ISBN: 1-4025-4740-4 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com Recorded Books
More of portrait of Botswana than a classical investigation, this mystery has enough human interest and lyrical rhythm to engage the reader.
Reviewed by David on January 19, 2005
Genre: Mystery (Private Investigator, Africa)
Synopsis: Mma Ramotswe, the plump and intelligent owner of Number One Ladies Detective Agency, tackles difficult problems in this installment. An American mother, desperate for resolution, begs Mma Ramotswe to find out what happened to her son, who disappeared in Botswana eight years ago. Her intended husband, Mr. J. L. B. Matakoni, is victimized by a lazy but aggressive maid. And her assistant in the agency wants a career plan.
However, the Mma handles all of it with her intellect, intuition, experience, and a good dose of Botswana ethics.
Full Review: Botswana is a poor, dry country. However, among its neighbors, it is justly proud of its achievements: peace, fairness, strong social support network and a growing economy. The protagonist—Mma Ramotswe—has plenty of contemplation and observation to share about the qualities of the country, as well as the universal attributes of human nature. In the process, mysteries get uncovered through both traditional and unusual techniques.
The narrative voice, with a mixture of naivete and experience is generally charming despite a certain artificial simplicity. The somewhat stilted sentence construction along with moralizing gets cloying at times, yet there is enough insight and humor to keep the reader engaged.
Copyright: 2000
Series Name: Precious Ramotswe Mystery
Overall: 5; Plot: 5.5; Characters: 5; Style: 6; World-building: 6.5; Originality: 6;
Recorded Books, 2003, Audio tape, 6 cassettes
ISBN: 1-4025-4740-4 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com Recorded Books