The Great Hippopotamus Hotel

As charming as ever… In these increasingly fractious and febrile times, we perhaps need Mma Ramotswe more than ever * Washington Post *McCall Smith’s novels have a charm that seems to belong to a possibly mythical older time, but in one sense they are very much of our own day… Enjoying this new Botswana novel, I heard faint echoes of A Window in Thrums. There is the same charm, the same acuteness, the same humour, the same generous understanding – Allan Massie * Scotsman *McCall Smith makes sure that new readers are well-oriented; they can start anywhere in the series and still get the full flavor of the rich characterizations, gentle humor, Botswanan atmosphere, and Ramotswe’s wisdom * Booklist, starred review *Smith’s breezy latest outing for Botswanan sleuths Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi finds the pair digging into the operations of a struggling hotel… . [featuring] Mma Ramotswe and company’s dryly funny musings and Smith’s evocative descriptions of life in Gaborone. Series fans will get just what they came for * Publishers Weekly *A rollicking, race read * Daily Telegraph *

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of over one hundred books on a wide array of subjects, including the award-winning The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. He is also the author of the Isabel Dalhousie novels and the world’s longest-running serial novel, 44 Scotland Street. His books have been translated into forty-six languages. Alexander McCall Smith is Professor Emeritus of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and holds honorary doctorates from thirteen universities. He was knighted by the King in 2024.