Books like 'How to Raise an Elephant'
Readers who enjoyed How to Raise an Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Flame and Fortune by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNo smoke without a fire. It’s New Year’s in Sinful, and the competition for the New Year’s Queen is heating up as the warring churches go head-to-head. Fortune Redding is not the sequined dress kind of woman, but reluctantly agrees to partake in the debacle so that Ida Belle and Gertie can best their nemesis, Celia, who’s put up former Sinful mean girl RJ Rogers... -
![Cajun Fried Felony by Jana Deleon]()
Cajun Fried Felony by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsVenus Thibodeaux had a reputation for being trouble. Some said she started at birth. When she finally left Sinful shortly after turning eighteen, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. When she blew back into town four years later, no one was happy about her return... -
![Swamp Santa by Jana Deleon]()
Swamp Santa by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt’s Christmas in Sinful and Fortune is set to participate in all the local hoopla. A Christmas gala, caroling, and a sleigh ride are on the agenda. Murder is not. But when someone bumps off Santa, Fortune is aware a killer is lurking among the holiday cheer... -
![Unwritten & Underwater by Amanda M. Lee]()
Unwritten & Underwater by Amanda M. Lee
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAvery Shaw is living the dream … kind of. She’s officially moved to her dream house and her boyfriend Eliot Kane is making her host a housewarming party to show off the new digs to her family. All is going well – other than the endless arguments over food and hiding from Avery’s family, of course – until one of Avery’s enemies comes calling... -
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![Lethal Bayou Beauty by Jana Deleon]()
Lethal Bayou Beauty by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNo one in Sinful liked Pansy Arceneaux, but who hated her enough to kill her? When aspiring actress Pansy Arceneaux returns to Sinful, Louisiana to head up the beauty pageant portion of the Summer Festival, CIA assassin Fortune Redding knows she’s in for trouble... -
![The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman]()
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsIt is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case—their favorite kind—leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers.Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill or be killed. Suddenly the cold case has become red hot... -
![Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich]()
Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsStephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe... -
![Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by Liliana Hart]()
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat do an art forger, a missing clown and a dead cop have in common? Nothing except for Addison Holmes.Addison is back and better than ever. Err...or at least better than she was. She has the P.I. license to prove it and a stack full of cases to solve. But the biggest mystery is Nick. She knows he's keeping something important from her regarding one of her cases... -
![It's A Wonderful Knife by Elise Sax]()
It's A Wonderful Knife by Elise Sax
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s a Wonderful Knife is the 10th installment of the hilarious Matchmaker Mysteries Series. It’s wedding time in Cannes. Gladie’s wedding. But once again, love has to take a backseat to murder. Matchmaker Mysteries…Sometimes love comes with a few dead ends. * “Elise Sax will win your heart.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis * “Sax will make you laugh... -
![No Such Thing as a Lost Cause by Shelly Fredman]()
No Such Thing as a Lost Cause by Shelly Fredman
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen rookie cop, Dave Wolinski is shot during a routine traffic stop, Brandy (who's along for the ride) finds herself face to face with the shooter; drug-crazed, pit bull fighting, gang member, Mario Lewis. Brandy shoots Lewis in self defense and becomes the target of gang retaliation... -
![A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff by Anna Celeste Burke]()
A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff by Anna Celeste Burke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMiriam Webster’s a woman with a few secrets—can she keep them after she and her spirited Dalmatian, Domino, find a body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff? When Miriam Webster moves into the Seaview Cottages active adult community, the last thing she expects is to find a body on the bluffs nearby... -
![Murder Carries a Torch by Anne George]()
Murder Carries a Torch by Anne George
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTrue love never dies. Well…almost never.Though unalike as snowflakes, sisters Patricia Anne and Mary Alice share a sympathetic heart for their distraught cousin Luke—known affectionately in his boyhood as “Pukey Lukey,” because of his penchant for getting sick in moving vehicles... -
![Murder Makes Waves by Anne George]()
Murder Makes Waves by Anne George
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThose hilarious southern sisters, who prove that sibling rivalry never ends, are heading for a vacation at the beach... -
![Whiskey, You're The Devil by Liliana Hart]()
Whiskey, You're The Devil by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThings are looking up for Addison Holmes. She's about to take her P.I. exams, she's living in sin with the man of her dreams, and she hasn't had a phone call from her mother in three whole days. But she should have known things were too good to last... -
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![Murder Gets a Life by Anne George]()
Murder Gets a Life by Anne George
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPatricia Anne can’t imagine why Mary Alice is in such an uproar over her boy marrying sweet little Sunshine Dabbs. Ray found the Barbie doll lookalike on a trip to Bora Bora and Mary Alice is sure her new daughter-in-law is just after Ray’s money. The marriage is a done deal, but it’s only proper to pay a call on the family and see how bad things really are... -
![Campari Crimson by Traci Andrighetti]()
Campari Crimson by Traci Andrighetti
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom USA TODAY Bestselling Author Traci Andrighetti... Halloween is looming large in New Orleans, and Private Investigator Franki Amato’s in a gloomy mood. Her boyfriend Bradley has to leave on an extended business trip, and her slacker brother is coming to town with her matchmaker nonna who’s determined to see a Sicilian lemon superstition bear fruit... -
![Doggerland by Heide Goody, Iain Grant]()
Doggerland by Heide Goody, Iain Grant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThere's something very wrong at the Otterside care home.When Sam Applewhite tries to help a friend who's lost a beloved pet she finds that it's just the first in a series of seemingly unconnected deaths... -
![The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz]()
The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAt the ripe old age of 32, former wild child Isabel "Izzy" Spellman has finally agreed to take over the family business. And the transition won't be a smooth one.First among her priorities as head of Spellman Investigations is to dig up some dirt on the competition, slippery ex-cop Rick Harkey - a task she may enjoy a little too much... -
![No Money Down by Julie Moffett]()
No Money Down by Julie Moffett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMe and the legendary Zimmerman twins--it's a friendship made in geek heaven. And it all started back when I worked for the NSA...My best friend Basia dragged me to the beach for her idea of a vacation. All those annoying people, sand in embarrassing places--not exactly R & R for a girl who doesn't like the sun, the ocean or bathing suits. I couldn't wait to get back to work... -
![Double Dip by Gretchen Archer]()
Double Dip by Gretchen Archer
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt's Davis Way's first slot-tournament season. And it may be her last.Things are dicey at work. A personal assistant goes missing, a little old lady goes on a suspicious winning streak, and a Bellissimo executive goes gaga for Davis... -
![Nightingale Way by Emily March]()
Nightingale Way by Emily March
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEternity Springs is a magical place where hearts come to heal--with a little help. As Emily March's beloved series continues, a broken marriage finds new wings to fly. Dark, brooding Jack Davenport hides his secrets well, never telling his wife about the dangers of his job, never sharing his thoughts or worries . . . never sharing himself. After tragedy strikes, their marriage shatters... -
![Murder Shoots the Bull: A Southern Sisters Mystery by Anne George]()
Murder Shoots the Bull: A Southern Sisters Mystery by Anne George
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPatricia Anne would swear that either she or her sister Mary Alice were switched at birth, except they were both born at home.Flashy, flirtatious Mary Alice is one foot taller, twice the body weight of Patricia Anne, and three times as likely to do something completely off the wall... -
![Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews]()
Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDashing Through the Snowbirds is the next merry installment of Donna Andrews's New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series.Christmas in Caerphilly is wonderful! Unless you’re a Canadian whose inconsiderate boss is forcing you to spend the holiday there, far from family and friends, with only a slim chance of a white Christmas... -
![Murder on a Bad Hair Day by Anne George]()
Murder on a Bad Hair Day by Anne George
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsArguing about everything from hair color to husbands, sisters Patricia Anne and Mary Alice dispute over two local artists and are shocked when the first artist is murdered and the second narrowly escapes the same fate... -
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![Glad One: Crazy is a Relative Term by Margaret Lashley]()
Glad One: Crazy is a Relative Term by Margaret Lashley
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSolving the Mysteries of Midlife and Other Weird Stuff....One crazy old lady. Two gin and tonics. Three derelict beach-bum friends. Will Val’s fourth stab at starting over add up to a big fat zero?St. Pete Beach attracts weirdos like mosquitoes to a bug zapper... -
![Play Dead by David Rosenfelt]()
Play Dead by David Rosenfelt
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAndy Carpenter rescues a golden retriever from being put down and finds that the dog was supposed to have died five years before during an accident that resulted in his master being convicted of murdering his fiancee at sea. Encouraged by the prisoner's sister, Andy endeavours to reopen the case by using the dog as a witness in court... -
![Muffalettas and Murder by Jann Franklin]()
Muffalettas and Murder by Jann Franklin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvangeline Delafose swore she'd never return to her ho-hum Louisiana hometown. But when her brother asks her to help solve a murder, things get a lot more interesting... -
![Lucky Break by Deborah Coonts]()
Lucky Break by Deborah Coonts
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith Christmas a few days away, Lucky O’Toole, Vice President of Customer Relations for the Babylon, Las Vegas’s premier Strip casino resort, is in a festive mood. The upcoming wedding of her assistant to the Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock and her own engagement to her delish French Chef, Jean-Charles Bouclet have Lucky in full holiday cheer.And even bigger celebrations are afoot... -
![Dog Gone and Dead by Colleen Mooney]()
Dog Gone and Dead by Colleen Mooney
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Much Needed Vacation Turns Deadly A weekend getaway at the beach with Jiff was just what they both needed, but their plans for a relaxing escape are ruined when Brandy discovers a dead body under a pier. ˃˃˃ Does A Dog Holds The Key To Solving The Case? There’s a leash wrapped around the dead woman’s wrist and no dog... -
![Lucky the Hard Way by Deborah Coonts]()
Lucky the Hard Way by Deborah Coonts
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs Christmases go, this one is proving a bit taxing for Lucky O’Toole, Vice President of Customer Relations for the Babylon, Las Vegas’ most over-the-top Strip resort casino.While facing a murder indictment, Teddie, Lucky’s former lover, has fled to Macau hot on the heels of the man everyone thinks is the real murderer, Irv Gittings... -
![Death by Dark Roast by Kate P. Adams]()
Death by Dark Roast by Kate P. Adams
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe annual Charleton House Food Festival is about to begin. But the first item on the menu is murder… Nestled in the idyllic setting of Derbyshire’s rolling hills, the ancestral home of the Fitzwilliam-Scott family seems an unlikely location for murder... -
![Not One Clue by Lois Greiman]()
Not One Clue by Lois Greiman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsL.A. psychologist Christina McMullen’s relationship with Detective Jack Rivera is heating up—until a client threatens to put a damper on their sparks. Chrissy has been counseling Micky Goldenstone to face the secrets from his past, but she had no idea that they would lead to a dangerous confrontation with a criminal even the police can’t protect her from... -
![Uncorked by Lois Greiman, Caitlin Alexander]()
Uncorked by Lois Greiman, Caitlin Alexander
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe romance between LA psychologist Christina McMullen and Lieutenant Jack Rivera is finally sizzling...until Chrissy catches the lieutenant in a compromising position... -
![Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne]()
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns... -
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![Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz]()
Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsYOU THOUGHT YOUR LIFE WAS COMPLICATEDPrivate investigator Isabel Spellman is back on the case and back on the couch -- in court-ordered therapy after getting a little too close to her previous subject.As the book opens, Izzy is on hiatus from Spellman Inc... -
![Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano]()
Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFinlay Donovan is―once again―struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently... -
![Give Murder A Hand by Beth Prentice]()
Give Murder A Hand by Beth Prentice
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow many secrets can one house hide? Just when Lizzie thought the only problems she had in life were her crazy family and far too many nightmares, the house reveals yet another secret. This time it’s a skeleton in the back yard. But the unusual thing about this skeleton is that it has an extra hand. Why? Well that’s what Lizzie wants to find out... -
![Solving Llamageddon and the Alpacalypse by Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love]()
Solving Llamageddon and the Alpacalypse by Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMissing: One 350lb llama. White, loves peppermint candies and answers to the name Jack Kerouac.When Sophie LaFleur left Hollywood and her acting career for the quaint, coastal town of Friendship Harbor, Maine, she expected ocean breezes, friendly neighbors and a relaxing way of life... -
![Three Odd Balls by Cindy Blackburn]()
Three Odd Balls by Cindy Blackburn
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA romantic vacation for…five? This wasn’t exactly what Jessie and Wilson had in mind when they planned their trip to the tropics. But the fun begins when Jessie’s delightfully spry mother, Wilson’s surfer dude son, and Jessie’s rabidly hyperactive New York agent decide to tag along. But what kind of trouble can these three oddest of odd balls possibly get into? Take a guess... -
![Calamity Jayne and the Fowl Play at the Fair by Kathleen Bacus, Gemma Halliday]()
Calamity Jayne and the Fowl Play at the Fair by Kathleen Bacus, Gemma Halliday
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Fans of Janet Evanovich will be glad to see that you don't always have to go to the burgh for mirthful murder and mayhem."- Booklist What do you call a blonde in a freezer?A frosted flake. Tressa Jayne Turner, known in her hometown as "Calamity Jayne" for her unconventional exploits, is the newest reporter at the Grandville Gazette... -
![One Hot Mess by Lois Greiman]()
One Hot Mess by Lois Greiman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn southern California it’s raining crime — and psychologist Christina McMullen could use an umbrella. Her clients are crazy, her on-again-off-again relationship with LAPD lieutenant Jack Rivera has just started heating up again, and now Rivera’s womanizing dad has come calling—asking Chrissy to investigate a mysterious death that might haunt his next campaign: for president of the United States... -
![Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray by Diane Kelly]()
Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray by Diane Kelly
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen you’re an agent for the IRS, it’s always tax time. And this season, Tara Holloway is up to her neck in work with two very knotty cases. One involves a charismatic minister who’s using his mega-church as a tax shelter. The other is a crazy militant who’s trying to turn Texas into a separate country... -
![Mr. Monk Gets Even by Lee Goldberg]()
Mr. Monk Gets Even by Lee Goldberg
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn all-new original mystery starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something’s out of place.... It may be a foggy San Francisco summer, but for Adrian Monk the future is looking bright... -
![Unscrewed by Lois Greiman]()
Unscrewed by Lois Greiman
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsL.A. homicide detective Jack Rivera has a killer body, a wicked smile, and a velvet touch. Just ask Christina McMullen. The cocktail-waitress-turned-psychologist has handled obsessed patients, love-struck drunks, and her own guilt-tripping mother with aplomb... -
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![Unmanned by Lois Greiman]()
Unmanned by Lois Greiman
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEven in a city of long, tall beauties, psychologist Christina McMullen is used to getting hit on. But she’s definitely not accustomed to having a hit on her. Until the day a charming stranger shows up at her door—and someone guns him down right in front of her. For Chrissy, shootings and explosions are what pass for normal in her tempestuous relationship with sexy LAPD lieutenant Jack Rivera... -
![So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts]()
So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMagician Dimitri Fortunoff appears to have a fatal accident while performing his final trick at the performance marking the end of a forty-year run of one of Las Vegas’ most renowned burlesque shows. Soon after, his body disappears and the questions mount for Lucky O’toole, head of Customer Relations for the Babylon resort, the crown jewel of the mega-resorts dotting the Las Vegas Strip... -
![Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews]()
Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe brilliantly funny Donna Andrews delivers another winner in the acclaimed avian-themed series that mystery readers have come to love. The nineteenth book in her New York Times best-selling series continues to surprise and delight in this next knee-slapping adventure featuring Meg Langslow and all the eccentric characters that make up her world... -
![Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews]()
Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMeg’s expecting twins---any minute!---in this next hilarious entry in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling series! Meg is eight and a half months pregnant with twins when Michael asks if she wouldn’t mind another houseguest... -
![The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews]()
The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLife will never be the same for Meg Langslow after family secrets are revealed, introducing a whole new layer of intrigue in Donna Andrews's beloved series. Meg’s long-lost paternal grandfather, Dr. Blake, has hired Stanley Denton to find her grandmother Cordelia. Dr... -
![Undertaking Irene by Pamela Burford]()
Undertaking Irene by Pamela Burford
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJane Delaney does things her paying customers can’t do, don’t want to do, don’t want to be seen doing, can’t bring themselves to do, and/or don’t want it to be known they’d paid someone to do. To dead people.Life gets complicated for Jane and her Death Diva business when she’s hired to liberate a gaudy mermaid brooch from the corpse during a wake—on behalf of the rightful owner, supposedly...
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