It
is a hot, dry summer in Botswana and everybody is praying
for the rains to come. Business is slow at the No 1 Ladies
Detective Agency, but there are always other things to deal
with. Why does Charlie want to borrow Mma Ramotswe’s
tiny white van? What about her new neighbors who appear to
have a less than harmonious marriage (and single beds)? And
does her distant cousin Blessing’s request for help
conceal a darker purpose?
I
do hope that Mr Smith continues to write these books for many
more years; I do look forward to their annual appearance so
much. This year particularly we all need a bit of escapist
comfort and spending a few hours in the company of Mma Ramotswe
and her friends is a special joy. Despite being filed in the
crime section this series is less about detection (although
this is featured of course) and more about other things. Such
as pondering the human condition, trying to be more tolerant
of other’s failings and not making snap judgements based
on scanty evidence. Charlie has a rather unexpected reason
for needing the van, Mma Makutsi has a lesson in not seeing
everything in black and white and Mma Ramotswe gets to spend
an evening without her family which proves rather more interesting.
I am used to seeing Africa portrayed in a very negative light
in the media so it is good to read about a country with a
far more stable government, albeit one where a lot of people
are still very poor. This is one of those rare books whose
contents linger in the mind long after the end. A positive
treat with no calories. Dig in and enjoy.
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
How
to Raise an Elephant #21
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