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The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) [Paperback]

Alexander McCall Smith
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Book Description

29 Mar 2012 No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 12)

As the countdown to Mma Makutsi's wedding begins, all is not as it should be at the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency. While investigating unpleasant occurrences on a southern cattle-post, Mma Ramotswe, always on the side of the weak against the strong, has reason to reflect on Rule No.3 of The Principles of Private Detection: never lie to the client. Apprentice mechanic Charlie seems to be avoiding certain important responsibilities. And as Mma Makutsi's big day approaches, her nemesis Violet Sephotho is casting her net wider: by standing for election which could spell trouble for the entire nation.

But as friends and family gather under starry African night skies, it turns out that even the most perplexing of apparitions - and the most shocking of crimes - may yield to rational explanation. And, of course, to Mma Ramotswe's inimitable way with love, intuition and redbush tea.


Frequently Bought Together

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) + The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) + The Double Comfort Safari Club: The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 11
Price For All Three: £14.48

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Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Abacus (29 Mar 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0349123136
  • ISBN-13: 978-0349123134
  • Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 1.7 x 19.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
"Smith again makes the sublime look easy in his winning 12th No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novel... Smith has few peers in capturing the quiet moments of people's lives, and his empathetic lead has one of the biggest hearts in modern literature. Even newcomers will quickly be drawn into Mma Ramotswe's unconventional approach to investigations and rapidly feel that they are with old friends."
-- "Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
"Utterly charming and compulsively readable."
-- "Newsweek"
" "
"The pleasure of these sweet books lies in the clarity and gravity with which the characters reason through everyday dilemmas."
-- "Entertainment Weekly"
"McCall Smith's characters are quick to find joy in small things. . . . In its own way, McCall Smith's world is as stylized and hermetic as those created by P.G. Wodehouse or Damon Runyon--a sweet and timeless bubble with its own morality, language a

Book Description

* Mma Ramotswe's twelfth adventure

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
101 of 101 people found the following review helpful
By Julia Flyte TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
The twelfth installment in this beloved series brings together the familiar cast of characters. If you love these books - as I do - it's a delightful read, albeit slightly weaker than some of the others in the series.

This time round, the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is investigating the mysterious murder of some cattle. Charlie's girlfriend has given birth to twins but to Mma Makutsi's fury, he is avoiding facing up to the responsibility. Violet Sephotho is running for office and Mma Ramtoswe still can't quite let the memory of her little white van go. And of course - as the title gives away - Mma Makutsi finally marries her long-term fiance Phuti Radiphuti (with her choice of shoes playing an important role).

Mma Makutsi is a character who toes a fine line for me between being likeable and being irritating, and this time round I found myself liking her less than usual. I also felt that Violet Sephotho's storyline was so much an afterthought that it may as well have been left out altogether. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book. It ends with the wedding and with Mma Ramotswe's musings on marriage and life: a warm and comforting note.
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37 of 37 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars The hunt for a good case 30 Mar 2011
Format:Hardcover
The charm of these stories lies in the lives of the central characters rather than in the cases that are solved by the detection agency. Whilst the injury of cattle is, perhaps, a more realistic case for a private detective than the murders more classic fictional detectives get to solve, the single case handled by Mma Ramotswe in this book is not sufficient. Mma Ramotswe is engaging both as a detective and as a character. Here she seems to be in search of a good case to solve.

To a certain extent I found this to be a book of two halves, with the second part featuring not only the long-awaited wedding of Mma Makutsi, but also the return of the little white van, far more satisfying than the first part.

I have been a fan of this series almost since it started. I enjoyed this one, but it is far from being the best.
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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Wedding Bells at last. 10 Mar 2011
By Alun Williams VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
It seems like years since Mma Makutsi met Phuti, and for the last couple of instalments of No. 1 Ladies I've been wondering if the knot would ever get tied, but as the title possibly hints, all obstacles to their matrimony are finally cleared. I'm growing increasingly surprised to see this series still nestling in the crime section of my local bookshop. The last episode was a little darker than most, but this one is a soufflé made with a can of Heinz tomato soup. Mma Ramotswe has only one case to solve this time around, possibly for the best, as the extended family of her own and her husband's businesses take up most of her energy. As ever, the charm resides in the humanity and gentleness evident on every page. The series's most long running baddie, Violet, never actually appears in person this time, though as she is about to embark on a political career, I suppose we have not seen the last of her.
It would be easy to make snide remarks about this book - nobody who is not already a fan of the series would be converted by this instalment. But none but the most demanding fan is liable to be disappointed. Mma Ramotswe is reunited with at least one old friend missing from the last few episodes, and Charlie, the livelier and more badly behaved of the perpetual apprentices at Speedy Motors, learns an important lesson.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars always a joy
its worth every star awarded because its a five star reading experience and i love to mentally transport myself to botswana to enjoy the ride
Published 8 days ago by gloria turner
5.0 out of 5 stars Comfort read extraordinaire
AMS does it again - this series is one of the best comfort reads I know with a good dollop of morality and warmth.
Published 12 days ago by Lynnie C
3.0 out of 5 stars Misleading title
I have read all the Precious Ramotswe books and Mc Call Smith is one of my favourite authors so it gives me no pleasure to write this review. Read more
Published 19 days ago by A. E. Williams
1.0 out of 5 stars priced over the top
i would never ask anyone to buy me a item at this price.
absolutely unbelievable.
if you can't supply at a reasonable price take it off your lists.
Published 24 days ago by colin john allen
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read
Book arrived in perfect condition. I have all books however I wished I collected all the books with the same designer/illustrator on cover. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Miss A Cohen
5.0 out of 5 stars Always readable
Alexander McCall Smiths books are always very readable and undemanding of the reader. They are also improving and occasianly thought provoking
Published 1 month ago by R. Thexton
3.0 out of 5 stars Saturday Big Tent
Bought as a birthday present for a AMcC-S fan who raved about it; not my taste so unable to comment
Published 1 month ago by sally coston
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great read
I have followed the adventures of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency since the first book and this continues the series in the usual high standard of writing, plot and characters. Read more
Published 1 month ago by traveller
5.0 out of 5 stars Continuity
I just enjoy reading the series and therefore purchase each new book as it is published, to discover what is happening An easy read
Published 1 month ago by J.S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful stories by Alexander McCall Smith - Mma Ramotswe
I am still reading and enjoying this delightful book and want it to go on forever! My husband is keen to read it after me too!
Published 2 months ago by janeyoungatheart
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