Book Review: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

I didn't expect to read the 8th book in The Number One Ladies Detective Agency series so soon after reading the 7th book, however, I discovered our library did indeed have an audio version of the 8th book, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, and I was looking for another audio book for my drive to and from CBLI. The sad thing was I didn't end up listening on that particular long drive. Alas, when we headed off to camp, my ES brought along his CD player and had to sit in the front seat (the back seat was down to accomodate all our luggage). Of course, he had just burned a CD full of songs and listened to it almost the entire trip (at top volume, I'm sure). Even when the little boys were asleep, I didn't feel like listening to such a fine story with the background buzz of ES's music.

Alexander McCall Smith has done a splendid job of keeping this series going without running out of steam. He always seems to come up with a new wrinkle or distressing dilemma for the returning main characters, plus curious new cases for the detective agency to solve. One of the apprentices at the repair shop (which shares the detective agency offices) decides to start up his own business. Mma Ramotswe's "good husband," J.L.B. Matekoni, decides he would like to try his hand at solving a case, and Mma Makutsi decides to quit her job with the agency.

I always get a smile and a chuckle out of these books. I enjoy returning to hear the continuing saga of these well-loved characters. I especially enjoyed listening to the description of Mma Makutsi's job search. Of course, the narrator, Lisette Lecat, always does a fabulous job and I can honestly say, I will wait until the library has the 9th book, so that I can listen to her rendition. (I am struggling with the sadness of reading the next book in the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella because my library doesn't have the audio version. As I read, I still hear the British narrator in my head, but it isn't quite as thrilling!)