Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "The Good Husband of Zebra Drive: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Mystery" by Alexander McCall Smith

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Review of "The Good Husband of Zebra Drive: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Mystery" by Alexander McCall Smith

In this 8th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series, the firm has three cases to solve. The book can be read as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Gabarone, Botswana - owned by Mma Precious Ramotswe, shares premises with Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors - owned by her husband Mr. JLB Matekoni.

Thus Mr. Matekoni is on hand when the detective agency is unmanned and a client walks in. The client, Mma Faith Botumile, says her husband is being unfaithful and she wants to know who the other woman is.

Mr. Matekoni reports the matter to his wife, and wanting to expand his horizons, asks if he can do the investigation. Mma Ramotswe agrees and Mr. Matekoni proceeds to surveil Rra Botumile.

Things don't go quite as planned, however, and the new 'detective' makes some unexpected discoveries.

Meanwhile Mma Ramotswe is dealing with a much more serious matter. Her distant cousin Tati Monyena, a hospital administrator, asks her to investigate the deaths of three patients. Mr. Monyena explains that, on three consecutive Fridays, a patient in the end bed of the ward died at eleven o'clock in the morning.

Foul play can't be ruled out, and Mma Ramotswe proceeds to visit the hospital, interview the personnel, and so on. In the end, Mma Ramotswe's keen observations help her discover the truth.

The third case is handled by Mma Grace Makutsi, Mma Ramotswe's secretary/assistant detective. The client is a small woman called Teenie Magama, who owns a printing business.

Teenie reports that, although she treats her employees well, one of them is stealing supplies - paper, ink, and the like. Mma Makutsi goes undercover as a customer to look into the matter.

As always in this series, personal relationships are as important as the mysteries....and changes appear to be on the horizon.

Mma Makutsi, who was poor all her life, is now engaged to successful businessman Phuti Rhadiphuti. This means Mma Makutsi no longer needs to work, and after a small altercation with her boss, she thinks about quitting. Mma Makutsi's talking shoes weigh in here, and they always give wise advice.

Things are happening at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors as well. Twenty-year-old Charlie, Mr. JLB Matekoni's less than stellar apprentice, decides to leave and start a taxi business. Charlie purchases an old Mercedes Benz from his boss, with an agreement to pay it off over time. Charlie gets his business off the ground but his skirt-chasing habits soon cause big trouble.

Popular recurring characters also make an appearance, including Mr. Polopetsi, a part time detective who helps Mma Ramotswe with the hospital case; Mma Potokwane - the orphan farm director, who makes excellent fruit cake; Motholeli and Puso - Mma Ramotswe's foster children; and Violet Sephoto - Mma Makutsi's glamorous nemesis from secretarial school.

Throughout the book Mma Ramotswe demonstrates her usual empathy for all people, including wrongdoers. The world would probably be a better place if everyone had Mma Ramotswe's wise compassion.

I enjoyed the story, but it lacks the humor usually present in these books. Still, this is a good cozy mystery, recommended to fans of the series.

Rating: 3 stars

2 comments:

BellaAugust 28, 2024 at 10:48 AM
Nice review, Barbara! I love this series!
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Barb's Book Reviews

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Review of "The Good Husband of Zebra Drive: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Mystery" by Alexander McCall Smith

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