The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
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4.2, 61 Ratings
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- £3.49
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- £3.49
Publisher Description
Wayward daughters. Missing Husbands. Philandering partners. Curious conmen. If you've got a problem, and no one else can help you, then pay a visit to Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's only - and finest - female private detective.
Her methods may not be conventional, and her manner not exactly Miss Marple, but she's got warmth, wit and canny intuition on her side, not to mention Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, the charming proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. And Precious is going to need them all as she sets out on the trail of a missing child, a case that tumbles our heroine into a hotbed of strange situations and more than a little danger . . .
Delightfully different, THE NO.1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY offers a captivating glimpse of an unusual world.
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
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.
Amazing!
I really loved reading this book and I love how there's no lose ends (unlike in other books). Tears of a giraffe here I come!
