Review: The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith (audiobook)

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Adjoa Andoh (ISIS Audio Books, 2012, MP3, ISBN: 978-1-4450-2069-3)

THE LIMPOPO ACADEMY OF PRIVATE DETECTION is the thirteenth in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series set in Botswana. The detective agency's proprietor is Mma Ramotswe who is ably helped by assistant detective Grace Mma Makutsi.

The previous book, dealt with Mma Makutsi's marriage to the wealthy Phuti Radiphuti and now the happy couple have to find a home. When Phuti sells a builder, Mr Putumelo, two sofas from his Double Comfort Furniture Store, he thinks he has found just the man to build their new house. However, when Mma Makutsi meets Mr Putumelo she is less than happy with his attitude to her and this is a sign of things to come...

Back at Speedy Motors, Fanwell, the second apprentice at Mr J L B Matekoni's (husband to Mma Ramotse) garage, gets himself into to trouble with the law by helping a friend and it's up to his employer and friends to see justice done.

And over at the Orphan Farm, the redoubtable Mma Potakwani, has been fired for disagreeing with a new proposal to build a shared dining room using the funds from a sizeable donation. She asks Mma Ramotswe to investigate one of the board members, Mr Ditso, who has pushed the board to accept the proposal.

Into all this comes a stranger from America, though he is well known to Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi as he is none other than Clovis Anderson, author of their touchstone guidebook, The Principles of Private Detection. Mr Anderson lends his advice and moral support to Mma Ramotswe's investigation of Mr Ditso and she in turn learns about Mr Anderson.

I was slightly disappointed with the previous book, THE SATURDAY BIG TENT WEDDING PARTY, due to the unsatisfactory resolution to Mma Ramotswe's case however there is no such problem here. And even though Mma Ramotse should not have needed Clovis Anderson's intervention, as the answer is obvious early on, it does not matter, as it is the act of being transported to Mma Ramotswe's Botswana and its gentle way of life which is the reason for reading these. The "crime element" is not as important as catching up with the characters' lives.

I actively seek out these audio books read by Adjoa Andoh. They are an absolute treat to listen to and beautifully done. I've finally tracked down an audiobook of the next book in the series, THE MINOR ADJUSTMENT BEAUTY SALON – a place which appears in LIMPOPO and which provides useful intel – and I can't wait to listen to it.

August 2014

Review: The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith (audiobook)

The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Adjoa Andoh (ISIS Audio Books, 2010, CD ISBN:978-0-7531-2794-0)

The Double Comfort Safari Club is the eleventh in the Botswanan Mma Ramotswe series. Mma Ramotswe's No.1 Ladies Detective Agency has a couple of cases to solve; a friend of Mma Ramotswe thinks her husband is having an affair and a letter from America sends Mma Ramotswe and Assistant Detective Mma Makutsi out into the Okavango Delta (but not until disk 6 out of 7), and of course, Mma Makutsi's enemy Violet Sephotho is up to no good.

But this series isn't about detection really, it's about love and kindness, family and tea. Where everyone in Botswana is connected through tenuous family links (by Western eyes) and favours are willingly done and repaid.

There is much pleasure to be gained from Mma Ramotswe's observations, such as this when meeting a man in a bright blue shirt, who may be having an affair:

"She knew the warning signs with middle-aged men - they were like a set of traffic lights that glowed brightly in the dark. Greater attention to grooming? Bad sign. Pulling-in of the stomach to conceal paunch? Bad sign. Purchase of a more powerful car in bright red? Very, very bad sign."

And there is a hilarious trip on the river later on for Mma Ramoswe and Mma Makutsi, and in contrast there is also a poignant explanation as to why relatives who have died are referred to as late, rather than dead.

The Double Comfort Safari Club is a feel-good read which is wonderfully performed by Adjoa Andoh. Adjoa Andoh has narrated the latest four in the series and at least according to amazon will be doing the next in the series, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, out in March 2011.

Review: The Miracle at Speedy Motors (audio book)

The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Adjoa Andoh
(ISIS Audio Books, June 2008, CD ISBN:075312792X)

The Miracle at Speedy Motors is the ninth in the Mma Ramotswe, owner of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, series. This time around Mma Ramotswe has the problem of who is sending her anonymous spiteful letters as well as tracking down the family of an orphan whilst associate detective, Mma Makutsi's problems are more domestic.

As usual this was a delightful listen, taking the listener straight into Botswanan culture and how people there are linked together; a story of family, friends and a country, hung over a framework of problems to solve. In the main, all ends happily though the author doesn't take the easy route with a matter concerning Mma Ramotswe's family.

I enjoy this series more with each passing book and have already ordered the next one, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built.

Adjoa Andoh has recently taken over the narration duties from Hilary Neville. Whereas the latter had a subtle way of distinguishing between the characters speaking, the former gives the characters much more easily identifiable voices. And, whether this is coincidence or not, to my ear her Mma Ramotswe does sound quite similar to the tv version of Mma Ramotswe played by Jill Scott.

(Adjoa Andoh is of course well known to Doctor Who fans as Martha's mother.)

The Euro Crime bibliography page for Alexander McCall Smith is here.