The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books in order
Order: from the publisher's numbered list (penguinrandomhouse.com)
Last checked: September 24, 2026, against penguinrandomhouse.com
-
1
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Year: still checking · Book
Start hereFirst book in the main order. Cover from Google Books -
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
-
8
-
9
-
10
-
11
-
12
-
13
-
14
-
15
-
16
-
17
-
18
-
19
-
20
-
21
-
22
-
23
-
24
-
25
-
26
powered by Google
About this series: sourced facts
Each fact is shown with its source and the date it was checked.
The series at a glance
Wikidata lists 15 works as parts of this series.
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06What the story is
Wikidata lists the genre as crime literature.
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists where the story is set as Botswana.
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06The Library of Congress files The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency under the subject headings No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Imaginary organization), Women private investigators and Botswana.
Source: lccn.loc.gov, checked 2026-11-06About the author
Wikidata lists Alexander McCall Smith as born in 1948 in Bulawayo.
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists the occupation of Alexander McCall Smith as university teacher.
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists Alexander McCall Smith as educated at University of Edinburgh and Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo.
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists an award for Alexander McCall Smith: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2001).
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists an award for Alexander McCall Smith: Best Crime Novel in Swedish Translation (2004).
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists an award for Alexander McCall Smith: Dagger in the Library (2004).
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists an award for Alexander McCall Smith: Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (2005).
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Beyond the books
Wikidata lists The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (television series).
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Wikidata lists The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (radio series, 2004).
Source: wikidata.org, checked 2026-11-06Common questions
What order should I read a series in?
Start with publication order, the order the books first came out. When a series also has a story order that differs, the series page shows both and says why, so you can choose.
Which book should I start with?
Look for the Start here marker. It sits on the first book of the main list, unless the author's own page recommends a different first book, and the reason is printed beside it. It is not a ranking or a review.
What if an order looks wrong?
Tap Report a problem under the list and say which book looks out of place. No account or email is needed. Each report is checked against the sources, and the page is corrected if the report is right.
Does this site earn money from the links?
It can. If you buy through a store link, this site may earn a small amount. That never changes the list: which books are listed, their order, and the fixed order of the store buttons stay the same.
Where do these facts come from?
One page shows the sources and how the facts are checked.