Precious and the Monkeys by Alexander McCall Smith

It seems prequels are in vogue in the film industry but this is the first time I am seeing a prequel to a series of novels – The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. The author states that there were questions from readers about the early years of Precious Ramotswe and how did the idea of becoming a detective come about.

This is the story of the first ever case solved by Precious when she was a little girl. She had thought at the age of 7 that she would like to be a detective when she grew up.  As usual, there is a gentle flow of the story with everything including the thoughts being explained in weaving of the story. A theft occurs in the school and Precious is not happy that a friend of hers was accused of stealing. It is up to her to find out what really happened? Who was the thief? She needed to find out and let everyone know the truth so that her friend did not suffer.

A nice short story and so in keeping with the style of this author.

The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the latest in the series called The Sunday Philosophers’ Club. It has the same gentle meandering quality as the earlier stories in the series. Indeed, I really love the style of this author’s writings. Isabel is the editor of the philosophy journal, “Review of Applied Ethics’ which she runs from her home in Edinburgh. She is married to a musician and has a young son. One day she meets with an acquaintance and agrees to have coffee with her and listen to her request for help.

There has been a robbery at one of the large manors. This manor has a large art collection but only one particular and most expensive painting had been stolen. There did not appear to be any break in but then the place is often open to public. The owner has a younger second wife, a son and daughter from the first marriage. Isobel agrees to meet him and finds that she likes him and that they are on the same wavelength. She agrees to help him with the recovery of this theft. 

While this is the crux of the story what I like is the way Isobel’s thought process is displayed. It is a wonderful way of making explicit how people in general and also philosophers think. The questions like should one ignore the gifted child instead of nurturing the gift actively? Can you pay an insincere compliment? Do you believe in angels? What about wearing clothes that offended other people—clothes that revealed bad colour coordination, for example? Was that wrong? There are thoughts about the kinds of clouds that float by which few people seem to notice.

Isobel meets the son and daughter to find out more and does her best to help. Why is each sibling trying to point a finger at the other? Will they ever recover the painting as the insurance is willing to pay off the thieves a ransom demand for that would be cheaper?

What is up with Eddie, the young man who works at Cat’s delicatessen? Isobel cares for him and looks out for him. What is she going to do about her housekeeper who insists on teaching her son mathematics even though he is too young? So meanders the life and mind of a philosopher. When I read this I see my own wandering mind and wonder if it’s the same with everyone? Are we all secret philosophers after all?

La’s Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a new one by Alexander McCall Smith. There is a different setting to this book but the style is the same. It begins with 2 men motoring down to Suffolk to visit a cottage that holds some vague memories. They have come to view the place where La had lived for many years and hear about the orchestra that she had created. They hear the story of this orchestra and La from the people.

This time the setting is in Suffolk, where a young woman comes to get away from the painful experience of being left by her husband, who then dies. This is a story of the woman who leaves behind a fair city life in order to come to terms with the reality. Her father in law gives her this small cottage in the countryside to start a life of her own. The change is great and the details of these differences are brought out well by the author. She tries hard to fit into this small village. Then, of course, the war starts and she feels the need to contribute to the war effort. The story talks about what life was like at that time not only for England but also in this small sleepy corner of the country.

Into the story comes an army officer who was a friend of her cousin. He finds out that she works for a farmer looking after the chickens and that the farmer needs a handy man. Thus, enters the Polish airman who was not unable to fly due to injury, into the story. She likes the man, but is he really who he says he is? Meanwhile, speaking to her army friend she comes on to the idea of starting an orchestra. Get people who play instruments together, both from the locally based regiment and nearby Bury. This takes on a life of its own and people become involved and practice is every month and concerts are given with the ultimate aim of a victory concert when the war is won.

The gentle ups and downs of the life of La and the people she encounters are a pleasure to read. The story flows as life does without any effort. It holds up to the expectation one has of this author’s writing. Made me think, sitting in the garden in the shade on a warm summer day with a chilled glass of ginger beer and reading about how La’s orchestra saved the world, would be idyllic.