Morality For Beautiful Girls: More from the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Rating:
Awards:
Author: Alexander McCall Smith.
Narrator: Lisette Lecat.
Category: Fiction.
Publisher: Recorded Books.
Release Date: 2003.
Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins.
Unabridged.

An Overview:
Mma Ramotswe, the star of this series of books about the Number One Ladies Detective Agency, has her usual mysteries to solve in this third installment, but she must deal with some personal problems as well. Her business is struggling financially and her fiancé Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has begun behaving strangely.

The Main Body:
When the Number One Ladies Detective Agency falls upon economic hard times, Mma Ramotswe is afraid she may have to let her assistant, Mma Makutsi go. By using her creative thinking skills, however, she finds another solution. She decides to ease her financial problems by moving her detective agency into the auto repair shop owned by Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and put her secretary in charge of managing both businesses. By sharing office space and administrative personnel, both enterprises are enhanced.

The situation seems to be working well, but Mma Ramotswe is puzzled by the strange behavior of her fiancé, who appears to have lost interest in his own career. His two “lazy and girl-crazy” apprentices do nothing to help matters, and she finally consults a family doctor about the problem. When Mr. Matekoni is diagnosed with depression, she does all she can to support him through his struggles.

Meanwhile, the agency is asked to investigate the character of four contestants in the “Miss Beauty and Integrity” pageant. This subplot gives the book its title and causes Mma Ramotswe to wrestle with the morality of some of her own techniques as a detective. The sleuths are also given the task of finding out who is poisoning the family of an important government official, which leads to more musing about the “Old Botswana morality” and the pressures of modern life.

I found this installment of the series to be particularly moving, and was especially touched by the deft handling of the subject of clinical depression. A condition is all too common in modern life, but is often misunderstood. To watch familiar and beloved characters struggle with this problem was enlightening and engaging. The two shiftless apprentices and their interaction with the super-efficient Mma Makutsi provide some welcome comic moments, keeping the story from becoming too heavy.

The Narration:
Once again, Lisette Lecat has done a wonderful job as narrator. Her lovely accent and skill at differentiating the voices of several characters are a big reason I keep coming back to this series of books. She is a truly talented reader.

Audiobook reviewed by Dixie Iverson.