Smith's first book starring independent African businesswoman Mma Ramotswe, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, was original and enjoyable, if not especially complex or thought-provoking. Unfortunately Tears of the Giraffe dumbs down the lady detective story too much. As if he's afraid that you might miss the ridiculously simplistic moral lessons to be learned (taking care of other people is good; lying is bad), Smith writes paragraph after paragraph that is one sentence too long. As a good writer should, he shows, and shows, and shows you what Botswana is like -- then heavyhandedly tells you what the point is, in case you weren't paying attention earlier.