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A review by ridgewaygirl
Les vacances de Mma Ramotswe by Alexander McCall Smith
2.0
I think that Alexander McCall Smith is getting a little tired of writing The Number One Ladies Detective Agency books, because The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine felt both tired and stale. In this installation, Mma Ramotswe takes a vacation, forced into it unwillingly by Mma Makutsi and Mr. JLB Maketoni. The mystery is so slight, it doesn't show up until halfway through, and could have been solved by a simple conversation between two characters who frequently discuss things. I will not give away whether or not Mma Ramotswe was able to get to the bottom of it.
The thing that made this series such pleasant reading for me has to do with the basic good nature and empathetic dispositions of all of the characters, especially Mma Ramotswe. This book largely follows her thinking things to herself, most of which is recycled from previous books. A few of her less sympathetic musings seem more in keeping with the author's experiences than Mma Ramotswe, and in this book the references to her traditional build felt less good natured than usual. I disapprove of this new tendency for her to subdue bad characters by sitting on them.
I hope this installation is merely a hiccup in what has been a fine and enjoyable series of light mystery novels.
The thing that made this series such pleasant reading for me has to do with the basic good nature and empathetic dispositions of all of the characters, especially Mma Ramotswe. This book largely follows her thinking things to herself, most of which is recycled from previous books. A few of her less sympathetic musings seem more in keeping with the author's experiences than Mma Ramotswe, and in this book the references to her traditional build felt less good natured than usual. I disapprove of this new tendency for her to subdue bad characters by sitting on them.
I hope this installation is merely a hiccup in what has been a fine and enjoyable series of light mystery novels.