These books by McCall Smith are those that I read when the world gets me down. I love Mme Ramotswe, her ability to find the good in people and positive in situations. She loves her country (Botswana), her husband, and her children. As a "traditional" woman, she is unfettered by her bulk, enjoying the bright patterns of her native land. Although the plots are often skimpy, the people are delightful, and I love reading about an African nation that has a democratic government and healthy children.

This is the next little episode in the series of books, set in Botswana, and starring Mma Precious Ramotswe. It's difficult to explain to people who haven't met Mma Ramotswe just how these simple tales affect the reader and draw one into such a feeling of closeness and affection that one has for this big hearted, kind and lovable lady who describes herself as being of "traditional build" for an African lady. Mma's assistant Private Detective at the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, Grace Kakutsi, is engeged to marry the owner of a prosperous store and is thrilled when he buys a bed for them to use after their marriage. It's a huge bed with a headboard made of red velvet in the shape of a heart. Grace is unable to even get it into her tiny house and so leaves it outside until other arrangements can be made. Unfortunately, the drought breaks and the bed is totally ruined by the torrential rain so when Grace manages to find a replacement, she is tortured by doubts as to whether or not she should confess her carelessness to her fiance. One of the cases the Agency is handling at the moment is one where a young woman is trying to find any living relative. These stories seem too simple to be of any interest but are filled with such warmth and love that I cannot wait for the next to be written!

This is another hit for the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana, Africa. The book flows smoothly and is enjoyable to read. I could not put it down. Charming, as always. I have learned a lot about African life and different kinds of tea from this series.

Some of these books feel as if the author has turned the crank on his machine and produced the requisite 200 pages. Here we find the humor and the good hearted relationships established in the first of the series. Many of the small characters are given bigger roles here and actually a significant part of the story: Mr. Polopetsi has an important role and even Charlie's obsession with women turns to good stead.

Even though each of the children has an important event, the main family is still stiff and formal -- addressing each by formal names, while Mma Makutsi and her fiancé use their first names. Even though Mma Ramotswe finally refers to herself as "Mommy" in trying to comfort her adopted son, that never recurs. And you never forget they're adopted.

The main relationship is between the two women of the agency and that's particularly close here.

Apart from my complaints, the book is delightful. There are problems to be solved here and bizarre characters and great humor to be found in the solution. Don't miss the satire on Hollywood chase scenes -- played out in the most absurd of situations. Picture the scene as you read!

There is wisdom and kindness in Mma Ramotswe's discussions and Mma Makutsi even rises to acknowledge that she, herself, has not this wisdom -- although she recognizes it. This book has the humor and richness of the better books of the series with enough plot to keep it going.

In this series, there is little character or relationship development. Each book is an escapist entertainment using detective cases for much of the plot and family problems for the rest. The great value is the warmth of the relationships, the humor, and the particular -- or particular -- accent of the African style.

I have read and loved the entire series of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. That said this one is my favorite. Each book in the series is a mini vacation to a simpler more innocent time in the beautiful African setting. Of all of the qualities that make this series so enjoyable, I think Alexander McCall Smith has captured them best in this book.I don't want this journey to end.

Like returning to an old friend. This is the kind of stories we enjoy from Mr. Smith.

I have read all of the books in this series, as well as all of the other books this author has written. While I tend to like his other series slightly more, especially his satire, The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency is top of my list for a gentle and engaging read. The characters here are filled out with more detail than some of the earlier books in the series, and the plot somewhat more complex. As always, one can easily forget living in the midst of hectic suburban America and be transported to a land of cattle and tradition, where the day to day nuances of life remind one of what is important, and what is not. Highly recommended!

I fell in love with the first book of the series (No. 1 Ladie's Detective Agency) and its mellow heroine. So much so, that I've bought each succeeding book in the series as they were published. This one, like all the others, is simply a winner.

The little mysteries are engaging and how they are solved are always entertaining. But what makes me love them is that the heroine, a 'traditionally built woman' of Botswana is so in love with her country, its customs and the traditional values of goodness, decency and caring. She simply draws you in to a reflective and calming mood as she goes about her life and her work. You finish each book feeling entertained and feeling good about the world. The stories go down as good as the red tea the heroine loves to drink!

Were this any other writer and any other mystery series, this novel would earn a low rating for its slender plot. Hardly anything "happens". No new ground is broken, however, like all the previous books in this series, I found myself enchanted by the characters and the setting. Alexander McCall Smith writes with great charm about small things: a ruined bed, a series of threatening letters and information gleaned from gossip over numerous cups of bush tea.

Mwa Ramotswe helps a woman who is looking for her family. She tracks down the author of the threatening letters; the high speed chase with grocery carts is unique in literature. The author weaves his small minutiae into a mighty tapestry that is the mystery of Life. I can't say this is a good mystery but it comes close to great literature. I am reminded of the charming series by "Miss Read" which covered life in a small British village over a period of several decades. Hardly anything else can compare.

I enjoy almost all of Alexander McCall Smith's books. I especially love the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series. although I love murder mysteries, this series very rarely deals with murders however the mysteries of human nature. Precious Ramotswe, the main character and owner of the Agency is delightful in her assessment of the character of others. Splendid reading.

If you enjoy reading about the #1 Ladies detective agency, but would like to putter in the garden or house at the same time - or listen while commuting - try the audio version. They're even more hilarious than reading!

I have enjoyed this series but this last book I found slow and rather boring. I still appreciate the nuggets of wisdom that eventually come to light as the story develops but overall I didn't enjoy this book much. I was getting so frustrated with the repetition... seemed like a third of the book was describing once again the white van, the large glasses, the traditionally built woman, and the landscape.

If you have not listened to the Ladies Detective Agency books on CD, narrated by the incomparable Lisette Lecat, do yourself a favor and get one immediately! I love these books, but when I listen to the pronounciations (e.g., Pooh-tee Rah-tah-POO-tee), I feel like I am right beside Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi in Botswana.

This tale is as lovely as all the rest, and one of my favorites in the series. The two lady detectives are hard at work on some difficult cases, but something is up with Mr. J.L.B. Matakoni; we fear he has been taken in by a medical charlatan, who has promised a "miracle" in curing the couple's wheelchair-bound daughter. So evocative is this situation, you find yourself talking aloud: No, Mr. J.L.B. Matakoni, please don't do it!!

Then we have the Adventures of the Bed with the Heart-Shaped Red Velvet Headboard--I won't do a spoiler here, but let us just say that the bed has captured Mma Makutsi's heart. (could not resist the pun) I was laughing aloud in my car more than once!

Yes, the lothario apprentice Charlie is very much in evidence, and actually inadvertently helps on a case!

Do yourself a favor, and read or listen to this fabulous book, perfect for summer, perfect for any time you want the gentle kindness that permeates this series.

I have read the entire series of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels. My only complaint is that each of these is TOO SHORT. I like to spend a long time with a good novel, but reading one of these is extremely enjoyable but soon over...kind of like eating a tasty snack--addictive, but fleeting.
I love these books mainly because of their heroine, Precious Ramotswe--a common sense, "traditionally built" woman in modern Africa. She and her quirky assistant solve simple mysteries but explore more universal truths about human nature. Smith has an engaging style that makes the narrative delightful. Hard to describe...you just have to read the books to understand. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This is another good story in the series by Alexander McCall Smith. I enjoy reading about his respect for the landscape and traditions of this part of Africa. There is less "mystery" in this one than others which means it isn't as good as the first of the series, but still well worth reading.

The real mystery in this series is how the author manages to continue the charming adventures of Precious Ramotswe, Grace Makutsi and Mr. JLB Matekoni well past the original seven volumes he had originally intended. Now on Book #9, McCall still manages to breathe new life into his characters, even if they still maintain habitual bush tea drinking or conversations with their shoes!

One of the gifts or major frustrations of this series (depending on your preference) is the slow rate of character development (at least in terms of their interpersonal relationships). While Mma Potokwane can still be relied upon to supply fruitcake and charm Mr. JLB Matekoni into doing odd jobs, other characters begin to grow and mature, even if only by inches. The changes are subtle, but this is what keeps readers coming back for yet another volume.

I have to admit to skipping over some of the repetitions (Smith writes so that you can pick up any volume in the series, but I do recommend reading them in order) but I found the plot coherency better in this book than in the Good Husband of Zebra Drive, for example. There is still a sense that perhaps he sets up too many loose ends and feels a pressure near the end to tie them up, but it doesn't detract from the general enjoyment of the novel.

This is latest in a series that starts with "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency." Every book is delightful. You can read the last three paragraphs of this book and find out what the miracles are. There are several. But, instead, start the series at its beginning, and every time you feel depressed, read a book in the series. Besides feeling better, you will have learned a little about the culture and history of Botswana. What a painless way to learn!

As much as I adore this series, Miracle is not one of its best. I feel like Smith is getting somewhat bored with these characters and is having a hard time mining them and the setting for new ideas.

Mostly, Miracle rehashes the same peculiarities of the characters we have all come to know and love, but without that extra surprise or fizz the other novels contain. It reminded me of when Star Trek, at the end of its run, ran out of ideas and simply relied on the same cutesy mannerisms and eccentricities of the characters to fill in creative gaps in the story.

For the No. 1 Detective novels to stay fresh, Andrew McCall Smith must come up with some new characters or plot twists that compel big changes in the existing characters. Otherwise I'm afraid it's going to be doomed to covering the same gound over and over again - Mma Ramotswe's tea ritual, her assistant's shoe fetish, etc.- until it dies of its own inertia.

My other quibble with this novel is that there was not enough closure to the subplot of the unethical doctor who treated the daughter. Why no follow-up on this doctor? Smith carefully painted a portrait of this gent and then just dropped the subject.

I love this series and buy the latest additions to it as soon as they appear, but I'm worried it's slowing to a halt.

This one I'm sure will be as entertaining as the others. Have read all the others and will keep reading them if he writes more.

Smith's Ladies' Detective Agency books always feel like a nice visit with a good friend. The characters are interesting and the pace of the book is leisurely.

We all need to think and respond to life more like Smith's characters do. What great lessons he teaches us!

The latest installment of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency starts out similar to the other books, but wends and weaves to a beautiful, understated climax. Smith is a master of the genre.

Each addition to this refreshing and really different series is something I look forward to. When I first picked up "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency" I never dreamed it could become so addictive. Reading about a relatively unknown country and way of life is what makes books one of the best parts of our culture. Anyone looking for violence and sex with their mysteries would be amazed at how much better these Alexander McCall Smith's stories are and how enjoyable the reading.

Characters are the same and thoughts on life are equal but the mysteries are quite up to par with the other books. Still a good listen as this refers to the audio version. Still worth the time and contemplation.

We're all familiar with the big miracles: the little child as sole survivor of an airplane crash or the earthquake victim pulled alive from rubble a week after the event. Precious Ramotswe, however, is sensitive to the other kind, the little miracles with long-term meaning for family affairs. Founder of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency of Gabarone, Botswana, Precious has been rather miraculous in her own right. She solves others' problems, counsels her colleague, Grace Makutsi. Precious has also has an ongoing miracle with her husband, Mr JLB Matekoni, owner of Speedy Motors on the Tlokweng Road. But all that good fortune, and the notoriety gained thereby, seems to have produced an enemy, who is sending her threatening letters.

McCall Smith's many volumes in this series has allowed him to fill and strengthen his regular characters, while introducing drop-ins who never fail to leave an impact. Charlie, Mr JLB Matekoni's shop apprentice is a fine example. Appearing regularly in a minor role, Charlie seems readily predictable: brash, self-centred and arrogant, he seems destined never to mature. Is he a candidate for things miraculous? McCall Smith's portrayals are the foundations around which these fine stories are constructed. This may well be the peak effort, a finely written and gripping tale of mystery and resolution.

Precious' skills as a detective are on full display here, as is her humanity. She faces a serious challenge from the letters. Tracking down their originator will be a daunting task. Is she up to facing a serious enemy? Woven into this story is a shift in Mr JLB Matekoni's relations with Precious. A sudden act of independence might lead to tragedy for the family and his workshop. Yet, because the act is one of deep humanity, Precious is unable to resist his desire to see if their crippled adopted daughter, Motholeli can be successfully treated. Grace Makutsi becomes caught up in a web of deceit and fabrications. Is the web so tight it may choke her engagement to Phuti Radiphuti, owner of the Double Comfort Furniture Shop?

One thing you may count on with McCall Smith is a reasonably happy ending. At least, there are no serious tragedies to cope with. This one is no different, except in the sense that "miracles" must be openly defined. That is, after all, how real life works. The author brings you to his conclusions with his usual grace and wit. Applying many depths to his stories and their protagonists, a McCall Smith can be taken up again with no regrets. This one is unquestionably one of those. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Alexander McCall Smith does it again with another excellent book in the First Ladies's Detective Series. I hope Smith continues to write and that neither he, nor Precious Ramotswe, ever die

Does not disappoint. A great #9 (?). I actually watch the internet to see when each No.1 LDA is published. FANtastic. Best series of all his multiple series.

I didn't feel this was as good as the previous books of the series. Perhaps this theme is worn out. It is still a good read. I enjoy his style of writing.

The latest "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" installment was a lot of fun. It didn't have quite the depth or warmth of the previous books, but I really enjoyed it. Alexander McCall Smith does a wonderful job writing from a woman's perspective.

It's an easy and relaxing read. And as alway Alexander McCall Smith educates the reader on African culture and holds ones attention with his down-to-earth and homey discription of the characters, their everyday events as well as their unusual happenings. Can't wait for the next one!!

All the characters are back in fine form. One story line is especially touching. Lisette Lecat is a wonderful reader and brings the story to life. This series needs to listened to from the beginning to get the flavor of the characters and the way that McCall Smith writes.

We welcome Precious Ramotswe with open arms as she continues to solve the personal and often deceptively simple problems of her fellow Botswanians. Miracles, it seems, can happen in unexpected and often unrecognized ways, as she and her Associate Detective Mma Makutsi discover.

Someone is leaving threatening notes addressed to Mma Ramotswe at the Speedy Motors garage, owned by her husband and the location where the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is found. Disclosing the suspected poison penman could jeopardize the friendship and loyalty of someone close to them, so she must use her most diplomatic means of uncovering the source of the threats, then resolving the situation in her own inimitable way.

A larger mystery requires finding the lost family of a woman who always suspected that the parents who raised her were not her parents at all, but no evidence exists to prove otherwise. Her mother and father are now dead --- or "late," as they are described in the charming musical language of Botswana. The search leads down some fascinating and troubling byways of Botswana's past, as Mma Ramotswe travels to surrounding villages to meet with people who might shed light on a ticklish situation.

A third possible miracle is the discovery by Mma Ramotswe's husband of a doctor who may be able to cure the condition that has crippled their foster daughter, consigned for life to a wheelchair.

Meanwhile, now that the date is set for Mma Makutsi and her prosperous fiancé Phuti, they are looking for a marital bed --- an activity that proves not only embarrassing for them but could threaten their future.

We are treated to the introspections that reflect the fading culture of this ancient society, as Mma Ramotswe finds doodles by her assistant linking her name to her fiancé's in the way of all young women in love. "Women, thought Mma Ramotswe, are sometimes like plump chickens in the yard, while outside, circling the fence, were the hyenas, the men. It was not a happy way of envisaging the relation between the sexes, but time and time again she had seen this particular drama played out in exactly that way. And hyenas, one had to admit, were surely destined to break the hearts of chickens; they could do nothing else."

On the subject of being "traditionally built" --- the euphemism that best describes our heroine as a comfortably padded woman --- she ..."considered it one of the very worst features of modern society that people should be ashamed to be of traditional build, cultivating instead a look that was bony and positively uncomfortable. Everybody knows, she thought, that we have a skeleton underneath our skin; there's no reason to show it."

That THE MIRACLE AT SPEEDY MOTORS debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list is neither a mystery nor a miracle. Alexander McCall Smith has created a most charming and unique detective, collecting a growing base of admirers and ardent fans with each new adventure. Mma Ramotswe has become a beloved emissary of the rich culture and folk wisdom of Botswana, so lovingly portrayed by McCall Smith, who taught law and ethics in his adopted country.

This gentle narrative is without breathtaking chase scenes (unless you discount the shopping cart pursuit through a local grocery store) or cliffhangers (oh wait, there is that meditation at the precipice overlooking Mma Ramotswe's home village) that typify most detective novels. And yet it would be inaccurate to describe any of the nine delightful stories in this series as "cozies." There's no one quite like our traditionally built Mma Ramotswe, and to pigeonhole her even into a mystery or detective genre would cramp her style.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

My wife loves this book. She has read all nine in the series to date.

this series is always warm, fun, easy reading. I enjoy seeing what MMa Ramotse is going to investigate next.

McCall Smith has added another worthy title to his series. Rather than repeat all the stuff from other reviewers, let me just point out something about this - and really all the books in this series:

They provide a window onto a lifestyle that is so much different, so much more peaceful, than the Western world that is a true joy reading these. For just those few moments that you read, you are living a more calm, sedate, and perhaps, more "true", life.

As a devotee of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency, I felt this was one of the best in the series. The characters seem to become more real and endearing in each of the mysteries. Be sure to set aside time to read this in one sitting , as it is difficult to put down.

An anonymous letter threatens the lives of detective Precious Ramotswe and her assistant Grace Makutsi; a woman without a family searches for her past; and a girl in a wheelchair is given dangerous new hope. The ninth installment of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series is packed with all the adventure one might expect from a detective novel. And yet there is more-oh, so much more.

Alexander McCall Smith is known for his superb character development, and The Miracle at Speedy Motors is another delightful encounter with the men and women who make their home under the large Botswana sky. You need not have read the other books in the series to enjoy this latest book. However, if you have read those books, you will find yourself even deeper into the hearts of the characters that you have grown to love.

McCall Smith's writing here is both lyrical and meaningful. It's not only the plot that drives this novel, it's also a compulsion to discover more about the human heart. Page after page, McCall Smith uses his beloved characters to open windows into the human soul. The vision of humanity that he creates is not only insightful, but it is fundamentally hopeful.

These characters are attractive because their weaknesses are so familiar and their pain so tangible. They can't help but hope for healing miracles to sweep through their lives. If the book were sentimental, they might receive the miracles for which they hope. Instead, they do experience the miraculous, but in ways quite unexpected.

While contemplating a difficult turn of events, Ramotswe thinks, "What does it matter if businesses are left unattended, if people are not always as we want them to be; we need the time just to be human, to enjoy something like this: a boy chasing ants, a dry land drinking at last, birds in the sky, a rainbow." Yes, we all need time just to be human and to enjoy something-something very much like this book.

Armchair Interviews says: The joy that you experience in reading this novel might be its own little miracle!

I have read the entire series of The #1 Ladies Detective Agency and I absolutely love them. The characters are so well developed and the descriptions so vivid, that I feel that I am in Botswana. I'm always looking for the next installment.

Another charming addition to The Detective Agency series. While I enjoyed the book a great deal, this one felt a bit more slight than some of the previous books, and frankly felt like an expanded newspaper serial.
Still, anyone who is a fan of the books will find themselves delighted just to be in the company of Precious and co. for an afternoon.

There are times I cannot bring myself to read another crime novel, a must read classic, a tell-all biography, or a self-improvement book. It is at such time I pick up one of Alexander McCall's novels and spend some time with Precious Ramotswe. I am always left with a smile after one of the ladies detective agency stories. What could be better than a cup of tea, comfortable shoes, and a ninety-seven percent cettificate hanging on the wall?

Although I cannot say that this is one of my favorites from the series, I always find that my time in the company and world of Precious Ramotswe well spent.
In this installment, Smith delves a little deeper into his characters and allows Mma Ramotswe to invest a little more of herself into her ready made family.
Reading novels from the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series is a wholesome pleasure.

Precious Ramotswe lives in a world that still treasures simple pleasures and human decency. I wish these books could go on forever.

Precious Ramotswe brings her gentle spirit to another problem, and once again immerses a reader into life in Africa. Recommended.

This is a weaker offering in the series but it's certainly worth reading if just to visit the pleasing view of Botswana and these marvelous characters again.

I have listened to every episode of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series and loved each one more than the one before. as soon as hear Lisette Lecat's voice, I start to smile. I am visiting once again with my dear old friends Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, Charlie and the younger apprentice. I love the pace with the constant references to the "tiny white van, 97%, the old Botswana ways. I love the descriptions of Botswana both as a geographic region and as a lovely, gentle, moral culture that is changing, but really not too much. I love the fact that Precious Ramotswe can deal with any problem by applying a generous dose of love and understanding.

This book has a theme of making mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, even Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. Even the tiny white van is having its problems, but, of course, the problems that result, while anxiety producing at first, are smoothed over and lives go on. I can't wait for the next episode to come out. My one worry is that some day Lisette Lecat won't be able to narrate. Her performance really brings the characters and the setting to life. I have taken an unexpected interest in all things Botswana since I started listening to these books. I also can't wait to see the movie. I hope we will be able to see it here in the States soon!

"The Miracle at Speedy Motors" is a softer, gentler Precious Ramotswe story, but has an interesting enough episodic plot. As always with these "No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency" books, the beauty parts are the interactions between the sweet and less sweet characters and the never failing wisdom and humanity provided by the book's heroine, Precious Ramotswe. She is so much the embodiment of logic and kindness that you find yourself repeatedly wondering why can't we all behave more like this?

In "Miracle," Ms. Ramotswe takes on the dilemma of a client who recently been orphaned but who believes that her recently departed mother was not the woman who gave birth to her. The pursuit of the truth in this case and when to tell the truth in two other secondary stories, becomes the essence of the novel. As always, author Alexander Mccall-Smith, raises some basic questions about what is expected of us all as member of society. The answers are always common-sensical and reassuring.

"The Miracle at Speedy Motors"--or any of the books in this series--is a great book to read when you're feeling a little blue, unsure or mentally bruised. Like flannel sheets on a cold night, it will restore your mood and while it provides a warm feeling.

again, he has written a 'lovely little book'. It is always so refreshing to read Ladies' book because you know that goodness will triumph over adversity. Even in distress, there will be a good moral.

What an absolutely charming book this is, and a wonderful continuation of all the others in this series! Somehow all the good things in life seem to come out without the reader realizing it, and it is a book that is extremely hard to put down. Congratulations to Mr. Smith!

Fabulous book. An verbal escape into Botswana that makes your senses feel as though you really are in Africa. Fantastic characterization. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series.

Wonderfully written tale in the continuing series. Mma Ramotse shows her consistent wisdom through her unselfish behavior toward those both close to her and those unkind to her. This series is excelent for both adults and older children. High principles remain a constant in the series. Kudos to Alexander McCall Smith for his use of excellent vocabulary as well.