Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

Starred review from March 9, 2009
Once again, Precious Ramotswe uses her insights into human nature to unravel problems big and small in Smith's charming 10th novel to feature Botswana's No. 1 lady detective (after The Miracle at Speedy Motors
). Leungo Molofololo, the owner of the Kalahari Swoopers, a local soccer team with a lot of athletic talent, suspects a traitor on the squad is deliberately sabotaging games for an unknown reason. Despite her complete ignorance of the sport, Mma Ramotswe agrees to look into the matter. She and her prickly assistant, Grace Makutsi, attend a match and begin interviewing the players in an effort to solve what amounts to the book's main mystery. The soccer inquiry, though, is secondary to a major event in Mma Ramotswe's life—the impending demise of the little white van she's used for many years that's much more than a machine to her. Fans can look forward to the debut of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
on HBO on March 29.

Lisette Lecat is the perfect performer for these extraordinarily charming tales about the daily life of Precious Ramotswe, lady detective in hot and dusty Botswana. Once you've been seduced by her African accent with its purring "r's" and round and juicy "m's," no other narrator for this series will do. Lecat captures each character's personality with spot-on emotional connection and impeccable timing. In Book 10 of the bestselling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, we find Precious looking into reasons for the failure of a popular football club, along with her usual sorting out of her own heartaches and those of her irascible but lovable secretary. Ultimately, each story leaves you longing to return to Botswana and demanding that Lisette Lecat take you there. D.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine