The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 8)

There is just no one who can make one fall in love with the delightfully simple yet consistently entertaining and insightful characters in the #1 Ladies Detective Series by Alexander McCall Smith. I hope he never stops writing their stories!

Well, here we are again - book eight of the captivating series by Alexander McCall Smith, about the life and times of the traditionally built proprietress of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Fans of the series will once again delight in the straightforward storytelling, the comfortable atmosphere and especially the characters that by now are as familiar as a favorite cup of tea. Although this one isn't his best, it brings in a few new developments that more than make up for the old chestnut of a plot line that he resurrects for a new client who is in fact a distant relative of Mma Ramotswe. Anybody who has come across a certain medically themed cartoon or keeps up with urban legends will solve this case immediately, and although I kept hoping that there would be a twist, I was disappointed to find out that I was right all along. That aside, Mma Ramotswe has her hands full with a human resources problem, Mma Makutsi branches out and Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni finds that detective work is more difficult than he had expected. Problems arise in life, love and apprentices, but Mma Ramotswe proves that everything can be overcome after some pumpkin and good Botswana beef, or a thick slice of cake and a cup or four of red bush tea. This one is a quick and easy read, and although it's not bad for a book eight in a series, it isn't his best writing to date. If, however, you've been following the series from the beginning, you'll love the character development in spite of the somewhat lame sub-plots. Amanda Richards, May 5, 2007

Fiction has the ability to transport a reader into the world of the author's choosing. The best fiction enhances the reader's ability to deal with reality. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, of which this volume is the eighth installment, brings the reader to Botswana--an African nation struggling to maintain its identity as it adopts modern ways--and shows the power to be had in moral living, in trying to do good and be good. No reader can or will regret time spent in Mma Ramotswe's world. The author's love of Africa pervades his stories. His characters are good people who deal with their circumstances and foibles in an honest and forthright manner so lacking in more "modern" cultures and settings. Africa seems to have retained habits of polite respect, habits now rarely found in this Californian's world. By this eighth volume we have come to know and respect Mma Ramotswe as a person with a singular gift of insight. By now we have seen her deal with numerous difficulties and the author is concentrating on her husband Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni who must deal with a mid-life crisis, her friend Grace Makutsi who must adapt to success, Charlie the Apprentice who is apt to make a mess of things as well as the typical clientele of the Agency; problems are solved. The genius of Mr. Smith's series is the pacing. There are no hurries. He takes the time to explore his characters' feelings and reactions to life and does so in an engaging, surprisingly readable manner. In a very telling scene, though there may be dangerous crocodiles in the water, Mr. Smith demonstrates that Mma Ramotswe can still, though wary, appreciate the beauty of her wild country. Likewise, though our world is inhabited by crocodiles of a different sort, we learn that happiness can still be found and enjoyed despite all difficulties. There is an unequalled depth to these characters and their stories are mixed with wry commentary on the human condition that is alone worth the price of the book--there is wisdom in these stories that far exceeds most of the drivel masquerading as literature. Marriage is sanctified, virtue is rewarded, mercy is extended and rewarded; Mr. Smith convincingly portrays the conditions precedent to happiness and true satisfaction with life. His stories give hope. I prescribe all eight volumes for anyone who is weary of the world in which we live. These books demonstrate that a gentle, peaceful life can still be had amongst the crocodiles.

Lecture facile car les caractères sont relativement gros pour ce beau roman, très bien écrit et plein d'humour.

Tack, perfekt skick!

Excellent Service, book in great condition. Would Recommend

Alexander McCall Smith never disappoints!

This book of McCall Smith's, again one of the Mma Ramotswe series, is - again: so much more than a "thriller" (and, by the way, MacCall Smith's books are anyhow never-ever "thrillers" in the tradition of famous - and excellent, too - authors), but, again, as in his former Mma Ramotswe novels, a kaleidoskope of human worries, joy, problems, happyness, depressions........well, everything. And a book which, again, is equally entertaining as it is providing food for thought. With a plot which is divided in two, three, more plots but every single thread reaches it's end. Marvellous, moving, stimulating, a MUST BUY!!!