Review of "The Joy and Light Bus Company: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel" by Alexander McCall Smith

In this 22nd book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series - set in Gaborone, Botswana - Mma Precious Ramotswe and her colleague Mma Grace Makutsi address a variety of concerns. These include the new business plans of Mma Ramotswe's husband; modern day slavery; an imperiled inheritance; and more.



The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

Early in the story Mma Ramotswe's husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni.....



.....attends a business seminar where he happens to meet an old acquaintance called Mr. T.K. Molefi. Mr. Matekoni and Mr. Molefi decide to start a bus company that would put Mr. Matekoni's mechanic skills to good use.



The rub is that Mr. Matekoni has to borrow thousands of dollars for the start-up enterprise, and plans to use his business - Tloweng Road Speedy Motors - as collateral. Mma Ramotswe, who fears the bus company will fail, is VERY troubled by the plan and hopes to nip it in the bud.

Whenever Mma Ramotswe is worried, she visits her old friend Mma Potokwane - the director of the Gabarone orphan farm - for advice.



After the ladies converse over tea and fruit cake, Mma Ramotswe learns that a new orphan girl, who arrived with a broken wrist, was forced to work for a wealthy family without pay.



Mma Ramotswe is horrified by this modern slavery, but the rich family is powerful, so Mma Ramotswe must be creative to deal with them.

The detective agency gets a client called Mr. Baboloki Mophephu, who calls for an appointment. When Mr. Mophephu arrives for his consultation, he makes the mistake of calling Mma Makutski a secretary.



Mma Makutski huffily declares she's no secretary, she's the co-managing director - a new title she's bestowed on herself. Over time Mma Makutsi has promoted herself from secretary, to assistant detective, to associate detective, to co-detective, to co-partner.....and up the ladder to co-managing director. 😄



In any case, Mr. Mophephu is concerned about his rich elderly father, whose caregiver may be exerting undue influence - perhaps even planning to marry the old man - for financial gain. This is a delicate situation that requires diplomacy from Mma Ramotswe.



Several recurring characters make an appearance in the book, one of them being beautiful, husband-stealer Violet Sephoto, who's always making trouble.



This time, Mma Makutsi and Mma Potokwane are shopping for groceries when they happen to see Violet open a package of cookies, eat two, and put the rest back. Mma Potokwane is enraged and confronts Violet....with unexpected consequences.



As the story unfolds we also hear from Mma Makutski's 'talking shoes' which are always good for a laugh.



I enjoyed visiting with Mma Ramotswe and her entourage, and its fun to see Mma Ramotswe solve problems in her unique fashion.

Rating: 3 stars