The Miracle at Speedy Motors (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #9)

by Alexander McCall Smith

book data

2,237 ratings, 3.98 average rating, 482 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		26%
4		48%
3		23%
2		2%
1		0%

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published

April 15th 2008 by Pantheon

binding

Hardcover

characters

Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni

isbn

0375424482 (isbn13: 9780375424489)

description

Mma Ramotswe is busy investigating her latest case: a woman who is looking for her family. The problem is, the woman doesn't know her real name of whe...more

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12/31/08

Wendy rated it:

"Mrs. Moffat had taken her hand for comfort, and they had sat there in silence for awhile. Sometimes it seemed as if the world itself was broken, that there was something wrong with all of us, something broken in such a way that it might not be put together again; but the holding of hands, human hand in human hand, could help, could make the world seem less broken."

This was my most favorite book of the series, and I sincerely hope it won't be the last one.

I r...more

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05/01/08

Jenn rated it:

(review of isbn 1428185402)

Read in May, 2008

I was charmed immediately by Alexander McCall Smith's character Precious Ramotswe in his first book "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency". Since reading that first book several years ago I have eagerly inhaled all the books in that series including his latest "Miracle at Speedy Motors".

"Miracle at Speedy Motors" continues in the same languid vein of the previous books. We follow Mma Ramotswe throughout her adventures in Botswana and at her place of busin...more

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06/04/08

Christi rated it:

Read in May, 2008

To read a book in this series is to take a mini-vacation. The world seems calmer, the people more noble and kind, the pace of life relaxingly slow. The mysteries that form the plot of this novel -- and its companions in the series -- are beside the point. It's the time spent with Mma Ramotswe, her loyal and ambitious assistants, her humble and soft-spoken husband, and the strong-willed matron of the orphan farm which matters. After sitting for a while with Mma Ramotswe (with or without a cup...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

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08/12/08

Jessica rated it:

Read in August, 2008

recommended to Jessica by: NPR
recommends it for: people who enjoy the cadence of language. I cannot get the rhythm of the writing out of my head.

These books surprised me, because most detectives investigate murders and stuff, and I hate murder mysteries. A lot. (Sorry, Jen. I love you!)
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, though, are just consistently feel-good, introspective character studies and pools of knowledge about human nature. On top of that, they are really fast to read, and finishing a book always makes me feel good about myself.
I don't read them in order, so don't let this review fool you--I haven't read them all. Even...more

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09/09/08

Shelah rated it:

Yet another installment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. This time Mma Ramotswe and her cast of characters destroy a heart-shaped bed, and reunite a long-separated brother and sister.

I always pick up these books at the library, and then put off reading them, because I think I'm not going to like them. And while it's true that seem almost too innocent, too hopeful, I usually decide, like I did with The Miracle at Speedy Motors, that occasionally, reading about Mma Ramotswe's Bot...more

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04/01/09

Stig rated it:

(review of isbn 0349119953)

bookshelves: crime

Read in March, 2009

Yet another No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novel - I love these books. I know this is not much of a review, but the characters are great, things happen at a leisurely pace and the mysteries are not solved through violence, but through common sense and knowledge of human nature. A real feel-good read. My current Sunday evening treat is watching this series on BBC1.

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02/29/08

Jeanne rated it:

bookshelves: africa, mystery

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: fans of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and people who enjoy "gentle" reads

Mma Ramotswe is back, and so is the quiet, gentle, easy reading, courtesy of Alexander McCall Smith.

As usual, there really is no big mystery for the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, but that hardly matters. Precious Ramotswe tries to track down a woman's relatives, Mma Makutsi gets a new (and unusual) bed, and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni hopes for a miracle when he takes his daughter to a doctor in Johannesburg.

There's nothing complex about this novel, which makes it a nice "...more

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04/21/09

Marcy rated it:

Read in April, 2009

Alexander McCall Smith does it again! It amazes me that the author is a man because he understands women and their innermost feelings so well! Mma Ramotswe had lost a baby before the series started when she was married to a man who abused her. In one book in the series, she marries Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and they are foster parents to two children. In this book, when her foster son was ashamed that he had been born to a Bushman, Mma Ramotswe comforts him and calls herself "mummy" for ...more Alexander McCall Smith does it again! It amazes me that the author is a man because he understands women and their innermost feelings so well! Mma Ramotswe had lost a baby before the series started when she was married to a man who abused her. In one book in the series, she marries Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and they are foster parents to two children. In this book, when her foster son was ashamed that he had been born to a Bushman, Mma Ramotswe comforts him and calls herself "mummy" for the first time.

"I should have talked to you about these things that some people say. Unkind things about Masarwa. They're not true, you know. We are all the same. All the same people. Bushmen, San, whatever you want to call them, and us, Batswana. White people too. Everybody. Inside us, we are exactly the same. you know that don't you? And we all come from the same mother, a long, long, time ago, right here in Africa, up in East Africa somewhere. There was a lady who had some children, and they were the ancestors of every one of us, even of people who do not live in Africa. We are all the sons and daughters of that lady."

In one of the series' books, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni had a depressive illness. Mma Ramotswe was very careful not to stress him out, and made a mistake to tell him about a threatening letter she had received. If Mr. Matekoni worried too much, his illness could come back. Mme Ramotswe was filled with guilt for telling him.

Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni did not really want his wife to be a detective, putting herself in dangerous situations.

"She had suspected from time to time that he did not want her to continue with the agency, but she had always ignored these suspicions. She felt that in the fullness of time he would get used to her profession and what it entailed; that he would accept her calling, even be pproud of it, in the way in which a husband can be proud of a successful wife."

The humor of Mma Ramotswe's secretary, Mma Makutsi, remains true to form as in all of the books in this series.

I find these books soothing and filled with simple, yet poignant philosophy. The love of Botswana, the land, the cultures, and the traditions come through clearly and beautifully in each book of the series. I am sad that this book is the last in the series so far, but more will be written soon.

I must say that the HBO series captures the characters and events of this series brilliantly. I am so glad I read the series first in order to fully appreciate the TV series.

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02/26/09

Carolyn rated it:

Read in March, 2009

I enjoyed this audio book because it was light, not suspenseful (I could leave it in the car rather than listening between roadtrips), and gave a fun look at a very different (and usually disparaged) culture. A few notes:

1. The author spends a lot of time telling you what people are thinking during a conversation - the tangents their minds travel in the midst of dialogue. I found it amusing but some might get impatient with the "unnecessary" info.
2. The word "det...more

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04/19/09

Donna rated it:

These books never get dull. I hope there are many more. There HAS to be! Mma Makutsi still isn't married to Phuti Radiphuti! Are all men in Botswana this non-committal? I just get lost in the language such as "Mma Ramotswe frowned" and the "cattle and their sweet breath". I love making parallels into my own life. For instance: in the landscaping industry I work in, my boss keeps making reference to a guy named Vander Kooi who wrote many books on landscaping business. ...more

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11/22/08

Judy rated it:

A thin plot, quickly read, no car chases. Why do I read the books in this series? Easy. Precious Ramotswe--a woman of "traditional build"--approaches life with optimism and a spirit that allows her to enjoy her blessings and the simple pleasures of life. In the 12 hour days and the constant demands on my time, that's refreshing. And even Mma Ramotswe longs for a earlier, simpler time in Botswana. Maybe this progressive, modern world that has reached its tenacles into Africa is de...more

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11/22/08

David rated it:

Read in May, 2008

This is the 9th in the series which began with "The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency." I warn you - do NOT read ANY of these books. You'll probably find them simple and mundane. However, please DO listen to the audiobook versions! The stories "come alive" in the superb voice of the reader who has done the whole series. I've enjoyed every one, and look forward to each new release. The stories are set in Botswana, and Mma Ramotswe continues to solve simple "mysteries" wh...more

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03/17/09

Dorothy rated it:

bookshelves: cozy-mysteries

Read in April, 2009

I love this series by Alexander McCall Smith. Each entry is charming, witty, and compassionate in its understanding of human frailties and human relationships. Each one is such a pleasure to read that the reader dreads coming to the end.

The mysteries that Precious Ramotswe solves are not grand and important mysteries involving murder, theft, and drugs. They are the every day mysteries that people struggle with. Who were my real parents? Who is writing threatening letters and why...more

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08/06/08

Judie rated it:

bookshelves: mystery, places--africa

Read in August, 2008

I started reading and the cadence of the words started up in my mind. I skim a lot, but this is one series that I read every word. To skip anything would spoil it. I love these books!

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6 comments

06/08/09

Carole rated it:

bookshelves: fiction

Read in January, 2009

This was one of my favorites of the series. I am not a big detective story reader, but I have enjoyed the mysteries of day to day life that are presented as detective cases, often open to attention and curiosity rather than force and violence. There is always a compassion for people and their failings while really enjoying their good points, which are small daily affairs rather than big, blockbuster qualities...but these are the ones that really make a difference in life.

Many have w...more

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04/03/09

Sandy rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, africa, fiction, mystery-detective

Read in April, 2009

What I like about the No. 1 Ladies Detective series are the snapshots of ordinariness that it gives (ordinariness in Botswana, that is). I liked the first one the best--seemed a little more in-depth on Botswana. Precious Ramotswe is less of a detective in the usual murder-mayhem sense and more a person who helps people with their problems. If you're looking for a mystery, probably Nancy Drew has more suspense. But they are pleasant reads for those times when you just want to smile. And there's a...more

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03/21/09

Wendy rated it:

Read in March, 2009

This is another in the gently funny and endearingly sweet series on Mma Precious Ramotswe, first lady detective of Gabarone, Botswana and her friends . For a lift in spirit and amusing read, I heartily recommend it.
One of my favorite descriptions in contemporary literture is Smith's of Mma Ramotswe as a "traditionally built woman" and the never disappointing internal musing of Mma Ramotswe are delightful..
It is a perfect read for a long airline trip (light enough and sho...more

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07/03/09

Marge rated it:

Read in July, 2009

I listen to these books in my car, and I can't think of better company than all these wonderful characters from McCall Smith's imagination voiced in Lisette Lecat's perfect readings. I love the pacing of the jokes, the spats, but most of all, of course, I love the characters, whom I would like to know in real life. Although I think I've read or listened to all of these books, I don't really differentiate among them in my mind - I'm just happy there are so many books in this series! Yes, it is...more

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12/22/08

Kristen rated it:

Read in December, 2008

Another mystery for Precious Ramotswe to solve! This time she is searching for a woman's relatives (everyone in Botswana is related to someone!). Things are progressing for Grace Makutsi as she prepares for her upcoming wedding, and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has great hopes in a doctor who may be able to help Motholeli walk again. There really are such things as miracles for the residents of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. I've read every one of these mysteries and love every one! Precious Ramotswe i...more

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11/26/08

Margot rated it:

bookshelves: fiction

Read in December, 2008

The latest installment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series fulfills the promise set up by its eight predecessors of a little escape to Botswana for those who want to dream of Africa. We can travel there for a couple of hours while reading this book, drink many cups of red bush tea and eat many slices of fruitcake. Mma Ramotswe solves her missing persons, threatening letters, and deceitful doctors cases in this episode by employing Clovis Anderson's advice from the The Principles of Priv...more

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