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| Blue Shoes and Happiness (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 7) | 
 enlarge | Author: Alexander Mccall Smith
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $12.95
Buy Used: $3.30
You Save: $9.65 (75%)
New (44) Used (68) from $3.30
Avg. Customer Rating:  101 reviews
Sales Rank: 8763
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 1400075718
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9781400075713
ASIN: 1400075718
Publication Date: March 13, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Cover wear and may contain some marks or writing. Keen Northwest ships in 2 business days or less. Refunds for any reason if item returned within 30 days of shipment.
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Product Description
From universally beloved author Alexander McCall Smith, comes this seventh installment in the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series featuring Botswana’s best-loved detective.
Life is good for Mma Ramotswe as she sets out with her usual resolve to solve people’s problems, heal their misfortunes, and untangle the mysteries that make life interesting. And life is never dull on Tlokweng Road. A new and rather too brusque advice columnist is appearing in the local paper. Then, a cobra is found in the offices of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Recently, the Mokolodi Game Preserve manager feels an infectious fear spreading among his workers, and a local doctor may be falsifying blood pressure readings. To further complicate matters, Grace Makutsi may have scared off her own fiance. Mma Ramotswe, however, is always up to the challenge. And Blue Shoes and Happiness will not fail to entertain Alexander McCall Smith’s oldest fans and newest converts with its great wit, charm, and great good will.
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Praise for In the Company of Cheerful Ladies:
• National Bestseller
“Beloved Botswana sleuth Precious Ramotswe is back – and better than ever – in this sixth entry in McCall Smith’s bestselling series. . . . By turns laugh-out-loud funny and quietly profound, these life-affirming mysteries are fine company, indeed.”
–Booklist, starred review
“Like clove oil on a bad tooth, McCall Smith’s fiction acts on cynicism as an effective, old-fashioned balm.”
–The Globe and Mail
“May be the most compelling of the lot. . . . It begins with an incident that crystallizes McCall Smith’s skill. Ultimately it is a matter of petty thievery, but his handling of it dramatizes the moral underpinnings of these books. . . . [Mma Ramotswe’s] strength – and the source of her enormous appeal – is her understanding of the human heart, and her willingness to confront its perfidies.”
–New York Daily News
“These books offer a sunnily lit window into another world, along with a modicum of relief from certain aspects of modern Western culture. They never descend into mere escapism, though. A few hours spent with Precious Ramotswe and her friends is always time well spent.”
–St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“[The] sixth entry in McCall Smith’s consistently delightful series. . . Amid the hilarious scenarios and quiet revelations are luminous descriptions of Botswana, land of wide-open spaces and endless blue skies.”
–Publishers Weekly, starred review
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 96 more reviews...
 Why hasn't Alexander Mccall Smith won awards for these books? July 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A reader, who is unfamiliar with the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, to his own detriment, may pick up one of these books and dismiss it based on its marketing or cover. After all, it is natural to judge books by their covers. It is sold as a mystery book but I am not sure if that is the best categorization for these delightful books. Blue Shoes and Happiness, like the rest of the books in the series, will not disappoint readers. It is simple, yet filled with wisdom and author's wit and humor.
Blue Shoes deals with many issues from black mail to dieting and shopping. I am amazed how much is packed in this fairly short book that can be read in one day. Blue Shoes, like the rest, is delightful. If you are new to this series, you could certainly start with any of these books since the author fills the readers with important events that happened to the main characters. However, I recommend starting in the beginning. What is amazing is that despite the setting of the book in Botswana, a country that few in the US are familiar with, the issues are incredibly familiar and are universal.
Whether you are interested in philosophy, psychology, traveling or are merely looking for an entertaining read, you will not be disappointed with Blue Shoes or any of the other books in this series (I have not read the "Husband" one yet). Having raved about this book, I must admit that the series is getting repetitive and perhaps it is time for Smith to move on. I understand he needs to refresh readers' memories by repeating what happened in the past but as the books keep getting added on (he has written 8 so far), this gets more and more tedious. Smith is such an outstanding author that he appears to do this effortlessly but still I wish he would get done with the series.
Warm, witty, and wise July 2, 2008
The seventh book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.
The main mystery is a potentially dangerous blackmail plot, but the real meat of the book, once again, is the ebb and flow of life in Botswana and the relationships of Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi. Grace Makutsi's weakness for faashionable (and impractical, uncomfortable) shoes is something I can so relate to!
A wonderful addition to the series.
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency March 18, 2008
This entire set of books was a delight to read. They showed that people are the same, regardless of ethnicity or culture. During the course of reading these books, I learned a great deal about Botswana and its culture, history and people. The books were well written, interesting, and easy reading. Once I got started, I read the entire set in a few days. I can hardly wait for the movie to be released. I would certainly recommend the entire set to anyone wanting to learn about people in general, Botswana in particular, and African culture.
 great series - lousy book March 9, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
i absolutely love the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series, up to this dreadful book. launch yourself without pause or hesitation into the series with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 5-Book Boxed Set which contains in order:
"The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"
"Tears of the Giraffe"
"Morality for Beautiful Girls"
"The Kalahari Typing School for Men"
"The Full Cupboard of Life"
as to "Blue Shoes and Happiness": don't start here, don't end here, don't pause here. the other books were leisurely in a good way, this one is just lame. it spends a lot of time contemplating the heroine's relationship with her figure. it got so i was thinking, if the author writes "traditional figure" or even just "traditional" one more time, i will scream. i was perpetually looking forward to the latest installment in this series & this one now has me worried that the author is all out of ideas for our detective.
Gentle, loving stories March 3, 2008
The No. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY is a very special series. Alexander McCall Smith clearly has a deep affection and understanding of the people of that part of the world, and he writes in a way that brings the people and the land alive.
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