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In the rolling hills just outside Gaborone, surrounded by a grove of acacia trees, lies the Great Hippopotamus Hotel. With spacious rooms overlooking the Botswanan countryside and a fine and loyal staff, the hotel has served as a refuge to weary travelers for many years. But a sudden string of misfortunes threatens to ruin the hotel's reputation. Food poisoning befalls an unlucky diner, laundry mysteriously disappears from the drying line, and a scorpion stings one of the guests. Mishap after mishap occurs, until it becomes apparent that these incidents are more than simple coincidences—something foul is afoot.
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are on the case to find out who could be responsible for these unfortunate events. Meanwhile, one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's most important clients has asked him to source a sports car, putting him in a ticklish position, as the man's wife seems to be unaware of the purchase, and the client is taking great pains to keep it that way.
With a healthy dose of good humor and kindness, Mma Ramotswe and her associates must help restore the reputation of the hotel and prove that even the most difficult situations can be remedied with honesty and compassion.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
October 15, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9798891789432
- File size: 233023 KB
- Duration: 08:05:27
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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August 19, 2024
Smith’s breezy latest outing for Botswanan sleuths Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi (after From a Far and Lovely Country) finds the pair digging into the operations of a struggling hotel. While Mma Ramotswe is shopping for socks one afternoon, a man named Quick Babusi approaches her with an inquiry: the well-regarded Great Hippopotamus Hotel, which Babusi manages, has recently fallen into disrepair, with the kitchen causing a spate of inexplicable food poisonings and guest rooms becoming overrun with snakes and scorpions. Mma Ramotswe taps Mma Makutsi and her best friend, Mma Potokwani, to help with the case, and together, they uncover a conspiracy targeting the hotel’s reputation. Meanwhile, a wealthy client asks Mma Ramotswe’s mechanic husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, to procure him a new South African sports car, which Matekoni fears the man will use to facilitate an affair. As always, the sleuthing takes a backseat to Mma Ramotswe and company’s dryly funny musings (many of them focused on middle-aged men’s difficulties with aging) and Smith’s evocative descriptions of life in Gaborone. Series fans will get just what they came for. -
Bianca Amato's warm, beautifully enunciated narration adds to the enjoyment of spending time again with Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi of Botswana in the 25th installment of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The South African actor understands that the series' gentle humor and wisdom about human frailties are as important as the detective cases. In this instance, a succession of mishaps at the Great Hippopotamus Hotel may not be what it seems, nor may a man's desire for a red sports car and Mma Makutsi's shoes--except that they may be able to talk. Amato's pacing allows listeners to luxuriate in evocative descriptions of Botswana, while her characterizations of everyone from a scared child to a greedy crook illuminate the plot and keep us emotionally hooked. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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