This is the fourth book in the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. I enjoyed it very much. The characters are all back and facing yet more problems to be solved. Mma. Makutski opens a typing school for men which meets at a local church hall. There she meets a very nice man who wants to spend time with her. Has Grace found love at last? Can Mma. Ramotswe help a man who wants to atone for bad behavior of twenty years ago? And what about a new detective agency that opens up in Gaborone run by a very bombastic and rude man? Will it harm Precious and Grace in their ladies' detective agency? I had fun finding out.

***Fifth read***

Enjoying this series even more, rereading this time with my husband. We both enjoy the series so much! God bless you, AMS! Long may you wave

The story of _Kalahari Typing School for Men_ was much like its immediate predecessor, _Morality for Beautiful Girls_. The novel focuses a great amount on the development of some characters, and leaves others "out to dry", and ultimately strays away from the things that made books 1 and 2 of the series so good: the cases, the interactions, and the values of the Botswana people. That is not to say that this book does not have any detective cases, but I find the novels have shifted from their original focus. However, one thing that I did like about this book is the increased role and development of Mma Makutsi. She is a great characters, and until book 3, Mma Makutsi existed in the shadows. I look forward to seeing her develop more in the next books.

English version below

********************

Ein weiterer unterhaltsamer Roman aus der Cozy Crime-Reihe über Botswanas cleverste Privatdetektivin.

Diesmal musste ich besonders schmunzeln bei der Idee eine neu zu gründende Fahrschule “Lerne Autofahren mit Jesus” zu nennen.

Wer gerne unblutige Geschichten, bei denen sich bei den “Kriminalfällen” eher um die Verwicklungen der menschlichen Natur handelt, liest und noch dazu etwas über Botswana erfahren will, ist mit dieser Reihe wirklich gut bedient.

-----------------------------

Another entertaining novel from the cozy crime series about Botswana's cleverest female private detective.

This time I had to smile especially at the idea of calling a new driving school "Learn to drive with Jesus".

If you like to read bloodless stories, where the "criminal cases" are more about the intricacies of human nature, and also want to learn something about Botswana, this series is a really good choice.

I loved this one so much. I can't believe how invested I am with these characters. Each time I finish I feel like I've had such a nice visit with old friends. These books make me happy. Just what I need during this stressful year.

The book's English version is simple and easy to read and the story was very interesting.

The "No #1 Ladies Detective Agency" series is absolutely wonderful. Like sunshine in book form! The characters are gentle, the rhythm is comfortable, and the writing is fresh. The book offers wonderful little gems without being preachy. Would recommend this charming series.

I love this series, they are such good cosy reads. Mma Ramotswe is such a warm likable character, I like following her about when she is going about her day to day business.

The actual parts to do with the detective agency always seem like a side story rather than the main event, lots of other little bits going on to keep you interested. I did get worried about what was going to happen to Mma Makuts but thankfully nothing to bad!

Can't wait to carry on with the rest of the series.

These are pretty much perfect airplane books. Easy to read, well-crafted, home-spun and nostalgic. Mma Ramotswe is everyone's mother figure, a "traditionally-built" Miss Marple. The African dialogue and setting also offers a touch of the exotic, with Botswana playing a role as a country of "integrity and generosity in both the simple and the big things".

Alexander McCall Smith is a master at interweaving plot development with inner monologue. These books are not your standard detective novels. They rarely turn on revelatory plot twists. Fundamentally, the simple stories are more about character development and promoting a simple morality.

"In spite of everything, in spite of all the change, with all the confusion and uncertainty which it brought; in spite of the casual disregard with which people were increasingly treating one another these days, there were people who spoke to others with the proper courtesy, who treated others, whom they did not know, in the way which was proper according to the standards of the old Botswana morality. And whenever that happened, whenever one encountered such behaviour, one was reminded that all was by no means lost."

Escapism at its finest.

Africa is a continent that is somehow really close to my heart. This is largely because I have had several friends from the continent, coming from Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria to name a few. One of my closest friends after marriage is from Liberia. Added to this fact, is that my husband makes regular visits to the continent during the course of his work and comes home with some splendid tales about living in that continent. Botswana was a mystery for me, despite the fact that I have a cousin living there and who has lived there since a very long time.

With this series, however, I was introduced to this wonderful country and its people and culture. For that alone this, would deserve high praise, but when you add to it a lovely story that is part cozy mystery and part cultural treatise; it definitely becomes a personal favourite, one that stays with me even after I finish reading it. Long are the echoes of Mma Ramotswe and her nuggets of wisdom regarding people in general and Botswanan culture in particular.

This is the fourth book in this series and, like the other three, it opens with Mma Ramotswe talking about certain issues that bother her. In this case, she is firstly worried about Mma Makutsi, who is losing her self confidence as she is still unmarried. Additionally, her adopted son is also causing problems, especially behavioural, which she cannot understand and therefore solve. Mma Ramotswe has no experience in raising children, so it is natural that she feels uncertain about raising her adoptive kids. Also there is a new detective agency that has opened in her town, which means that she needs to deal with competition. Mma Makutsi, on the other hand, is also worried about her finances and chances of a secure earning, which leads her to think of different options to earn money; one such idea is the Kalahari Typing School for Men.

Amidst these two issues, Mma Ramotswe receives two potential cases, both quite different from the other and yet both extremely of a personal nature. While these issues might not seem like much and pretty mundane at that, what makes the book beautiful is the way in which the author has blended African and especially Botswanan culture and small niceties in this book. While reading this book, or for that matter any book in this series, I have a slight smile on my face; one that depicts my happiness at reading such a beautiful prose.

Africa and its culture comes to life under the gentle touch of the author and this is extremely difficult, especially when you are writing a cozy mystery. Mma Ramotswe’s talent at getting the best out of people, the African need to know about everyone in their home town and their allusions to the older and more sedate Botswana, all remind me of how things work in India. Indian villages are quite similar in their approach and ability to interact with this African country. The need to exhibit respect for elders, the proper way of interaction, the casual and gentle nudging out of local gossip, all make me feel as if I were reading about an Indian village and this makes the book extra special to me.

In short, this was an enjoyable read and I am already looking forward to reading the next in the series. If you haven’t read this one, I suggest that you begin with book 1. Don’t expect great mystery solving abilities, instead look at it as a beautiful river that flows gently and waters the areas that it passes; a river that enriches your knowledge about Botswana and African culture in general.

Another solid effort in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Series, as these books continue to delve into its characters and manages to use this as a way to have them involved in the new cases. While the books are very delightful and easy to read, I feel that the author needs to get these ladies involved in much more serious and complicated cases. So far, most of the cases are cute and involve a lot of moral detecting, but the time has come for Mma. Ramotswe and Mma. Makutsi to get into some meatier cases, especially since Book 4 introduced a new Detective Agency to the town. We also saw the first sparks of love for Mma. Makusti even though it was short-lived, as she also branches out by opening the Mens Typing School. Mma. Makutsi is a great character and almost a more enjoyable one then the lead character Mms Ramotswe. You do not want to miss the one part where they all go to church to support their one apprentice - it is hilarious and is the funniest thing that has been written to date in this series. It is obvious that the author loved Botswana and has transferred that love onto his main character Mma. Ramotswe. And as in all the prior books, by the end all the cases and moral dilemmas are resolved by the end of the book and we are left with only one question? When will Mma. Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni going to be married??? That is the biggest unsolved mystery that has yet to be finalized!

Sins, thought Mma Ramotswe, are darker and more powerful when contemplated within confining walls. Out in the open, under such a sky as this, misdeeds were reduced to their natural proportions - small, mean things that could be faced quite openly, sorted, and folded away.