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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, until it seems 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. The answer at first seems clear, especially when they find out Violet Sephotho is involved. But as they dig deeper, they realize that the solution is not as simple as it initially seems. 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. Nevertheless, 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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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780593701775
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780593701775
- File size: 1334 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from September 15, 2024
The Great Hippopotamus Hotel, a once-thriving boutique hotel in Botswana favored by wealthy travelers, has declined sharply in the brief time since the niece and nephew of the original owner took over. Subtle signs of neglect are everywhere. Fights have broken out in the kitchen. Laundry has been stolen. And, worst of all, a case of food poisoning leveled a group of visiting international food critics. The manager, suspecting sabotage, seeks help from Mma Ramotswe, founder and owner of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in this 25th entry in the series of that name. Precious Ramotswe seeks to solve problems; not just criminal ones, but the kinds of real-life stumpers that her clients can't fix on their own. Longtime fans of the series will love revisiting Ramotswe and her comically ambitious assistant, Mma Makutsi, in their tiny office next to Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors Garage, where Precious' husband, a brilliant mechanic, oversees a couple of goofy apprentices. And they may inwardly gasp when Violet Sephotho, the man-manipulating villainess of the series, sashays into the plot once again. McCall Smith makes sure that new readers are well-oriented; they can start anywhere in the series and still get the full flavor of the rich characterizations, gentle humor, Botswanan atmosphere, and Ramotswe's wisdom.COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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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.
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