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cmankus's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
thisisthelion's review against another edition
4.0
I read the first book of The No.1 Ladies… series a long time ago and I don’t remember much about the plot, but I do remember I quite liked it. What appealed most to me was solving mysteries in the Botswana setting, how “simple” were the mysteries and reading about how they live there. Being used to read fast paced thriller or vast conspiracies, it was nice to read something “lighter” but enjoyable in its simplicity. The second book follows the same pattern: a couple of easily-solved mysteries and new developments in Mma. Ramotswe life following the events that happened at the end of the first book. It always a delight to read this books (as it also was to watch the tv show, be sure to check it out) although I find them a bit short. Luckily, there’s fifteen of them. This makes for a good light read that everyone can enjoy and it’s always interesting to learn new things about Botswana.
kathy_99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
hm_brotherton's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lfro2013's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Just chicken soup for the soul. The fiance and the two kids are so wonderful. They just fill your heart. Lovely.
donnek's review against another edition
3.75
I enjoyed the tv show (many years ago) of this series. However, it wasn’t until recently that I decided to read the series. I kind of do that a lot; read the books after seeing the movie or after the tv show ends. I like all of the history and customs of Botswana the stories provide as well as what life in Botswana is like. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoy the narrator, Lissett Lecat, and her very proper British accent and vernacular. This style of narration suited the characters and their personalities. I actually visualized Precious and JLB speaking this way.
Anyway, the gangs all back in this second installment. Precious, proprietor of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana, and Grace, her assistant. There is also JLB, the proprietor of Speedy Motors, the local auto repair shop. JLB is still quite smitten with Precious and is still quite in awe of her and dreams of spending his life with her.
The book summary basically, just introduces the different storylines. In this installment, Precious has finally agreed to marry JLB (she declined his first proposal). It’s not long before JLB makes another life altering decision about his life and this too is one that will certainly affect the life of his future wife, Precious. JLB soon learns the consequences of making life altering decisions without consulting your wife, or in his case, soon to be wife. Additionally, after seeing JLB’s home, Precious knows that she needs to get rid of his “lazy” (her words, not mine) housekeeper. This becomes much more challenging than what Precious had initially anticipated.
“If you have been feeding him so well, then why is he thin. A man who is well looked after becomes fatter. They are just like cattle. That is well known”.
There is also the storyline of Grace being promoted from and assistant to an assistant detective, now that Precious is getting busier and has more cases than she can handle by herself. Grace soon learns that being a detective is a lot harder than it looks and she struggles with the moral and ethical dilemmas of the job.
“That troubling issue of means and ends raised its head. Was it right to do the wrong thing to get the right results?”
Precious’s cases and investigations come to satisfying conclusions; one more so than the other. There are no shocking and explosive endings, but once again, that is often the way of cozy mysteries. The best things about this series are the stories of Africa and the info that the writer offers the reader.
I like this series of cozy mysteries of a lady detective and her clients and her life in Botswana with her friends and now family. The characterization is pretty good for both the MC(s) as well as many of the other characters. The pacing is slow, but that is the way of a lot of cozy mysteries. The storylines are pleasing and interesting and the writing is well done. I am looking at an overall rating of 3.6 so I’m going to round up to a 3.75star rating.
Anyway, the gangs all back in this second installment. Precious, proprietor of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana, and Grace, her assistant. There is also JLB, the proprietor of Speedy Motors, the local auto repair shop. JLB is still quite smitten with Precious and is still quite in awe of her and dreams of spending his life with her.
The book summary basically, just introduces the different storylines. In this installment, Precious has finally agreed to marry JLB (she declined his first proposal). It’s not long before JLB makes another life altering decision about his life and this too is one that will certainly affect the life of his future wife, Precious. JLB soon learns the consequences of making life altering decisions without consulting your wife, or in his case, soon to be wife. Additionally, after seeing JLB’s home, Precious knows that she needs to get rid of his “lazy” (her words, not mine) housekeeper. This becomes much more challenging than what Precious had initially anticipated.
“If you have been feeding him so well, then why is he thin. A man who is well looked after becomes fatter. They are just like cattle. That is well known”.
There is also the storyline of Grace being promoted from and assistant to an assistant detective, now that Precious is getting busier and has more cases than she can handle by herself. Grace soon learns that being a detective is a lot harder than it looks and she struggles with the moral and ethical dilemmas of the job.
“That troubling issue of means and ends raised its head. Was it right to do the wrong thing to get the right results?”
Precious’s cases and investigations come to satisfying conclusions; one more so than the other. There are no shocking and explosive endings, but once again, that is often the way of cozy mysteries. The best things about this series are the stories of Africa and the info that the writer offers the reader.
I like this series of cozy mysteries of a lady detective and her clients and her life in Botswana with her friends and now family. The characterization is pretty good for both the MC(s) as well as many of the other characters. The pacing is slow, but that is the way of a lot of cozy mysteries. The storylines are pleasing and interesting and the writing is well done. I am looking at an overall rating of 3.6 so I’m going to round up to a 3.75star rating.
thisbookishcat's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
I liked that this one had more of a straight forward story following the lives and conflicts of multiple characters. It makes you feel like you're a part of their circle, and makes this more dynamic. They're all growing in me quite a bit at this point. I also appreciate that the approach of the detectives is not to put someone behind bars, but to give closure; for some reason this is a more satisfying outcome