The Double Comfort Safari Club
The prolific Alexander McCall Smith writes more novels in a year than most Americans read. Not only does he keep up with the annual goings-on in Gabarone, Botswana, but he simultaneously juggles three other series 鈥� his 鈥�Isabel Dalhousie鈥� novels, the 鈥�44 Scotland Street鈥� books, and the 鈥淧ortuguese Irregular Verbs鈥� series (which I鈥檇 somehow completely missed) 鈥� as well as turning out children鈥檚 books (apparently tossed off in lieu of a Saturday nap).
But the 鈥淣o. 1 Ladies鈥� Detective Agency鈥� mysteries remain his best-written and most consistently satisfying works. The Double Comfort Safari Club gives readers a chance to check in on the more compassionate, reflective world of the house on Zebra Drive and the ongoing business concerns of Speedy Motors and the No. 1 Ladies鈥� Detective Agency. A mystery or two may be cleared up in the process, but for most fans, a missing sock would be reason enough for a visit with Precious Ramotswe.
By now, readers are so familiar with the books鈥� genial, comforting presences that reviewing them is pretty much beside the point. (The TV version also has come in for accolades. In March, the HBO series, directed by the late Oscar-winner Anthony Minghella, won a prestigious Peabody Award.)
Civility is usually paramount in a McCall Smith novel. And in Botswana, traditional ways of life may be fading, but as Precious鈥檚 husband, J.L.B. Matekoni, notes, 鈥渆ven when people were rude 鈥� and some degree of human rudeness was inevitable 鈥� they were rude in a fairly polite way.鈥�
If you鈥檙e looking for intricately plotted murders set in southern Africa, you might enjoy Michael Stanley鈥檚 鈥淚nspector Kubu鈥� series. There are no deadly goings-on facing Mma Ramotswe or her prickly, shoe-loving assistant, Mma Makutsi. As with 2009鈥檚 鈥淭ea Time for the Traditionally Built,鈥� the biggest drama in 鈥淭he Double Comfort Safari Club鈥� occurs within the staff of The No. 1 Ladies鈥� Detective Agency.
At first, the office is preoccupied with 鈥渢eapots and efficiency鈥� 鈥� specifically, whether the larger teapot should be used for brewing bush or regular tea. This question causes concerns about fair play in both detective and assistant detective. Then a delivery truck backs into Phuti Rhadiphuti, Grace Makutsi鈥檚 fianc茅, and his ferocious aunt won鈥檛 let Grace visit him at the hospital. That lady proves so intractable that even Precious Ramotswe may not be able to locate her good side.
Of course, there are always cases to be solved. A friend has asked Precious to investigate whether her husband is having an affair, while another client was tricked out of his house by a gold digger. (The resolution of that one owes more to coincidence than any self-respecting plot twist should admit to, but is admittedly in keeping with the books鈥� benevolent worldview.) Then there鈥檚 the American woman who wanted to leave a bequest to a kind safari guide 鈥� except that she couldn鈥檛 remember his name, or the name of the camp where he worked.
While that might sound like a rather impossible task to those of us who have not studied 鈥淭he Rules of Detection鈥� by Clovis Anderson, Precious doesn鈥檛 consider the matter hopeless. 鈥淚t would be a good case, she thought 鈥� there were few duties in life that were more enjoyable than that of informing another person of some piece of good fortune.鈥� More worrisome to her is what to wear to the Okavanga Delta, khaki pants not being terribly flattering to those of a traditional build. 鈥淭he appropriate garment for the traditionally built woman was a long skirt, or a large dress, which could flow around her in a way that enhanced her traditional figure.鈥�
As always, kindness is paramount, and cynicism never takes root in a world where even overpriced souvenirs can be imbued with meaning: 鈥渦nnecessary purchases, perhaps, but tokens of love were never unnecessary, never pointless.鈥�
As she raises her two adopted children, Precious, meanwhile, contemplates teaching a class on the old ways and songs of Botswana. It鈥檚 easy to imagine series fans the world over signing up for 鈥淢ma Ramotswe鈥檚 Refresher Course in the Old Botswana Culture.鈥� In the meantime, all sides of contemporary political and religious spectrums would do well to memorize the title of the novel鈥檚 first chapter: 鈥淵ou do not change people by shouting at them.鈥�
Yvonne Zipp regularly reviews fiction for the Monitor.
