From a Far and Lovely Country - Alexander McCall Smith

 From a Far and Lovely Country - Alexander McCall Smith

She read.

This is the twenty fourth in the simple but charming No. 1 Ladies Detective series. All the familiar characters are here. 

And, yes, the talking shoes do make a cameo appearance!

Precious Ramotswe has two cases on her plate.  The first is yet another pro bono for an employee of Mma Potokwani.  It seems there is a “Cool Singles Evening Club” where married men are paying fees to be admitted and pass for single.  Mma Ramotswe decides to put her apprentice, Charlie,  in charge of the investigation.  When Mma Makutsi gets involved, an unfortunate situation arises that the agency feels compelled to resolve. Those familiar with Gabarone will chuckle when the owner of the club is revealed.  

While dining in a local restaurant, a visitor from Indiana, USA recognizes Mma Ramotswe and asks her help in finding the distant relatives of the man she called grandfather, who is long deceased.  The search brings Precious to her beloved hometown and along the way readers learn of some of the history of British rule in Africa. 

And there is also the problem of the birthday present dress that has been damaged!

Mma Ramotswe always manages to  come up with clever and successful solutions to problems. Her gentle way and penchant for always finding the positive in a situation is balm for the soul.

Usually I binge this series, reading the book all in a day.  For this installment, I decided to read a chapter at a time, taking a break in between and allowing time to savor Mma Ramotswe’s wisdom, profound in its simplicity.  

This is another feel good addition to the series. It makes a nice afternoon or evening read while curled up with a pot of tea. Fans of McCall Smith’s gentle prose and perceptive musings will welcome this latest endeavor.

Thanks to #netgalley and @aaknopf @pantheonbooks for the ARC

*****