In The Company of Cheerful Ladies: Summary and book reviews of In The Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith, plus links to an excerpt from In The Company of Cheerful Ladies and a biography of Alexander McCall Smith.

In the newest addition to the universally beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the charming and ever-resourceful Precious Ramotswe finds herself overly beset by problems. She is already busier than usual at the detective agency when added to her concerns are a strange intruder in her house on Zebra Drive and the baffling appearance of a pumpkin. And then there is Mma Makutsi, who decides to treat herself to dance lessons, only to be partnered with a man who seems to have two left feet. Nor are things running quite as smoothly as they usually do at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Mma Ramotswe’s husband, the estimable Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, is overburdened with work even before one of his apprentices runs off with a wealthy woman. But what finally rattles Mma Ramotswe’s normally unshakable composure is a visitor who forces her to confront a secret from her past. . . . All this unfolds against the sunlit background of Mma Ramotswe’s beloved homeland, Botswana–a land of empty spaces, echoing skies, and an endless supply of soothing bush tea.

Media Reviews

Publishers Weekly Amid the hilarious scenarios and quiet revelations are luminous descriptions of Botswana, land of wide-open spaces and endless blue skies.   Kirkus Reviews The finest hour yet for Botswana's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency....Smith maintains the most civilized standards in the annals of detective fiction. But now, for the first time, he plots as if he actually means it.   Booklist - Allison Block Starred Review. By turns laugh-out-loud funny and quietly profound, these life-affirming mysteries are fine company, indeed.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Chiranjoy Das
Delightful...
The author has a deep understanding of the Botswana society, traditions and its people. The subtle humor and the excellent flow of the story kept me spellbound. It is among the best books that I have read.

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