Starred review from July 25, 2011
It's a busy time for the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency as assistant detective Grace Makutsi is about to get married and must locate a pair of shoes that literally speak to her. Meanwhile, Precious Ramotswe has taken on a troubling case involving the murder of some of Botswana's beloved cattle. Additionallyâand even more disturbingâboth Precious and Grace have spotted what appears to be the ghost of Ramotswe's old white minivan rumbling about town. And apprentice mechanic Charlie, upon discovering that he's the father of twins, has disappeared. Lisette Lecat, a seasoned narrator of several previous books in McCall Smith's beloved mystery series, turns in another commanding performance. She deftly creates voices for every characterâmen, women, children, and even talking shoesâthat are perfect down to the smallest detail. Lots of fun and totally charming, this winning audio version of McCall Smith's latest installment is not to be missed. A Little, Brown and Company hardcover.
Starred review from February 28, 2011
Smith again makes the sublime look easy in his winning 12th No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novel set in present-day Botswana (after 2010's The Double Comfort Safari Club). As usual, the mystery that the agency's proprietor, Mma Ramotswe, must resolve—the identity of the culprit who maimed two of her client's cattle—takes a backseat to personal matters. Mma Ramotswe, who still mourns the sale to a scrap dealer of the battered white van that was her traveling companion for many years, is unsettled when she thinks she sees the vehicle moving along the road. Meanwhile, her longtime assistant, the prickly Grace Makutsi, is nearing the home stretch of her lengthy engagement. Smith has few peers in capturing the quiet moments of people's lives, and his empathetic lead has one of the biggest hearts in modern literature. Even newcomers will quickly be drawn into Mma Ramotswe's unconventional approach to investigations and rapidly feel that they are with old friends.