2008-07-05 Tears of Joy

This is the second book in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, and begins as the first book finishes. Unlike other sequels there is no intervening period, which will therefore need explaining throughout the book, just in case you did not read the first.

You need to read the first, to understand the characters of Mma Ramotswe, Mr J L B Maketoni and Mma Makutsi and the relationships they have between them. Along with beautiful setting of Botswana. The descriptions of the area and places further a field are still rich and colourful, giving a true sense of the place.

There are many storylines running concurrently through the book; the engagement of Mma Ramotswe and Mr J L B Maketoni which everyone is talking about, and how they are a suited match. The promotion of Mma Makutsi to the highly qualified secretary late of the Khalari typing school to assistant detective and her first assignment which causes all moral cause to think of the correct result for the client.

Mr J L B Maketoni's dedication to helping the machinery at the local orphan farm (do not be put off by this, it is not a farm in its truest sense) leads to him adopting two children who have had a very bad start to life. He fails to consult Mma Ramotswe, about this decision but because he knows she is an amazing woman, she accepts these children as her own and starts to build a life for them as well a home, for when she finally marries Mr J L B Maketoni.

The main storyline throughout is of the American woman who comes to find out what happened to her son some ten years previous when he seemingly disappeared from a local project he was working on. She does not want justice; she wants some sort of finality into her missing son so she can finally lay that part of her life to rest. Mma Ramotswe spends a lot of time, energy and cleverly uses lies and blackmail (when she does it, it somehow does not seem dishonest) to find out the truth of ten years previous.

This is a lovely read, pure escapism and pure joy. I have come somewhat late to discovering these stories, but I a endeavouring to catch up with them and will seek out book three, I know I am guaranteed a good read.