The Joy and Light Bus Company (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book 22)

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This book focuses on the mechanic, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. He is a good man, a kind man, a dependable man. He takes a literal approach to much of life. When at a business seminar, hearing about "networking" (<- about which he is clueless) he is worried that there may not be time to eat lunch. How long does it take to network? Several recurring characters make an appearance in the book, one of them being beautiful, husband-stealer Violet Sephoto, who's always making trouble. She had that greatest of all things, wisdom, and that was a very important thing to possess in a world that seemed to be losing the respect it had always had for wise people. Wise people had been replaced in the public estimation by that curious category of people—celebrities—who were, for the most part, shallow people not known for their wisdom. Where were the Nelson Mandelas of this world of celebrity? Where were the Gandhis” There is nothing wrong with this bus,’ he said. ‘Or there won’t be, once we have fixed all the things that…’ He floundered, before continuing, ‘… all the things that are wrong with it.’ Then he added, hurriedly, ‘Not that there are all that many things wrong, I think. Just some. Just three or four … or five. Small things, mostly, like brakes and so on.’”

What worries Precious Ramotswe most about the scheme is that the necessary bank loan will be taken against the garage and the premises of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Failure of such a risky business venture will impact on them all. (Self-appointed) senior co-managing director of the Agency, Mma Grace Makutsi can see the problem, but understands that “male menopausal behaviour was beyond rational argument”. She promises to enlist Phuti Radiphuti’s help in talking sense into Mr JLB Matekoni.Mma Ramotswe, I don’t want to give too many clues away on the story but do want to congratulate Mma Adjoa Andoh for narrating the book. Goodness me Mma! I felt like I was in the room with her while she read the story and she is so clever – she could imitate you, Mma Makutsi, Rra Maketoni and all the other people exactly so that I felt like I was right there. She is brilliant! Especially with Mma Makutsi. Explaining about her shoes and flashing glasses. I could see them Mma – all the way here in England. I enjoy this series and this particular volume provided a pleasant interlude at what can be a very hectic time of year. It was fun to dip into the lives of characters that I have grown fond of and I always enjoy the descriptions of teatime with cake. McCall Smith is a master …. There’s beauty and revelation of one kind or another woven expertly into every line.” — The Christian Science Monitor Traditional mystery and thriller readers may find the pace too slow with way too much interior, contemplative monologue; however, Alexander McCall Smith in many places is expert at conveying a great deal within a short description. But even as she puzzles over mysteries on the domestic front, Mma Ramotswe’s professional duties must take precedence. When a concerned son learns that his aging father’s nurse now stands to inherit the family home, he begins to doubt her intentions and takes his case to Botswana’s premier detective agency. Fortunately, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi, committed agents of justice, agree to investigate.

As always, there is lots happening in the small community, but Mma Ramotswe can unfailingly be relied upon to be the voice of reason and patience in an increasingly chaotic world. I must say that I enjoy these characters immensely, and twenty-two books in they feel like old and treasured friends. These stories bring light and joy, and are simply a delightful escape that I will indulge in at any given opportunity.Catch up on the latest from Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi and other favourites in this new instalment of Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. Love was the answer, of course, to this, as it was to so many other problems. Love the people who did not love you; treat with courtesy those who did not show that courtesy to you, and they would realise what wrong they were doing. That was what she did, and she had found that in almost every case those who showed arrogance, or unkindness, or sheer malice, could be shamed into regret, and through regret came change. Of course, it did not always work. There were some occasions in which confrontation was necessary, and harsh words had to be spoken because some people seemed impervious to the pain they caused. But it was better to avoid such showdowns if one possibly could. There was always more than one way of bringing in a harvest.” I wish to express my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada. I was delighted to receive this ARC in return for an honest review. It is astounding that this is the 22nd book in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and they always remain fresh and enjoyable and provide food for thought. We shall change all that...because it is possible to change the world, if one is determined enough, and if one sees with sufficient clarity just what has to be changed.

and the vestiges of that early feeling were still there, as she could not bring herself to punish the snails or caterpillars for their depredations. They were her fellow creatures, after all. They had not asked to be snails or caterpillars, and they needed to eat, as we all did.” They talked about the sorts of things they liked to talk about when there were no important decisions to be made and when the conversation could wander comfortably along uncluttered shores.” My great thanks go to Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for the review copy. This charming tale will be for sale November 16, 2021. The publisher seems to be hunting for a replacement narrator for Lisette Lecat. I think they have succeeded with the narrator of this book, Bianca Amato. She is from South Africa as is Lecat and has that soft lyrical voice and the same pronunciations of names. I cannot wait for the next AMS story with Amato as narrator.

As always, the setting of this latest in the #1 Ladies Detective series in Botswana is an escape for all non-Botswana readers. Seldom has an author made a foreign country and its people sound so attractive. In another plot line, their client, Mr. Baboloki Mophephu, has come to them because he is concerned that his very wealthy father, Mr. Fidelis Mophephu, has left his farm and farmhouse to his long-time nurse. The son suspects undue influence and wants the agency to investigate. But both Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are wary because of their instinctual dislike of their client. It's a lot of fun to follow their investigation and the creative solution that emerges. 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. There’s the notion that people are inherently good—try finding that in your average noir detective story—and also, the idea that ordinary people can and should intervene to the best of their ability when they see wrongdoing. “Sometimes those people simply did not see what others could see; sometimes their hands were tied; sometimes they felt threatened. And all of that meant that there were times when it was left to people like them, a private detective and the matron of an orphan farm, to do what had to be done.” There are several parallel stories running in this twenty second book in the series, but the most significant is that of Mr. J.L.B. Maketoni's sudden wish to be Director of a bus company which leads him to try to borrow money for the first time ever in his life. Since it will be a mortgage against their family home Mma Ramotswe is horrified and feels she has to resort to slightly underhand methods to prevent it happening.

Wise people had been replaced in the public estimation by that curious category of people—celebrities—who were, for the most part, shallow people not known for their wisdom. Where were the Nelson Mandelas of this world of celebrity?” That, of course, is always a good time to think—when you know that you are going to have to do something, but you know that you do not have to do it just yet.” I think the title says it all. Who other than Alexander McCall Smith would dream up the name "The Joy and Light Bus Company" which is just so fitting for the atmosphere of this lovely series set in beautiful Botswana.While there, Precious is disturbed by what she learns about one of the newest orphans: there is a suggestion that a well-off family is engaging in a practice long out-lawed. Acting on impulse, she later manages get important information from very close to the source, and cleverly uses a certain woman’s susceptibility to superstition to ensure things are set to rights. Smith’s disappointing sequel to 2019’s The Department of Sensitive Crimes has its memorable and moving moments, but not enough of them. Det. Ulf Varg and the other members of Sweden’s Continue reading » Even as she puzzles over mysteries on the domestic front, Mma Ramotswe’s professional duties must take precedence. When a concerned son learns that his aging father’s nurse now stands to inherit the family home, he begins to doubt her intentions and takes his case to Botswana’s premier detective agency. Fortunately, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are committed agents of justice and agree to investigate.