In the Company of Cheerful Ladies: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

In a genre that seems to be in a race to incorporate increasingly darker themes, it is refreshing to encounter Mr. McCall's efforts to demonstrate that ordinary life has sufficient peril and danger to hold our interest, that a compelling narrative can indeed be drawn around characters that are simply trying to do the right thing. Indeed, it is heartening to find an author who still understands that there are absolute rights and absolute wrongs.The opening scene of the book is instructive: Mma Ramotswe is observing the world around her when she sees a shoplifter and leaps from her table to apprend the miscreant only to be stopped and accused of trying to defraud the restaurant at which she was enjoying a tea. Is she really just as guilty as the shoplifter? Of course not, she means no harm--but, then again, the reader has the unique benefit of knowing her true intent.The story then moves through the resolution of several similar situations. The author shows how justice can miscarry if people are unwilling to examine the tougher issues of "intent" by separating a person's actions from the motivation for such actions. Deep stuff.The success of this series is that its deceptively simple situations mask some serious philosophy. And the author continues to circle back on the same lessons in different manners. I had to laugh when Mma Makutsi teaches a lesson in morality to a beautiful girl (the title of a previous work in the series). In response to a sarcastic and biting comment, Mma Makutsi gives a humble and difficult reply, truly an example of "turning the other cheek". In savoring her comeback, the reader perceives that the author set the story up such that Mma Makutsi's comment speaks to several different issues all at once. Surprisingly, this book is as close to a written fugue as any new fiction I've encountered of late.By taking the complexity out of the surroundings and focusing upon the inherent complexity of human relationships, Mr. Smith again provides a satisfying tale that is neither simplistic nor morally ambiguous. Plain and simple. I have to applaud this book as well as any work where decency triumphs at all levels.

Once again, Alexander McCall Smith has woven a truly enjoyable and thoughtful tale of the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency." In this book, we see both Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi maturing in their approach not only to detective work, but also to the new ever changing world about them. The aspects of the detective work are a little richer and more intricate than in prior books; which concentrated more on Ethics and Morality, than detective work. Yet, they all had a special flare, as is typical of McCall Smith.In his latest creation, he takes us further inside the seemlier side of Botswana. Here we learn about the `shebeens' that give people credit for liquor, and then exact great price for failure to pay one's bill upon it reaching large proportions. In addition, we see the new morality starting to hit the scene in Botswana. A little bit of Johannesburg and other less respectful cities and countries are starting to spread into Botswana, a Democratic Wonderland in comparison to so many of its neighbors.Smith uses his normal clarity in painting the scenes, many of them having not so clear moral or ethical issues. But they are issues that human beings nonetheless must face and deal with, each in their own manner. While all of us can imagine the usual uses of `right and wrong' there are so many times, when the lines of ethics and morality seem hazy or at the very least, have a few curves and bumps.The Alexander McCall Smith reader will not be disappointed by this new addition to the series. Smith is crafting the characters and the stories in a more deeply dynamic cast, allowing them to rapid adaptation to rapidly changing conditions. And, he thus allows them to take us deeper into the difficult decisions of the strange problems of life. The book is recommended for all McCall Smith readers, and all readers seeking some answers to the ethical and moral issues which confront us daily, no matter what society we live in.

A gentle human nature story, told From the perspective of. The authors Botswana characters, nice to read about life without murder and mayhem as the subject .

very good condition

This book was new so it was in great condition. It was shipped quickly and the package was in good condition. I am sending these books to a friend in a nursing facility and she is also enjoying them.

I discovered this series only recently and I can understand why, as I found out, it is such a world-wide success and why Mma Ramotswe has become such an icon. It is not great, ponderous literature -- it is much more than that! The plots are simple but well done; the writing very pleasant. However, in my opinion neither plot nor style, perfectly unobjectionable as they are, are these books' main attraction. The characters are, and their interaction. The people come to life all the time: wise, funny, loyal, weak -- completely human. There are great life lessons to be learned in these apparently simple books, from love for humanity, to the need for forgiveness and respect. Objects, and the land, also play an important and unforgettable role. I barely knew where to find Botswana on the world map before, and now it is so vivid in my mind as if I lived there for ever. One warmly given suggestion: read these books chronologically. You will enjoy them even if your read them in an hapazard order, but if you read them as they were written you will be drawn even more into this jewel of a world.

Excellent book full of humor and true to life.

Those who have begun at the beginning of this charming and quietly moving series should be keen to get to No. 6. McCall Smith's vocal register has become seemingly effortless, with not a word out of place, and the powerful, interwoven stories in this instalment are worthy of the style: it is impossible not to be emotionally involved and to care deeply about the characters—not all saintly, far from it. This volume really hits the heights of emotional wisdom.

Impeccable

Wonderful like the other books in the series.

The author has a great way of setting up problems in the lives of all the characters and working through solutions always in a surprising way. Some interesting moral dilemmas solved so everyone is happy. Sometimes funny and sometimes a tear jerker.