Blue Shoes And Happiness

Now that she is finally and happily married to her long-term suitor Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, Mma Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency of Botswana might have expected life to grow more sedate. But the many problems that lead customers to Mma Ramotswe's door seem, if anything, to have multiplied, and no sooner has she settled her traditionally built person into the married state than she finds herself looking into several troublesome matters at once. There is, to begin with, a disturbing case of blackmail and theft from the Government catering college. Then, while on an errand for her husband to the Mokolodi Game Reserve Mma Ramotswe is seconded to investigate an unpleasant atmosphere that may be down to witchcraft, or something worse. There are sinister goings-on at a health clinic to be looked into, not to mention any number of small wrongs to be righted along the path to detective triumph. And all the time Mma Ramotswe has weighty questions of a philosophical nature to consider, such as whether it is right to find happiness in small things, such as a new pair of blue shoes, a slice of cake, or a red sunset over the Kalahari.

Short-listed for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2008 (UK)

“The books possess a beguiling simplicity that is hard to convey without making them seem fey, when in fact they are direct, vivid and down-to-earth ... what he achieves in his No.1 Ladies - Detective Agency novels is the depiction in the lives of his main characters of a benign system of morality - derived by Mma Ramotswe from the old-fasDAILY TELEGRAPH - 'Nothing spoils [McCall Smith's] vision of Botswana as a place where decent people triumph over mischief-makers'SUNDAY TIMES - 'Nothing will dim the charm of McCall Smith's series, with its portraits of goodness, its sorrow over greed and its profound love of Africa. They areAmanda Craig, INDEPENDENT - '[BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS has] the quiet sophistication of the previous novels and its simplicity is deceptive.These novels take us through the looki”

'A rare pleasure' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Forget the library - the body is in the mud hut. An African Miss Marple created by a Scottish lawyer ... Superb' SUNDAY TIMES 'There is something almost divinely appealing about the way McCall Smith writes about daily life in Botswana...it is hard to think of a contemporary writer more genuinely engaging ... I find it impossible to think about [his novels] without smiling' MAIL ON SUNDAY

Following a distinguished career as a Professor of Medical Law, Alexander McCall Smith has turned to writing full-time. He is the author of over sixty books on a wide array of subjects, and his books have been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife.

The one with the witch who flew away Mma Ramotswe is happily married to Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, but her work seems more hectic than ever. Among a raft of cases coming the way of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency are blackmail, witchcraft, strange goings-on at a health clinic, and theft at a government catering college. There seems no end to the disputes which call for the wisdom of a traditionally built detective. It's enough to make her wonder what the secret of happiness is, and whether she is right to find it in small things such as a pair of blue shoes, a slice of cake, or a red sunset over the Kalahari. 'Charm and warmth' Scottish Daily Express 'Brilliant' Herald Discover the world of Alexander McCall Smith and his other books at alexandermccallsmith.co.uk [Facebook logo]

Now that she is finally and happily married to her long-term suitor Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, Mma Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency of Botswana might have expected life to grow more sedate. But the many problems that lead customers to Mma Ramotswe's door seem, if anything, to have multiplied, and no sooner has she settled her traditionally built person into the married state than she finds herself looking into several troublesome matters at once. There is, to begin with, a disturbing case of blackmail and theft from the Government catering college. Then, while on an errand for her husband to the Mokolodi Game Reserve Mma Ramotswe is seconded to investigate an unpleasant atmosphere that may be down to witchcraft, or something worse. There are sinister goings-on at a health clinic to be looked into, not to mention any number of small wrongs to be righted along the path to detective triumph. And all the time Mma Ramotswe has weighty questions of a philosophical nature to consider, such as whether it is right to find happiness in small things, such as a new pair of blue shoes, a slice of cake, or a red sunset over the Kalahari.

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