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Mar 12, 2008

Ariana rated it:

I am only half-way through this book now, but I am really enjoying it. I think Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are the sweetest couple. I'd say it's more a literary fiction novel than a mystery, but I don't mind. I love the voices of all the characters, but especially the one belonging to Mma Ramotswe. One of my favorite quotes from her is:

"Traditional Botswana men like ladies who are more traditionally shaped. You and I, Mma. We remind men of how things used to be in Botsw More...

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Dec 16, 2009

Rebecca rated it:

One of the best parts of Alexander McCall Smith’s series is that each book improves in terms of character definition and advancing the plot. Book 5 integrates Precious Ramotswe with the other characters in a more realistic and intriguing way. The author hints at the distinctions we must draw between manipulation and persuasion (in the character of Mma Potokwane), fear and caution (with Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s never-ending engagement to Mma Ramotswe), and speaking one’s mind and biting one’s tongu More...

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Jan 07, 2009

Jaana rated it:

I´ve read these all because they are absolutely charming, laid-back atmosphere stories. McCall Smith is one of those who have a rare ability to write as if he was a woman. His stories influenced me to become a regular rooibos drinker.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 16, 2009

Genie rated it:

What a great series. This story was particularly eventful.

Precious Ramotswe is hired by Mma Holonga, the owners of a chain of hair salons, to do a background check on four suitors to see which were only interested in her money.

Mma Potokwane decides the Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni should don a parachute and sky dive as a fund raiser for the orphan farm. Mma Ramotswe cleverly devises a way to transfer this duty to one of the mechanic apprentices, Charlie. Its amazing what More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 27, 2010

Graham rated it:

With each book that goes by, the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series seems to feel more confident, more assured and somehow more relaxed. By this stage, the author has an almost perfect grasp of his background and characters, and there is so little to add about the situation that he has plenty of time for ruminations on various aspects of modern life. It's a story full of digression, but the digression is what makes this book so endearing.

Once again this is an ode to the beauty of More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 28, 2010

Claire rated it:

I went back and read this one as I missed it out by accident. I really love this series. They're quite light reads but really well written, I love the characters, they all feel so realistic. And all the insightful (and funny!) comments about people, eg:
"It seemed as if he was frightened of marriage, which must be the reason why he was proving so slow to commit himself. Well, there were men like that; nice men who were fond of women but who were wary of getting married. If that were th More...

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Oct 21, 2009

Lori rated it:

I have had the pleasure of reading all five installments of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency successively over the past couple of weeks. It was a great way to compare the books to each other while the prior one is still fresh in the memory. I enjoyed this one the least of the five book series. It is still an enjoyable read with all the characters that we have come to know and love in Precious Ramotswe's world but this book seemed to have less focus and was less compelling. The writing remains s More...

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Oct 05, 2009

Aaron rated it:

Mma Ramotswe is back on the case. This time she has been hired to help a woman in finding out where she stands with her various beaus. Mma Ramotswe is not sure she understands why a woman would want to have four boyfriends, but she is more than willing to help. The goal is to find out whether the men truly care for her or if they are only dating her because of her wealth.

Her fiance, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is also busy. After helping her out with some work on her van, it comes to his att More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 16, 2009

Visha rated it:

This fifth book in the series was superior to its predessors in so many ways: it felt more thoughtfully written, more specific in its details, more concentrated on characters and tying up some lingering loose ends. I appreciated the resolution of Mma Ramotswe/Mr. JLB Matekoni's long engagement; finding out what happened to Mma Makutsi's AIDS-afflicted brother (that plot point seemed pointless at the end - but I think it was only to give Mma Makutsi's character a bit of oomph in that previous boo More...

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Jun 17, 2009

Anne Hawn rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Oct 29, 2009

Julie rated it:

McCall Smith's books are such a blessing. The characters spring to life upon the page and we feel we would know them if we bumped into them on the street. They are so wise. Mma Rotswane is so wise and yet we see her struggle between what she thinks is right, proper, and polite and what she wants. Mr. JLB Matekoni is such a fine man, so gentle and caring but so dominated by strong women such as Mma Potokwane the matron of the orphan farm. But even she is a godsend finally pulling him out of his i More...

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Sep 15, 2011

Gemma rated it:

Ah, wonderful, just wonderful. These books have to be among the most comforting, feel good books ever written. They are light reads but they manage to contain very profound insights into human behaviour and satisfying dealings with the darker side of people. After reading it for a while its impossible not to start thinking like Mma Ramotswe, in those short, simple turns of phrase and wanting to enjoy simple pleasures like just sitting in a chair thinking or eating pumpkin. If only all life could More...

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Jan 25, 2011

Elsje rated it:

Ik las een tweede deeltje uit de serie The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency uit het stapeltje van deze serie dat ik van mijn nicht kreeg.

Dit keer is Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni gestrikt door de eigenaresse van het lokale weeshuis: zij wil dat hij een gesponsorde parachutesprong gaat maken, waarbij de opbrengsten natuurlijk ten goede komen aan de wezen. En die arme Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni durft natuurlijk geen nee te zeggen. Gelukkig weet Mma. Ramotswe een uitweg te verzinnen. Een wel zeer gelukkig u More...

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Jan 21, 2009

Julianne rated it:

This is #5 in the series by Alexander McCall-Smith of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I find these books very satisfactory! They are clean, wholesome, and fun to read. In fact, this particular book won an award as "the wittiest British book of the year".

Our heroine is a traditionally-built African lady who has a business, two foster children, a fiance, two apprentices and a co-worker to look after. Here comes a client who brings a very interesting problem for her t More...

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Sep 04, 2010

Kat rated it:

http://tinyurl.com/29jqwl9

It's fairly difficult to not fall in love with Botswana after reading one of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. McCall Smith's purpose in life seems to be to prove that all of Africa is not scary, wild and corrupt, and that Botswana is a shining example of an African nation with a unique set of circumstances and problems, to be sure, but one that is correctly civilized.

I say this a bit sarcastically because while I'm sure it has a large el More...

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Feb 15, 2010

Diane rated it:

The secret to reading the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is to realize that nothing much is going to happen and to accept that it doesn't matter. Nothing much happens in this particular book, The Full Cupboard of Life, that is until the plot picks up steam toward the end, but the characters are still captivating and the depiction of life in Botswana draws the reader in.

Andrew McCall Smith gives sweet-natured characters flaws, a smart move on his part. Otherwise, Precious Ramo More...

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Sep 10, 2011

Rusty rated it:

Returning to the world of Mma Ramotswe in Botswana, I reveled in her investigations and empathized with her frustration with her long engagement to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. Having recovered from his depression, he finds himself coerced into jumping from a plane to earn money for the orphanage. His fears grow until he begins thinking about his will since he is certain the jump will be his last act in life. All this has been orchestrated by Mma Potokwane, matron in charge of the orphanage. It is M More...

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Apr 26, 2009

Purplycookie rated it:

This time around, Mma Ramotswe is distracted by her long-prolonged engagement to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, Gaborone's best mechanic; it seems she will never be married, despite her fiancé's honorable intentions. He installs an extra large seatbelt in her car to keep her safe (she is quite comfortable with her "traditional build," despite the new, slender fashion of the modern woman), but an altercation with another mechanic and the prospect of a charity parachute jump keep his mind off matr More...

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Jun 18, 2009

Yuki rated it:

These books are so soothing and wise..

"So much to talk about -- and so little to do. Here in Mochudi, away from the bustle of Gabarone, Mma Ramotswe could feel herself lapsing again into the rhythms of country life, a life much slower and more reflective than life in town. There was still time and space to think in Gabarone, but it was so much easier here, where one might look out up to the hill and watch the thin wisps of cloud, no more than that, float slowly across the sky; o More...

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Aug 04, 2011

Jayne rated it:

Anyone who has read this far in the series will have decided they like the simple narrative style, quiet wisdom and gentle humour of the stories. This one is no exception and should not disappoint. I particularly like the way the author takes a facet of Western culture (eg the tendency to avoid eye contact with others) and contrasts it with the custom in Botswana, showing along the way that of course Botswana has it right! My only complaint is that the book cover needs to make it clearer which n More...

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May 27, 2011

Andrea rated it:

I've read every book in this series up to this one, and I've loved each one to pieces. This series is unique in many respects. First of all, Botswana isn't just a setting or exotic locale, but almost a main character in the books. The culture and traditions of Botswana are so subtly interwoven into the fabric of the story that it's hard to imagine them taking place anywhere else. Alexander McCall Smith loves and respects Africa and it shows with every word of his lovely, lilting prose. He doesn' More...

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Dec 06, 2009

Kristin rated it:

This is book #5 in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Precious Ramotswe is finding life quite busy in this selection. She has been hired by a local, wealthy beautician to ascertain if four men would be suitable for marriage. Meanwhile, her fiance, Mr. J.L.B Matekoni finds himself in quite the pickle as the Matron of the orphanage farm has arranged for him to jump out of an aeroplane for charity. And of course, there is the ever present question of when Mr. J.L.B Matekoni will agree t More...

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Mar 21, 2009

Isis rated it:

[audiobook:] This is the fifth book in the series, so by now you either are bloody sick of the repetitive mantras of "tiny white van" and "traditionally built" and "97%", of the polite conversations about nothing that always precede any discussion of substance, of bush tea and fine cattle - or you sink comfortably back into them and let the familiar world of Mma Ramotswe envelop you. I am obviously in the latter camp. I go on long runs and listen to the audio ver More...

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Jan 23, 2012

Manussawee rated it:

This was the first book by AMS that I didn't like and couldn't bring myself to like. I was annoyed through out the book. This strong women theme started to get to me. I can appreciate it, but I think it was too much. Mr. J.L.B Matekoni was portrayed as weak and indecisive. When he was being confronted by the other mechanic, Mma Ramotswe felt that Mr. J.L.B Matekoni wouldn't be able to defend himself, enough so that she went to fetch Mma Potokwane to yell at the mechanic. And I just didn't More...

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Aug 13, 2010

Penny rated it:

I keep reading the Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana books, but they're a guilty pleasure. Smith's Botswana is a small town, full of quirky human types and aphorisms; the mystery aspect takes a distant second place to the gentle social satire (especially in this book, where there is very little detection of any kind).

The guilt comes from my worry that Smith's view of his African characters is rather colonial; they are terribly simple in their faith, their philosophizing, and their More...

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Mar 21, 2011

AstrogirlM42 rated it:

These books are definite gems. The writing style is straight-forward and so easy to read and the books are filled with such wit and wisdom that you fall in love with the characters. I don't think my rating of these books truly reflects what a find they are - but I am reading the series back to back and I feel that there is nothing new or innovative. The books are a similar style and format so there is no "wow" factor anymore....but that is not to say they are not fabulous! I will defin More...

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Jul 15, 2008

Deborah rated it:

This series is so enjoyable and readable. I love the characters and stories he tells. Can wait for the next one.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 25, 2009

Margaret rated it:

Another terrific recording, although this particular book in the series, by an author who describes the books as ones where nothing particular happens, really does have less happening, and that more slowly, than in previous ones. The plot points are moved along, but there are some tedious parts, and the one negative of an audio book, even a well read and produced one, is that you can't really skim through the boring parts. It's still a charming series - not for the noir disciples (and certainl More...

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Jun 06, 2011

Allie rated it:

Not sure that this actually qualifies as a mystery...I liked the fact that it tells you a lot about Botswana, the way people were, the way things are changing, and the way they speak, etc., including their peculiar usage of certain terms...such as 'he is late' meaning 'he is dead'. Having lived in Zambia for 2 yrs, I enjoy reading about Africa, especially more of the southern countries. But I'm having a hard time pegging this as a mystery, which is what it is classified as.
Also, a glossa More...

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Jun 30, 2009

Erica rated it:

I read this entire book today. Maybe it's because I waited in two NHS waiting rooms for over 3 hours, or maybe it's because this Ladies' No. 1 Detective Agency series has got me hooked.

In this fifth novel, Mwa Ramotswe deals with several issues including a potential charity parachute jump, an engagement with no wedding date in sight, a rich hairdresser with too many suitors, and no-good competitor to her fiance, Mr. J.L.B.Matekoni.

This novel wasn't as charming as the Kala More...

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