Search - Tears of the Giraffe (No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, Bk 2)

Another of the wonderful Mme. Ramotswe and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, full of McCall Smith's gentle philosophy and humor! In this one, the detective agency must track a wayward wife and deal with a coniving maid while trying to discover what happened to a young American man who disappeared years ago. Then Mr. J.L.B Matekoni, Ramotswe's fiance', finds sudddenly that he has agreed to keep two children from the Orphans' Home, and he wants to be kind but doesn't know how to tell Mme. Ramotswe the "good" news!

This book was charming. The main characters, Mma Ramotswe, owner of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency and her fiance Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, are a little old fashioned in their idea of politeness and respectability, but refreshingly so. The mysteries that Mma Ramotswe solves are pretty straightforward to the reader; there are no twists in the solving of the crimes, but this is what is so charming about the book. Life in Mma Ramotswe's world is straightforward and full of moral fiber. Her story of what happens in the day to day in Botswana is so different from life in the west, but has its strengths and I can see how much Mma Ramostwe loves her country. I would recommend this book just for the insights it gives about a different culture and way of living.

This is the second book in Alexander McCall Smith’s series, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”. On the cover of this book is a quote from The New York Times Book Review, “The Miss Marple of Botswana.”

As someone who is only vaguely familiar with either Miss Marple or Botswana, I’m surprised that I’ve so far enjoyed the books in this series. The reading is light, the characters are engaging, the humor is character driven, and the country of Botswana is endlessly interesting.

I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

another wonderful book in this series! You can't help but fall in love with the characters, especially Mma Ramotswe!

Anyone who likes a sweet, gentle story will love the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, by Alexander McCall Smith. They are cleverly crafted and amusing, and give the reader a flavor of life in Botswana. The characters are very human, but also very endearing. When reaching the end of the book, you can't wait to start another.

I love all of Alexander McCall Smith's books, and especially the ones about Botswana and Precious Ramotswe. They are wonderful and I really enjoyed Tears of the Giraffe, which I hadn't read yet. His books are a delight and a treasure.