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Jun 27, 2017wyenotgo rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
What a delightful, gentle, atmospheric book! The mannerisms and lifestyle of these wonderfully drawn characters, thoroughly permeated by the post-colonial African traditions of Botswana, give this little "tea cozy" mystery a charm all its own. In the end, as per the formula, everything works out for the best. And of course that's all too neat and perhaps even trite, but it doesn't matter; that's the way it's supposed to be. This is escapist reading, intended to lower one's blood pressure, it's a refuge from the gritty realities of mayhem, corruption and tragedies big and small that make up our world. McCall Smith acknowledges those realities but they're only allowed to peek over the back fence, keep their distance and let Precious Ramotswe get on with her job of setting things right. I kept hearing echoes of Peter Pan. A modern day fairy tale.