Product Description

As winter turns to spring across the red earth, acacia trees and slow green rivers of Botswana, all is not quite as it should be on Zebra Drive, home to Mma Ramotswe and her beloved husband Mr J. L. B. Matekoni. At the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency there are the usual number of cases to be pursued, from persistent theft at Teenie Magama's printing works to the rather more serious case of three suspicious deaths at the Mochudi hospital, but there is discontent among the ranks. It is bad enough that Mr Matekoni's apprentice Charlie is off on another escapade and Mma Makutsi's impending marriage threatens her happy working relationship with Mma Ramotswe. And when - in trying to prove himself a worthy husband - Mr J. L. B. Matekoni himself decides to try a little detective work, disaster looms ...Tender, witty and wise, the latest instalment in the lives of Alexander McCall's Smith's extended Botswana family instructs us with familiar modesty in the importance of trust, love, not judging by appearances and what really makes a good husband.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3005 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
'Simple, elegantly written and gently insightful' THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'Perfect escapist fiction' THE TIMES 'There is a timelessness to the tales, yet they are also of the moment ... His talent is to see the god in small things' SUNDAY TIMES SCOTLAND 'This is delicious, light-hearted stuff and I love it - my only criticism is that these books are just not long enough' THE LADY 'Nothing will dim the charm of McCall Smith's series, with its portraits of goodness, its sorrow over greed and its profound love of Africa. They are among the greatest comfort-reads of all time, written in plain, elegant prose' Amanda Craig, INDEPENDENT 'Simple, elegantly written and gently insightful' THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'Perfect escapist fiction' THE TIMES 'There is a timelessness to the tales, yet they are also of the moment ... His talent is to see the god in small things' SUNDAY TIMES SCOTLAND 'This is delicious, light-hearted stuff and I love it - my only criticism is that these books are just not long enough' THE LADY

Sunday Times Scotland
'There is a timelessness to the tales, yet they are also of the
moment'

Synopsis
As winter turns to spring across the red earth, acacia trees and slow green rivers of Botswana, all is not quite as it should be on Zebra Drive, home to Mma Ramotswe and her beloved husband Mr J. L. B. Matekoni. At the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency there are the usual number of cases to be pursued, from persistent theft at Teenie Magama's printing works to the rather more serious case of three suspicious deaths at the Mochudi hospital, but there is discontent among the ranks. It is bad enough that Mr Matekoni's apprentice Charlie is off on another escapade and Mma Makutsi's impending marriage threatens her happy working relationship with Mma Ramotswe. And when - in trying to prove himself a worthy husband - Mr J. L. B. Matekoni himself decides to try a little detective work, disaster looms ...Tender, witty and wise, the latest instalment in the lives of Alexander McCall's Smith's extended Botswana family instructs us with familiar modesty in the importance of trust, love, not judging by appearances and what really makes a good husband.

Customer Reviews

It's About People
I loved the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency series when it first appeared, but like so many things in life, as I read further entries in the series, they grew progressively less enchanting. Perfectly fun and readable, but somewhat familiar and no longer greatly anticipated, until I stopped after the fifth. Needing something fairly simple for short a car ride, I picked up the audio version of this eighth in the series, and revisited the familiar characters and their beloved Botswana.

This installment features three separate cases for the detective agency, all of which underscore the book's (and series') main theme: personal relationships. Mma. Ramotswe is asked by a distant relative to investigate the mysterious deaths of three patients at the hospital he works at. Mma. Makutsi is assigned a case in which the owner of a printing company suspects one of their employees of theft. Finally, Rra.Matekoni even gets in the act, and takes up a case which involves tailing a suspected wayward husband.

However, these cases act more as subplots than anything else, as the real focus is on the family of main characters. There's Mma. Makutsi's impending marriage and financial security, which leads her to question the need for her job. There's Rra. Matekoni's insecurity about his marriage to Mma. Ramotswe. There's even apprentice Charley, seeking to leave the garage to embark on grand schemes of his own. Smith seems a lot more interested in how close friends and family relate to each other and allow for periods of growth and change, as well as the benefits and pitfalls of trusting one another. It's a little striking then, that Mma. Ramotswe's children barely show up at all.

Nonetheless, the personal interactions are well-drawn and handled with Smith's usual gentle touch, and fans of the series will be pleased by them. However, the "crime" sections are rather forgettable. The hospital case is based on a famous disproven urban legend from South Africa, and thus rather predictable. The theft case is completely underwhelming and barely resolved. And the adultery case is marred by Rra. Matakoni's abandoning his methodical nature, which makes the whole enterprise somewhat silly. On the whole, the book feels somewhat flat and tired, and I'm reminded why I stopped reading the series.

fantastic read, captures Botswana in a charming way
Having visited Botswana I can truly say this book, though a little more charming in places than reality, is a good representation of the people, their majesty and the beauty of the country. It is a gentle read and enjoyable in that it is the first in a great series. Its evident popularity is well deserved.

Back to the old familiar!
I have been a big fan of AMS Botswana series ever since the first book, and have read them all in order. I shall probably continue to do so, simply because I have become addicted to their feel-good nature and total lack of intellectual challenge. However I have to say that as the series progresses they no longer offer anything new, although Grace Makutsi makes me howl with laughter.

I was going to say that this book makes a great holiday read, though having taken days to get through it on my recent holiday to Turkey I'm going to revise that. My progress was slowed by the fact that the events around the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency this time round failed to grab my attention quite as much as people-watching on the beach or nattering by the pool, so I would instead recommend this latest for a dreary winter's night when to be reminded of sunshine, warmth and community will be a real tonic.