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Title details for Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith - Available

Blue Shoes and Happiness

#7 in series

by Alexander McCall Smith
Lisette Lecat
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Life is good for Mma Ramotswe as she sets out with her usual resolve to solve people's problems, heal their misfortunes, and untangle the mysteries that make life interesting. And life is never dull on Tlokweng Road. A new and rather too brusque advice columnist is appearing in the local paper. Then, a cobra is found in the offices of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Recently, the Mokolodi Game Preserve manager feels an infectious fear spreading among his workers, and a local doctor may be falsifying blood pressure readings. To further complicate matters, Grace Makutsi may have scared off her own fiance. Mma Ramotswe, however, is always up to the challenge. And Blue Shoes and Happiness will not fail to entertain Alexander McCall Smith's oldest fans and newest converts with its great wit, charm, and great good will.

  • Creators

  • Series

    The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 13, 2006

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781449895242
      • File size: 238802 KB
      • Duration: 08:17:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 5, 2006
      It was a shrewd idea to get the veteran actress and audiobook prize winner Lecat to perform this version of Smith's latest mystery starring the unforgettable Botswana detective Precious Ramotswe. Lecat is a native South African who grew up hearing the authentic accents of women just like Ramotswe, and she gives the character the perfect notes of a real person rather than slipping into caricature. Indeed, Lecat has as good an ear for the ethnic turf covered as the author does. She is also adept at making other female characters, such as assistant detective Grace Makutsi, different but immediately believable. It's Grace who has the title's passion for fancy footwear—in spite of her being a secret feminist afraid of letting her boyfriend know about her politics. Smith does mix in small measures of danger and mystery, but the overall feeling is one of a pleasant dream, of gentle wonder that such people can exist in a conflicted world. And Lecat is the perfect choice to read the story. Simultaneous release with the Pantheon hardcover (reviewed online).

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Rejoice, all you listeners who love the gentle, sensitive voice of Lisette Lecat bringing to life the activities of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. In this seventh installment, as with the earlier novels, the pace is deliberately slow, and the attention is on human interactions, not drama. South African-born Lecat gives each of our detectives a distinct and likable persona. We treasure Mma Ramotswe's morality, common sense, and cleverness and warm to Mma Makutsi's ambition, enthusiasm, and hopes for love. While the cases may not be as interesting as some in the earlier novels, it is always a pleasure to let Lecat take us off to a kinder, gentler Africa. D.L.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 17, 2006
      The seventh entry in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (after 2005's In the Company of Cheerful Ladies) reaffirms Smith's considerable gifts as a writer. His familiar characters offer further facets of their personalities, and their gentle, tolerant approach to life remains a refreshing contrast to most fictional figures, let alone those populating most mysteries. The author's love for his creations and for his Botswana setting are evident on every page. While the plot will be of secondary importance to fans of Precious Ramotswe, the "traditionally-built," self-taught private detective, and her assistant, Grace Makutsi, Smith presents them with several mysteries, including the search for the identity of a blackmailer and the source of malaise at a nearby game reserve. Ramotswe's intuition and understanding enable her to find the truth, while dispensing justice according to her own personal dictates. Even newcomers will be charmed by this wonderful novel, with its skillful blend of humor and pathos, and will doubtless rush to catch up with the earlier books.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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