A Song of Comfortable Chairs

Written by Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by Lisette Lecat

In this latest installment in the beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Grace Makutsi encounters a pair of quandaries that will require all of her and Mma Ramotswe’s insight and intuition to resolve.

Grace Makutsi’s husband, Phuti Radiphuti, is in a bind. An international firm is attempting to undercut his prices in the office furniture market. Phuti has always been concerned with quality and comfort, but this firm seems interested only in
profits. To make matters worse, they have a slick new advertising campaign that seems hard to beat.

Meanwhile, Grace is approached by an old friend who has a troubled son. She and Phuti agree to take Patience and Modise in and lend a hand, but things don’t work out quite as intended, and the situation proves difficult for them to handle. It will
require not only all of their persistence and dedication but also help from an unexpected quarter to find a solution that will make everyone happy.

Faced with more than her fair share of delicate dilemmas, Mma Makutsi deals with it all with her usual graciousness. This—along with the kindness, generosity, and good sense for which the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is known—assures
us that, in the end, each of these matters will be set right.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705047989

Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the award-winning series The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and he now devotes his time to the writing of fiction, including the 44 Scotland Street and the Isabel Dalhousie series. He is the author of over eighty books on a wide array of subjects, and his work has been translated into forty-six languages. Before becoming a full-time writer he was for many years Professor of Medical Law at Edinburgh.

Reviews for A Song of Comfortable Chairs

[Alma Quillian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book inspired me to always give the benefit of the doubt,always speak kindly and with diplomacy and consider the other person's feelings instead of acting in response to ego.Besides being full of lessons for life,it is a lovely story full of humor and love..my two favorite things!

[brianewilliams · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Precious Ramotswe, founder and owner of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, has a problem. Her "colleague" (formerly her assistant) Grace Makutsi seems to be intent on increasing symbols of her importance at the agency. For example, she decided that she needs a bigger desk. Precious is unsure how far this will go: will Grace stage a coup, she wonders? When Precious's husband suggests that Grace may be feeling some insecurity due to tensions at her husband's furniture store, Precious decides to investigate and it forms the basis for the story. It's an enjoyable parable-like narrative, with no twisty plotting or complicated puzzle to solve. There's the atmospheric background of Botswana and rich characterisation typical of this author. Universal ideals and principles are revealed in a prosaic way involving a cast of memorable characters. A satisfying read.While this is the 24th book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, it's easy to read as a standalone.Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy for my review.

[lyndajcoker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an easy, relaxing, and enjoyable read. I wasn’t sure about the level of interest this cozy mystery could sustain when I first began reading. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to stay with the story. In fact, it was altogether relaxing and enjoyable to read a mystery without exaggerated tension hype. This story was like a slice-of-life experience with Precious Ramotswe, the detective agency’s founder, and a few of her colleagues and the community at large. And how refreshing to read a mystery that wasn’t strewn with dead bodies and a demented murderer in every corner. A bonus in this book is the practical wisdom that inches its way to the reader. Things like exercising patience and common sense. Precious and her coworker, Grace, devise schemes to solve two cases, one family and one community-based. Observing them as they plan and work toward their goal while meeting the many other characters associated with the story was a pleasure for me. …I received this book free, however, my opinions and review are based on my own experience reading this story.