The Geometry of Holding Hands : An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (13) by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a novel about a family that's full of love but not without problems that crop up.  Even the cat has some...

Pantheon and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 28th.

Isabel uses her moral philosophers attributes to deal with the problems in her life.  She's heard some rumors about town but doesn't know if she believes them or not.  Her children bring her all their difficulties and she has to figure out what a good, fair solution would be.  Soon she's caught up in the rumors in town.   Trying to solve them is a trial and her husband observes more than helps.  Then the cat has new romantic involvement that creates some problems, too. 

Will Isabel manage to calm them all down and solve the problems?  Read it and see.

The Talented Mr. Varg : A Detective Varg Novel (2) by Alexander McCall Smith

Ulf is the lead detective in the Sensitive Crimes Division.  He takes on the odd cases.  A wife asks him to check out who her husband is being blackmailed by.  When the victim won't cooperate, it's hard to find the blackmailer...

Pantheon and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 28th.

Ulf follows the man.  He eventually finds out it's not blackmail.  It's payment for promotions on his books.

Then his detective lady he has a crush on asks him to see if her husband is screwing around on her.  She found another woman's earring in his shorts.  He sees him meet up with a woman and kiss her and hold hands.  It looks like her suspicions are true.  Then something happens and he struggles to know what to tell the woman he loves...

Then his vet tells him there is a guy who brings his dogs in and they look like wolves.  He thinks the man is selling them as wolves, which is fraud.  He knows who talk to and finds the truth in that case also.

Ulf is a busy man...

To the Land of Long Lost Friends: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (20) by Alexander McCall Smith

Precious is back again.  She's still being a detective with her assistant that thinks she's better educated.  She might be better educated but that doesn't give her more wisdom.  And Charlie is still there.  He works part-time for Precious and for her husband.  That makes him a part-time detective and a part-time mechanic.

Pantheon and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 22nd.

One day she thinks she is seeing a ghost.  When the woman sees her she hurries over to reconnect.  She explains the paper used the wrong name for the victim.  Precious is relieved and glad to see her again.  She tells Precious that her daughter is no longer in contact with her and that hurts.  Precious decides to look into it even though she isn't being paid.

In the meantime, Charlie is trying to figure out how he can up with the bride's price so he can get married.  He's in love but he's also poor and her father is rich.

Precious finds out the daughter has two boyfriends.  One is a preacher and he's a fake.  He uses the money and goods he's given for his own enrichment.  This is a real mess to straighten out without it shaming someone.  She finds a common denominator by accident and things get better.

Charlie's fiance introduces him to her cousin, he knows how to make money.  He want Charlie to disable vehicles if those who borrowed money don't pay it back.  Charlie thinks about it but decides not to do it.  When he meets her father he tells him he does not have the bride's price, whatever it may be.  He also tells him about the cousin's job offer and how he wouldn't take it.  That brings unexpected results.

I enjoy these tales.  There are a lot of traditions shown, the story moves slow and easy, and you feel like you are in Africa.  These are fun reads.

The Second-Worst Restaurant in France: A Paul Stuart Novel (2) by Alexander McCall Smith

Paul is working on a book but he can't find peace and quiet to do it.  His apartment has been invaded by his girlfriend's two cats.  Her he doesn't mind but the cats love pestering him.  His aunt offers him an apartment that should be quiet enough to write.  He accepts but the folks upstairs play loud music.  Then his aunt invites him to come to France with her.  She's renting a house.  It will be quiet...

Pantheon and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 16th.

He goes and gets a good chunk of the beginning of his book done.  They hear that the local restaurant is bad.  Lots of folks eat there though so they decide to try it.  They have mussels.  Paul gets very sick.  He won't eat there again.

They get caught up in the local gossip and with the family they rent from.  There's a girl staying in another cottage who is pregnant.  Once she has the baby, a boy, the father wants it.  So she moves in with the aunt and Paul "temporarily".  Then his aunt asks Paul to teach the man at the restaurant to cook.  He doesn't want to learn.

Life for Paul is complex.  He decides to trash his book and write another about the restaurant.   He's teaching the nephew to cook.  He is not only is good at it and willing to learn, he has other recipes to contribute.  Maybe all is not lost...

Mr Smith always writes about the people in depth, but that's what makes things work or not.  His writing is always entertaining.

The Colors of All the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Ramotswe doesn't really want to run for a council position but her friends want her to.  She finally agrees but hopes she loses the election...

Pantheon and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published today.

They want her to run for office to stop construction of a new hotel right next to a cemetery.  The locals don't want it there.  She's only one council member, but she'll vote against it.  She doesn't even hang around to see the election results.  She heads out of town to find out who hit the doctor who has asked her to investigate.  She visits with the mother of her suspect and finds out she's picked the right young man.

My favorite part of this story is that Charlie opens up and confides in her.  He's not shared much in the past but he's talking now.

I also enjoyed how her long term as council member lasted.

This is a good series and I always enjoy reading these stories.

The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a tale of World War II.  War makes you doubt how long you'll be alive and many of the soldiers fell in love and wanted to marry.  Many didn't get a happy ever after but some did.  This is the tale of an American soldier and his love and a German soldier and his.  It sounds authentic and made me both happy and sad.

Pantheon and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 10th.

Val is working as a farm lady on a farm owned by a local neighbor.  She's asked to deliver eggs to the Americans stationed there.  When she does, she meets Mike.  She drops a dozen eggs and as he tries to help her catch it, the other dozen drop and break also.  That unfortunate first meeting leads to dates and he's interested in marrying her.  But before they get that far, he's reassigned.  She promises to wait for him.  As time goes on, she finds out she's pregnant...

When Mike's plane crashes, they say he's most likely dead.  But there were people who were willing to hide Americans.  And when they are discovered by the Germans, it's a German who doesn't like the war.

It's fascinating look at life behind the lines of war and how unexpected things work out.  I don't like to read war stories but I do like this author.  He does a nice job with this book but I think I'll stick to the No. 1 Detective Agency series.  It doesn't make me want to cry.

The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith

Precious and Botswana are back again.  She's still doing her detective work with her partner.  You couldn't find an odder pair.  Precious likes to think things over and figure out a plan of attack.  Mma Makutsi trusts her own instincts and attacks right away.  She also is very easily offended.  Of course, Precious can be accused of that too.  How they manage to solve a crime is a bit of a mystery in itself.

Pantheon and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 7th.

A salewoman was fired from a store she had worked at for six years.  Her boss says a customer complained about her being rude.  This was the first complaint against her but he still fired her.  Her sister doesn't think she was rude.  Precious is given the case and lets her assistant go forward with the case.

In the meantime, she was visiting with another woman who showed her a picture that included a woman with her same last name.  She knows of no relatives, so she's anxious to find her but not sure if she should.  She visits her friend who always has good fruitcake and while eating more than her fair share of that, she asks her opinion.  She takes her advice.

The firing was bogus.  The woman she finally locates is her sister.  And she has her own crisis when she thinks her sister is older than she is.  She loses faith in her father.  But that gets explained before the story is over.

These are always slow paced mysteries with more action between the characters than the plot.  It makes them pleasant to read when you can pick up on a way of life a long way away from us.  I really enjoy this series.

The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (16) by Alexander McCall Smith

She can't believe Mma Makutsi is suggesting she take a holiday.  She's never taken time off.  What would she do?  When her husband agrees it might be a good idea, she asks what she should do.  When they suggest she sleep in and relax, she's scandalized.  She never sleeps in.  And she doesn't know HOW to relax!

Pantheon Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It's being published today.

This series is set in Botswana.  It's slow moving, there's much thought given to actions, and it seems they always drinking tea and eating.  When you're sitting in your reading chair enjoying the story, you can feel your blood pressure calming down...

Mma Precious Ramotswe is antsy.  She's not a relax and sit around type lady.  She decides she'll go tea at the fancy local hotel where she can hobnob with the ladies she knows.  She finds out all they talk about is gossip.  She also meets a young man who tries to blackmail her into paying him to keep her van safe.  When she leaves, he's scored her van door with a nail.  She waits until he collects his fee from another driver and then nails him herself.  It turns out his name is Samuel, his mother is a prostitute and he lives in another woman's yard.  She takes his money and sometimes beats him.  Precious isn't going to allow this to continue.  Here it is her first day off and she already has a mission.

The longer she is off, the more she worries.  How's the agency doing?  Why is there another Lady's #1 business going in?  She wants to know but she doesn't want to interfere.  So what does she do?  She does some investigating on her own.

She and Mma Makutsi have a volatile relationship.  Each one says things and then worries about how the other one will take it.  Sometimes the dance of their conversation makes things worse.  But they always straighten it out.  They do this time, too.

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (15) by Alexander McCall Smith

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency has some real challenges in this story.  I can't deny I've been waiting for another in this series to come out.  I love the style of the story, the characters, and how they handle things.

Pantheon and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to review this book (thank you).  It has been published, so go on down to your local bookstore and snag a copy.  You won't want to miss this!

Precious Ramotswe starts with a case of amnesia.  The woman in question doesn't know where she came from, what her name is, or if she has any family. The people she is staying with are trying to get her a visa to stay, but can't do that with no information.  As she watches the "unknown" woman remove lint from the man's shoulder, she wonders if maybe she does remember a few things...

Mma Makutsi has a new son and is happily married but she wants to start her own business, too.  She decides the Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe is the way to do it.  She leases the property, her husband pays for the remodeling and they're all set to go.  At least she thinks they are.

On the other side of detective agency, times are tough and Charlie has to go.  Unfortunately, Mma Ramontswe can't stand to see him upset and with no job, so she makes arrangements to hire him.  Mma Makutski has a problem with that.

While all these problems are being solved, regular life goes on.  With good tea and fat cake everyone is happy.  By the end of the book life has settled down again.  I can't wait to see what new odd cases they will be taking on.  This is a fun series to read and I always enjoy them.  If you haven't tried them yet, start with the first one.  They take on a life of their own.

The Mystery of the Missing Lion by Alexander McCall Smith

I love Mr. Smith's Precious Ramotswe character.  I've read all the books in that adult series, so I had to check out his children's book to see how he writes about her then.

Knopf Doubleday Publishing and Net Galley allowed to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 21st, so you can grab a copy then.

In this book of his children's series, Mr. Smith has Precious visit her aunt.  While she's there, they have a group who are coming to film a documentary.  As she and a friend stand watching, they are soon invited to help with the set.  They even get to mimic bird noises to draw the tame lion's attention.

Precious is enjoying herself and everything is going well until the lion escapes.  She and her friend go to look for it and find a pride it has joined.  The man who owns the lion goes out to capture it again and almost gets hurt in the attempt.  Precious has a serious talk with him about the lion and captivity.  I like how the story ends and you will, too.

This is easy way to learn something about Africa.  It may lead your child to read more on the subject.  And Precious may make them look at things a bit more carefully, too.  What she observes helps her solve her mysteries.  Big or small, I like Precious Ramotswe.

The Mystery of Meerkat Hill by Alexander McCall Smith

Precious meets two new students at school and finds out they are brother and sister.  She visits their home which is small but filled with love.  She meets Teb's meerkat pet, Kosi, and the rest of his family.  When the children tell her their cow has gone missing, guess who's going to help them find her?

Anchor Books sent me a copy of this to read for review (thank you).  The book was published in October, so you can check with your local bookstore for a copy.  This is the second story in this series, so look for the other one if you're planning on giving it as a gift.  That'll be twice as much joy for the recipient!

I am so very glad that Mr. Smith has started writing Precious Ramotswe mysteries for children.  I just love the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency stories and these are just as much fun, but about Precious' childhood.

As usual, Precious searches for clues and asks a lot of questions.  As she and her friends track the cow down, they are very proud of themselves for finding her.  There's one problem, though.  She's joined a herd of cows that belong to two other farmers.  They are taking theirs to market.  They ask them to "prove" she's their cow.  Uh oh...

The solution to this problem includes the meerkat and is very original.  Mr. Smith always makes his stories fun.

The story comes with a teacher's/reader's guide and a recipe for fat cakes (Botwanan doughnuts).  What more could you want?

Also, if you haven't read the adult series I mentioned at the beginning of this post, you should.  You're missing out on some good reading.

Bertie Plays the Blues: A 44 Scotland Street Novel (7) by Alexander McCall Smith

Can you imagine a little boy putting himself up for auction on eBay?  Bertie is pretty frustrated with his home life and wants to pick his own perfect family.  At six, who wouldn't?

Anchor Paperback and Edelweiss allowed me to download a copy of this ebook for review (thank you).  On sale date is October 8th, so you can get a copy soon at your local bookstore. 

This is the first 44 Scotland Street novel I've read.  I really enjoyed the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and wanted to "taste" this one.  It has a bit of the flavor of Maeve Binchy.  She writes about people on a bus, people in a village and others in like circumstances.  Mr. Smith has chosen a Scottish apartment building and the odd characters that populate that.

Not having the background of the previous books, it took me a bit to figure out who all the players were in the story.  Mr. Smith offers small character studies and includes Scottish ways and culture in the analysis.

Bertie trying to sell himself on eBay was amusing.  So was watching Matthew and Elspeth trying to take of their new triplets.  Having a bit of a romantic nature, I really enjoyed the tale of Angus and Domencia and their engagement.  Angus thinks he knows what's going to happen, but affairs of the heart can be strange.

This was a good read.  I think it would been better if I followed the series and was more familiar with the characters.  If you want a comfortable pleasant read with a few life challenges, this series is for you.  Why not give a try?

Happy reading.

The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith

Someone is stealing sweets at the school; who could it be?

Anchor, a division of Random House, sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 3rd,  so grab a copy at your local bookstore then.

I love The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and just had to read this children's book about Precious Ramotswe's first case.  Precious is a really fun character to read about, so I knew she had to be a charming child, too.

When a classmate's cake disappears before they get to recess time, they know someone has stolen it.  No one saw any one around but the cake is gone.  Precious is determined to find facts to support the theft even if others are quick to point at a shy fat boy who "must have done it".

The solution is believable and a bit silly; it's a cute story.  Precious also gets an idea for the name of her future business from this case.

If you have read any of the adult books, seen it on TV, or are just meeting Precious, this book is fun way to start.  You will learn some African words, too.

Happy reading.