The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith

“all of us had a view from somewhere, a view of the world from

the perspective of who we were, of what had happened to us,

of how we thought about things.”  

The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon is the 14th book in a popular series called The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.  For those of you who are familiar, welcome back.  And for those of you hearing of this series for the first time, grab a chair as I introduce you to Precious Ramotswe and her associate detective, Mma Makutsi - two marvelous women with a knack for uncovering the truth.

This particular novel takes on two puzzling cases.  First, Mma Ramotswe is approached by the lawyer Mma Sheba, the executor of a late farmer's estate.  The farmer has left the majority of his land to a nephew, but Mma Sheba believes that the young man claiming to be the nephew is not who he appears.  Her second case is a call for help from the owner of a new salon, The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon.  The owner has been the victim of threats and a horrible bit of gossip intended to ruin her salon.  Mma Ramotswe agrees to investigate both, and as always finds the truth to be much more complicated than she had ever bargained for.       

Meanwhile, at the office, Mma Makutsi has been a little different lately.  Mma Ramotswe is certain that she is pregnant, but Mma Makutsi has been silent on the matter.  It is clear throughout that the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency would not be the same without the two women solving cases together.  They are more than co-workers.  They really are the best of friends and this friendship truly shines in this novel.  

Each and every time I step into the world of Precious Ramotswe, I smile as I check in on (what feel like) old friends.  This series can best be described as the coziest of cozy and the characters astound you with their honest interactions.  If you are looking for a mystery with a dose of female friendship thrown in, you have a winner!