Since so many people are writing reviews about these wonderful books and discussing the plot, I think I will talk about Africa and especially the way Mma Ramotswe feels about her home and her people. Reading these books has given me the same feeling I got from the beginning of Out of Africa and Cry, the Beloved Country. There is such a deep love of the land in these characters and I find myself wanting to be there with them. I also find myself remembering how I felt in Mississippi in the days of my childhood. There seemed no better place to be. Life was filled with troubles, but there was always the land and free and easy friendships to help me along. I think that may be what we all are relating to, or at least it is to me.

I also am reminded of a time in our lives where we were not so mobile and people lived in areas where we weren't homogenized. We had to learn to not only get along with some of the more unique and prickly members of our community, but often come to value them. I feel like my life was made much richer by relating to a local alcoholic who got saved at least twice a year, or the man who named all his sons after himself and called them each by nicknames to keep them straight. (I'm not kidding. There were four and they all had the same names.) We visited with people of varying ages and classes and our lives were made richer in a way that watching television in the evening never could. Maybe that is why these books appeal. I'm tired of Hollywood's two dimensional characters and long for what Mma Precious Ramotswe has.

There is something so comforting about this series. Even though life in Botswana is most likely very different than life in Canada, there is something about the tone or writing style that reminds me of life at my grandparent's house. I love the traditional values, the respect for people/property/manners. And most of all, I love that it is important to slow down and really be in the moment with those important to you. I know that the future installments become a little formulaic. However, every so often I am struck by how much I miss my grandparents, and reading one of these books takes the edge off. There is a little magic to these books.

Another trip to Botswana so couldn't let it pass without another glimpse into the world of Mma Ramotswe. As always it was a delight. I love getting to be on location as I read as the books are so visual already and being there just brings it even more to life. Can't help but adopt the Botswanan accent as I read as well. :)

I like how in this particular book of the series, that detective work and Mma Ramotswe’s personal life are merging. Last time I complained that there is not enough mystery in the novel. Now, many things happen to her that are actual mysteries! I also liked how she got sentimental with her "tiny white van". They're so connected! When something happened to it, she took it personally. That is so with me and my "tiny green car"! When an automobile has been with you for so long, it's a member of the family.
I also related with Mma Makutsi as she begins her dancing class. That was always me at dances: being stuck with a less-than-desirable partner who is weird, clumsy, or uninteresting, but, on the other hand, he finds YOU captivating and won't leave you alone. But, in the long run, it's those boys who end up going somewhere in life and being successful. I'm not saying that all hot guys are doomed to failure, I've just seen many personal examples of girls who end up with somebody wonderful, but they would have never EVER dated in highschool. Does anyone else agree with me?

This is what I wrote about the book at my blog after finishing it a few years ago:

I do love to read about Precious Ramotswe, the No. 1 Lady Detective of Botswana! So when book six arrived I had to have it ;) Alexander McCall Smith tells his story with warmth and humor. I laugh out load at several occasions and love the way he makes me feel like I’m a little bit there together with them all. Even though I never been to Botswana my self.

This time Mma Ramotswe have to solve several cases; one of them being why one of the apprentice, who work in the Garage of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni; Mma Ramotswe’s husband, suddenly seems to have too much money on his hand and drives away in a Mercedes. And when Mma Ramotswe is too preoccupied with her own thoughts and hits a man on a bike, with her tiny white wan, the man finally gets a job after searching for months. Finally the love life of her assistant Mma Makusi gets a spark from the most unexpected place!

*Go read it now!!* :D

And now I've seen that there is a book 7 and 8 - I'm off to the store!!

Reading a McCall Smith book is like meeting an old friend, filled with a softness, a gentleness, and a quiet belief in the goodness of the world. I enjoyed it just like I’ve enjoyed every other of this series.

Supposedly the agency is very busy but you only know that to be so because it is stated by the author. The only case the agency handles in this story is a crooked businessman who absconds with a lot of money. The agency is hired to find him although others have failed. This is an unusual case for them because most of their cases are more domestic. This is actually the only case we know of for the agency, the rest of the situations in the story are mostly personal and business related for the garage and the agency. At the beginning, Mma Ramaotswe discovers that a mysterious man has hidden under her bed one night, but he escapes and she doesn't know who it is!

I love visiting Botswana with Mma Ramotswe and the others. There are several things going on for Mma (Precious) Ramotswe beyond the Agency. Her former husband shows up and causes quite a lot of anxiety for her. Her beloved tiny white van in involved in a small accident that ends up being a blessing but that's just the beginning for the poor vehicle. Mma Makusi, the assistant detective, is finding her strengths. Mr JLB Matakoni (Mma Ramotswe always uses his full name) is dealing with the recalcitrant apprentices with Charlie causing quite a bit of distress.

Everyone is always quite polite but there are some bad people out there. Its still so different from your usual detective book. No murder, no real violence, just a very good story. The narrator on this book is so perfect Lisette Lecat does voices and the accents so beautifully. Anyone looking for the usual high tension, action packed mystery story would be disappointed but probably very pleased at the same time. So glad this was picked as my next book to Trim my TBR!

The 6th of this series and they keep getting better and better.

Отново доста наивно написана, но в много лек за четене стил:
"Съперници и врагове, впримчени в безсмислени вражди, откриваха, че маа Рамотсве стига до решение, при което всички запазват гордостта и достойнството си.
— Всички сме хора — казваше тя. — И особено мъжете. Не бива да се срамуват. "
Или още по-култовото:
"Хората, които се промъкват тихо вечер, рискуват да настъпят някоя змия, ако не внимават, понеже змиите се махат от пътя ти само ако усетят земята да трепери. Ето защо един по-лек човек — такъв например, който няма традиционно телосложение — е изложен на далеч по-голям риск да го ухапе змия. Разбира се, това беше още един довод в полза на поддържане на традиционното телосложение — страхът от змии и грижата за личната безопасност."

A gem

Oh this series brings such delight to me. I feel like I am on Botswana with the characters. I loved the struggles between 'the old way' and modernization. This series never fails to bring a smile to my face!

Not my favorite in this series. Some of the story lines were good, but if you took out all the repetitions within this one book itself, you could probably lose a couple chapters, and if you took out passages that are essentially repeats from other books in the series you could cut this book in half. It just starts to feel like filler to me, I'd rather the words were spent more on story and less on repeated reflections. Plus I felt like both Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are becoming more inflexible in their judgements of other people but especially each other. Being privy to their unspoken criticisms of each other is making both of them seem kind of mean-spirited at times. It's not balanced with a lot of positive reflections, so I was left feeling like their friendship is slowly deteriorating (probably this feeling has been growing in me over the last few books). Mma Makutsi seems to be heading in a rather materialistic and selfish direction, while Mma Ramotswe seems more and more critical of just about everyone except the few people who fit in with her ideals of sticking to "the old Botswana morality", which I think I've heard just about enough of by this point. I still find it interesting on one level to learn about this culture's old world code of ethics, but the way it's hammered in every book over and over, I'm starting to feel like a restless teenager whose elders keep saying, "You know when I was your age, we respected our elders..." (blah blah blah) I'm taking a break before reading the next book to see if some distance helps.

This series makes you stop and think. Mma Ramotswe sees to the core of people. She always takes the time to listen to her clients. She worries about those she loves. I hope to find and read all of this series.