#BookReview: THE WOMAN WHO WALKED IN SUNSHINE No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (16) by Alexander McCall Smith

Synopsis: Business is slow at the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, so slow in fact that for the first time in her estimable career Precious Ramotswe has reluctantly agreed to take a holiday. The promise of a week of uninterrupted peace is short-lived, however, when she meets a young boy named Samuel, a troublemaker who is himself in some trouble. Once she learns more about Samuel’s sad story, Mma Ramotswe feels compelled to step in and help him find his way out of a bad situation.

Despite this unexpected diversion, Mma Ramotswe still finds herself concerned about how the agency is faring in her absence. Her worries grow when she hears that Mma Makutsi is handling a new and rather complicated case. A well-respected Botswanan politician is up for a major public honor, and his reputation is now being called into question by his rivals. The man’s daughter has contacted the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to investigate these troubling claims, but, as in so many cases, all is not as it seems. In the end, the investigation will affect everyone at the agency and will also serve as a reminder that ordinary human failings should be treated with a large helping of charity and compassion.

Review: I've loved Mma Ramotswe and her sidekick, Grace Makutsi, for a long time. Their adventures have always entertained me. Unfortunately, it may be time to bid Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi & JLB Matekoni a fond farewell.

It's rare that I continue reading a book that hasn't caught my attention by page 50. Since I read this on my trusty Kindle, I wasn't sure of how far I was into it when I realized it wasn't holding my attention. To my surprise, I was almost halfway through the book and was fighting hard to keep from nodding off. Mind you, I wasn't reading in bed late at night, I was on my lunch hour. That should give you some idea of just how slow moving and uninteresting the first 40% of the book was.

Eventually things picked up and I was treated to Mma Ramotswe's meddling ways and Mma Makutsi's always ruffled feathers, but even that wasn't enough to save the overall story line. The men that work in JLB's car repair shop always provide a dose of humor, but their antics were lacking and they were sorely missed by this reader. All good things must come to an end and, at book 16, perhaps it's time for Smith to turn his focus to one of his other series and let Mma Ramotswe and friends peacefully fade away.

224 p.
Published: October 2015

#BookReview: The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

The latest in this series set in Botswana focuses on cases, of course, but even more so on transitioning and growing.  In the previous book, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi juggled multiple cases and finally got a chance to meet the author of their beloved book, The Principles of Private Detection, Clovis Andersen.  This time, detective work takes somewhat of a backseat to real life.

Mma Makutsi, now Mma Radiphuti, is with child.  Mma Ramotswe suspects as much, but since Grace hasn't made a formal announcement, Precious is hesitant to approach her about it.  But as JLB Matekoni reminds her, one of them will have to broach the subject eventually because a new baby means maternity leave.  The pregnancy and Mma Radiphuti's absence from the office causes Precious to rethink their relationship.  Whereas she'd always seen Grace as her assistant and co-worker, she begins to realize that she's more than that to her.

JLB Matekoni notices that his wife, Mma Ramotswe, isn't as cheerful as she usually is.  While he attributes some of that to her missing her friend in the office, he wonders if he might be contributing to her unhappiness as well.  A new class in town which teaches men how to become better house husbands has just started and JLB contemplates taking the class and learning how to be more help around the house.

In the last book, we saw Fanwell mature and this time around, he's passed his exams and become a full-fledged mechanic.  Charlie, however, is still an apprentice.  It seems he might never move beyond that position and never grow up, but the appearance of Mma Radiphuti's new baby in the office stirs something inside of him.

I love that Alexander McCall Smith continues to bring us these characters and allows them to grow.  The cases that the ladies work on are always interesting, but even more interesting is the depiction of life in Botswana and the everyday lives of the characters we've come to know and love.

256pp
Published: November 2013

#BookReview: The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection - Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Ramotswe and her sidekick, Grace Makutsi, are back for another adventure in Gaborone, Botswana.  Unlike other books where mysteries have come to them from outsiders, each story to be solved this time around comes from those close to them.  And they're still as entertaining as they've always been.

Mma Makutsi married furniture store owner Phuti Radiphuti in 2011's  The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party.  The two have decided that it's time to build their own home instead of living in Phuti's family home.  Grace is immediately suspicious of the builder, who won't directly address her, only Phuti, and with good reason.  He's a flim flam artist and it's up to her to prove it to her husband.

Of the two mechanics that work in J.L.B. Matekoni's Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, readers are most familiar with Charlie because he stays in trouble.  The lesser known Fanwell finally gets his chance in the spotlight in the latest from McCall Smith, but not because he's done something well.  In fact, Fanwell has been arrested for illegally working on cars.  At the insistence of the same guy that bullied him in school, Fanwell gets caught up in a scheme that he has problems getting out of by himself.

Mma Potokwane, the matron of the orphanage from where Mma Ramotswe and J.L.B. Matekoni have adopted their children, has been fired from her post, one that she's held for years and planned to hold until she retired.  A conflict with a new board member have left the matron without a job and without any hope.  Mma Ramotswe will stop at nothing to see her friend restored to her position.

While these three cases might seem like a lot for the ladies to handle, they have help this time around in the form of Clovis Andersen, the author of a book that has been like their Bible for detecting, The Principles of Private Detection.  While Clovis is quick to point out that he's not the great detective that the ladies think he is, he does serve as a sounding board for them to bounce ideas off of and by the end of the story, you know that he respects them just as much as they respect him.

With this latest book, there are no big surprises and no big changes.  It's the same steady story lines that readers have come to love and expect from McCall Smith. 

272pp
Published: April 2012

 

Theme: Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing by Lionel Hampton featuring Tito Puente

#BookReview: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party - Alexander McCall Smith

The characters you've come to know and love are back in the 12th book of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.  Grace Makutsi is finally marrying her beloved Phuti Radiphuti.  Charlie, the mechanic's apprentice, finds himself in a bit of a situation when his girlfriend announces she is pregnant with twins.  And in between trying to figure out what is killing cows in Gaborone and what is really going on with Charlie, Mma Ramotswe keeps seeing the ghost of her late white van.

Alexander McCall Smith's books are known for being well written, well researched and easy reads.  He lives up to all three of these characteristics time and time again with this series.  I'm always happy to read the latest book in the series, but sad to know that it will be at least a year before I will have the opportunity to read the next.

What did you like about this book?
Mma Makutsi really gets a chance to play a leading role in this book.  She's such a funny character that any time she's highlighted, it's sure to bring a laugh to the reader.

What didn't you like about the book?
As always, my complaint is that the book goes by entirely too fast.

What could the author do to improve the book?
Though nothing can be done to improve the book, I would love for HBO to speed up their process in bringing movies based on the series to the small screen as they mentioned last year.  Am I the only person who would be okay with Jill Scott putting her music career on hold for a minute in order to get filming done? Just me? Oh, ok.

Published: March 2011
224pp

Theme: We Must Be in Love by Pure Soul

#BookReview: The Double Comfort Safari Club - Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Ramotswe and her sidekick, Grace Makutsi, are back in the eleventh book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, The Double Comfort Safari Club.  When last we left the ladies in Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, Mma Ramotswe had just bid a fond farewell to her beloved white van while Mma Makutsi was busy protecting her fiance from the wily Violet Sephotho.

Though she was able to keep Violet away from her fiance, Phuti Radiphuti, Grace finds that keeping him away from his aunt will be a much greater task and she's not sure if she's up for it.  With Mma Makutsi distracted by everything going on in her world, Mma Ramotswe finds herself handling the cases of the cheating spouses alone.  Luckily Grace is able to assist her just in time to nail the rapscallion who has cheated an innocent man out of his hard earned money and locate another who stands to inherit a large sum of money.

Some people have difficulty reading books after they've watched the movie version and vice versa.  In my opinion actresses Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose bring the characters to life.  Don't get me wrong, the books are extremely well written, but having seen the series on HBO, when I read the books, I see and hear them more vividly.  Fans of the books should be happy to learn that while the author has agreed to write fourteen books for the series, the author is quoted as saying "I shall, however, be happy to continue beyond that if people wish me to!"

In addition, I know that fans of the TV series were disappointed to learn that HBO would not be bringing the series back.  However, I did participate in a Q & A with the author a few weeks back and learned that HBO has indeed agreed to two movies and has hired a screenwriter.  I would imagine that with Jill Scott currently on tour and Anika Noni Rose in pre-production on For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, it may be awhile before we see either movie.

What did you like about this book?
The author describes Botswana with such detail that every time I pick up one of his books, I long to visit the country.

What did you dislike about this book?
At a little over 200 pages, it just wasn't long enough.

What could the author do to improve this book?
I would have liked to hear more from Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and Phuti Radiphuti.

224pp
Published April 2010

#BookReview: Tea Time for the Traditionally Built - Alexander McCall Smith

In the latest installment of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency we find Precious Ramotswe mourning the loss of her beloved white van while her assistant, Grace Makutsi, wonders if she's losing her fiance to the devilish Violet Sephotho. In the midst of their personal drama, the ladies take on a case about which they know absolutely nothing, football. All of the characters from previous books are back: the reliable JLB Matekoni, Charlie the useless apprentice, etc. As always with this series, the book was an excellent read and left me waiting for the next book. Afraid I'll have to wait until Spring 2010.

#BookReview: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series - Alexander McCall Smith

Meet Precious Ramotswe, the proprietor and lead detective of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Like most people, i was unaware of this series before the HBO-produced, Jill Scott-led series. If you've seen the show, it only gives you a glimpse into the world of Mma Ramotswe, her secretary/assistant detective Mma Makutsi and her friend (and potential love interest) Rra JLB Matekoni. The characters are colorful and while some of the storylines may drag, it's only temporarily.
Reading the series and watching the show on HBO have made me see Botswana in a way I had only imagined. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm ready to pack my bags and go for a visit!