The fourth book in the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series. In my opinion, none of the other books in the series are as good as the first, but this is still a nice read. It is also free of any colorful language or sexual content, making it perfect for sharing with family or giving as a gift.

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I love this whole series of books. This particular one is one of my favorites as it goes deeper into the life of MMe.R's secretary. You get to understand her character better and it can be amusing at times as well.

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Excellent entertaining light read. Gives you background and current culture in Botswana, Interesting character development. Womans interest primarily I would think. Mystery, detective element not primary.

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Another great book in the series No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I am thoroughly enjoying reading this book series. This one (book 4) did not disappoint me. I have read all of the books up to and including this book (No. 4) and intend to read the rest of the books. I find the author's writing style pleasant, humorous, enjoyable.

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I barely made it through the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, but so glad I did! Each book in this series just keeps getting better and better!

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Really loved this one. This story has a good mystery as well as develops the characters further into real people. Love the scenery and way of life illustrated here, as well as the humor and pathos. Such a good author in every way!These books are cozy friends to read and re-read.

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Love this series and the characters he writes about.

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Very cute - just as great as all the rest! A fast read.

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Anyone who likes a sweet, gentle story will love the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, by Alexander McCall Smith. They are cleverly crafted and amusing, and give the reader a flavor of life in Botswana. The characters are very human, but also very endearing. When reaching the end of the book, you can't wait to start another.

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These are such enjoyable books to read. I like the easy flow of language and the way the stories flow into one at the end. There is definately a formula to each one but I like it because it is soothing and comfortable.

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Another story in the series to love. I don't have a single solitary clue what took me so long to start reading this series, but now I have to go on to the next one. Some fact mixed with fiction, just plain great stories. The food, the clothing, the housing and the general philosophy of the people of Botswana are so very real and enjoyable to read. Cozy stories of the first order. Alexander McCall Smith has done it again.

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a fun read about a self-made African female detective-delightful series.

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All of Alexander McCall Smith's book are wonderful. I love his style

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4th book in the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series.

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This is now an HBO television series, as charming as the books!
Precious Ramotswe, protagonist of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and two sequels, is once again a charming account of the everyday challenges facing a female private detective in Botswana. In his usual unassuming style, McCall Smith takes up Ramotswe's story soon after the events described in Tears of the Giraffe. Precious and her fiance, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, still have not set a wedding date, but they continue to nurture the sibling orphans in their care, as well as the entrepreneurial ambitions of Precious's assistant, Mma Makutsi, who sets out to open a typing school for men. Along the way, Ramotswe handles a few cases and negotiates the arrival of a rival detective in Gaborone. The competition, a sexist detective who boasts of New York City street smarts, proves a delicious foil to his distaff counterpart. A moral component enters the story in the person of a successful engineer who wishes to atone for his past sins. He enlists Ramotswe to help him find the woman he has wronged, and this case comes to a satisfying yet hardly sentimental conclusion. But the real appeal of this slender novel is Ramotswe's solid common sense, a proficient blend of folk wisdom, experience and simple intelligence. She is a bit of a throwback to the days of courtesy and manners, and casts disapproving glances at the apprentices in her fiance's auto shop who obsess about girls instead of garage protocol. A dose of easy humor laces the pages, as McCall Smith throws in wry observations, effortlessly commenting on the vagaries his protagonist encounters as she negotiates Botswana bureaucracy. This is another graceful entry in a pleasingly modest and wise series.

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