A quick review of TWO books!

Big Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus

In this story, the body of a girl is discovered in a river. The autopsy reveals that she had been horrendously abused. No one seems to know who she is, no child has been reported missing, and no leads come from news reports. So who is she, and who did that to her?

I am becoming more and more fond of European crime novels. They don't feel rushed; catering for an audience with a limited attention span or with insanely busy lives to get back to. Big Bad Wolf fell in the same category. It followed multiple characters as the plot developed. I think this is a good strategy as it kept me interested, whereas, only following the police would have probably turned out too slow - especially as events had to happen before progress in the case could be made.

I like how involved the plot was. In the run of the mill crime novels, the endings are usually completely predictable and the plot is straight forward. Although I guessed the outcome (I think that had a lot of do with the lady at my bookshop warning me that the book had a surprising outcome - so I was thinking along those lines before I even started) it was not one of those cases where I had solved the story before the half way mark and then plodded through the rest of the book waiting for the detectives in the novel to wake up and smell the coffee.

If crime novels are your thing, then this might be a good one for you. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

“Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot of Kgale Hill. These were its assets: a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter. Then there was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe – the only lady private detective in Botswana – brewed redbush tea. And three mugs – one for herself, one for her secretary, and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need? Detective agencies rely on human intuition and intelligence, both of which Mma Ramotswe had in abundance. No inventory would ever include those, of course.”

Alexander McCall Smith

I was delighted when I finally found a copy of this in my favourite book shop. Having said that, it seems contradictory to add that I knew nothing about it. But it is true. All I knew was that it was about a female private detective in Botswana. As with typical detective stories, I expected this book to be a one-case mystery story. How very wrong I was.

In this story we follow Mma Ramotswe as she starts her detective agency. We learn about her father and her as a child. We follow her on her first case and then through others. It is a gentle meandering tale that does not make the reader feel the need for brain bleach afterwards, but still keeps one completely engrossed.

What I loved the most was the African-ness of the tale: the land, the weather, the people. the wisdom in the lines. I loved Mma Ramotswe who was both brilliant and yet possibly wrong on occasions. I loved how she cared for people and yet could be jaded in her view on others. It is refreshing to read such a self-sufficient, confident and strong woman.

The writing was also beautiful. I chuckled in places but mostly, appreciated the simplicity in which beautiful African landscapes were created and explained.

I would like to say that this is my favourite book of the month, but then, I can't remember all I have read this month - which probably proves that on its own. Predictably, this was rated 5 stars on Goodreads.

These books are the 7th and 8th books completed for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge!