Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, takes on an unusual case for the owner of a football team. Once the best football team in Botswana, the Kalahari Swoopers are on a prolonged losing streak. The owner believes someone on the team is deliberately causing the team to lose. It's Mma Ramotswe's job to find out who. She will need help from her assistant, Grace Makutsi, to interview the many team members in a timely fashion. However, Mma Makutsi is distracted by her nemesis from the Botswana Secretarial College, Violet Sephotho, who has just been hired by Mma Makutsi's fiance, Phuti Radiphuti, to sell beds in his Double Comfort Furniture Shop. Mma Ramotswe must also deal with the loss of her beloved white show more van.

Nothing much happens in these gentle African mysteries, yet I find these books difficult to put down once I start reading. Precious Ramotswe's musings about her beloved Botswana, her late father Obed Ramotswe, and human nature in general, always remind me of the non-material blessings I enjoy in my own small corner of the world – health, a comfortable home, a supportive family, good friends and neighbors, and the companionship of my sweet dog. show less

Ten books into the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, and I'm still finding it as warm and lovely as ever. This time, we finally get to know something about the life of the character formerly known as The Apprentice Who Is Not Charlie, mourn with Precious Ramotswe as she faces what looks like the end of her beloved little white van, and watch Grace Makutsi seething over the fact that her fiancé has hired her man-stealing nemesis to work in his furniture store. Oh, and there's also some investigation, of course, as the owner of a soccer team hires the ladies to find who is sabotaging his team so they keep losing. But, as always, the plot, such as it is, is far less the focus than the characters, the ups and downs of their lives, show more their endearing human foibles, their heart-warming basic decency, and their gentle musings on the human condition.

Interestingly, many of said musings, even more in this book than in previous ones, involve the nature and roles and differing interests of men and women, a subject I usually find unbearably annoying. But Mma Ramotswe's thoughts on the matter, somehow, offend me not at all, perhaps because they're less about lazy stereotypes and more about very real-feeling observations, and because she is always careful not to present those generalizations as absolutes. That, I suppose, and because the women always come out of it well.

Anyway. This series remains marvelous comfort reading for me. show less

My favourite bit of this book was the scene where Mma Ramotswe is worried about Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni coming home late from work. Her love for him is something that is never specifically addressed before, being implied rather than spelt out, and the scene where she rushes from the car to greet him was very touching.
Again, other characters are given development - Mma Makutsi continues to have some chapters told from her point of view (the weakest parts in my opinion as I struggle to like her character), and it is nice to get some insight into the character of the second apprentice. I get the impression that his story will be addressed again in future.
The book itself as a whole was different from the others in the series. The cases that Mma show more Ramotswe solves are both slightly anti-climactic in their endings, fizzling out in a rather rushed manner. The focus in the book is more on exploring relationships so the cases are naturally given a back seat; however you are left feeling that the book should be longer in order to fully detail the cases.
However, this slight shortfall doesn't ruin the book and this is a nice continuation of a very enjoyable series. show less

This installment of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency features two mysteries. The official one is that Mma Ramotswe is hired by the owner of the local football club to figure out who in the organization has betrayed him and caused the team to lose more matches. The unofficial one is where Mma Makutsi, assistant detective, tries to figure out how her nemesis, Violet Sephotho, sales associate, is able to sell so many beds. The latter may not seem like a challenging mystery, but it's hard for Mma Makutsi to think straight when the store is owned by her fiance and she's sure Violet is making a play for him. All in all, it's not great literature, but it is an enjoyable read.
--J.

Precious Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi continue to work through the problems of others—and a few of their own.
There’s not much action in this series; the plot certainly isn’t the thing here. These books are all about the several main characters trying their best to live good lives and do their jobs. It sounds deadly dull in this age of chilling thrillers, but it’s no such thing. The series is a gentle reflection on a life well-lived, with humor and consideration for the needs of others.
This was like an oasis in the present desert of anger and hate. I loved the book and am grateful to McCall Smith for giving this reader a welcome relief.

I absolutely love this series! Even though it falls into the crime/mystery category you couldn't get much further from that than this series.
This time Mma Ramotswe's tiny white van is in dire straights. But she's too afraid to tell Mr JLB Matekoni because he'll say it's cactus & tow it. She & Mma Makutsi are are also learning about football as their most recent client, Mr Molofololo insists there is a traitor in their midst as his football team keeps on losing their matches & it doesn't look like that's going to change. And to top it all off, Violet Sephotho is back & has set her sights on Mma Makutsi's fiancee, Phuti Radaphuti....
This is the series I turn to when I need a break or I've been having a rough time. I love the simple, show more charming language that is so lyrical as well. I also love the subtle humour & wisdom in these stories. If you haven't heard of this series yet, what the heck have you been doing?!?! show less

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency has a case to solve that truly puzzles them. The owner of the local football team is concerned that there is a traitor on the team who is purposely throwing the games; they had been quite successful but now they are losing to inferior teams. Mma Precious Ramotswe and Mma Grace Makutsi may not know anything about football – that is something men like – but they do know about shoes, and this knowledge will serve them well.

There is the usual personal drama as well – the beloved tiny white van is making a very bad noise, and Violet Sephotho is once again messing in Grace Makutsi’s business.

I love these gentle “mysteries” set in Botswana. Smith’s love of the country, its people and culture is show more evident in the way he talks about the landscape and the customs. The books are simply delightful. show less