Review: THE HANDSOME MAN'S DE LUXE CAFE, Alexander McCall Smith

• format: Kindle (Amazon)
• File Size: 1042 KB
• Print Length: 257 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1408704331
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group (September 18, 2014)
• Publication Date: September 18, 2014
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00IA2E6S2
• #15 in the No 1. Ladies' Detective Agency series

 Synopsis (Amazon)

Even the arrival of her baby can't hold Mma Makutsi back from success in the workplace, and so no sooner than she becomes a full partner in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - in spite of Mma Ramotswe's belated claims that she is only 'an assistant full partner' - she also launches a new enterprise of her own: the Handsome Man's De Luxe Café. Grace Makutsi is a lady with a business plan, but who could predict temperamental chefs, drunken waiters and more? Luckily, help is at hand, from the only person in Gaborone more gently determined than Mma Makutsi . . .

Mma Ramotswe, of course.

My Take

I realised recently that I had missed reading this title and decided to catch up with it while I remembered.

As usual there are a number of stories woven into one. Mr J.L.B. Matekoni makes the difficult decision that he must let Charlie, his unqualified mechanic go, as the garage is simply not doing enough business. An Indian man and his sister come into the office with what appears to be a difficult problem - a lady living in his house does not know who she is. He needs to prove her identity so she can be issued with new identity papers and be allowed to stay in Botswana. And Mma Makutsi decides to set up a restaurant. In addition Mma Makutsi has told the new customer that she is the co-director of the No 1. Ladies Detective Agency, which is news to Precious Ramotswe.

Once again this is a quick easy read, with a good deal of Mma Ramotswe's common sense and detective skills surfacing and holding centre stage. Each of the characters are cleverly and gently developed.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read
TEA TIME for the TRADITIONALLY BUILT
THE MIRACLE AT SPEEDY MOTORS
THE DOUBLE COMFORT SAFARI CLUB
4.5, THE SATURDAY BIG TENT WEDDING PARTY
4.5, THE LIMPOPO ACADEMY OF PRIVATE DETECTION
4.6, THE MINOR ADJUSTMENT BEAUTY SALON
4.5, CHANCE DEVELOPMENTS
4.5, PRECIOUS AND GRACE
4.5, THE WOMAN WHO WALKED IN SUNSHINE