“The world was an imperfect place, and there were always people who were prepared to exploit weakness. In an ideal world, they would be exposed and shamed, but in the world in which we lived they might get away with it. You could not make everyone good”

From A Far And Lovely Country is the twenty-fourth book in the No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by popular Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith. When Precious Ramotswe wakes to an empty house on her birthday, she’s a little disappointed, but decides to be grateful for what she has. When it seems that Mma Makutsi has also forgotten, it’s a little harder to accept, but at least Mma Potokwani serves up tea and fruitcake for her birthday, even if it is after she gets her input on a problem one of the house mothers has.

It's a situation that requires some thought and, on discussing it with her colleagues, she decides to put their part-time apprentice detective, Charlie in charge. Charlie is chuffed with his role, if nervous, but manages to learn some useful information about the Cool Singles Evening Club, where married men apparently pay a premium to meet single women.

While the identity of the owner is not all that surprising, when Charlie meets the manager, he’s shocked that a man for whom he’s always has the utmost respect is filling the role. After verifying facts with Mr JLB Matekoni’s help, the action Charlie takes, on Mma Makutsi’s recommendation, turns out to have some quite long-ranging repercussions that will require a delegation to authority (and a shrewd move by Mma Makutsi) if the worst is not to happen.

An American woman from Indiana (who hasn’t met Clovis Anderson, author of The Principles of Private Detection, but does know of Precious Ramotswe’s fine reputation) asks if the agency can help her track down the family of someone dear to her: while the search has a positive result, the outcome is mixed.

In this instalment, Mr JLB Matekoni, true to his mechanic leanings, is moved, in a romantic setting with Precious, to compare chocolate sauce with engine oil; a well-meant birthday gift accidentally becomes non-functional, resulting in dress distress, until Mma Potokwani comes up with a clever solution.

As always, McCall Smith gives the reader some minor mysteries that don’t tax the brain too much, laced with plenty of gentle philosophy, humour, and wise and insightful observations:
“You did not change people by shouting at them, nor by criticising their behaviour too stringently. You changed people by praising them, and by giving them something to which they might aspire”
“There were always problems – had there ever been a time, anywhere, where there were no problems? She did not think so. Problems made up the natural background to human affairs, she thought, and it was best to accept that”
“There were always aunts, thought Mma Ramotswe. There were strategically placed aunts through the country – in every village, in every town – watching what was going on. They made up a network of listening posts, ready to report on what was happening, by means of what people sometimes called the bush telegraph – for that, surely, was what it was.”
Anything by this author is a guaranteed feel-good read.