Blue Shoes and Happiness (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 7) [Paperback]

Alexander McCall Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2007

From universally beloved author Alexander McCall Smith, comes this seventh installment in the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series featuring Botswana’s best-loved detective. Life is good for Mma Ramotswe as she sets out with her usual resolve to solve people’s problems, heal their misfortunes, and untangle the mysteries that make life interesting. And life is never dull on Tlokweng Road. A new and rather too brusque advice columnist is appearing in the local paper. Then, a cobra is found in the offices of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Recently, the Mokolodi Game Preserve manager feels an infectious fear spreading among his workers, and a local doctor may be falsifying blood pressure readings. To further complicate matters, Grace Makutsi may have scared off her own fiancé. Mma Ramotswe, however, is always up to the challenge. And Blue Shoes and Happiness will not fail to entertain Alexander McCall Smith’s oldest fans and newest converts with its great wit, charm, and great good will.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The seventh entry in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (after 2005's In the Company of Cheerful Ladies) reaffirms Smith's considerable gifts as a writer. His familiar characters offer further facets of their personalities, and their gentle, tolerant approach to life remains a refreshing contrast to most fictional figures, let alone those populating most mysteries. The author's love for his creations and for his Botswana setting are evident on every page. While the plot will be of secondary importance to fans of Precious Ramotswe, the "traditionally-built," self-taught private detective, and her assistant, Grace Makutsi, Smith presents them with several mysteries, including the search for the identity of a blackmailer and the source of malaise at a nearby game reserve. Ramotswe's intuition and understanding enable her to find the truth, while dispensing justice according to her own personal dictates. Even newcomers will be charmed by this wonderful novel, with its skillful blend of humor and pathos, and will doubtless rush to catch up with the earlier books.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Scotsman author Alexander McCall Smith's series has enchanted readers all over the world with its warmth, simple truths, dry humor, and depictions of life in Botswana. This newest addition doesn't disappoint. Penelope Lively, a neophyte to the series, praised the book for an "Africa made accessible" and for "beguiling" characters. If the plot moves a little slowly and the mysteries seem somewhat odd, it's because the novel focuses on human relations (this time we come to know Mma Makutsi intimately) and daily life at the agency. A few critics noted that Smith embarked into uncharted territory by exploring modern themes and gender relations. They concluded, however, that this slant did nothing to harm the novel.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; Trade Paperback Edition edition (March 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400075718
• ISBN-13: 978-1400075713
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (124 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alexander McCall Smith was born in what is now Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of Botswana. He is now Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He has written more than fifty books, including a number of specialist titles, but is best known for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, which has achieved bestseller status on four continents. In 2004 he was awarded British Book Awards Author of the Year and Booksellers Association Author of the Year. He lives in Scotland, where in his spare time he is a bassoonist in the RTO (Really Terrible Orchestra).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tight fitting blue shoes and a blackmail plot extraordinaire..., April 17, 2006

By 

Kali "bengaligirl" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Shoes and Happiness (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 7) (Hardcover)

Blue Shoes and Happiness" is yet another superb book from the much understated Alexander Mccall Smith who has given millions of readers a real taste of life in Botswana, a little African country with an amazing history.

In this new instalment Precious Ramotswe and her shrewd assistant Mma Makutsi, have a frightening encounter with a cobra in their office, an ill omen in the guise of a wounded bird, good intentions by one of Mma Ramotswe's employees, a new chair, and a diet that gets out hand, along with a nasty blackmail plot that involves Mma Ramotswe doing some delicate sleuthing in a private school's kitchen to find out who the culprit is and bring them to task.

Add to this a pair of tight fitting but gorgeous blue shoes that gently thread their way through the story line, lashings of bush tea and the wisdom of a Botswana lady detective who understands the frailties of human nature and what makes people tick, she is a kinder version of Agatha Christies's Jane Marple, and with Mma Ramotswe we don't get too many red herrings but we do get the odd twist in the tale in a comfortable read that is both intelligent and enjoyable.

I have to add to this review that I just love the titles of Mccall Smith's books in this particular series; they are so delicious you almost want to put them between two slices of bread and have them for supper with a cup of bush tea! Superlative is all I can say for both book and title!

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best yet, April 18, 2006

By 

C. Catherwood "writer" (Cambridge UK and Richmond VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Shoes and Happiness (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 7) (Hardcover)

This is the best yet.

What is fun about this book is that it deals with weighty matters - such as blackmail, medical corruption and things of that nature - in a way that make it accessible to ordinary readers, without the "in your face" moralizing of a book such as John Le Carre's The Constant Gardener. Some people complain that these wonderful Botswana novels are lightweight - far from it, since they deal with many major issues, but do so in a way that brings enormous pleasure to the reader at the same time.

It also deals with matters closer to the heart - the romantic story of Mma Makutsi, and the ups and downs of her relationship with her fiance could be straight out of Jane Austen, just set in another culture and time. The personalities are as delightful as ever and as utterly enjoyable.

As I write this the novel ranks somewhere in the 30s - what a shame, since it ought to be in the top ten and stay there. Buy a copy for yourself and ten copies for all your friends, as this is a wonderful addition to the series that you will want to read again and again.

Christopher Catherwood, author of CHURCHILL'S FOLLY: HOW WINSTON CHURCHILL CREATED MODERN IRAQ (paperback edition 2005)

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Precious Rights Wrongs and Helps Build Happiness, May 11, 2006

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Blue Shoes and Happiness (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 7) (Hardcover)

Readers who have not yet discovered this distinguished series are kindly advised to begin with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and work their way through the series in order of publication.

For those who have read the earlier books, Blue Shoes and Happiness will strike most as the best balanced and most rewarding book in this delightful series. The story has animal tales (one involving a cobra), several mysteries to resolve, challenges in Mma Makutsi's engagement, a detection training opportunity for Mr Polopetsi, more challenges with Mr J.L.B. Matekoni's apprentices, decisive purchases by Mr J.L.B. Matekoni and Mma Makutsi, and many reflections on the true nature of happiness by Precious Ramotswe. In particular, the story does a fine job of contrasting the older ways in Botswana with the newer, selfish ways.

I had the pleasure to hear Alexander McCall Smith speak during his recent book tour for the book, and I came away with the false impression that this story was mostly about Mma Makutsi and her new shoes. That episode is simply one of many that investigate the nature of a person's inability to resist certain temptations. Although this book comes close to being just a series of short stories, Alexander McCall Smith ties them together so masterfully that you rarely think of the book as anything other than a lovely flowing novel.

To me, the best part of this book was that it developed the characters more than most books in the series have done. Dr. Smith uses both dialogue and action well to help us appreciate who these characters are.

I thought that the mysteries were nicely rewarding. The solutions were not obvious (except in retrospect) and helped tie the overall themes of the book together. I have to believe that this book was influenced, in part, by readers' love of seeing Precious detect in the context of the truly unique setting of Botswana.

You have a great treat ahead of you. Order this book today!