| Author: Alexander Mccall Smith |
In this latest installment
in the internationally best-selling, universally beloved
series, there is considerable excitement at The No. 1
Ladies’ Detective Agency. A cobra has been found
in Precious Ramotswe’s office. Then a nurse from
a local medical clinic reveals that faulty blood–pressure
readings are being recorded there. And Botswana has a
new advice columnist, Aunty Emang, whose advice is rather
curt for Mma Ramotswe’s taste.
All this means a lot of work for our heroine and
her inestimable assistant, Grace Makutsi, and they
are, of course, up to the challenge. But there’s
trouble brewing in Mma Makutsi’s own life. When
Phuti Radiphuti misses their customary dinner date,
she begins to wonder if he is having second thoughts
about their engagement. And while Mma Makutsi may
be able to buy that fashionably narrow (and uncomfortable)
pair of blue shoes, it may not buy her the happiness
that Mma Ramotswe promises her she’ll find in
the simpler things—in contentment with the world
and enough tea to smooth over the occasional bumps
in the road.
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From Publishers Weekly
The seventh entry in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (after 2005's
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies) reaffirms Smith's considerable gifts
as a writer. His familiar characters offer further facets of their personalities,
and their gentle, tolerant approach to life remains a refreshing contrast
to most fictional figures, let alone those populating most mysteries.
The author's love for his creations and for his Botswana setting are evident
on every page. While the plot will be of secondary importance to fans
of Precious Ramotswe, the "traditionally-built," self-taught
private detective, and her assistant, Grace Makutsi, Smith presents them
with several mysteries, including the search for the identity of a blackmailer
and the source of malaise at a nearby game reserve. Ramotswe's intuition
and understanding enable her to find the truth, while dispensing justice
according to her own personal dictates. Even newcomers will be charmed
by this wonderful novel, with its skillful blend of humor and pathos,
and will doubtless rush to catch up with the earlier books.
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$21.95 (hardcover)
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