Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

by Alexander McCall Smith

 

Smith, A. M. (2009). Tea time for the traditionally built. New York: Pantheon.

 

This is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. I must confess that it is the first I have read although this author and this series have been on my “to read” list for years. I am glad I finally got around to it and will be going back and reading the earlier ones as soon as I can procure them.

The action takes place in Botswana with Mma Precious Ramotswe running the detective agency and narrating the story. She has an assistant, Mma Makutsi who helps with the agency and in this story has some problems of her own. Mma Makutsi is engaged to a well off furniture store owner, Phuti Radiphuti, but a rival, Violet Sephotho, is trying to steal him away.

Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe gets a large case, as Rra Molofololo, owner of the local football team (soccer to Americans) the Kalahari Swoops, engages her to find out why the team is suddenly losing games. The answer is simple yet one easily overlooked by a busy, self important owner.

In the end the cases have a happy solution (I’m not going to spoil if for you—read the book), but Mma Ramotswe does lose her old small white van (we’ll have to see if she is able to get it back).

A wonderful series, quick and easy for busy folks and folks who want some relaxing reading. If you haven’t already, read one of the books in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. They are stand alone books so you can pick up any one, but having read the latest I am going to try to read the beginning ones.