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The Full Cupboard of Life, Alexander McCall Smith
Abacus
Reviewed by James O'Sullivan (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Mma Ramotswe runs a detective agency in Botswana. She's engaged to mechanic J.L.B. Matekoni of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors but remains unmarried.

Trouble arrives when the matron of a nearby orphan farm bullies J.L.B Matekoni into doing a parachute jump to raise funds. Mma Ramotswe isn't too keen on her future husband jumping out of planes so she hatches a plot to spare him the ordeal.

Meanwhile, a rich, unmarried client turns up at her office wanting her to investigate four suitors to determine if they are genuine or not.

The Full Cupboard of Life is the continuing saga of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a book that received much critical praise as an excellent exponent of subtle wit and comedy.

Smith's books provide a slice of life in Africa that is a welcome antithesis to the harsh media images we receive. It's refreshing to read about such foreign places without media distortions and realise their lives and problems are not so dissimilar to our own.

However, The Full Cupboard of Life doesn't quite live up to the plaudits. It's decent enough, but something is missing. The characters are well constructed but the plot isn't hefty enough for them to engage the reader.

Smith's critically praised wit isn't my cup of tea, either. It's very light and traditional, based on men versus women, traditional values versus the new generation and so on. Even considering the exotic setting, it's not particularly original.

But if you like your reading traditional, light and upbeat with no surprises, then this could be for you.