✰✰✰½ Things are slow at The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. So when Mma Ramotswe attends a wedding, she is looking for a project to keep her occupied. As it happens, a long lost friend, whom Mma Ramotswe believed to be late (the Botswanan term for dead) is also in attendance at the wedding. When this old friend confides that she is concerned about her daughter, Mma Ramotswe takes it upon herself to solve this “mystery” without being asked to do so. Similarly, Mma Makutsi takes it upon herself to follow-up on a previous case that isn’t sitting well with her, and Charlie is wondering how to propose to his girlfriend. As each solve their own “mystery,” along the way the trio learn about family, friendship, love, and gratitude.The Bottom Line: This gentle read is pleasant reading for a cozy winter weekend or take it along to the beach. This installment of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency can easily be read out of order from the others in the series as it includes plenty of background information; the focus is more on human nature rather than a real mystery though. Recommended for fans of the series and fans of cozies.
Details: To the Land of Long Lost Friends (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) by Alexander McCall Smith. Large Print edition published by Gale in 2019. 343 p. ISBN: 978-1-4328-7127-7
