continues to delight

I thought tis one was one of the best in the series!!!

Wonderful Sequel With Wonderful Characters

Mme Remotswe, her secretray, and husband are marvelous characters who care about people and extend themsleves in various ways to make the world a better place. This is a marvelous continuation of this life-affirming story about these intrepid souls and how they reach out and touch the lives of those around them. If you only read one book in 2005 let it be this one.

A welcome rejuvenation and return

McCall Smith's characters are back in this sixth book of the series, but even better, so is the sense of delight that was lacking in the fifth book. While that fifth novel, Full Cupboard of Life, felt as if Smith were tired of the series, just going through the motions, Cheerful Ladies comes back with all the strengths of the first four novels.
As always, there are a few minor mysteries to solve and as usual some are more personal than others for Mma Ramotswe and her small group of fellow characters--her husband Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, her assistant Mma Makutsi, and even one of Mr. Matekoni's apprentices. The only "real" mystery, one contracted for by an out-of-town banking group, is a missing Zambian embezzler. More interesting by far, however, are the smaller, more intimate mysteries: who was the intruder in Ramotswe's house, who is the strange rich woman cavorting with Matekoni's apprentice Charley, what is Mma Ramotswe's former husband doing back in town, what happened to her van? Even more importantly, where did that strange pumpkin come from and who took Mma Makutsi's new teapot?
One doesn't obviously read Smith for the depth of criminal analysis or the torturous suspense, but to revel once more in the droll humor, in the easy natural language, to be, as the title says, in the company of cheerful ladies (and men). While it's a pleasure to return to all this at the previous level of quality, even better (and perhaps part of the reason for the rejuvenated feel of this book) is the addition of two new characters--one who enters the story by being knocked from his bike by Mma Ramotse's van and another who enters via Mma Makutsi's new dance class. They add a nice breath of freshness, broadening Mma Ramotse's world so as to prevent it from getting stale. An even darker wind rushes through with the appearance of her old husband who, as anyone familiar with their story might guess, is up to little good. And as in the last few books, Smith adds depth by continuing to peer more closely into the lives of side characters such as Mma Makutsi (who really is no longer a side character) and apprentice Charley.
All in all, while the fifth book was a major disappointment, Cheerful Lady regains the form and pleasure of the first few--returning to the original strengths but improving on them with more depth, more darkness, and more characters. Strongly recommended for fans (especially those who may have been tempted to give up after five) and recommended for new readers only after they've read the first ones, more for the emotional impact than for any plot needs.