I love this series. This is the latest in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series and all the charm and sweetness and (yes) mystery that are hallmarks of the series are present. I suppose it could be said that each book is similar and even sometimes repetitive, but I believe that's the appeal. The characters are endearing and believable and retain their personalities throughout the stories. This episode reveals more about Mma Ramotswe's past and family along with solving the mystery behind the firing of a long-time employee from a local office supply company.

If you are a fan of the series, don't miss this one. If you have never read one of McCall Smith's books, this would be a good start.

With anticipation, I looked forward to reviewing book number 18 in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith—The House of Unexpected Sisters—and that anticipation was amply rewarded. It was a joy to be back in Botswana again with Precious Ramotswe, Grace Makutsi, J.L.B. Maketoni and all of the endearing characters from this series of books, and a joy to read yet another engaging plot. McCall Smith is an amazing author who seems to shine when he writes this series. It is rare to find a series that can contain so many books, and those books be so engaging. I hope he writes more! I love the happy endings and the kindness and honor and wisdom that shines through Mma Ramotswe and so many of the other characters. I love the descriptions of Botswana. I love the “feel good” feelings one gets when you lose yourself in one of these novels. In this adventure, Precious investigates a case involving a single mother who is wrongfully fired from her job, and discovers a secret about her late and much loved father. To quote from the novel on the topic of her father and bygone memories:: “She missed him so—still, after all these years, there was so much she wanted to ask him. She wanted to talk about Botswana in the old days, a long time ago...”. “On this road, driving by herself in her white van, she sometimes imagined conversations between her and her father. She could almost hear his voice, his deep, considered tones. She could hear him address her, as he often did, as “my Precious.” And that voice, she thought, came from somewhere very far away, some place that was Botswana but not quite Botswana; a place beyond the hills, behind the clouds, where the late people of Botswana kept watch over those who were not yet late.” On the topic of the town where she grew up and no longer lived: “There must come a time when you change these things. Perhaps it depends on how long you have lived in a new place. You forget old places when you move from them. They fade away.” No, thought Mma Ramotswe, they do not fade away. Those images of those old places, the places you come from, never completely disappear. They remain with you, those scraps of memory; those pictures somewhere in your mind of how things were, of what the sun looked like when it shone through the window of your childhood room and caught floating specks of dust in its rays; of how you looked up at the ceiling above your sleeping mat; of the faces of an aunt or a grandparent or a friend; of all the things that once were, in that place that was home to you then, and perhaps are no longer.“. It is amazing how philosophical without being preachy this series is! To quote the novel on the topic of being busy: “Mma Potokwane had seen her from her window and had switched on the kettle even before Mma Ramotswe crossed her office threshold. “I see you, Mma Ramotswe,” she called out. “And I see you, Mma Potokwane,” replied Mma Ramotswe. They sat down, each in her accustomed chair. “I don’t want to disturb you,” began Mma Ramotswe. “I know how busy you are.” It was the way she started every conversation with Mma Potokwane, and it brought the usual protestations from her host. “Everyone is busy these days,” said Mma Potokwane. “Do you know anybody who isn’t?” Mma Ramotswe thought. She was busy; Mma Makutsi was busy; Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni was certainly busy. Mr. Polopetsi was busy too, in a part-time sort of way. Were there any idle people left? In the past, there had seemed to be plenty of those, but they had either stopped being idle or had managed to conceal their idleness behind a façade of being busy. “But even if I have plenty of things to do,” continued Mma Potokwane, “it is very important to be able to sit down and talk.” Thank you Alexander McCall Smith for this delightful series, and thank you Pantheon and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book and for allowing me to review it.

Alexander McCall Smith continues the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series with The House of Unexpected Sisters. Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are trying to find out why Charity, a client, was fired from her job in an office furniture store. Meanwhile Mma Ramotswe discovers another lady who is Mma Ramotswe; is she a sister?
Into the tangle of intrigue comes Mma Makutsi's old nemesis, Violet Sephophtho, who has Charity fired. A masterful gem of human relationships in traditional Botswana.

In "The House of Unexpected Sisters," by Alexander McCall Smith, Precious Ramotswe, owner of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and her co-director, Grace Makutsi, take on the case of Charity Mompoloki. Charity is a forty-six year old widow and the mother of twin boys. She claims that her boss fired her without warning or just cause. Mrs. Mompoloki desperately needs the income to support her family and would like to be reinstated. Also preoccupying Mma Ramotswe is a shocking discovery that shakes her to the core. This new information threatens to undermine the tremendous admiration she has always felt for her late father, Obed. Finally, that pernicious viper, Violet Sephotho, once again emerges from her lair to stir up trouble.

The familiarity of this series is part of its charm. It is comforting to revisit Gaborone and various villages in Botswana, a peaceful but dry land whose inhabitants eagerly await the nourishing rains that enable the grass to grow and the cattle to thrive. We meet our old friends, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, Precious's devoted husband; the timid but helpful chemistry teacher and part-time sleuth, Mr. Polopetsi; and the benevolent director of the orphan home, Mma Potokwane, who is always there to soothe Precious with her sound advice, warmth, and slices of delicious fruit cake.

McCall Smith explores such themes as the inadvisability of drawing conclusions without knowing all the facts; the consolation of having good friends and family when one is disconsolate; and the power of forgiveness. Although McCall Smith's conclusion is a rushed--the author hastily ties up a variety of loose ends in a less than convincing fashion--Precious and Grace are so appealing that diehard fans will not quibble too much about the plot's contrivances. Mma Ramotswe is admirable—kind, well-mannered, compassionate, practical, and strong, while Mma Makutski is efficient, conscientious and, in spite of her occasional grumpiness, basically good-hearted. During these troubled times, it is refreshing to read "The House of Unexpected Sisters," a humorous, touching, and entertaining novel in which Precious Ramotswe embodies the old-fashioned virtues of morality, civility, and generosity.

This is the 18th book in the series, No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and it is amazing! I loved all the characters even more in the edition and this is the best one yet. Familiar, loving and surprising!

I never get tired of traveling to Botswana with Alexander McCall Smith and his traditionally built protagonist, Precious Ramotswe, and her 97% proficient sidekick Grace Makutski (Radiphuti). I believe the Number One Ladies' Detective agency cast of characters rank second only to Bertie, my favorite character in McCall Smith's Scotland Street serial. If you have not read any of Alexander McCall's Smith's novels you are missing out on meeting characters who face every challenge with an optimistic philosophy of problem solving unseen in today's world. You might even learn a thing or two about fashionable shoes or the best tea to drink when thinking. Once you begin reading any of his novels, you never want to depart the world he has created. Although most of the mysteries are not true crimes, the plot is humorously entertaining, and the reader feels better knowing she has learned some life lessons on empathy, compassion and morality.

A woman accused of being rude to a customer has been fired from her job, and her friend asks The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency to look into it for her. Another friend brings a newspaper photo to Mma Ramotswe's attention – because one of the people identified in the photo shares her name. Is this a relative that she never knew about? As if that's not enough, a person from her past, a person she'd rather avoid, has been seen in town. The detective agency must figure out what is going on and what all of these situations mean.

I finished reading this book last night and, as usual, was ready to book a trip to Botswana. There's something about the series that is gentle and calm, which I usually avoid in my reading, but this series is an exception to that rule. There's never a murder to solve, and the problems presented can't even be called mysteries, but I enjoy the way Precious and Grace work their way to solutions. I liked the emphasis on family in this book, and the reminder that "family" isn't just the one you're born with, but also includes the people you choose to include in your life. I will eagerly wait for the next book in this series :)

Another charming entry in the Precious Ramotswe series set in Botswana.

An interesting tale as usual, but I didn't think it was quite up to his earlier 'No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency tales.

Another mystery for Precious. This book continues the sweet life lived by Precious and her family in Botswanna as she investigates the firing of a woman for no reason, taking on the case without pay because its the right thing to do. If you like any of the No. 1 Ladies Detective agency stories, you will like this one just as much.

By the time you reach number 18 in a series, you think you know what's coming up. Sure there may be a few plot meanders and turns of phrases that you weren't expecting, but the characters are well established, the pattern is set, and the rhythm familiar, or so you think. Oh, my, I didn't see this coming! Of course, we can count on Violet somewhere in the background trying to ruin people's lives for fun, but the rest of it was a true and pleasant, then unpleasant eventually pleasant again surprise. McCall Smith did, of course, deliver what we turn to him for, a feeling at the completion of his novel, of hope, and faith in the general goodness of humanity.

Dear HBO:
You had a really good thing going when you turned the first book of the Ladies #1 Detective Agency into a one-season series. Why in heaven's name did you stop? Surely not for lack of material, because the books just keep coming. Not, either, for the lack of appeal of Precious Ramatswe and her cast of characters, all of whom are quirky and engaging and bring with them the intriguing life of Botswana. Please, please sign Jill Scott back on and continue the series through all the books to this, the latest,

Case in point: Mma Ramatswe and Mma Mikutsi are again deep in their detective work trying to find out why the employee of an office furniture store was fired for rudeness. There is disagreement whether the employee was actually rude to a customer or not. Her friends say it would be out of character. Her mother indicates she isn't so sure. Then, Mma Mikutsi's arch nemesis, Violet Sephotho, shows up and it would seem that she is behind the firing.

However, there is a more intriguing plot as Precious Ramatswe discovers that she may, in fact, have a sister that she did not know about. The sister's existence casts a cloud over Mma Ramatswe's unflagging love for her late father when it appears that he may have had an extramarital affair that produced this sister. The family "reunion" makes us hope that this lesbian sister (Precious is completely accepting of her new sister's partner and pronounces her as another sister) will resurface in future books.

There is just something so winning about this series that relies very little on violence or sexual situations to solve its wonderful, human stories. The character development and personality quirks of the various characters are sufficient to keep the series fresh, interesting, and endlessly endearing.

There is never a thing to say at the end of one of these series' books except more, please, more.

Mma Precious Ramotswe and her employees at the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency have a new case in this, the 18th book in the series. Mr. Polopetsi, a part time employee of the agency, has learned of Charity, a single mother who has lost her job an an office furniture store. Charity claims that she did nothing wrong and should not have been terminated. So the detectives try to figure out the truth and possible get her job back.

Then Precious reads a newspaper article and finds that a woman she does not know, has the same unusual last name as hers. So Precious has to find the woman and see if they are related.

Finally Precious learns from her mentor, Mma Pokotwane, that her first husband, who abused her before she left him, is back in Gaberone. Precious is afraid that his presence will mean trouble for her and the security of her family.

These three situations are all resolved before the book ends.

This book contains many of of the wise words that fans of the series have grown accustomed to. Both Precious and her mentor, Mma Pokotwane, often reminisce about how traditional Botswana values seem to have changed in the present time.

It's been quite a while since I've read a book in this series but I needn't have worried about missing anything. There's so much repetition and recaps that one could come to this entry in the series and know everything needed to know about Precious, her family, and her country of Botswana. We actually learn a little more about her family as an accidental result of the agency's latest "case." The book is comfortable and easy to read, and best for avid fans or first-time series readers. There's no work involved in this easy read.

I’ve enjoyed all of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency novels, and this one is no exception. Precious Ramotswe has several new surprising cases to deal with, and she does so with her trademark grace and kindness. Despite being such a prolific author, Alexander McCall Smith has kept up the high quality of this series—it just keeps getting better.