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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
February 24, 2004 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781449887551
- File size: 221210 KB
- Duration: 07:40:51
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from March 29, 2004
Precious Ramotswe is on the case again in this delightful fifth installment in the bestselling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, this time assisting the self-made founder of a chain of hairdressing salons who wants to unearth the real intentions of her four suitors, each possibly more interested in her money than her heart. As fans know, though, sleuthing takes second place to folksy storytelling in McCall Smith's wry novels. This time around, Mma Ramotswe is distracted by her long-prolonged engagement to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, Gaborone's best mechanic; it seems she will never be married, despite her fiancé's honorable intentions. He installs an extra large seatbelt in her car to keep her safe (she is quite comfortable with her "traditional build," despite the new, slender fashion of modern woman), but an altercation with another mechanic and the prospect of a charity parachute jump keep his mind off matrimony. A drive for decency motivates Mma Ramotswe and her friends—among them Mma Potokwani, the imperious matron of the local orphan farm, and Mma Makutsi, assistant at the Ladies' Detective Agency and founder of the Kalahari Typing School for Men—and Smith's talent is in portraying this moral code in a manner that is always engaging. As readers will appreciate, Mma Ramotswe solves her cases—more questions of character, really, than of criminal behavior—in good time. Traditionally built ladies living in the African heat don't tend to hurry, and, at the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, there's always time for another cup of tea. Agent, Robin Straus
. (Apr. 20)
Forecast:
Fans will love the surprise in store for Precious Ramotswe at the end of the novel, and should bump this on bestseller lists. -
With any beloved series the narrator becomes an integral part of our overall enjoyment, and so it is with this latest in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Lisette Lecat adopts a confidential storytelling tone to deliver these vignettes about Botswana village life, and it's hard to imagine anyone else doing a finer job. It's a little like an African Mayberry--or like checking in with old friends, with a little judicious snooping thrown in on the part of Mma Ramotswe. It's amazing how well McCall Smith captures the feelings of a "traditionally shaped" middle-aged lady surrounded by men she must straighten out or rescue, usually with much tact and understanding. It's easy to see why this book won the Saga Award, given to the wittiest British book of the year. Lecat ekes out every morsel of comic nuance with perfect timing, gentle charm, and a flawless accent. As Precious Ramotswe would say, she has made us very, very happy. D.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award 2005 Audie Awards Finalist (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from November 15, 2004
This fifth title in the "No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series follows detective Mma Precious Ramotswe; her fianc and owner of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni; assistant Mma Makutsi; and local children's orphanage director Mma Potokwani. In this installment, wealthy Mma Holonga, owner of a hairdressing chain and patent on Special Girl Hair Braiding Preparation, seeks the investigation of four possible husbands; Mma Potokwani sets up J.L.B. for a fundraising parachute jump; and Gaborone's best mechanic must confront the owner of First Class Motors with shoddy workmanship on the town butcher's car. And will J.L.B. ever actually marry Mma Ramotswe? Listeners eagerly await Lisette Lecat's evocative recordings about this "traditional" lady and the gentle Botswanans. Highly recommended for all collections.-Sandy Glover, Camas P.L., WACopyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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