Another excellent addition to the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series! This has got to be one of the best so far! Mma Ramotswe is hired to help a woman find family, Mma Makutsi gets a new bed, and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni might have found a cure for Motholeli.
I love how these books are so much more than just detective books. They're more about the people of Gabarone, Botswana (especially those on Zebra Dr. and at Speedy Motors) than about the solving of mysteries. I think that if they were only about solving mysteries, I would have gotten bored long before now.
The mystery that Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are hired to take on in this book is the finding of family. A woman approaches the agency and says that she was orphaned at birth, and raised by a woman in her village and only recently found out that she was adopted. Now that the adopted mother has passed away, she feels like she has no family, and she'd like the detectives to see if they could find her any. How sweet is that? I like that mystery much better than any of the ones dealing with dishonesty or cheating, of course! No spoilers, so you'll have to read the book to find out whether or not Mma Ramotswe is able to find family for her.
For humor, Mma Makutsi gets a new bed... and ends up losing sleep over the large purchase. There's a whole comedy of errors surrounding this bed, with it's large plush red velvet heart-shaped headboard. I can guarantee you'll at least crack a smile if not laugh out loud at this whole bed situation.
And Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni hears about a possible cure for Motholeli. This touched my heart. He risks everything (mortgages the mechanic shop even) to get Motholeli in to see a specialist in South Africa who might be able to help her walk. Wouldn't that be a wonderful miracle? You'll have to read the book to find out what happens!
And finally, there's one other mystery in this book that affects the lady detectives. It's not a cute or touching or funny one, either, but I love how the ladies never let it deter them for a moment! They are so strong and brave.
I continue to enjoy the narrator of these books. A good, melodic accent lends authenticity to the setting of the stories, but is never hard to understand. The pacing is a little on the slow side, but I don't mind getting lost in Botswana for awhile. Especially not with these lovely characters!
Two thumbs up!
*I checked out my copy of The Miracle at Speedy Motors from my local library.
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