The Double Comfort Safari Club (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series #11) »

Law professor Alexander McCall Smith had already written more than 50 books before inventing the heroine for his No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series: Precious Ramotswe, the only female P.I. in Botswana. The books are as unconventional as their good-humored heroine, who relies on common sense -- and a few tidbits gleaned from Agatha Christie -- to solve her cases.

The delightful new installment in this bestselling series finds Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi traveling to the north of Botswana, to the stunning Okavango Delta, to visit a safari lodge where there have been several unexplained and troubling events -- including the demise of one of the guests. When they arrive the ladies' eyes are opened, as if for the first time, to the natural beauty of their home land. But they are soon drawn into a world filled with a different kind of wildlife.

Publishers Weekly

Fans of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mysteries will be delighted with this latest installment--the 12th in the series. With her usual aplomb, Precious Ramotswe sorts out the inheritance bequest from a grateful American tourist, attempts to reconcile an unhappy couple, thwarts a scheming femme fatale, and helps to reunite her assistant, Grace Makutsi, with her injured fiancé, who is being held in isolation by an overbearing aunt. Ramotswe's kindness and wisdom are welcome antidotes for a troubling economy and ecology. As in previous performances (Tea Time for the Traditionally Built), Lecat captures Ramotswe's rich tones and Grace's occasional, outraged high-pitched shrieks. The regular cast is well-defined, and even if a few newer characters lack sufficient individualization, it's not enough to detract from this audio book's charm. A Pantheon hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 8). (Apr.)