Alexander McCall Smith’s latest edition to the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series is perhaps the best yet. I finished reading it this morning.
The Lady Detective, Precious Ramotswe, is as charming as Alexander McCall Smith, who I once had the pleasure of meeting.
The series is often described as Miss Marpole in Botswana. It’s a good comparison, however, in Miss Marpole I recall the story being more about the mystery. In the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency the mystery is often secondary to the tales of Mma Ramotswe, her husband, her assistant, and the many secondary characters. It the mysteries of human nature that I find so charmingly related in this series.
As I mentioned, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies–the latest edition in the series–was the best yet. The first book was a great set up, books two and three were also great, then I felt like there was a mid-series lull. I decided to read In the Company of Cheerful Ladies because I still love the characters. It was definitely worth the read.
For more on the series and to read the first chapter of In the Company of Cheerful Ladies check out Amazon.ca.