventional, and her manner not exactly Miss Marple, but she's got warmth, wit and canny intuition on her side, not to mention Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, the charming proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. And Precious is going to need them all as she sets out on the trail of a missing child, a case that tumbles our heroine into a hotbed of strange situations and more than a little danger ....

I wasn't sure whether to file this under Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers or even Humour! It's a little of all three. The characters and setting are utterly charming and the writing quirky and sympathetic. Highly recommended as an entertaining and easy read.

I am going to send this on a little ring around Europe. It's a nice light paperback and would be cheap to post. If there is interest, I will probably also buy and ring the sequels.

This book is going out on an international book ring. NB The ring is now CLOSED.

I have tried to group participants by region and accommodate everyone's shipping preferences. The list of participants is below.

Please make a journal entry when you receive the book and after reading it. There is no set time limit for reading the book but please try to keep it moving.

1. Kuju - UK
2. Bookfrogster - UK
3. Ziggythecat - UK
4. Jellyoap - UK
5. Boreal - New Zealand
6. Sherlockfan - New Zealand
... and back to me
7. Fire-Dragon - UK

Received from Fire-Dragon at the BCUK National Meetup in Birmingham! I'll start this book soon and get it moving.

This was a delightful story! Her approach to detective work is just marvellous! Each little story within made me smile. Also a great insight into the African people and a fabulous description of the exotic surroundings in Africa. Makes me want to run off to Africa right now!

Bookfrogster has asked to be skipped so this book will be off to Ziggythecat this weekend.

Fire-Dragon - Yes! I'd be interested in the sequels!! Thanks for starting this bookring.

It arrived this morning, Thanks muchly Kuju. I really want to start reading it now but ... I.....must... resist..... & finish the other ring-book I'm reading. aaagghhh so many books, so little time ;o)

What a lovely book. Gently amusing and entertaining and got better as it went on, which is always good. Like sitting down for a quiet cup of tea after a hectic morning.

Me too for the others in the series please.

Got this through a bookring, I haven't finished it yat but it's brilliant-it's just gorgeous, can't wait to finish it and pass it on so someone else can love it as much as I do!

Just finished this, it's absolutely gorgeous, I loved it! Hope everyone else on the bookring enjoys it as much as I did.

This bookring has stalled as no one has heard from Jellyoap in a while and he/she is not responding to PMs. I realise that Boreal has already received Tears of the Giraffe in the ring but understandably is hoping to read them in order.

Fortunately, Ermintrude75 has kindly offered to send her copy of the book to complete the ring. The journal entry for her book is here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1946593//

Jellyoap, I hope everything is okay in your life. If you ever return to BookCrossing, please return the book to me or, if that is not an option, simply release it into the wild.