Morality for Beautiful Girls is the third in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Gaborone, Botswana, and featuring the Motswana protagonist Precious Ramotswe.

Plot summary

Mma Ramotswe is engaged to "the excellent" Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, owner of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, but faces a slowdown of business at the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency that threatens its existence.

Forced to make difficult choices, Mma Ramotswe moves the business into the office of her fiancé's garage and makes her assistant, Mma Grace Makutsi, its assistant manager. At just this time, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has been showing signs of lethargy and neglecting his business.

Case

An important government man approaches Mma Ramotswe to investigate his sister-in-law, whom he suspects of attempting to poison his brother.

Subplots

The beauty contest: Mma Makutsi interviews beauty competition competitors to determine their good character.

The mysterious orphan: Mma Silvia Potokwane, matron of the local orphanage, deals with a strange new child who, it is rumored, has been raised by lions.