What do you think?
Rate this book
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #11
The Double Comfort Safari Club: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Readers will agree that this touching and dramatic new installment in Alexander McCall Smith’s beloved and best-selling series is the finest yet. In this story, Precious Ramotswe deals with issues of mistaken identity and great fortune against the beautiful backdrop of Botswana’s remote and striking Okavango Delta.
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi head to a safari camp to carry out a delicate mission on behalf of a former guest who has left one of the guides a large sum of money. But once they find their man, Precious begins to sense that something is not right. To make matters worse, shortly before their departure Mma Makutsi’s fiancé, Phuti Radiphuti, suffers a debilitating accident, and when his aunt moves in to take care of him, she also pushes Mma Makutsi out of the picture. Could she be trying to break up the relationship? Finally, a local priest and his wife independently approach Mma Ramotswe with concerns of infidelity, creating a rather unusual and tricky situation. Nevertheless, Precious is confident that with a little patience, kindness and good sense things will work out for the best, something that will delight her many fans.
From the Trade Paperback edition
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi head to a safari camp to carry out a delicate mission on behalf of a former guest who has left one of the guides a large sum of money. But once they find their man, Precious begins to sense that something is not right. To make matters worse, shortly before their departure Mma Makutsi’s fiancé, Phuti Radiphuti, suffers a debilitating accident, and when his aunt moves in to take care of him, she also pushes Mma Makutsi out of the picture. Could she be trying to break up the relationship? Finally, a local priest and his wife independently approach Mma Ramotswe with concerns of infidelity, creating a rather unusual and tricky situation. Nevertheless, Precious is confident that with a little patience, kindness and good sense things will work out for the best, something that will delight her many fans.
From the Trade Paperback edition
Audible Audio
First published March 4, 2010
591 people are currently reading
6152 people want to read
About the author
Alexander McCall Smith
668 books12.7k followersAlexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,922 reviews
May 6, 2015
I am beginning to weary of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. The writing is as good as ever, McCall has his own distinctive style - warm, compassionate and almost childlike, but the series has deteriorated into a serial. I suppose it was bound to happen, the endless repetitions about exactly who Mma Ramotswe (and her long-late father, Obed), Mma Makutsi, Mr. J.L.B. Makatoni, Mma Pokowane and the evil Violet Sephotho could not go on and this book has revealed nothing new about them at all. But with only those characters to build the stories around, it has become too cosy and a bit silly. Violet Sephotho is almost a cartoon character in a children's serial - what man will she attempt to scam next?
So although the book was enjoyable, it seemed tired compared to the freshness of the first half-dozen books and a bit formulaic. I'm almost at the Jodi Picoult stage - promising myself I won't read yet another one of her-variations-on-a-theme always written the same way, but this series is headed that way.
I do like Mma Ramotswe et al very much, but when there isn't anything new to say perhaps its time to call it a day and say goodbye as they all drive off in the little white van into the endless Botswanan sunset.
So although the book was enjoyable, it seemed tired compared to the freshness of the first half-dozen books and a bit formulaic. I'm almost at the Jodi Picoult stage - promising myself I won't read yet another one of her-variations-on-a-theme always written the same way, but this series is headed that way.
I do like Mma Ramotswe et al very much, but when there isn't anything new to say perhaps its time to call it a day and say goodbye as they all drive off in the little white van into the endless Botswanan sunset.
September 20, 2019
Fourth read:
I don't know what else to say about this series. I always enjoy these books. They make everything better. Books can be the cure for what ails you, and that's what these books are to me.
Third read:
I can't explain the feeling I get when I read these books. Looking forward to rereading the series until I come to the end, and can read the latest installment that was published last month. If you need a smile, and are interested in learning about another culture, and if you enjoy wonderful, fully-fleshed characters, you can't beat this series.
Second read:
It's happened. I've come full circle with this series this calendar year. I've read them all, this one twice, and already started on the next. I can't get enough of them, or of the wisdom and wildness of Botswana. Long live Alexander McCall Smith and his wonderful pen!
First read:
I absolutely love Alexander McCall Smith. If you find yourself in a difficult period, and want some assurance that there is kindness in the world, pick up any of his books and sink in to the happiness. And I'm not talking about fluffy marshmallow sickening sweetness, either. For me, his books have just that balance that I'm looking for. Bad things happen, but nothing is overly violent, there's no bad language, and good wins over evil in the end.
I'm going to pick up the next book in the series this month. It's a long series, and when I finish, I'll probably start right back at the beginning again. You'll laugh out loud at some point in every one of these books, and close the cover with a smile. Sometimes, that's just what you want.
Note: The audio versions of this series are superb, and highly recommended. Lisette Lecat does a wonderful job with the different voices and moods of the book. Six stars for the audio performance.
I don't know what else to say about this series. I always enjoy these books. They make everything better. Books can be the cure for what ails you, and that's what these books are to me.
Third read:
I can't explain the feeling I get when I read these books. Looking forward to rereading the series until I come to the end, and can read the latest installment that was published last month. If you need a smile, and are interested in learning about another culture, and if you enjoy wonderful, fully-fleshed characters, you can't beat this series.
Second read:
It's happened. I've come full circle with this series this calendar year. I've read them all, this one twice, and already started on the next. I can't get enough of them, or of the wisdom and wildness of Botswana. Long live Alexander McCall Smith and his wonderful pen!
First read:
I absolutely love Alexander McCall Smith. If you find yourself in a difficult period, and want some assurance that there is kindness in the world, pick up any of his books and sink in to the happiness. And I'm not talking about fluffy marshmallow sickening sweetness, either. For me, his books have just that balance that I'm looking for. Bad things happen, but nothing is overly violent, there's no bad language, and good wins over evil in the end.
I'm going to pick up the next book in the series this month. It's a long series, and when I finish, I'll probably start right back at the beginning again. You'll laugh out loud at some point in every one of these books, and close the cover with a smile. Sometimes, that's just what you want.
Note: The audio versions of this series are superb, and highly recommended. Lisette Lecat does a wonderful job with the different voices and moods of the book. Six stars for the audio performance.
November 30, 2021
Although Precious Ramotswe no longer drives her tiny white van -- she has a more modern blue one now -- she is still compassionately solving problems for her Botswana neighbors. A letter arrives from the state of Minnesota asking Mma Ramotswe to help locate a safari guide who endeared himself to a lady who has since become late. She left this man some money, but did not remember his name. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is on the job. Grace Makutsi deals with an accident that causes her Puti to lose a foot. His No. 1 aunt is pretty thorny about letting Mma Makutsi visit. The wedding seems like it may be on hold for awhile. As usual there are other cases to deal with including one where an old friend from the typing school is involved and a couple who approach Mma Ramotswe individually with concerns that their spouse is unfaithful. This series continues to highlight the glories of Botswana and give us the pleasure of spending time in the company of familiar characters and their frequent tea breaks. So enjoyable!
December 10, 2010
I cannot say enough about Alexander McCall Smith's writing style. Gentle, humorous, touching, and drawing true to life pictures of the human condition. Sometimes I cannot believe he is not a woman - he seems to have fully identified how women think and he amazes me. I crave a trip to Botswana because he has sold the country to me so completely. I cannot say this series is for everyone. It is gentle, real and poignant. It has little action, the mysteries are of the human nature kind and this may be a bit too mellow for some readers. But, not me. I find reading this series to be like coming home to people I love.
August 11, 2016
A gentle book to read in hard times. Visiting with the characters again is nice. I love his writing.
January 8, 2013
An enjoyable book that makes me want to visit Botswana.
July 19, 2010
I love the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and I was excited to read this newest edition. The pace of life is slow and pleasant in the stories and the main character, Precious Ramotswe, tries so hard to always be kind and help other people. My favorite passage from the book:
"Having the right approach to life was a great gift in this life. Her father, the late Obed Ramotswe, had always had the right approach to life--she was sure of that. And for a moment, as she sat there with her friend, with the late-afternoon sun slanting in through the window, she thought about how she owed her father so much. He had taught her almost everything she knew about how to lead a good life, and the lessons she had learned from him were as fresh today as they ever had been. Do not complain about your life. Do not blame others for things that you have brought upon yourself. Be content with who you are and where you are, and do whatever you can do to bring to others such contentment, and joy, and understanding that you have managed to find yourself."
"Having the right approach to life was a great gift in this life. Her father, the late Obed Ramotswe, had always had the right approach to life--she was sure of that. And for a moment, as she sat there with her friend, with the late-afternoon sun slanting in through the window, she thought about how she owed her father so much. He had taught her almost everything she knew about how to lead a good life, and the lessons she had learned from him were as fresh today as they ever had been. Do not complain about your life. Do not blame others for things that you have brought upon yourself. Be content with who you are and where you are, and do whatever you can do to bring to others such contentment, and joy, and understanding that you have managed to find yourself."
May 3, 2010
"Be content with who you are and where you are, and do whatever you can do to bring to others such contentment, and joy, and understanding that you have managed to find yourself." Armed with this advice from her father, and her red bush tea, Mma Ramotswe again brings order and peace to her corner of Botswana. In this installment, Mma Makutsi's fiance has suffered a horrible accident and has been "kidnapped" by his aunt who is determined to keep Grace away from her nephew. Mma Ramotswe has been asked by a lawyer in the US to locate a safari guide who is about to receive a legacy. Violet Sephotho has engineered a swindle, and a friend wants proof that her husband is having an affair. If more people lived by Mma Ramotswe's philosophy, what a kinder, gentler place this world would be.
July 18, 2019
The two cases No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is working on are: (i) find a camp guide who had been kind to an American woman and has now inherited a lot of money, and (ii) help a man fooled by a woman, who has cheated him out of his inheritance, regain his money. Meanwhile, Phuti Radiphuti has had an accident and Mma Makutsi has to deal with the repercussions of it, as well as dealing with a recalcitrant and possessive aunt-in-law-to-be. Mma Ramotswe, on the other hand, has to confront the fact that maybe one of her friends is having an extramarital affair.
There is very little mystery in this. The Double Comfort Safari Club is more of a character development book, with Grace Makutsi undergoing traumatic experiences and coming out stronger for it. I am not even sure why the book is called what it is called. The safari club is not called double comfort and neither is the double comfort store or its owner, Radiphuti, involved in any way in the safari camp.
This is the book in which Violet Sephotho crosses the line! From a mere sex siren who is out to ensnare men, which could be just seen as the author's sexism coming out on the page, Violet now actively resorts to cheating and illegal activities. Smith ups the stakes with Violet here and sadly, I think I liked the sexist version better. The benign sexism is ever-present but the characters and the stories continue to charm, so I continue to overlook this.
There is very little mystery in this. The Double Comfort Safari Club is more of a character development book, with Grace Makutsi undergoing traumatic experiences and coming out stronger for it. I am not even sure why the book is called what it is called. The safari club is not called double comfort and neither is the double comfort store or its owner, Radiphuti, involved in any way in the safari camp.
This is the book in which Violet Sephotho crosses the line! From a mere sex siren who is out to ensnare men, which could be just seen as the author's sexism coming out on the page, Violet now actively resorts to cheating and illegal activities. Smith ups the stakes with Violet here and sadly, I think I liked the sexist version better. The benign sexism is ever-present but the characters and the stories continue to charm, so I continue to overlook this.
June 18, 2022
Mma Makutsi's nemesis, Violet Sepotho, really is TOO brazen! My goodness!
As usual, very charming, which makes some of the hard things that happen easier to bear. Just like with life, when you have good friends around you, things are far less horrible.
As usual, very charming, which makes some of the hard things that happen easier to bear. Just like with life, when you have good friends around you, things are far less horrible.
October 9, 2013
There are mysteries to be solved, and obstacles to be overcome. Grace Makutsi’s fiancée is seriously injured in a bad accident, and a relative is trying to wrest him away from her while he recovers. Precious looks into a possible case of infidelity and travels north with Mma Makutsi to track down the beneficiary of a will. Makutsi’s shoes become more voluble, which is intensely charming. Number 11 in the series continues Smith’s gentle tales of Botswana. If the prior ten volumes in this series were your cup of bush tea, number eleven will not disappoint.
Just in case you are new to the series. I would stop, go back and read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It makes a difference seeing the characters develop over the volumes.
Just in case you are new to the series. I would stop, go back and read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It makes a difference seeing the characters develop over the volumes.
February 14, 2011
Whilst I am always on a mission to ensure that anyone who has yet to read one of these books goes away to try one immediately, I have come to realise that they're not everyone's cup of tea. I love them. I have loved them from the first moment I discovered them, and they never disappoint me. I feel safe when I read them. I feel happy. I feel optimistic. And those are very important feelings to have not just when you're reading but in life generally.
This latest in the series didn't disappoint me. I can understand others frustrations and their claims of the stories being slow, or always the same, or full of little trivialities, but that's sort of why I love them. All my favourite things crop up here - Mr JLB Maketoni continues in his ponderings, and his gentle love of Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi finds her shoes are talking to her again, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi have a discussion about the usage of their teapots...Alexander McCall Smith makes shrewd observations about people, their thought processes, motivations, loves and fears. There is a gentle humour lurking behind everything he says, and also that ability to see the best in people and situations.
Looking forward to the next one...
This latest in the series didn't disappoint me. I can understand others frustrations and their claims of the stories being slow, or always the same, or full of little trivialities, but that's sort of why I love them. All my favourite things crop up here - Mr JLB Maketoni continues in his ponderings, and his gentle love of Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi finds her shoes are talking to her again, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi have a discussion about the usage of their teapots...Alexander McCall Smith makes shrewd observations about people, their thought processes, motivations, loves and fears. There is a gentle humour lurking behind everything he says, and also that ability to see the best in people and situations.
Looking forward to the next one...
June 11, 2010
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books are like a breath of fresh air. Each one is so well written, so poignant and charming, so easy to read; that I'm always done before I know it. Even as I crack open each book, I am sad because I know that all too soon, the story will be over. I just cannot slow myself down, or stop myself from reading, and in a few hours it's all over, and I'm left yearning for the next one.
Alexander McCall Smith is one of my favorite authors because he can say so much with very few words. I feel like I really know the characters in his books, like they are friends of mine that I can laugh with and share insights with.
I laughed out loud at more parts of this book than in the previous books. One small complaint I would have is that there seemed to be more "description" pages - no action or dialogue, just stories or word-painting, that I found a bit tiresome. Although I usually love the slow, relaxed lifestyle in these books, I found this one to be a bit too slow and would have liked a bit more detective work and sleuthing.
Alexander McCall Smith is one of my favorite authors because he can say so much with very few words. I feel like I really know the characters in his books, like they are friends of mine that I can laugh with and share insights with.
I laughed out loud at more parts of this book than in the previous books. One small complaint I would have is that there seemed to be more "description" pages - no action or dialogue, just stories or word-painting, that I found a bit tiresome. Although I usually love the slow, relaxed lifestyle in these books, I found this one to be a bit too slow and would have liked a bit more detective work and sleuthing.
March 30, 2016
I just love reading about Mma Precious Ramotswe adventures with her assistant Grace Makutsi’.
This time there is a midwive and her hanky panky.
A man who got tricked out of his house by the infamous Violet Sephotho. The safari trip to find a guide (eeck! lions, hippos, and crocodiles, have goose-bumps, up & down my arms just thinking about it).
and lets not forget Mma Makutsi's finance. His 1st Auntie won't let Grace see him after he got out of the hospital.
And then Mma Ramotswe uses her common sense with the help of others and resolve everything the best of her abilities. What a lovely woman!
Thank you Mr. Smith for such a wonderful array of characters.
This time there is a midwive and her hanky panky.
A man who got tricked out of his house by the infamous Violet Sephotho. The safari trip to find a guide (eeck! lions, hippos, and crocodiles, have goose-bumps, up & down my arms just thinking about it).
and lets not forget Mma Makutsi's finance. His 1st Auntie won't let Grace see him after he got out of the hospital.
And then Mma Ramotswe uses her common sense with the help of others and resolve everything the best of her abilities. What a lovely woman!
Thank you Mr. Smith for such a wonderful array of characters.
August 2, 2010
This is the 11th in this hugely successful and charming series about Mma. Ramotswe and her Number One Ladies Detective Agency in Gaborone, Botswana. The biggest mystery in this series is, how does this Scottish male author manage to convey so insightfully a feminine sensibility?
In this volume, Mma Ramotswe again copes with the prickly personality of her right hand woman, Grace Makutsi. After Grace’s fiancé is badly injured, she loses contact with him as he recuperates under the watchful eye of a possessive maiden aunt. Grace’s fiance’s injury adds a strain of potential tragedy to the story, but Grace’s love and devotion is unshaken and the main problem that occupies Mma. Ramotswe is how to overcome the aunt’s possessiveness. Meanwhile, Ms. Makutsi’s nemesis, that scheming hussy, Violet Sepotho, resurfaces. This is not to suggest that Violet is now earning an honest living as a floor sander, but rather that she has used deceit and feminine wiles to convince a naïve and trusting man to marry her and put his house in her name. This man, whom she has now left, enlists Mma. Ramotswe’s help in recovering his property. Oh yes, there’s a third problem—how to locate a guide who has been given a bequest by an American woman whom he once guided on a safari, without knowing his name or that of his safari camp.
McCall Smith writes with great delicacy and gentle humor, although the story largely repeats familiar motifs. Eventually, all three problems are resolved, although a weakness of the plot is that Mma. Ramotswe actually does little to effect a solution, meaning that she resolves these problems through persistence and improbable good luck more than through ingenuity or daring. At many points in the book, McCall Smith interposes little meditations on life and on traditional values in Botswana. Some may find this entrancing but I found it distracting—better to say what he wants to stay through the story!
In this volume, Mma Ramotswe again copes with the prickly personality of her right hand woman, Grace Makutsi. After Grace’s fiancé is badly injured, she loses contact with him as he recuperates under the watchful eye of a possessive maiden aunt. Grace’s fiance’s injury adds a strain of potential tragedy to the story, but Grace’s love and devotion is unshaken and the main problem that occupies Mma. Ramotswe is how to overcome the aunt’s possessiveness. Meanwhile, Ms. Makutsi’s nemesis, that scheming hussy, Violet Sepotho, resurfaces. This is not to suggest that Violet is now earning an honest living as a floor sander, but rather that she has used deceit and feminine wiles to convince a naïve and trusting man to marry her and put his house in her name. This man, whom she has now left, enlists Mma. Ramotswe’s help in recovering his property. Oh yes, there’s a third problem—how to locate a guide who has been given a bequest by an American woman whom he once guided on a safari, without knowing his name or that of his safari camp.
McCall Smith writes with great delicacy and gentle humor, although the story largely repeats familiar motifs. Eventually, all three problems are resolved, although a weakness of the plot is that Mma. Ramotswe actually does little to effect a solution, meaning that she resolves these problems through persistence and improbable good luck more than through ingenuity or daring. At many points in the book, McCall Smith interposes little meditations on life and on traditional values in Botswana. Some may find this entrancing but I found it distracting—better to say what he wants to stay through the story!
April 25, 2016
Very happy to find that this late in the series, the books are this good! This is actually even among the best, with just the right amount of "comfortable" mysteries, challenging complications and emotional turmoil.
One thing that always surprises me: even when reading books where the weather or climate is a large part of the storyline, I often forget and tend to see stories unraveling where I am myself at the moment. Then something happens that reminds me: "right, it's snow" or the like. Never so with these: with very small means the author conjures a picture of a Botswana I've never seen, yet see so vividly while reading these.
One thing that always surprises me: even when reading books where the weather or climate is a large part of the storyline, I often forget and tend to see stories unraveling where I am myself at the moment. Then something happens that reminds me: "right, it's snow" or the like. Never so with these: with very small means the author conjures a picture of a Botswana I've never seen, yet see so vividly while reading these.
May 4, 2010
The quality of this unique, culturally interesting series is consistently high. Heartwarming stories, wonderful characters,and amazing settings make for a joyful reading experience!
June 26, 2016
So many great characters. Loved how Mma Potokwani dealt with the Phuti situation for Mma Makutsi. She is certainly a force to be reckoned with
October 17, 2021
I love the comical parts combined with serious issues. Another great read.
May 9, 2019
I really enjoyed this installment in the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Mma Ramotswe is involved in several cases in this story - finding a guide in a safari that has been given a legacy from an American tourist, looking into cases of infidelity, and helping her assistant when her fiancé has a terrible accident. Everything is solved in the end, and I love hearing about the landscape and culture of the people of Botswana.
May 25, 2010
Sadly I think this series has run its course... at least for me. I ended up skimming most of this book. It seemed like about 75% of it was the author having his characters thoughts trail off in the middle of a conversation into some totally unrelated area. It was distracting to the plot and totally bogged down the whole book. Most of it could have been edited out and the plot wouldn't have suffered at all. In a nutshell there wasn't much action and very little plot in this one. Most of the characters were just background and not well developed in this one. I think he missed a big opportunity to enhance the Phuti/Grace story line and it just didn't happen.
Overall I didn't enjoy this one very much and I may not rush out to read anymore in this series either. Big sigh.... I hate it when a favorite series runs into the the ground!
Overall I didn't enjoy this one very much and I may not rush out to read anymore in this series either. Big sigh.... I hate it when a favorite series runs into the the ground!
July 7, 2010
I so enjoy these books. They invoke such a real world, you can almost hear the music of Africa in the voices and the stories. Alexander McCall Smith never disappoints with his #1 Ladies books and this one is no exception, the stories intertwine and suprise but seem to ring true for the most part. The characters are likeable and real as well. Just a really great read!
I find myself really disappointed when the books end and I have to wait a year or more to read a new one! I have encouraged others to read these books but always I feel that the subject of Africa puts them off and I am frustrated because I can't express how rewarding they are to read.
I am definietly going to recommend that we read one of these for my book club, I feel that once they begin to read them, they will really be hooked!
I find myself really disappointed when the books end and I have to wait a year or more to read a new one! I have encouraged others to read these books but always I feel that the subject of Africa puts them off and I am frustrated because I can't express how rewarding they are to read.
I am definietly going to recommend that we read one of these for my book club, I feel that once they begin to read them, they will really be hooked!
February 17, 2011
What a pleasure! I've thoroughly enjoyed the entire series so far and #11 did not disappoint me. Very comforting, optimistic and full of common sense and wisdom.
July 30, 2011
Love these wise, heartwarming stories.
March 28, 2020
Nice read ..😍
March 18, 2021
It's been a long time since I visited Mma Ramotswe, and I'm pleased that it's as delightful a visit as ever. Her latest case comes from a letter written to her by the executor of the will of an American woman who had gone on safari four years before. She left a bequest to the guide who had been kind to her during her trip, but could not remember his name. So Mma Ramotswe is tasked with finding that guide to inform him of his windfall. Secondary story arcs involve a friend of Mma Ramotswe who is sure her husband is cheating on her, as well as Grace Makutsi's fiance meeting an unfortunate accident. It's all as cozy as this series always is, and one leaves the book feeling the same contentment that the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency always confers upon the reader.
July 8, 2021
3.5 stars
Such a fun and lighthearted audiobook.
Such a fun and lighthearted audiobook.
March 31, 2018
I love the simplicity of this series. I love the writing and have become intrigued with Botswana. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.
January 8, 2025
It’s hard to put my finger on why I enjoy these books. They are incredibly gentle mysteries, almost Murder She Wrote for the elementary set. I hate books like that. Yet here I am, 11 books into the series. I started reading them when the series first started. Whenever I could get one, I tried to read each Lady’s Number One Detective Agency book while traveling in Africa. Rather than Botswana where these books take place, I always traveled to Uganda, which is in East Africa at the Equator, half a continent from where Mama Ramotswe lives. But even though I wasn’t in the immediate neighborhood, I often saw things among the people I was working with that reminded me of Smith’s fictional world. Now, after 24 years of traveling to Uganda, I am at home in Tennessee. I’m not really able to handle travelling alone to hot, third world countries where basic health care is often unavailable. So, continuing to read this series while looking out on the rolling hills of home cannot be blamed on my travel. But still, I read!
This gentle book finds Mama Ramotswe with an especially difficult case. An American woman who visited Botswana some years earlier has died. Her will includes a substantial bequest to the guide who took care of her on her safari. But she does not include his name in her will or even the travel company that provided her safari, only the general area she visited and the dates. The Number One Ladies Detective Agency receives the charge to find the guide and present him with instructions for reaching the lawyer, who will wire him the money.
As always, there are complications. The amount of money involved, though not particularly overwhelming in America, translates into a significant sum in Botswana. Many people would like to have this money, and some are not above trying to trick Mama Ramotswe into divulging the details of the transfer. Also, the fiancé of Mama Ramotswe’s former secretary, now an assistant detective, has lost his foot in an accident. His recovery is complicated by an overbearing aunt who sees her permanent position in this family as far above that of a mere fiancé, who could leave at any time. Mama Ramotswe takes her miserable assistant with her to search for a guide to distract her from all this. And finally, Mama Ramotswe receives a case from the wife of a prominent pastor, who suspects her husband of adultery. Mama Ramotswe, of course, solves everything. Rather than the high tech, physical, and intimidation techniques used by typical television and literary detectives, Mama Ramotswe uses kindness and reasoning to solve her mysteries. No one is hurt. The good people end up happy. The bad people either repent or suffer the humiliation they deserve.
And I actually read this! Smith is a sneaky-good writer. He uses description that brings back my Uganda days. He has developed Mama Ramotswe, her employee, and her family into people the reader really comes to care about. It isn’t the plot that hooks me, it is the people and the place.
So I have finished another book in this series. I’ve fallen a bit behind in my reading, so I will probably read another one soon. It will be another sissy book. But I can depend on Smith to deliver a book that will be a complete break from the things I usually read, and it will be beautifully written.
And in spite of myself, when I’m finished reading, I will have enjoyed Mama Ramotswe’s adventures once again.
This gentle book finds Mama Ramotswe with an especially difficult case. An American woman who visited Botswana some years earlier has died. Her will includes a substantial bequest to the guide who took care of her on her safari. But she does not include his name in her will or even the travel company that provided her safari, only the general area she visited and the dates. The Number One Ladies Detective Agency receives the charge to find the guide and present him with instructions for reaching the lawyer, who will wire him the money.
As always, there are complications. The amount of money involved, though not particularly overwhelming in America, translates into a significant sum in Botswana. Many people would like to have this money, and some are not above trying to trick Mama Ramotswe into divulging the details of the transfer. Also, the fiancé of Mama Ramotswe’s former secretary, now an assistant detective, has lost his foot in an accident. His recovery is complicated by an overbearing aunt who sees her permanent position in this family as far above that of a mere fiancé, who could leave at any time. Mama Ramotswe takes her miserable assistant with her to search for a guide to distract her from all this. And finally, Mama Ramotswe receives a case from the wife of a prominent pastor, who suspects her husband of adultery. Mama Ramotswe, of course, solves everything. Rather than the high tech, physical, and intimidation techniques used by typical television and literary detectives, Mama Ramotswe uses kindness and reasoning to solve her mysteries. No one is hurt. The good people end up happy. The bad people either repent or suffer the humiliation they deserve.
And I actually read this! Smith is a sneaky-good writer. He uses description that brings back my Uganda days. He has developed Mama Ramotswe, her employee, and her family into people the reader really comes to care about. It isn’t the plot that hooks me, it is the people and the place.
So I have finished another book in this series. I’ve fallen a bit behind in my reading, so I will probably read another one soon. It will be another sissy book. But I can depend on Smith to deliver a book that will be a complete break from the things I usually read, and it will be beautifully written.
And in spite of myself, when I’m finished reading, I will have enjoyed Mama Ramotswe’s adventures once again.
September 4, 2013
This is the eleventh instalment in the series of fourteen books written by Alexander McCall Smith, but only the second that I have read and enjoyed. Mma Precious Ramotswe is back as the detective dealing with a variety of cases, ranging from infidelity to finding an unknown recipient of a bequest left by a beneficent American tourist who enjoyed a safari in the lush but dangerously wild Delta region. Additionally, she must support her assistant, the headstrong and opinionated Grace Makutski, whose fiancé has been spirited away by a malicious aunt. Much has changed with Precious since I met her a numberof years ago in the first book. She has married, has two children and has established herself as a respected and wise detective in her community.
There is no murder for Precious to solve, but she uses many of her community contacts and solid powers of reasoning, to bring her cases to satisfactory conclusions, But I suspect that most readers do not flock to read the newest Precious volume because of her cases and their solutions. It is more likely that they enjoy the cultural references illustrating Botswana's culture, the humour that pops up unexpectedly, causing outright giggles, and the personality of Precious, herself.
McCall uses Precious and her cases to remind us that there are common threads that bind us and Precious together, despite cultural differences. There are elements of Mma Ramotswe's personality that link us all together as humans- love, respect, dignity, and concern for others. She is incredibly wise, and McCall's deceptively simple prose draws us in, and allows us to delve through many layers of meaning, if we so choose.
There is no murder for Precious to solve, but she uses many of her community contacts and solid powers of reasoning, to bring her cases to satisfactory conclusions, But I suspect that most readers do not flock to read the newest Precious volume because of her cases and their solutions. It is more likely that they enjoy the cultural references illustrating Botswana's culture, the humour that pops up unexpectedly, causing outright giggles, and the personality of Precious, herself.
McCall uses Precious and her cases to remind us that there are common threads that bind us and Precious together, despite cultural differences. There are elements of Mma Ramotswe's personality that link us all together as humans- love, respect, dignity, and concern for others. She is incredibly wise, and McCall's deceptively simple prose draws us in, and allows us to delve through many layers of meaning, if we so choose.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,922 reviews