Rating: 
Summary: WOW !
Review: I'm running out of superlatives for this series. It keeps getting better and better even though there is a bit less emphasis on the detective business than there was in the first three installments. That gives more time for character development and when you're dealing with characters as wonderful and unique as Precious Ramotswe, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and Grace Makutsi, that's not such a bad thing. These characters truly come alive and leap right off the page, as does the country of Botswana. There is a lot of emphasis on "traditional" ways, manners and mores in this book and Botswana must be a lovely, dignified and proud country indeed if it is anything like the place described by the author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who care about good fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Charming, but with a touch of condescension
Review: I've read all four of the Alexander McCall Smith books centering on Mma Ramotswe and her No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and I plan on reading the fifth, so clearly (to me, anyway) there is something attractive, charming, and addictive about these little literary gems. The gentle wisdom of the main characters, the insights into human nature that are revealed in the succession of episodes, the often lyrical references to life, nature, and culture in Botwana, all of these things render Smith's books fun to read and at times spiritually uplifting. This latest episode, featuring the professional and romantic adventures of Mma Rowatswe's trusted assistant, the typing prodigy Mma Makutsi, is every bit as charming and readable as the first three books in the series, so one cannot say that Smith is losing his touch as he cranks out book after book. There are, however, some troubling aspects to this series that I confess have come to bother me. Example: in his laudable effort to portray life in Botswana in a positive light, Smith's narrative at times takes on a kind of paternalistic tone, the subtext of which seems to be, "these people are simple, yes, but they are gentle, good, and in a kind of salt-of-the-earth way, wise." A style that apparently seeks to keep the prose simple and accessible ends up making the characters themselves often appear childlike and one-dimensional, lacking in real human depth. Because of this, I can see how these books have come to be so whole-heartedly embraced by rat-race-weary urban Western professionals daydreaming of a "simpler life and a slower pace." This tendency toward flattening out the stresses and complexities of life in rural Botswana would be more forgivable were it not for the fact that this is the nation with the highest rate of HIV infection on the planet. This is a startling, sad, alarming reality that probably will surprise many readers of these books, and yet this overwhelmingly serious problem is never mentioned even once in Smith's upbeat tales about lady detectives and dedicated auto mechanics. I certainly don't expect the author to dwell in his stories upon this health catastrophe, but his failure even to allude to the problem seems to me an almost calculated part of his overall strategy of presenting a romanticized, sanitized, they're-poor-but-they're-happy image of life in Botswana. People who have read and appreciated all of the novels will surely interject at this point at least one, "Yeah, but..." Noteworthy among these could be the fact that in a previous book the principal male character, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni (always, cutely, referred to by this full title), is diagnosed with clinical depression. Yes, this is strikingly "real to life," certainly, but even here the simplistic, dumbed-down approach to human problems advanced by Smith emerges, as Matekoni's apparently severe depression is completely obliterated almost instantly through a simple presciption for antidepressant drugs. Anyone familiar with the issue of depression knows that overcoming this malady is seldom so simple as is portrayed in Smith's novel. But problems in Smith's Botswana tend generally toward rapid and total resolution, much in the manner of prime time television episodes. Still, I confess that I find these novels to be soothing and easy bedtime reading, and I'm sure I'll end up buying and reading the next one, despite my growing reservations about Smith's overall project.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for more
Review: I've read the first 3 books in this series and can't wait for more. I can't remember laughing so often reading through a book. They are delightful, life-affirming...all those corny words. The characters restore your faith in the human race, something I at least need these days living as I do in Jerusalem. These people are the kind of people I hope to be. They just get through life being kind and loving and caring for people less fortunate than themselves. Goes to prove that novels don't have to be able sick twisted people to get an audience.
Rating:
Summary: Easy going, just plain fun.
Review: If you'd like some relief from profound, violent, or even sugary sweet characters, this is the book for you. The story just rocks along at a pleasant pace. You may guess some of the endings of each part but still it's fun just to see that ending unfold. Read this ...you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: Sneaks up on you
Review: If you're looking for action-packed suspense, you won't find it here. Like the rest of the series, this book offers a quiet charm that draws the reader into the lives of a small town in Botswana, Africa. Through the eyes of the heroine, Precious Ramotswe, we feel as though we, too, live in this village. The book as a realistic feel and the characters grow on me with each volume. There's gentle suspense. This detective agency tracks down a lost family, to help a client repay a debt, and a straying husband, who turns out to be uncomfortably close to the agency. Although Precious Ramotswe owns a detective agency,
she draws on common sense and her vast network, rather than special skills. Unlike Miss Marple, she doesn't go out of her way to find mysteries, or even label her puzzles as mysteries. She just enjoys life to the fullest. Her fiance,Mr. Maketoni, provides a nice foil, with his motor repair agency, and we now meet two apprentices who have the potential to add additional flavor to the series. Like M. C. Beaton, Smith writes small books that convey a sense of place with economy and skill. However, his characters have a dignity that keeps the book charming rather than humorous. Smith is respectful, while Beaton takes a satiric twist every so often. Stiill, of all mysteries I read, Beaton bears the closest resemblance. Fortunately for fans, both authors are prolific. With any luck, we'll see many more volumes in our lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: Self-Empowerment In Botswana
Review: In this book, Smith's 4th and most recent book in the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series, he tackles again some of his usual topics. He again shows the constant battle between traditional values and modern values and their interaction in Botswana. However, in this book, Smith goes even further than he has before. He engages in conveying the ability of people to self-empower themselves. In this book, Smith illuminates the continual problem of a male dominated society and how this situation affects the women of Botswana. Throughout the book, there are multiple examples of the women of Botswana self-empowering, and feeling the tremendous elation and self-satisfaction that accompanies that accomplishment. Starting particularly with Mma Makutsi, Assistant Detective, who starts a business teaching MEN how to type. And it is an immediate success, as men often feel internal cognitive dissonance that they cannot type for themselves, and have to depend on women to do their typing. The concept of the class itself is self-empowerment for men. And the business itself allows Mma Makutsi to feel self-empowered herself, the proprietor of a successful business. While the books are "plugged" as "mystery/fiction" most readers of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series recognize, that the cases, the investigations, are really just a device to advance the plot and to help illustrate the points which mostly deal with ethics, morality and how people treat each other. This is truly what Smith is trying to get across and by using Botswana, a small, proud, independent, Democratic country as a microcosm of the world, he tries to help the reader understand cross cultural issues and basic ethical concepts which are slightly different in each venue, but are nonetheless, universal around the world. Smith gives us yet again, a close look at the internal workings of another society and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions as to how it relates to the world they live in themselves. Truly a wonderful and instructive series, this book deserves the 5 star rating.
Rating:
Summary: Love Comes to Mma Makutsi!
Review: In this hilarious and yet touching addition to the Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series, the ultra-proper and ultra-serious Mma Makutsi, she of the very large glasses and formidable secretarial powers, has Met A Man! As devotees of the series know, Mma Makutsi is fast approaching that age where men no longer want to marry, and she has not been lucky in love.
Will this time be different? Or...as the reader and Mma Ramotswe fear...has the very careful Mma Makutsi been caught in the cluthes of a Bad Man?
That's only one of the connundrums in this highly entertaining book, that finds Precious Ramotswe still unmarried, still solving mysteries, and strained to her last nerve by a male detective who is trying to usurp her business.
Absolutely a gem from page one to the end. This is simply a series NOT to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: It should be 6 stars for this magnificent book!
Review: It really ought to be 6 stars for a book as wholesome, fun, enjoyable and utterly delightful as this one. The books are just getting better and better and we in England have already been able to enjoy this book's just as good sequel (with more coming from this author in 2004!) Give everyone 10 copies of this book for Thanksgiving and then find 10 more friends to give it to for Christmas - it really is THAT good! Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003)
Rating: 
Summary: "I miss people talking about very small things."
Review: Mma Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency in Gaborone, is a much-respected, traditional woman (of "traditional size") who honors the customs of Botswana and tries to solve problems for her clients the "traditional" way--through her broad network of friends and family with whom she can sit down, drink bush tea, and "talk about very small things," as she searches for clues. She is a warm and happy woman of good sense, and her detective agency is a huge success because of her discretion and care for her clients' feelings.
In this novel, full of gentle humor and wisdom, Mma Ramotswe deals with two clients, one of whom committed a minor crime many years ago and for which he now wants to make amends, and one of whom is worried about a philandering husband. Both cases require the utmost in tact and sensitivity. Mma Ramotswe is also concerned with some personal matters. A rival detective agency, run by an aggressive man, opens an office in Gaborone to great fanfare, and he publicly demeans the #1 Ladies Detective Agency in a news feature. Mma Ramotswe's fiancé, Mr. J. L. B. Matakone still has not set a wedding date, though he clearly loves her, and one of the young orphans she and Mr. J. L. B. Matakone are mentoring, begins to have serious behavior problems. In addition, Mma Makutsi, Mma Ramotswe's assistant, who is barely making ends meet with her current jobs, decides to open a typing school for men after work. Mma Makutsi soon falls in love with one of her students, someone Mma Ramotswe finds inappropriate.
Domestic issues and human relationships, rather than exciting plot lines, keep the focus on the characters--beautifully drawn, sometimes flawed, and always forgiven their faults. In a pace as relaxed as life in Botswana, author Alexander McCall Smith recreates the colorful everyday lives of these ordinary people, who treasure friendships, treat each other with respect, and possess inherent good sense. In simple, direct prose filled with homely details, the author celebrates a traditional lifestyle and its values during a time in which change may become inevitable. A warm, relaxing read, filled with the joy of life. Mary Whipple
Rating:
Summary: Another great romp with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Review: Mma Ramotswe is back in form in the fourth book in the series about the No. 1 Ladies' Detective agency. Her detective agency is on solid footing although she's barely breaking even financially; she's become in institution in the community, her faithful fiance Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is still faithful (are these two ever going to set the date??) and overall, life is good. But there's a small cloud on the horizon; a pushy male detective who claims to be from the Big Apple sets up shop in town, loudly proclaiming that sleuthing is a man's business after all, and threatens to give Mma Ramotswe some serious competition. But Mma. Makutsi, her trusty assistant, saves the day by scavenging some old typewriters and opening an adjunct business in their office, a typing school for men (what's the difference between a clerk and a secretary, except that men are called clerks and women are called secretaries, Mma. Makutsi reasons; after all, they both need to know how to type). And next thing you know, business is booming, and one of Mma. Makutsi's students is making some serious moves on her. Is love in the air? Or is this guy maybe too good to be true? It's up to Mma Ramotswe to find out, when she has time off from her search for two missing persons, and dealing with that pesky competition on the side. Alexander McCall Smith brings Mma Ramotswe back onstage with all her formidable qualities very much in effect; her shrewd mother-wit, her common sense, and her uncanny intuition. Like the first three book, "The Kalahari Typing School for Men" is an enchanting love poem to the people and the continent that so intrigues and fascinates Smith, and which he makes so fascinating for the rest of us. It's all summed up in his coda on the final page: africa
africa africa
africa africa africa
africa africa
africa
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