Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 2) [Paperback]

Alexander McCall Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2002

Precious Ramotswe is the eminently sensible and cunning proprietor of the only ladies’ detective agency in Botswana. In Tears of the Giraffe she tracks a wayward wife, uncovers an unscrupulous maid, and searches for an American man who disappeared into the plains many years ago. In the midst of resolving uncertainties, pondering her impending marriage to a good, kind man, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, and the promotion of her talented secretary (a graduate of the Botswana Secretarial College, with a mark of 97 per cent), she also finds her family suddenly and unexpectedly increased by two.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alexander McCall Smith (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) offers the second and third installments of his dignified, humorous Botswanan series. In Tears of the Giraffe, PI Precious Ramotswe tracks a missing American man whose widowed mother appeals to Ramotswe; meanwhile, the imperturbable detective is endangered at home by her fianc‚'s resentful maid.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

“The Miss Marple of Botswana.” –The New York Times Book Review

“Smart and sassy . . . Precious’ progress is charted in passages that have the power to amuse or shock or touch the heart, sometimes all at once.” –Los Angeles Times

“I haven’t read anything with such unalloyed pleasure for a long time.” –Anthony Daniels, The Sunday Telegraph

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400031354
• ISBN-13: 978-1400031351
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,084 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

115 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives Up to the First in the Series!, December 15, 2002

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 2) (Paperback)

This second entry in Smith's Botswana-set series picks up right where the wonderful The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency left off. Indeed, the two books are utterly seamless, and it'd be a real shame to read this without reading its predecessor first. The book picks up with the engagement of "traditionally built" Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's sole woman detective, to local master mechanic Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. While the structure is the same as the first booka missing son as the central running mystery, and some smaller cases interspersedthe new couple's relationship is the real focus.

So, while Precious is asked by an American woman to find out what happened to her son, who disappeared from a commune ten years previously, she must also negotiate the pitfalls of setting up house with Mr. Matekoni, the acquisition of an engagement ring, and the dastardly schemes of Mr. Matekoni's nasty housekeeper, and the unexpected addition of two foster children to her household. All of which she does with her keen sense of human nature and wisdom. Her secretary/typist is also given increased attention, allowed to take on the case of a cheating wife all by herself.

Built into the stories are ruminations of the tensions between modernity and traditional values. There are a number of passages that attempt to capture the essence of Africa, and how that noble vision is under constant assault by greed, corruption, and power. The adventures of Precious and her cohort are a warm antidote to the often depressing news that dominates coverage of Africa in the West. Smith writes in a delightfully fluid and simple prose with pacing that makes the book quite difficult to put down. The series thankfully continues with Morality for Beautiful Girls and The Kalahari Typing School For Men, with further volumes to follow, one hopes.

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continuing Life Saga of Precious Ramotswe, Woman PI, December 20, 2003

By 

Imperial Topaz (Marrakesh, Morocco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 2) (Paperback)

I'm an American woman who has spent 12 years living in Africa, and traveled to almost every part of the African continent. When I discovered the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, I could hardly wait to read Tears of the Giraffe. I was not disappointed. I can hardly wait to get to the next books in the series. After saying she would never, ever remarry (in the first book), Precious does get engaged in this book, but continues to pursue investigating her cases while engaged. There are a lot of interesting developments that I don't want to give away. She hasn't gotten married by the end of the book, that is left to us in the third book to find out about.....!

I found it interesting that the author is a Professor of Medical law, living in Scotland, but having been born and raised in Zimbabwe. He has published many varied books on many subjects. I think these are his "fun" books! I also think that part of the reason he has written these books is to show non-Africans what traditional African society is like, especially how it is managing to move into the modern age. By setting it in Botswana, he neatly sidesteps many of the problems found in other parts of Africa, and is able to concentrate both on his story, and on showing us how traditional Africans THINK and act. I found this especially interesting, having lived in several African cultures, myself. I also find the series very uplifting and rewarding to read, in addition to being a good story. I think some of the critical reviews are from people who have never lived or traveled in Africa, and they just don't realize how true-to-life are so many of the episodes-I do not find these books at ALL condescending toward blacks. On the contrary, they are a celebration of the traditional GOOD values found in black African culture (a nice change from what we usually see in the news).

There were several things I especially enjoyed about this book. I don't particularly enjoy first-person, male-oriented police detective novels. This is about a woman detective, who had no more qualifications than you or I, but who just hung out a sign, and used her common sense. She ordered a text book from London, from which she learned some investigative procedures. She's very clever. The book is not written as a first person, blow-by-blow account. On the contrary, it is written in third person, and is more about her LIFE, going through her becoming a detective, the cases she meets along the way (which we watch her solve), and what we learn about the society as we go along. I would highly recommend this book to anyone planning to travel to any southern African country. It is a light, humorous book, from which you can learn a lot while enjoying a great story. I found it difficult to put down. I have now read the first two books in the series, and plan to order every single one. I can hardly wait until they arrive in the mail!

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tears of the Giraffe - ANOTHER MUST READ!, July 11, 2003

By 

H. Row "in1ear" (Arvada, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 2) (Paperback)

Alexander McCall Smith has written over 50 books, from specialized works as The Criminal Law of Botswana, Forensic
Aspects of Sleep to Children's books. He currently is a Professor of Medical Law at Edinburgh University.

Tears of the Giraffe takes us further into the life of the interesting and confident Precious Ramotswe, the owner and detective of Botswana's only Ladies' detective agency. Among her cases in Tears of The Giraffe are wandering wives, the devious and dangerous maid of Mma Ramotswe's fiance and a challenge to resolve a mother's pain for her missing son, who is long lost on the African plains. Mma Ramotswe's own impending marriage to the best mechanic and gentleman, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, the promotion of her secretary to the dizzy heights of Assistant Detective and new additions to the Matekoni family, all come together again to produce the second humorous and charmingly entertaining of tales in Smith's series.
A enchanting view of life as it is in today's Africa. This mystery is enhanced by the belief and charm of the lifestyle of the
characters and the plot. A totally fun read for the many fans who wish to escape to a simpler lifestyle, whether you've traveled to Africa or not!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for it's unique and likable characters and exotic setting. The uniqueness of the mysteries
reflect a simpler lifestyle than many of us live and especially expect in a "mystery". TOTAL ENJOYMENT!
John Row