From a Far and Lovely Country by Alexander McCall Smith

 (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #24)

240 pages

"This latest installment of the beloved No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series finds Botswana's premier detective agency as busy as ever, with no shortage of senstive situations requiring Mma Ramotswe's keen eye and discerning input. Through it all, Mma Ramotswe will demonstrate that there are solutions to all manner of difficulties, there to be discovered as long as one is led by kindness, grace, and logic, and can rely on the wise counsel of close friends and loved ones. Sometimes, she reminds us, the best solutions to life's problems can be found with a bit of good humor, generosity of spirit, and a steaming cup of red bush tea." -- from the publisher

Lovely and endearing and sweet to the soul. Happy sigh. One of my favorite quotes from the book, "...an important part of forgiveness was allowing the past to fade, like an old photograph exposed to the sun." Four out of five stars for me.

To the Land of Long Lost Friends by Alexander McCall Smith

To the Land of Long Lost Friends by Alexander McCall Smith
(No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency #20)
240 pages

"Mma Ramotswe has reconnected with an old friend who has been having problems with her daughter. ...The young woman appears to be involved with a charismatic preacher. But are his ministrations entirely of a godly nature?

"Elsewhere, Charlie is also struggling with a tricky matter of the heart. He wishes to propose to his girlfriend, Queenie-Queenie, but he's struggling to come up with a bride price that will impress her father. When Queenie-Queenie's brother offers to help by giving him a job, the offer may not be quite what Charlie expected."  --from the publisher

Another delightful installment in the series, but somewhat less complicated than most of the others.  I carried it around for a few days before starting it, because I knew it would be over too quickly.  Happy sigh.  Now I wait to see if AMS writes number 21.  I gave it four out of five stars.

The Colors of All the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith

The Colors of All the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith
(No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #19)
240 pages

"When Mma Potokwane suggests to Mma Ramotswe that she run for a seat on the City Council, Mma Ramotswe is at first unsure. But when she learns about the proposed construction of the flashy Big Fun Hotel next to a graveyard, she allows herself to be persuaded. Her opponent is none other than Violet Sephotho...

"Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe has acquired a new client: one of her late father's old friends, who was the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Charlie volunteers to be the lead investigator in the case to prove he's ready to be more than an apprentice, as well as to impress a new girlfriend."        --from the publisher

This is another lovely installment in the series. Alexander McCall Smith continues to develop and grow the endearing characters. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them in their home country of Botswana.

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (15) by Alexander McCall Smith --- 227 pages

The fifteenth novel in this very popular "cozy" mystery series set in Botswana.

Mma Makutsi, returned from maternity leave, is settling into her new role as (junior) partner in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, and facing some unexpected challenges in opening her own business on the side, The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe.

Mma Ramotswe has taken on a case to discover the identity of an Indian woman who has lost her memory and save her from possible deportation by the immigration services. In addition, the kind-hearted Mma Ramotswe has hired Charlie, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's incorrigible apprentice mechanic, in the hope that he might do better as an apprentice detective.

Sorting out all of these changes and challenges requires many cups of redbush tea, abundant sympathy, and all of Mma Remotswe's tact and gentle persistence.

Click HERE to read a review from The Washington Times.

Click HERE to see reader reviews on Goodreads.com.

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel by Alexander McCall Smith --- 257 pages

The thirteenth volume and a great addition to the popular cozy mystery series. Mma Ramotswe, proprietor of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, has had a recurring dream of a tall stranger waiting for her under an acacia tree. Her assistant Mma Maskutsi and her new husband Phuti Radiphuti are having problems with the builder they hired to build their dream house. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, the husband of Mma Ramotswe (and the best mechanic in Botswana), is trying to help his recently qualified mechanic, Fanwell, defend himself against a charge of theft, but the lawyer he hired for Fanwell proves to be so incompetent he is more hindrance than help to his client. And Mma Ramotswe's redoubtable friend, Mma Potokwane, has been fired from her job as the matron in charge of the orphan farm for resisting changes proposed by a new member of the governing board.

Then a tall stranger from America appears at the door of the detective agency. He is none other than Mr. Clovis Andersen, author of The Principles of Private Detection, the definitive book that has guided Mma Ramotswe in her work from the beginning, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are both convinced that the great detective is the one person who can help them in their hour of need. Clovis Andersen however, seems oddly reticent to help --- at first.

This series combines subtle humor, deft characterization, a firm moral compass, and a wonderful sense of place, simultaneously changeless and changing.