As Botswana awaits the familiar blessing of the rains and the resumption of the eternal cycle, seismic upheaval is taking place at the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Not only is Mr J. L. B. Matekoni attempting to reform himself into a modern husband, but after her marriage to Phuti Radiphuti, Mma Ramotswe’s challenging but irreplaceable associate Mma Makutsi has joyful news. With the arrival of an heir to the Double Comfort furniture empire and Mma Makutsi busy with motherhood, cobras and a senior aunt, Mma Ramotswe must grapple alone with tea-making, detective work and a new uncertainty. Disturbing developments over the will of a local dignitary, Edgar Molapo, point to fraud and a shocking family secret, while tracing the source of a smear campaign against the Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, in which notorious troublemaker Violet Sephotho may or not have a hand, proves to require a keen eye and an open mind. But the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is resilient and adaptable, and change brings salutary lessons: that our enemies are not always obvious, that a snake under the bed may be an ally, and that a mother’s love conquers all.
Detection has two sides Alexander MacAll Smith has to be one of my favourite authors. When I finish his books, I want to turn around and read them again. I am entirely involved with his characters from the beginning. I sip the red bush tea with Mma Ramotswe,and the tea of Mma Makutsi, eat the fruit cake of Mma Potekama, go into the garage with the mental picture of Mr J L B Maketoni, Fanwell and Charlie underneath the vehicles they are attending. He brings a gentleness, a real feeling of respect for and with fellow…
Overall, most enjoyable. The usual laid back wry humour and gesture to more gentle times. I particularly like the characters’ “thinking asides”…very tangential but not to the detriment of the plot. My only reserve was the two cases posed, while resolved, were done in passing, rather than in direct action with the named culprits. Not as satisfying as usual. However, always enjoy the interplay between the two women protagonists.
A verse about friendship and what most matters in life The book is a verse about friendship and what most matters in life. I have read and listened to all the No. 1 Ladies’ detective agencies books and enjoyed them tremendously. There is rich understanding of human nature and respect for life and Nature – a real wisdom interwoven with humor. They have all and this one included lifted my spirits and given me many moments of joy. What I enjoy in particular in the Minor adjustment beauty salon is the fact that the cases are in the background like a…