I heard so many good reviews of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books, that I couldn’t help but pick them up. Tears of the Giraffe is the second in the series, and it is just as charming and enjoyable as the first installment.
Mma Ramotswe is back and this time she juggles the case of a missing son whose trail has gone cold. While Mma Ramotswe is busy sniffing the cold trail of the no doubt long dead American youth, there is much happening at the personal front too. She is engaged to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni and as she is getting used to the idea of remarriage, two orphans come under her care unexpectedly. Her secretary Mma Makutsi has been promoted as an Assistant Private Detective and she solves her first independent case but in doing so, she finds herself stuck in an ethical dilemma and looks upto Mma Ramotswe for the resolution. And then there is the jealous housemaid of Mr. Matekoni hatching an evil plot against Mma Ramotswe.
The various subplots are interlinked with lyrical grace, gentle humour, emotion and suspense. The story of the two orphans touches the heart and so does the kindness of Mr. Matekoni and Mma Ramotswe. The world indeed needs more people like Mma Ramotswe and Mr. Matekoni.
I really enjoyed the endearing characters, the stories within the main story and the traditional Botswanan way of living. How wonderful it is to live in a peaceful, quiet and laidback way!
This is a cosy, comforting read and perfect escapism from the summer heat. I have read four books in the series so far and these delightful, light-hearted and heart-warming books are the perfect way to spend the long, hot summer afternoons.
Title: Tears of the Giraffe
Originally published: 2000
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Preceded by: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
Page count: 227
Genres: Detective fiction, Mystery
Followed by: Morality for Beautiful Girls
Interesting review.
Thanks 🙂