Another great instalment of The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I never tire of these books. ( )

Things are slow at The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. So when Mma Ramotswe attends a wedding, she is looking for a project to keep her occupied. As it happens, a long lost friend, whom Mma Ramotswe believed to be late (the Botswanan term for dead) is also in attendance at the wedding. When this old friend confides that she is concerned about her daughter, Mma Ramotswe takes it upon herself to solve this “mystery” without being asked to do so. Similarly, Mma Makutsi takes it upon herself to follow-up on a previous case that isn’t sitting well with her, and Charlie is wondering how to propose to his girlfriend. As each solve their own “mystery,” along the way the trio learn about family, friendship, love, and gratitude.

The Bottom Line: This gentle read is pleasant reading for a cozy winter weekend or take it along to the beach. This installment of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency can easily be read out of order from the others in the series as it includes plenty of background information; the focus is more on human nature rather than a real mystery though. Recommended for fans of the series and fans of cozies.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

Although there seemed to be an especially large amount of faffing about and philosophizing in this entry into the No. 1 Ladies series, and one of the expected central plot points (based on the cover description anyway) didn't materialize until the last dozen or so pages, it was still warmly satisfying as usual. It is particularly comforting right now, floating along through life with Mma Ramotswe, who seems to have no cares more significant than anticipating the annual rains and reconnecting with old friends whom she had thought were "late." Nothing really terrible happens in her world, and that is just where I needed to go at this moment. Sadly, I can't let go of my cares as Precious can, and my thoughts kept turning to how Africa is doing with the coronavirus. I hope, better than the country where I live. As the Botswana depicted by Alexander McCall Smith feels like a much more friendly, tolerant and gracious place, I can only hope they are not too badly afflicted. I love how nothing much seems to change in Gaborone, though life goes on, with the usual cycles. ( )

“Mma Ramotswe glanced down at her friend’s feet. They were on the large side, and they reminded her at that moment of the bottom sections of the concrete pillars of that new bridge on the outskirts of town; but she did not say anything about that, of course, as it is rude to make civil engineering comparisons when talking about a friend’s personal features.”


“She had never once regretted what she had done under the influence of tea, and would not start doing so now.”
( )

Charlie's getting married! But no real puzzles to solve. Even Grace is getting more mellow. ( )