Starred review from February 8, 2010
As in 2009’s Tea Time for the Traditionally Built
, the previous entry in this beguiling, bestselling series, a personal crisis for one of the leads, rather than a mystery, drives the plot of Smith’s superb 12th novel set in Botswana featuring his infinitely understanding sleuth, Precious Ramotswe. When a delivery truck backs into Phuti Radiphuti, the fiancé of Mma Ramotswe’s prickly and insecure assistant, Grace Makutsi, and crushes his leg against a wall, Phuti’s rude aunt won’t allow Grace to visit her beloved in the hospital. Meanwhile, the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency tries to help the executor of an American woman, who wished to leave some money to a kind tour guide, but couldn’t recall the guide’s name. The resolution to the problem of another client, who was cheated out of his home by a gold-digger, might strike some as unduly fortuitous, but it makes sense within the framework of these books, which are more about humanity than logic.
Starred review from May 31, 2010
Fans of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries will be delighted with this latest installment—the 12th in the series. With her usual aplomb, Precious Ramotswe sorts out the inheritance bequest from a grateful American tourist, attempts to reconcile an unhappy couple, thwarts a scheming femme fatale, and helps to reunite her assistant, Grace Makutsi, with her injured fiancé, who is being held in isolation by an overbearing aunt. Ramotswe's kindness and wisdom are welcome antidotes for a troubling economy and ecology. As in previous performances (Tea Time for the Traditionally Built), Lecat captures Ramotswe's rich tones and Grace's occasional, outraged high-pitched shrieks. The regular cast is well-defined, and even if a few newer characters lack sufficient individualization, it's not enough to detract from this audio book's charm. A Pantheon hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 8).