Customer Reviews

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (6) (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Mma Precious Ramotswe, warm-hearted proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Gaborone, Botswana, is drinking tea at an outdoor café when she witnesses the theft of a bracelet. In her haste to apprehend the female thief and return the bracelet to the poor vendor, she leaves her table without paying her bill. The waitress hurries after her, accuses her of intentionally neglecting her bill, and then offers to "forget" about it if Mma pays her an extortionate fee.

Distressed by what she sees as the loss of Botswana's traditional values, Mma Ramotswe believes fervently in setting a good example, respecting others and promoting friendships in her own life. Recently married to Mr. J. L. B. Matekone, proprietor of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe runs her detective agency (where she doles out homespun advice and often serves as a "mother confessor"), takes care of two orphaned children, mentors Mma Grace Makutsi, her assistant, and endeavors to get the two apprentices at her husband's garage to become responsible citizens. A special pleasure in this novel is the introduction of a wonderful, new character, Mr. Polopetsi, a man with a sad story who will undoubtedly be further developed in later novels.

Throughout the series, plots and subplots serve primarily as vehicles for character development and the exploration of cultural values. In this novel Mma Ramotswe has a deep secret, not shared even with her husband, and she is desperate to have it remain a secret. Her house is broken into, her car is stolen, and Note Makoti, her first husband, returns to Gabarone. Mysterious goings-on occur in Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni's former house, now rented; the detective agency looks for a missing man from Zambia; and Mma Makuti finds herself receiving the attentions of a clumsy suitor. While these events may not be very exciting when regarded on a large scale, they are significant in the lives of these ordinary people trying to live their lives with dignity.

Reading this series is like returning to a familiar neighborhood to meet old friends. In simple, direct prose and a leisurely pace, the author recreates the colorful lives of a repeating set of characters who treasure relationships, treat each other with respect, and possess inherent good sense. Full of gentle humor and much wisdom, the novel emphasizes the richness of a traditional life without including the violence, sex, or horror which fill other "detective" novels. Warm, witty, and nostalgic, this series is happy reading, and this novel is a fine addition to the series. Mary Whipple

Business is booming for both the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, but the daily routine is about to be shattered by a series of strange and puzzling events, starting with an unpleasant encounter at Mma Ramotswe's favorite café, an unfortunate intruder at Zebra Drive, and a mysterious pumpkin.

The story does not focus entirely on the traditionally built Mma Ramotswe, but weaves in the experiences of the other characters in one of the most entertaining books of the series.

Mma Makutsi becomes much more self-confident, and in addition to running the Kalahari Typing School for Men, she puts on her best shoes and signs up for dance lessons, where she ends up being more teacher than pupil to her eager but clumsy dancing partner.

Charlie quits his job at the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors after a spat with Mma Makutsi, but is seen driving around with an older woman in a Mercedes Benz, and the plot thickens when the car turns into the driveway of Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni's former residence.

While following the Mercedes, Mma Ramotswe causes an accident, and this encounter leads to the introduction of an intriguing new character, Mr. Polopetsi, a man with some very useful talents and a troubled past.

But do not think for a minute that Mma Ramotswe gets off without more than her fair share of trouble. She is totally devastated when her ex-husband Note shows up demanding money, and she has to make the hardest decisions of her life while Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni watches and waits.

This one has more action, more intrigue and more humor than the others, and would be enjoyable reading for traditionally built women, people with 97% passing grades, and all the rest of us.

Amanda Richards, June 23, 2005

I think this is the best yet - what a shame American readers have had to wait until April to get this wonderful book. (Why can't US publishers bring it out the same time as those in the UK?)

Mme Ramotswe is married! (Or IS she - you will have to read to the middle of the novel to find out.... ) Not only that but Grace Makutsi finds love as well - and to find out THAT happy ending you really will have to read until the last chapter.

Many yuppies (do we still use that term?) love this book, and those in the series, because not much really happens - and that is the whole point! It is both hilariously funny as always, with very sharp observations of human life, and yet profoundly gentle throughout. Life is SLOW, and for many people in the fast lane, that is perfect reading. (And for people who live in the middle lane like me as well...) You can be wonderfully calm reading this book - the whole series is the perfect antidote to the manic life we live in the West, in the 21st century. Five cheers for Alexander McCall Smith!

In one scene, Grace Makutsi meets an odious young woman called Violet, who got only 50% the typing school (Grace, as we will recall, got 97%). But unlike Grace, Violet has all the best jobs and all the men after her - she has one fifteenth of Grace's character and ability, yet gets far because she is glamorous. Haven't we all been there - seeing far less talented people get ahead for reasons that are profoundly unfair? This is what is so good about the Ramotswe novels - they are superb morality tales, showing true values without in any way being preachy.

In short, give this book to all your friends - 10 copies at least! Let's see it go to No.1, which it richly deserves to do, and a good sight more than some so-called fiction out there these days.

Enjoy!

Christopher Catherwood (author of CHURCHILL'S FOLLY: HOW WINSTON CHURCHILL CREATED MODERN IRAQ: Carroll and Graf, 2004)

The latest in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series follows Precious Ramotswe and her family and friends over a few weeks. The original tales were descriptive and creative with a detective story holding them together, but now McCall Smith has largely left the detective genre for the creation and development of personalities in his story. This book does not give that delicious feeling of not wanting the story to end whilst being unable to put it down that most of us enjoy. However, it is an improvement on the rather hurried "Full Cupboard of Life". I enjoyed the new characters McCall Smith has introduced, and the blossoming of Grace Matsui. It's a gentle relaxing story, less engrossing than its early predecessors. Only four stars this time.

Mma Precious Ramotswe, warm-hearted proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Gaborone, Botswana, is drinking tea at an outdoor café when she witnesses the theft of a bracelet. In her haste to apprehend the female thief and return the bracelet to the poor vendor, she leaves her table without paying her bill. The waitress hurries after her, accuses her of intentionally neglecting her bill, and then offers to "forget" about it if Mma pays her an extortionate fee.

Distressed by what she sees as the loss of Botswana's traditional values, Mma Ramotswe believes fervently in setting a good example, respecting others and promoting friendships in her own life. Recently married to Mr. J. L. B. Matekone, proprietor of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe runs her detective agency (where she doles out homespun advice and often serves as a "mother confessor"), takes care of two orphaned children, mentors Mma Grace Makutsi, her assistant, and endeavors to get the two apprentices at her husband's garage to become responsible citizens.

Throughout the series, plots and subplots serve primarily as vehicles for character development and the exploration of cultural values. In this novel Mma Ramotswe has a deep secret, not shared even with her husband, and she is desperate to have it remain a secret. Her house is broken into, her car is stolen, and Note Makoti, her first husband, returns to Gabarone. Mysterious goings-on occur in Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni's former house, now rented; the detective agency looks for a missing man from Zambia; and Mma Makuti finds herself receiving the attentions of a clumsy suitor. None of these events are, of course, world-shaking, but they are significant in the lives of the hard-working and honest people who populate this delightful novel.

South African playwright Lisette Lecat, reader of this audiobook, puts her feeling for dialogue to work here, giving a dramatic but completely realistic sound to this story of Mma Ramotswe, rolling the MM in "Mma" in a completely natural way, impossible for a foreigner to duplicate. Her ability to assume different voices for different characters, without being "cute," adds to the sense of place and to the characters' personalities. Her clear diction and ability to duplicate the cadence of Smith's writing make her reading particularly memorable. Conveying gentle humor, Lecat adds warmth and wit to this rich novel. Mary Whipple

McCall Smith has topped himself. This isn't just another installment - new and memorable characters are introduced and the plot line is more emotionally nuanced than previous books. There is much to be learned from these "simple" tales from Botswana, and Mma Makutsi is our teacher in this one.

I pounced upon this latest book in Johannesburg last October, knowing it wasn't yet available in America. I've already read it again, despite the considerable backlog on my bedside table.

It was difficult to finish this book, the sixth in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, because (to my knowledge) there isn't another one forthcoming. The book opens with a strange and bewildering episode for Precious wherein someone has found his way into her home and ends up hiding under her bed. He is almost crushed under the weight of a sagging mattress when Precious, being of traditional build, decides to take a nap. However, the intruder escapes...without his trousers, which get snagged on a piece of metal under the bed. The next day, Precious finds a pumpkin by her fence near where she'd hung the trousers (in case the owner should be looking for them). The trousers are gone. She wonders whether or not there's a connection between the appearance of the pumpkin and the missing trousers for some time.

While the intruder episode is troubling, Precious Ramotswe becomes entangled in a dilemma of her own making as the result of something she did, or, rather, didn't do, many years ago. This troublesome matter threatens her happiness with Mr J. L. B. Matekoni. Grace Makutsi, on the other hand, starts taking dancing lessons and embarks on a new adventure of the heart; well, maybe.

The agency is doing well as is Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. So well, in fact, that more help is needed. What to do, especially when Charlie quits in a huff. What's up with him? Both Mma Makutsi's and Mma Ramotswe's wits are needed again in Cheerful Ladies, as always, to help solve the problems and dilemmas of daily life. This time, some of their detective work is quite personal.

Carolyn Rowe Hill

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.

Mma Ramotswe, the lady detective with a 'traditional' figure, continues to enchant and reward In the Company of Cheerful Ladies. I had worried McCall Smith might begin to run out of steam, or at least material, but this is definitely one of the strongest books in an enchanting series. The pleasure I get from reading these gently seductive books is unrivalled - the world of Precious Ramotswe and JLB Maketoni is entirely beguiling and wholly persuasive. I've become somewhat evangelical on the subject and keep pressing the books onto sundry passers-by and relatives with birthdays. If any of you are newcomers to the series - go back to the start and read them all.

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Our dear friends from Gaborone, Botswana, are back in rare form after the relative doldrums of "Full Cupboard of Life." They are faced with imposing challenges, both direct and subtle, that spring from the past as well as the present. Please do not let me cool your interest when I say that this book (and the series) is an extended, enjoyable meditation on the possibility of living an ethical life founded on respect and goodness. I am captured completely by the humanity and sweetness of these books even though my reading taste usually runs to Napoleanic naval bloodshed, nail-biting action or techno thrillers and police procedurals. If one had the power to populate one's neighborhood with characters from fiction, Mma Ramotswe, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and Mma Makutsi would be my much valued next door neighbors.