The Colors of All the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Ramotswe's good friend, Mma Potokwane, is convinced that Mma Ramotswe should run for the Gaborone City Council. The council is soon to decide whether a new hotel should be built next to a cemetery, an idea that both women oppose. Mma Ramotswe is not keen on the idea of being on the council, but knows from past experience that it is hard to turn down Mma Potokwane. The detective agency, however, is investigating a hit and run in the town of Mochudi that left retired Dr. Marang seriously injured. The case takes on a personal note for Mma Ramotswe, since Dr. Marang knew her father when she was a child. In this latest book of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, the reader spends time with all Mma Ramotswe's friends and family--even the young apprentice, Charlie, who's been a minor character up until now.