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258th out of 2,518 books
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Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #2)
by
Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads Author)
Precious Ramotswe is the eminently sensible and cunning proprietor of the only ladies' detective agency in Botswana. In Tears of the Giraffe she tracks a wayward wife, uncovers an unscrupulous maid, and searches for an American man who disappeared into the plains many years ago. In the midst of resolving uncertainties, pondering her impending marriage to a good, kind man, ...more
233 pages
Published
(first published 2000)
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Tiara
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I don't seek out Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, and yet when I run across them in a clearance rack I can't help but pick them up. Tears Of The Giraffe is the second in the series, and it is just as charming, just as gently comic, as the first installment.
My only problem with the book -- and it's little more than a nagging feeling in the back of my head -- is that the author's depiction of his protagonist, the exceedingly down-to-earth, compassionate a...more
My only problem with the book -- and it's little more than a nagging feeling in the back of my head -- is that the author's depiction of his protagonist, the exceedingly down-to-earth, compassionate a...more
I think a lot of the reviews appear to ignore this is a series written as a tea cozy mystery genre type. Genres follow commonly accepted rules of plotting and characterization depending on the type of genre. Every once in awhile critics get excited over a "genre bending" book because a book didn't follow the rules. This series is NOT genre bending. What it is is an extremely well written, warm, amusing, tea cozy that lightly touchs on many aspects of African life, VERY lightly. A l...more
I absolutely adored the first in Smith’s Botswanan stories, so after a while I set about tackling the sequel. I wasn’t disappointed.
TEARS OF THE GIRAFFE is the better book purely because Smith doesn’t have to carefully set up the situation and characters; we already know all about them, so he can just get on with it.
The best thing about this novel is all of the different ingredients thrown into the mix. We have another missing child, with a much more complex story this ...more
TEARS OF THE GIRAFFE is the better book purely because Smith doesn’t have to carefully set up the situation and characters; we already know all about them, so he can just get on with it.
The best thing about this novel is all of the different ingredients thrown into the mix. We have another missing child, with a much more complex story this ...more
I liked this one so much more than I liked The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Probably because there was a lot less character introduction and much more actual plot and events. Precious is so very likeable and I think she's highly amusing with some of her thoughts on women, men and the world in general. I love the setting and think it's very unusual and captivating. I really enjoy all the little stories that run through these books and the pearls of wisdom that everyone seems to have on offer. ...more
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This book was charming. The main characters, Mma Ramotswe, owner of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency and her fiance Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, are a little old fashioned in their idea of politeness and respectability, but refreshingly so. The mysteries that Mma Ramotswe solves are pretty straightforward to the reader; there are no twists in the solving of the crimes, but this is what is so charming about the book. Life in Mma Ramotswe's world is straightforward and full of moral fiber. Her story of ...more
pas kemaren ketemu ni buku tuh seneng banged..coz ni buku yg daku cari2...cuma pernah baca buku seri ketiganya seh...tapi gw dah suka banged..jadi penasaran sama buku seri pertama dan keduanya..
masih menceritakan Mma Ramotswe sebagai detektif wanita no.1 di Botswana dan tunangannya Mr Matekoni..sebenernya cerita detektif ni ringan banged..kasusnya ga ngejelimet..bahkan bisa dibilang biasa banged..
tapi sisi lebihnya adalah di buku ni diceritakan tentang kebudayaan afrika.....more
masih menceritakan Mma Ramotswe sebagai detektif wanita no.1 di Botswana dan tunangannya Mr Matekoni..sebenernya cerita detektif ni ringan banged..kasusnya ga ngejelimet..bahkan bisa dibilang biasa banged..
tapi sisi lebihnya adalah di buku ni diceritakan tentang kebudayaan afrika.....more
This story took me deeper into the traditions of Botswana and their many gentle people, and gave some insight into the broader African conflicts - but mostly it was a wonderful story of Mma Ramotswe and her Detective Agency. The result of the cases that Mma Ramotswe takes on very often end up helping others in a very sensible way, and in the midst of her investigations we are also pulled in to her lovely life, where she is engaged to a very kind man who has surprisingly taken in two orphan chi...more
The second book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series finds Mma Precious Ramotswe (still the only female detective in Botswana) happily accepting Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's proposal of marriage. After a disastrous first marriage to a trumpet-playing scoundrel, Precious swore she would never remarry. But Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, the proprietor of a successful car repair shop, is everything she could ask for in a man...kind, considerate and worshipful of the ground Precious walks on. However, not ev...more
I’m a bit behind in this series as this is only the second of what will, this year, be a ten-book collection. This installment begins with Mme Ramotswe and Mr J.L.B. Matekoni confirming their engagement. At the same time Mme Ramotswe is called upon to investigate the disappearance of a young American man some ten years previously and Mr Matekoni is assisting the local orphan farm to maintain its ageing machinery.
If you have read any of these books at all you’ll know exactly what to e...more
If you have read any of these books at all you’ll know exactly what to e...more
The story of Mma Ramotswe is getting better! I really enjoyed the book and the way the author chose to attack some morality questions. I felt strong sense of community was portrayed in the book, along with strong female characters--Mma Romotswe, Mma Makutsi (her asst detective/secretary), and Motholeli. Like how the American lady was touched when someone called her "sister." Or how Motholeli reflected on her good fortune of being adopted by Mr J.L.B. Metekoni:
[Mr Jameson] was...more
I was looking to this book to be a light-hearted but not trifling break from some other reading that I've been doing. It did not disappoint, and in fact exceeded expectations. I read the first of the series and will now have to track down the rest, ideally to be held as trusty go-tos when I'm looking for something more than a murder mystery, something less than "literature".
I like the mix of events in the characters' lives with detective agency cases. One part of me wishes ...more
I like the mix of events in the characters' lives with detective agency cases. One part of me wishes ...more
Well done to every last detail!
This is part of a very popular whodunnit series, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." I had never heard of this series until I discovered it in a bookstore before a long bus ride through a foreign country. "Tears of the Giraffe" carried me away to Botswana. It was a cultural introduction, but it wasn't ABOUT the culture. It has all the elements of the traditional whodunnit, but it's really about storytelling, about Mma Ramotswe's ...more
This is part of a very popular whodunnit series, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." I had never heard of this series until I discovered it in a bookstore before a long bus ride through a foreign country. "Tears of the Giraffe" carried me away to Botswana. It was a cultural introduction, but it wasn't ABOUT the culture. It has all the elements of the traditional whodunnit, but it's really about storytelling, about Mma Ramotswe's ...more
This is a segment of the ongoing story of Precious Ramotswe, Smith's character whose experiences are described in The No. 1 Ladies' dective Agency series. Her story in this book is about her engagement to Mr. L.J.B. Matekoni, the local mechanic and garage owner, and her detective work in finding out what happened to a young American man 10 years ago. All the series stories are set in Botswana and inhabited by the ordinary people of Gabrone. The stories are generally charming, if somewhat form...more
What to say about this book? It's entertaining, though at times confusing. I don't mean in the sense of plot or anything like that. I mean that the main character is a woman from Botswana and her perspective is written by a Scottish man who lived in a different part of the continent during the colonial period. He clearly has some respect for the culture and history of Botswana, as he sees it, and women as he sees them, but its all seemed a bit tainted, over-simplified, what a charming and simple...more
Smith's concerns and methods are more directly on display in this engaging novel than in some of his other Precious Ramotswe novels. He cares about Africa. He thinks that women may be or even must be the development engine and moral compass of the continent. He thinks that the life well lived is a moral life and vice-versa. Moral life as Smith portrays it involves posing moral questions and working out practical answers. Morality may be abstracted from the mundane matters of daily life. But ...more
I love the way the book makes you feel you are actually part of Botswana, especially the cultural distinctions between Botswana and other countries, many of which we Americans just lump together as "somewhere in Africa." It feels almost like a different language, even though it's English--a formal way of dealing with others such as engaged people who refer to their fiancee by his or her full name, an acceptance of weather, and of class/status. Unwritten on every page is, to quote an Am...more
Mma Ramotswe is at it again! The No. 1 Ladies Dectective Agency has taken on some new and interesting cases. In this story things are not as clear cut as they seem and Precious Ramotswe ponders the morality of telling the truth, telling lies and in general the imperfection of the human condition. Her insights into the psyche of human nature are all to true. Alexander McCall Smith has again created a wonderful vignette of stories that delight the reader with their simple storyline, yet complex im...more
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I got a little worn out reading all endangered-species policy books and wanted a fluffy mystery for a break. I've been meaning to read these book. The library didn't have The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on the shelf when I dropped by, but they did have this book, the second in the series. I don't get too caught up in reading things in order, so I picked it up. I'm really glad I did, because it was exactly what I was looking for: a lovely, character-driven (in a non-naval gazing way) story, dr...more
Shade
added it
Tears of the Giraffe
I have read the book Tears of the giraffe I personally thought it was a great book on a female detective in Africa. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read suspense books that deal with real life challenges and solving mysteries and crimes
In TOTG my favorite character was mma Ramotswe, the main character of the book. Mma R was a detective who lived in Garbone Africa, working as detective in town, better yet the only one in the whole country...more
I have read the book Tears of the giraffe I personally thought it was a great book on a female detective in Africa. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read suspense books that deal with real life challenges and solving mysteries and crimes
In TOTG my favorite character was mma Ramotswe, the main character of the book. Mma R was a detective who lived in Garbone Africa, working as detective in town, better yet the only one in the whole country...more
This is the other book in the No. 1 series that I read in London and on a Welsh walkabout, and it was a great great choice. In a weird way, it reminded me a bit of Trollope, but I want to explain that before I give the wrong impression to anyone who doesn't love Trollope as much as I do.
There's a certain kind of stylist (and Trollope was a master) who takes you to psychological truth and real insight into human character and a specific world, which doesn't find expression in a "...more
There's a certain kind of stylist (and Trollope was a master) who takes you to psychological truth and real insight into human character and a specific world, which doesn't find expression in a "...more
A significant improvement over the sparse procedural first book, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, but annoyingly covers much the same ground and topics that Alexander McCall-Smith's other series, The Sunday Philosophy Club, covers. Same moral arguments, same discussion.
That said, this book does do a better job of making Africa a character. In the first book with its limited descriptions, it very much felt like it could happen anywhere. This one had more style to it.
I'...more
That said, this book does do a better job of making Africa a character. In the first book with its limited descriptions, it very much felt like it could happen anywhere. This one had more style to it.
I'...more
I loved this book so much!!!! I enjoyed Alexander McCall Smith's first book in the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" and this 2nd book in the series, "Tears of the Giraffe" was just as good as the first!
The following may or may not contain spoilers.
In this book, Botswana's lady detective Precious Ramotswe takes on a difficult new case as an American woman asks her to find her son who vanished 10 years prior. Meanwhile, Precious enjoys her engagment with...more
The following may or may not contain spoilers.
In this book, Botswana's lady detective Precious Ramotswe takes on a difficult new case as an American woman asks her to find her son who vanished 10 years prior. Meanwhile, Precious enjoys her engagment with...more
ceritanya ada banyak kebetulan,
tapi kebetulan demi kebetulan yang tertata rapi.. ketika Mr. JLB Maketoni harus 'bicara serius' soal anak-anak asuhnya dari panti asuhan di kantor pos - setelah kepergok Mma Ramotswe tengah berfoto di depan sebuah pusat belanja
kebetulan,
kalau penjahat yang diancam pembantu rumah tangga Mr. Maketoni untuk menjebak Mmma Ramotswe malah membelot dan melaporkan pembantu itu ke polisi atas tuduhan penadahan senjata..
tapi kelugasan dan ...more
tapi kebetulan demi kebetulan yang tertata rapi.. ketika Mr. JLB Maketoni harus 'bicara serius' soal anak-anak asuhnya dari panti asuhan di kantor pos - setelah kepergok Mma Ramotswe tengah berfoto di depan sebuah pusat belanja
kebetulan,
kalau penjahat yang diancam pembantu rumah tangga Mr. Maketoni untuk menjebak Mmma Ramotswe malah membelot dan melaporkan pembantu itu ke polisi atas tuduhan penadahan senjata..
tapi kelugasan dan ...more
Whenever I read or hear about the benefits and drawbacks of using an e-reader, inevitably it's brought up that no one can see what you are reading, enabling the sophisticated-but-self-aware to engage in "guilty pleasure" reading. And I do understand there are people who like to read trashy novels. There are a lot more copies of crap on bookstore shelves than works of Tolstoy or Kafka.
But then again, there are book series like The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which seemin...more
But then again, there are book series like The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which seemin...more
How in the world did I get sucked into another one? The answer is simple. There is a limited selection of free audiobooks at the library, and I like listening to books in my car. On the up side, this one is better than the first. The characters are, still, portrayed as simpletons, but misandry seems to be kept to a minimum. Don’t get me wrong. The women are, constantly, saying how idiotic men are, and men are, continually, described as philanderers. However, as a counter, Mr. J.L.B. Matek...more
Anne Hawn Smith
rated it
Again we meet Precious Ramotswe as her family begins to expand. Her friendship with Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni has become a trek towards marriage but before that can happen, her household is enlarged to 3 as she takes on the orphans Mr. Matekoni has been talked into rearing. Precious takes them in her stride and they prove to be charming and grateful adding a new dimension to the story.
Her secretary, who graduated with 97% has begun to take on detective duties and the contrast of person...more
Her secretary, who graduated with 97% has begun to take on detective duties and the contrast of person...more
I enjoyed Precious Ramotswe and her compatriots so much in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency that I had to come back for more in the second installment, Tears of the Giraffe. And after reading the second, I can say with certainty that I'll be picking up the third... and the fourth... and so on and so forth... in the very near future. Mma Ramotswe is a charming, personable, bright and lovely character. The supporting cast is, similarly, buckets of fun. The mysteries Mma Ramotswe and her assi...more
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Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what...more
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“A life without stories would be no life at all. And stories bound us, did they not, one to another, the living to the dead, people to animals, people to the land?”
—
15 people liked it
“Mma Ramotswe sighed. 'We are all tempted, Mma. We are all tempted when it comes to cake.'
That is true,' said Mma Potokwane sadly. 'There are many temptations in this life, but cake is probably one of the biggest of them.”
—
11 people liked it
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That is true,' said Mma Potokwane sadly. 'There are many temptations in this life, but cake is probably one of the biggest of them.”
