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The Miracle at Speedy Motors
No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Mystery, #9

by Alexander McCall Smith

      Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency needs little introduction, as a worldwide publishing phenomenon that has been translated into forty-two languages. In the ninth book in the series Mma Ramotswe receives poison pen letters, a woman wishes to find her family and a doctor holds out hope for a miracle with wheelchair-bound Motholeli.

But of course the book is about much more than that. It is a celebration of the good things in life that make life worth living, of the rains that come after a long dry season, the joy of friends, of drinking tea, of good solutions to bad problems. This is one of the rare books that, despite there being tears amongst the laughter, reaffirms the fact that it is good to be alive, and makes me at least start counting my own blessings. Too many novels concentrate on the darker side of life and get praised for their grittiness and realism, but there is realism of a different kind in here. The sort that made G K Chesterton remark that there was as much realism in a cathedral as in a dustbin. If you haven’t fallen under the spell of these remarkable books yet, what are you waiting for? This is very much a serial as well as a series, so you will need to begin with The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency rather than this book - I envy you, as this is one of those outstanding series that only comes along once in a very blue moon. Hugely enjoyable!

Reviews of other titles in this series

Blue Shoes and Happiness, #7
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, #8
The Miracle at Speedy Motors, #9
Tea Time For The Traditionally Built, #10
The Double Comfort Safari Club, #11
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, #12
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon #14
The Handsome Man’s DeLuxe Café #15
The Woman Who Walked In Sunshine #16
Precious and Grace #17
The House of Unexpected Sisters #18
The Colours of all the Cattle #19

The Book

Little, Brown Book Group
6 March 2008
Hardback
0316030074 / 9780316030076
Mystery / Contemporary
Amazon US || UK
NOTE: US edition is different

The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2008
© 2008 MyShelf.com