In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

I discovered this series only recently and I can understand why, as I found out, it is such a world-wide success and why Mma Ramotswe has become such an icon. It is not great, ponderous literature — it is much more than that! The plots are simple but well done; the writing very pleasant. However, in my opinion neither plot nor style, perfectly unobjectionable as they are, are these books’ main attraction. The characters are, and their interaction. The people come to life all the time: wise, funny, loyal, weak — completely human. There are great life lessons to be learned in these apparently simple books, from love for humanity, to the need for forgiveness and respect. Objects, and the land, also play an important and unforgettable role. I barely knew where to find Botswana on the world map before, and now it is so vivid in my mind as if I lived there for ever. One warmly given suggestion: read these books chronologically. You will enjoy them even if your read them in an hapazard order, but if you read them as they were written you will be drawn even more into this jewel of a world.

Once again, Alexander McCall Smith has woven a truly enjoyable and thoughtful tale of the “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.” In this book, we see both Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi maturing in their approach not only to detective work, but also to the new ever changing world about them. The aspects of the detective work are a little richer and more intricate than in prior books; which concentrated more on Ethics and Morality, than detective work. Yet, they all had a special flare, as is typical of McCall Smith.

In his latest creation, he takes us further inside the seemlier side of Botswana. Here we learn about the `shebeens’ that give people credit for liquor, and then exact great price for failure to pay one’s bill upon it reaching large proportions. In addition, we see the new morality starting to hit the scene in Botswana. A little bit of Johannesburg and other less respectful cities and countries are starting to spread into Botswana, a Democratic Wonderland in comparison to so many of its neighbors.

Smith uses his normal clarity in painting the scenes, many of them having not so clear moral or ethical issues. But they are issues that human beings nonetheless must face and deal with, each in their own manner. While all of us can imagine the usual uses of `right and wrong’ there are so many times, when the lines of ethics and morality seem hazy or at the very least, have a few curves and bumps.

The Alexander McCall Smith reader will not be disappointed by this new addition to the series. Smith is crafting the characters and the stories in a more deeply dynamic cast, allowing them to rapid adaptation to rapidly changing conditions. And, he thus allows them to take us deeper into the difficult decisions of the strange problems of life. The book is recommended for all McCall Smith readers, and all readers seeking some answers to the ethical and moral issues which confront us daily, no matter what society we live in.

Endearing, fun and good laughs.
My very positive review will not be all that helpful with so many good reviews.
My only comment, as I have stated in reviews of Smith’s other Ladies Detective Agency books is that you should read at least the first one and probably one other before reading this one. In this book, you already know the personalities of the characters and what the agency is all about.
Also you have come to expect short stories of personal challenges, everyday life descriptions, and comments on Botswana all woven together.
If you have read his other books, you already know that this is not a traditional detective novel along the tradition of really serious and/or dangerous detection. Nor will you find modern scientific detection methods using DNA, forsenic analysis. In fact, there are absolutely no dead bodies. :>
It is just fun, fast reads to lighten your find. In this book several personal challenges are resolved much to the delight of this reader. I will not say more in case I spoil it for you.

As if this series weren’t already replete with characters we love, this volume introduces Mma Grace Makutsi’s enthusiastic new dance partner/admirer, Phuti Radiphuti, a stutterer with two left feet with whom nobody else will dance. It’s nice to see some romance enter Mma Makutsi’s life.

Sixth book in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.

Mma Ramotswe is dismayed to see the erosion of the traditional values of Botswana as modern life becomes more and more about material possessions. She does her best to set a good example, but falls short from time to time. Now married to Mr. J.L.B. Matekone, Mma Ramotswe continues to run the detective agency while many issues in her personal life cause her worry. A strange man breaks into her house, someone leaves her a pumpkin, her van is stolen, and her mean ex-husband returns to Gabarone, bent on blackmail. Soon after Charlie the apprentice storms out of the garage, Mma Ramotswe literally runs right into a solution to the sudden labor shortage. While following Charlie, she almost hits a man with her tiny white van. Enter the marvelous Mr. Polopetsi.

While Mma Ramotswe struggles with her personal life, Mma Makutsi starts to live it up a little (and solves a big case along the way). Mma Makutsi indulges her love of shoes and takes a dance class where she just might find someone to love.

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