The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon

Lisette Lecat reprises her well-loved role as Botswana's number one narrator as listeners are welcomed back to Gabarone and the investigations of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Setting the tempo with a distinctive accent, Lecat invites listeners to sit, perhaps with some tea, and enjoy Mma Ramotswe as she observes human nature. Two mysteries need solving--an impersonator stands to inherit a considerable farm, and a saboteur threatens to destroy a salon--and Mma Ramotswe is on her own. Mma Makutsi is on maternity leave, and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is distracted by classes for "modern husbands." Whether its Mma Ramotswe's regular moments of self-reflection or the dialogue of so many memorable characters, Lecat excels at capturing inflection and emotion. Another charming, and addictive, performance. A.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

March 1, 2014

For a series now with 14 entries, McCall Smith's Botswana-set books starring Mma Precious Ramotswe have maintained a remarkably high standard. Every novel adds new depth to its beloved characters while spinning plot twists that are sufficiently intriguing to make each book work on its own as a satisfying detective story. This latest (after The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection) explores the effect of motherhood on Precious's recently married associate, Mma Makutsi. The latter's maternity-leave causes the unfailingly sensitive Mma Ramotswe to redefine her professional relationship with her assistant. Meanwhile, the agency confronts troubling cases of a possibly false heir to a farm and a beauty salon targeted by a vicious rumor campaign. Despite the country's many admirable qualities, all is not well in Botswana. Lisette Lecat's narration is, as always, pitch perfect. VERDICT Another excellent title from McCall Smith.--R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA

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