The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
The multi-million copy bestselling series
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4.1 • 158 Ratings
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- £0.99
Publisher Description
The first book in the multi-million copy bestselling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
The one where it all begins
Mma Ramotswe is the proud proprietor of the finest ladies' detective agency in all Botswana (also the only one). She spends her time, with a cup of redbush tea beneath the acacia tree, waiting for clients. When they come along, whether it is to enquire after a missing spouse or check the identity of a long-lost father, it is not The Principles of Private Detection that helps her to solve cases but old-fashioned common sense and a warm-hearted understanding of the fallibility of human nature - especially that of men.
'Among the greatest comfort-reads of all time' Sunday Times
'Jolly and exhilarating' Sunday Telegraph
'The Miss Marple of Botswana' New York Times Book Review
'A publishing phenomenon' Guardian
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
There’s plenty about Alexander McCall Smith’s lovable heroine Precious Ramotswe that’s conventional: She goes by Mma (the polite form of address), is very patriotic about her homeland of Botswana and enjoys a good cup of bush tea. But Mma Ramotswe has a radical streak, too: She’s the only female detective in Botswana and a deft crocodile-killer who left her abusive husband. In the first book in McCall Smith’s delightful mystery series, justice is served—whether it’s finding a stolen cow or finding out a straying husband.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The African-born author of more than 50 books, from children's stories (The Perfect Hamburger) to scholarly works (Forensic Aspects of Sleep), turns his talents to detection in this artful, pleasing novel about Mma (aka Precious) Ramotswe, Botswana's one and only lady private detective. A series of vignettes linked to the establishment and growth of Mma Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" serve not only to entertain but to explore conditions in Botswana in a way that is both penetrating and light thanks to Smith's deft touch. Mma Ramotswe's cases come slowly and hesitantly at first: women who suspect their husbands are cheating on them; a father worried that his daughter is sneaking off to see a boy; a missing child who may have been killed by witchdoctors to make medicine; a doctor who sometimes seems highly competent and sometimes seems to know almost nothing about medicine. The desultory pace is fine, since she has only a detective manual, the frequently cited example of Agatha Christie and her instincts to guide her. Mma Ramotswe's love of Africa, her wisdom and humor, shine through these pages as she shines her own light on the problems that vex her clients. Images of this large woman driving her tiny white van or sharing a cup of bush tea with a friend or client while working a case linger pleasantly. General audiences will welcome this little gem of a book just as much if not more than mystery readers.FYI:Anchor is simultaneously issuing two other titles in this series,Tears of the Giraffe andMorality for Beautiful Girls.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful book
Conjures up images of Botswana - lovely book.
Beautiful read
Not my usual choice of read but from the first page I was transported to Africa and its people, it was a beautiful read and I loved all the characters, I felt so relaxed every time I had read a chapter or two. Can’t wait to read the next book.
Very insightful
Was a bit sceptical at first and was hesitant to purchase the book. However I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, it was simple and yet complex, touching on the vanity of things we consider important in life but in reality adds no value or happiness to our lives. I have already purchased the second book in the series and can’t wait to dig in. Will surely recommend it to my sons, they are prolific readers as well, I just hope they will get the deeper and complex life values contained therein. It is even more extraordinary that the author is British and understands so clearly the African mind and the things that are important to them. Thank you for creating something that can give an understanding of the simplicity and beauty that encapsulates African culture.