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No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Precious Ramotswe has only just set up shop as Botswana's No.1 (and only) lady detective when she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. However, the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witch doctors.
235 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Alexander McCall Smith
542 books12.2k followersAlexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,481 reviews
July 7, 2011
A lot of people are under the impression that Alexander Mccall Smith books are strictly for middle aged women. This is NOT the case at all. These books are for everyone. They are not even just for women. A lot of people are also under the impression that these books are mystery books. This is also a misconception. Mysteries are a very small part of these stories. These books are about humanity and the small things that make it so good to be both human and alive. I dare anyone who is not happy to read any of these books and not feel a little more hopeful when they finish. But they are not over the top. They are not Chicken Soup for the Soul. They are simply very subtle and very wise. I have recommended this book to countless people who unfortunately do not pick it up for the reasons that I have mentioned above. I have met Alexander Mccall Smith and he is one of the most joyful, intelligent, and interesting people I've ever encountered. All these qualities come across in his books. I'm so glad that he's a writing addict because I'm an addict of his books.
November 30, 2023
This is where the series begins, there currently being twenty books in the series. The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency is a delightful work and a quick read to boot. Smith alternates between small bits of back-story for the central character, Precious Ramotswe, a woman of traditional build, young-middle-aged (30s?) divorcee, heavy with intelligence, gumption and cunning, and the mysteries she unravels as the sole detective of the title agency.
Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe and Anika Noni Rose as Grace Makutsi - from the HBO production
It is rich with payload on local (Botswana) color, and is told in a simple, straightforward manner. One can almost hear it being spoken aloud by a story-teller around a campfire, or a pot of bush tea. It is a good thing that Smith wrote a whole herd of these books. One is not nearly enough.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Here is a link to the HBO site for the show. If you have not yet seen the series, and are an HBO subscriber, you are in for a treat. Sadly, HBO killed the series after a single season, seven episodes, so that treat will be of limited duration.
There are currently (11/2023) twenty four books in the book series
Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe and Anika Noni Rose as Grace Makutsi - from the HBO production
It is rich with payload on local (Botswana) color, and is told in a simple, straightforward manner. One can almost hear it being spoken aloud by a story-teller around a campfire, or a pot of bush tea. It is a good thing that Smith wrote a whole herd of these books. One is not nearly enough.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Here is a link to the HBO site for the show. If you have not yet seen the series, and are an HBO subscriber, you are in for a treat. Sadly, HBO killed the series after a single season, seven episodes, so that treat will be of limited duration.
There are currently (11/2023) twenty four books in the book series
October 1, 2007
Just could not get past the very obvious fact that this book is written by a white guy, trying to tell a story through the eyes of a Botswana(ese?) woman. It felt a bit patronising, as in, look how simply these people live, just hanging out in the hot sun watching their cattle, oh to live so simply like this, oh look this woman is setting up a detective agency, can you imagine that, a woman? A black woman? How quaint and adorable, etc. etc. It was a cute story, but that was the problem, it was all just a bit too cute.
June 4, 2023
Not much gives me more joy that reading about the detectives I wish were my friends. Everyone are so lovely, kind and intelligent. I love how Botswana is described, especially the wonderful people there. The moral dilemmas presented just made sense and I loved how the detective always manages to solve them in an empathetic way.
December 31, 2021
When I bought this from the library book sale it caused a real excitement among the elderly volunteers.
When I read it, I was like, oh. Makes sense, in hindsight.
This is an old white lady book if ever I've read one.
That's kind of all I have to say about it.
Bottom line: This book's era and author felt obvious to me!
clear ur shit book 30
quest 14: read a book with a purple cover
find the other books here
When I read it, I was like, oh. Makes sense, in hindsight.
This is an old white lady book if ever I've read one.
That's kind of all I have to say about it.
Bottom line: This book's era and author felt obvious to me!
clear ur shit book 30
quest 14: read a book with a purple cover
find the other books here
July 18, 2024
Precious Ramotswe is one Superbly Sly Sleuth - she learned it from her late, beloved daddy! She’s Proudly Black in a simple, peaceful, uncluttered Black Land…
Alexander McCall Smith was ENCHANTED by Botswana in his youthful forensically-related career there. These pacifist folks Endeared themselves to him. As was indeed the case with my best childhood friend Doug...
Doug Is now a prominent and very actively retired éminence grise of the Toronto psychiatric establishment. His has always been a deeply compassionate approach to therapy.
The first time he visited me after my breakdown, he greeted me with tears in his eyes. What can I say? My fall was seismic to my loved ones. Whose fault was that? No one but my own. I had no outer shell, and I had to toughen up!
But, bless him, Doug would send long, leisurely letters soon to cheer me up - all the way from Southern Africa. Our friends and family are so often all that keeps us going: they’re our real angels!
Now, books like this one helped to get me back on my feet (and for years afterward I concentrated on light reading). And what appeals most to Westerners in Botswana is the people’s outgoing ingenuousness. They take life SLOW.
So, The Ladies’ Detective Agency is a HEALING book.
It takes you far away from the firing line, this nonstop battlefield where your foes use Live Ammo in their verbal barrages.
You won’t duck any bullets in this relaxing book. You’ll notice that right off if you begin it!
And Mma Ramotswe is bargain-basement approachable and unaggressively sensible.
She’ll CHARM your socks off.
These Ramotswe books are indeed a bunch of high-class cozy reads for ingénus like me, who have always steered straight when the Dark Side struts its stuff. Market-garden mysteries that are in No Particular Hurry.
And don’t Bite back.
Old folks like me of a B-type bent who have no choice but to SLOW DOWN in life, relish this one.
Four super shining stars!
Alexander McCall Smith was ENCHANTED by Botswana in his youthful forensically-related career there. These pacifist folks Endeared themselves to him. As was indeed the case with my best childhood friend Doug...
Doug Is now a prominent and very actively retired éminence grise of the Toronto psychiatric establishment. His has always been a deeply compassionate approach to therapy.
The first time he visited me after my breakdown, he greeted me with tears in his eyes. What can I say? My fall was seismic to my loved ones. Whose fault was that? No one but my own. I had no outer shell, and I had to toughen up!
But, bless him, Doug would send long, leisurely letters soon to cheer me up - all the way from Southern Africa. Our friends and family are so often all that keeps us going: they’re our real angels!
Now, books like this one helped to get me back on my feet (and for years afterward I concentrated on light reading). And what appeals most to Westerners in Botswana is the people’s outgoing ingenuousness. They take life SLOW.
So, The Ladies’ Detective Agency is a HEALING book.
It takes you far away from the firing line, this nonstop battlefield where your foes use Live Ammo in their verbal barrages.
You won’t duck any bullets in this relaxing book. You’ll notice that right off if you begin it!
And Mma Ramotswe is bargain-basement approachable and unaggressively sensible.
She’ll CHARM your socks off.
These Ramotswe books are indeed a bunch of high-class cozy reads for ingénus like me, who have always steered straight when the Dark Side struts its stuff. Market-garden mysteries that are in No Particular Hurry.
And don’t Bite back.
Old folks like me of a B-type bent who have no choice but to SLOW DOWN in life, relish this one.
Four super shining stars!
December 29, 2008
I'm no fan of mystery, crime or detective books - the bore me, generally, though I loved Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher books in high school and Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers gave me chills (since renamed And Then There Were None, for obvious reasons - but I've got an old edition).
The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a real gem, however. I absolutely loved it. Wise, funny, intelligent, insightful and blushing with vigour and a heartfelt love of Africa, I'm not in the least surprised this series - of which this is the first book - has done so well.
Set in Botswana, it features thirty-five year old Mma Ramotswe, a cunning, content and large (in the "traditional" way) woman who, after her father dies leaving her many head of cattle, sells up and opens a detective agency. Hired to track missing husbands, cheating husbands and thieving husbands, as well as daughters, sons and witch doctors, Precious Ramostwe has her hands full. Woven amongst the cases are beautiful descriptions of the land, insights into African culture in all its myriad forms, the life of her father, a miner in South Africa, and her own disastrous marriage which ended many years ago, and a sweet offer of love from one of her best friends, a successful mechanic.
What is especially intriguing about this book, for me, is its seemingly chaotic structure. It follows no neat format, employs chapters within chapters, retells the past without incorporating it into the plot, shifts perspective between characters (though Mma Ramotswe has the focal perspective) whenever desired, and could sometimes be mistaken for short stories. And it all works, superbly so. It's new and refreshing and extremely well written, every word and sentence and paragraph there for a reason, the small plotlines and overarching plot spun out with perfect timing and deft handling. It is serious and wise and thoughtful when it needs to be, and light and ironic at other times. I kept thinking "this'd make a great tv show!" only to find that the BBC have already jumped on that bandwagon - shame it hasn't made it to Canada.
Mma Ramotswe is a fantastic protagonist, a woman who stands up for herself and loves Africa despite its problems. I'm always interested in reading books set in Africa - the continent fascinates and intrigues me, its beauty draws me, and its the closest place to Australia, in terms of landscape and climate, that there is, which makes me feel like it's a kindred spirit. There are many places there that I would love to visit.
I could go on for ages highlighting all the great things in this book - I have absolutely nothing negative to say or complain about, and it was wonderful to read a book with proper English spelling intact (except, at one point, the word "humour", which was very odd). The proof-readers should be careful about looking for wrong dialogue punctuation though - end quotation marks before a paragraph break within someone's speech. I'm seeing it occur in almost all the books I've been reading lately, it's very shoddy.
The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a real gem, however. I absolutely loved it. Wise, funny, intelligent, insightful and blushing with vigour and a heartfelt love of Africa, I'm not in the least surprised this series - of which this is the first book - has done so well.
Set in Botswana, it features thirty-five year old Mma Ramotswe, a cunning, content and large (in the "traditional" way) woman who, after her father dies leaving her many head of cattle, sells up and opens a detective agency. Hired to track missing husbands, cheating husbands and thieving husbands, as well as daughters, sons and witch doctors, Precious Ramostwe has her hands full. Woven amongst the cases are beautiful descriptions of the land, insights into African culture in all its myriad forms, the life of her father, a miner in South Africa, and her own disastrous marriage which ended many years ago, and a sweet offer of love from one of her best friends, a successful mechanic.
What is especially intriguing about this book, for me, is its seemingly chaotic structure. It follows no neat format, employs chapters within chapters, retells the past without incorporating it into the plot, shifts perspective between characters (though Mma Ramotswe has the focal perspective) whenever desired, and could sometimes be mistaken for short stories. And it all works, superbly so. It's new and refreshing and extremely well written, every word and sentence and paragraph there for a reason, the small plotlines and overarching plot spun out with perfect timing and deft handling. It is serious and wise and thoughtful when it needs to be, and light and ironic at other times. I kept thinking "this'd make a great tv show!" only to find that the BBC have already jumped on that bandwagon - shame it hasn't made it to Canada.
Mma Ramotswe is a fantastic protagonist, a woman who stands up for herself and loves Africa despite its problems. I'm always interested in reading books set in Africa - the continent fascinates and intrigues me, its beauty draws me, and its the closest place to Australia, in terms of landscape and climate, that there is, which makes me feel like it's a kindred spirit. There are many places there that I would love to visit.
I could go on for ages highlighting all the great things in this book - I have absolutely nothing negative to say or complain about, and it was wonderful to read a book with proper English spelling intact (except, at one point, the word "humour", which was very odd). The proof-readers should be careful about looking for wrong dialogue punctuation though - end quotation marks before a paragraph break within someone's speech. I'm seeing it occur in almost all the books I've been reading lately, it's very shoddy.
August 30, 2022
Ok, so this was not very big on the mystery stuff.
It was more of the story of the incredibly lovable Motswana detective, Mma Ramotswe. And as she solves cases in her town, you get a peek at the beauty and culture of Botswana. Honesty, the country itself is almost a character in this book.
This is truly a slow-moving story about her life, the lives of the people around her, and a loving look at the country she adores. And in between that, there are mysteries that get solved. Some are big, some are little, but all of them are cozy.
Like her bush tea.
This is obviously a much-loved series, so I don't know what I can really add to that.
Even now, I can't tell you why I grabbed the next book, other than I wanted something easy to listen to that would relax me. I mean, the mysteries aren't exciting and it seems like she's not even all that good at it sometimes. But, there you go.
The books just had that whateveritis that made me want to read just a little bit more.
Oh, and that ending.
And that was just the perfect way to close the book.
It was more of the story of the incredibly lovable Motswana detective, Mma Ramotswe. And as she solves cases in her town, you get a peek at the beauty and culture of Botswana. Honesty, the country itself is almost a character in this book.
This is truly a slow-moving story about her life, the lives of the people around her, and a loving look at the country she adores. And in between that, there are mysteries that get solved. Some are big, some are little, but all of them are cozy.
Like her bush tea.
This is obviously a much-loved series, so I don't know what I can really add to that.
Even now, I can't tell you why I grabbed the next book, other than I wanted something easy to listen to that would relax me. I mean, the mysteries aren't exciting and it seems like she's not even all that good at it sometimes. But, there you go.
The books just had that whateveritis that made me want to read just a little bit more.
Oh, and that ending.
And that was just the perfect way to close the book.
October 9, 2020
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1), Alexander McCall Smith
Mma Ramotswe sits in her office, the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency. She has a secretary, and she has clients. She is in Gaborone the capital of Botswana, a place of which she is proud. She is the only child of Obed Ramotswe, a man who worked long years in the mines in South Africa, until one day he witnessed a crime, and knew he had to leave the mines.
He had married a year or two earlier, and their daughter was born in Mochudi. He was wise with the money he earned in the mines, using it to buy cattle and slowly grow his herd, watched by a cousin while he was in the mines.
Not long after he returned, his wife died. A cousin, left by her husband because she was barren, came to help him raise his daughter Precious.
The cousin taught her well, caring for her until a second man asked her to marry him, when Precious is about 10 years old. Precious continues at school until she is 16.
Her father wants her to pursue more education, but she wants to stop school and does. She itches to see new places. She lives with her cousin and cousin's husband. He has a business running buses, and is doing well. She takes a job in the firm, and uncovers thievery by another employee, defrauding the company.
Each weekend she takes a bus home to Mochudi to see her father. On one bus trip she meets a boy, a musician named Note Mokote.
Soon he proposes marriage to her, going to her father for his permission. Precious is already pregnant at the marriage, but Note is not pleased at being a father. He beats his wife as part of his lovemaking, for any reason. Once she must see a doctor for treatment after a beating.
On return home, he has left her. Her child lives only for five days. She heads back to Mochudi to be with her father until he dies from the lung disease he got in the mines, just after she is 34. Her father's herd is large, and the price was good.
She sells some of the good herd of cattle to set up her office in Gaborone and buy a house there. The house is on Zebra Drive. The office is well-located. She hires Mma Makutsi from the Secretarial College and the first client appears directly. ...
عنوانها: «اولین آژانس کارآگاهی زنان»؛ «دفتر کارآگاهی شماره یک بانوان»؛ «دفتر شماره ی یک کارآگاهی بانوان»؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز شانزدهم ماه اکتبر سال 2004میلادی
عنوان: اولین آژانس کارآگاهی زنان؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ مترجم گودرز جوادیزاده؛ تهران جیحون، کتابسرای نیک، 1383؛ در 255ص؛ شابک 9789648664386؛ موضوع داستانهای پلیسی از نویسندگان زیمباوه تبار بریتانیایی - سده 20م
عنوان: دفتر کارآگاهی شماره یک بانوان؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ مترجم: میرعلی غروی؛ تهران کتاب هرمس، 1388؛ در 256ص؛ شابک 9789643634964؛
عنوان: دفتر شماره ی یک کارآگاهی بانوان؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ مترجم: طاهره بهادران؛ تهران نشر قطره، 1390؛ در 286ص؛ شابک 9786001193569؛
فهرست مطالب: فصل اول: پدر؛ فصل دوم: تمام سالهای گذشته؛ فصل سوم: درسهایی دربارۀ پسران و بزها؛ فصل چهارم: زندگی با برادرزاده و شوهرش؛ فصل پنجم: برای باز کردن آژانس کاراگاهی به چه چیزهایی نیاز است؟؛ فصل ششم: پسر بچه؛ فصل هفتم: خانم مکوتسی نامه را دریافت میکند؛ فصل هشتم: گفتگویی با آقای جی.ال بی متکونی؛ فصل نهم: دوست پسر؛ فصل دهم: خانم رموتسوی درحالیکه به سمت فرنسیستون میراند به سرزمینش فکر میکند؛ فصل یازدهم: جرم ماشین بزرگ؛ فصل دوازدهم: خانۀ خانم رموتسوی در اتوبان زبرا؛ فصل سیزدهم: چرا با من عروسی نمیکنی؟ فصل چهاردهم: مرد جذاب؛ فصل پانزدهم: کشف آقای جی.ال.بی متکونی؛ فصل شانزدهم: بریده شدن انگشتان و مارها؛ فصل هفدهم: سومین استخوان کف دست؛ فصل هجدهم: دروغهای بسیار؛ فصل نوزدهم: آقای چارلی گاتسو؛ فصل بیستم: مسئله پزشکی؛ فصل بیست و یکم: همسر جادوگر؛ فصل بیست و دوم: آقای جی.ال.بی متکونی؛
خانم «پرشس رموتسوی» زنی باهوش و جذاب هستند، که در دامنه ی کوه «کگله»، در «آفریقا»، با فروختن گله ی گاو میراث برجای مانده از پدرشان، یک دفتر کارآگاهی باز کرده اند، کل دارایی ایشان یک کامیون کوچک سفید رنگ، دو میز، دو صندلی، یک تلفن، و یک ماشین تحریر قدیمی است، و البته یک قوری که با آن چای دم میکند و سه لیوان، یکی برای خودش، یکی برای منشی، و دیگری برای مشتری؛
خانم «رموتسوی»، تنها کارآگاه زن منطقه است؛ او یک زن خوب، و یک کارآگاه است، و کشورش را هم با تمام مشکلاتش، دوست میدارد؛ او پس از تاسیس دفترش، مشتریان بسیاری داشته؛ پس از یک شروع سریع، او با خوشحالی متوجه شد، که خدماتش متقاضیان بسیاری دارد؛ او درباره ی شوهران گمشده، ارزش شریکهای تجاری، و کلاهبرداری شرکاء، مشورت میدهد؛
در بیشتر موارد، ایشان اطلاعاتی برای مشتریانش پیدا میکند، و در مواردی که هیچ اطلاعاتی نتواند پیدا کند، از دستمزد خویش چشم پوشی مینماید، و به این ترتیب، همگی کسانیکه از ایشان مشورت میگیرند، راضی بوده اند؛ ایشان کفهمیده که مردمان «بوتسوانا»، دوست دارند، حرف بزنند، و این موضوع که او یک کاراگاه خصوصی است، باعث میشود که داده های گوناگونی به سویش سرازیر شود؛ در میان پرونده های گوناگونی که خانم «رموتسوی» دارند، پرونده ای بیش از همه، نظر او را به خود جلب میکند، و او را به خطر میاندازد، پرونده ی گم شدن پسر یازده ساله ای که ممکن است، به دست طبیبانی جادوگر دزدیده شده باشد
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 17/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Mma Ramotswe sits in her office, the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency. She has a secretary, and she has clients. She is in Gaborone the capital of Botswana, a place of which she is proud. She is the only child of Obed Ramotswe, a man who worked long years in the mines in South Africa, until one day he witnessed a crime, and knew he had to leave the mines.
He had married a year or two earlier, and their daughter was born in Mochudi. He was wise with the money he earned in the mines, using it to buy cattle and slowly grow his herd, watched by a cousin while he was in the mines.
Not long after he returned, his wife died. A cousin, left by her husband because she was barren, came to help him raise his daughter Precious.
The cousin taught her well, caring for her until a second man asked her to marry him, when Precious is about 10 years old. Precious continues at school until she is 16.
Her father wants her to pursue more education, but she wants to stop school and does. She itches to see new places. She lives with her cousin and cousin's husband. He has a business running buses, and is doing well. She takes a job in the firm, and uncovers thievery by another employee, defrauding the company.
Each weekend she takes a bus home to Mochudi to see her father. On one bus trip she meets a boy, a musician named Note Mokote.
Soon he proposes marriage to her, going to her father for his permission. Precious is already pregnant at the marriage, but Note is not pleased at being a father. He beats his wife as part of his lovemaking, for any reason. Once she must see a doctor for treatment after a beating.
On return home, he has left her. Her child lives only for five days. She heads back to Mochudi to be with her father until he dies from the lung disease he got in the mines, just after she is 34. Her father's herd is large, and the price was good.
She sells some of the good herd of cattle to set up her office in Gaborone and buy a house there. The house is on Zebra Drive. The office is well-located. She hires Mma Makutsi from the Secretarial College and the first client appears directly. ...
عنوانها: «اولین آژانس کارآگاهی زنان»؛ «دفتر کارآگاهی شماره یک بانوان»؛ «دفتر شماره ی یک کارآگاهی بانوان»؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز شانزدهم ماه اکتبر سال 2004میلادی
عنوان: اولین آژانس کارآگاهی زنان؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ مترجم گودرز جوادیزاده؛ تهران جیحون، کتابسرای نیک، 1383؛ در 255ص؛ شابک 9789648664386؛ موضوع داستانهای پلیسی از نویسندگان زیمباوه تبار بریتانیایی - سده 20م
عنوان: دفتر کارآگاهی شماره یک بانوان؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ مترجم: میرعلی غروی؛ تهران کتاب هرمس، 1388؛ در 256ص؛ شابک 9789643634964؛
عنوان: دفتر شماره ی یک کارآگاهی بانوان؛ نویسنده: الکساندر مککال اسمیت؛ مترجم: طاهره بهادران؛ تهران نشر قطره، 1390؛ در 286ص؛ شابک 9786001193569؛
فهرست مطالب: فصل اول: پدر؛ فصل دوم: تمام سالهای گذشته؛ فصل سوم: درسهایی دربارۀ پسران و بزها؛ فصل چهارم: زندگی با برادرزاده و شوهرش؛ فصل پنجم: برای باز کردن آژانس کاراگاهی به چه چیزهایی نیاز است؟؛ فصل ششم: پسر بچه؛ فصل هفتم: خانم مکوتسی نامه را دریافت میکند؛ فصل هشتم: گفتگویی با آقای جی.ال بی متکونی؛ فصل نهم: دوست پسر؛ فصل دهم: خانم رموتسوی درحالیکه به سمت فرنسیستون میراند به سرزمینش فکر میکند؛ فصل یازدهم: جرم ماشین بزرگ؛ فصل دوازدهم: خانۀ خانم رموتسوی در اتوبان زبرا؛ فصل سیزدهم: چرا با من عروسی نمیکنی؟ فصل چهاردهم: مرد جذاب؛ فصل پانزدهم: کشف آقای جی.ال.بی متکونی؛ فصل شانزدهم: بریده شدن انگشتان و مارها؛ فصل هفدهم: سومین استخوان کف دست؛ فصل هجدهم: دروغهای بسیار؛ فصل نوزدهم: آقای چارلی گاتسو؛ فصل بیستم: مسئله پزشکی؛ فصل بیست و یکم: همسر جادوگر؛ فصل بیست و دوم: آقای جی.ال.بی متکونی؛
خانم «پرشس رموتسوی» زنی باهوش و جذاب هستند، که در دامنه ی کوه «کگله»، در «آفریقا»، با فروختن گله ی گاو میراث برجای مانده از پدرشان، یک دفتر کارآگاهی باز کرده اند، کل دارایی ایشان یک کامیون کوچک سفید رنگ، دو میز، دو صندلی، یک تلفن، و یک ماشین تحریر قدیمی است، و البته یک قوری که با آن چای دم میکند و سه لیوان، یکی برای خودش، یکی برای منشی، و دیگری برای مشتری؛
خانم «رموتسوی»، تنها کارآگاه زن منطقه است؛ او یک زن خوب، و یک کارآگاه است، و کشورش را هم با تمام مشکلاتش، دوست میدارد؛ او پس از تاسیس دفترش، مشتریان بسیاری داشته؛ پس از یک شروع سریع، او با خوشحالی متوجه شد، که خدماتش متقاضیان بسیاری دارد؛ او درباره ی شوهران گمشده، ارزش شریکهای تجاری، و کلاهبرداری شرکاء، مشورت میدهد؛
در بیشتر موارد، ایشان اطلاعاتی برای مشتریانش پیدا میکند، و در مواردی که هیچ اطلاعاتی نتواند پیدا کند، از دستمزد خویش چشم پوشی مینماید، و به این ترتیب، همگی کسانیکه از ایشان مشورت میگیرند، راضی بوده اند؛ ایشان کفهمیده که مردمان «بوتسوانا»، دوست دارند، حرف بزنند، و این موضوع که او یک کاراگاه خصوصی است، باعث میشود که داده های گوناگونی به سویش سرازیر شود؛ در میان پرونده های گوناگونی که خانم «رموتسوی» دارند، پرونده ای بیش از همه، نظر او را به خود جلب میکند، و او را به خطر میاندازد، پرونده ی گم شدن پسر یازده ساله ای که ممکن است، به دست طبیبانی جادوگر دزدیده شده باشد
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 17/07/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
January 18, 2019
I read about Africa & quickly want to be transported there. For a simpler life?
The heart of this novel is its feminist protagonist, Mma Ramotswe who lives in a precious town in Gaborone, still untouched by technology or South African cosmopolitanism. This book is extremely feminist, in a very good, positive and enlightening way, as much as it is anticolonialist.
But to counter this notion there is a heartwarming case that Mma Ramotswe, the number one (and sole) female detective in Botswana, must face that is not as uncomplicated as gathering evidence on cheating husbands, insurance fraud, double identities, etc. It is the story of an African child, ripped away from his humble family, kidnapped by an African witch doctor. It compels the reader to subscribe to the belief that there must be a balance somewhere to both modernity and rural simplicity.
The book is written using concise, minimalistic verbs. It has the charm of "Amelie" but reads like a Roald Dahl novel.
The heart of this novel is its feminist protagonist, Mma Ramotswe who lives in a precious town in Gaborone, still untouched by technology or South African cosmopolitanism. This book is extremely feminist, in a very good, positive and enlightening way, as much as it is anticolonialist.
But to counter this notion there is a heartwarming case that Mma Ramotswe, the number one (and sole) female detective in Botswana, must face that is not as uncomplicated as gathering evidence on cheating husbands, insurance fraud, double identities, etc. It is the story of an African child, ripped away from his humble family, kidnapped by an African witch doctor. It compels the reader to subscribe to the belief that there must be a balance somewhere to both modernity and rural simplicity.
The book is written using concise, minimalistic verbs. It has the charm of "Amelie" but reads like a Roald Dahl novel.
December 30, 2021
“There was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe -- the only lady private detective in Botwana -- brewed tea. And three mugs -- one for herself, one for her secretary, and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need?”
Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a quick and fun read. I felt transported to a Botswana with a slower pace of life reflected in folksy good-natured lady detective Precious Ramotswe. Precious solves a number of cases, but it's not the cases that are important, but how she goes about solving them. I was surprised to learn that there are something like 22 books in this series. I enjoyed the book, but I think I will need to be in the mood to relax before I pick up another. So yeah, it's a detective novel that allows you to relax and rewind instead of whatever it is that usually happens when you read detective or crime fiction. 3.5 stars
“It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on. Pumpkin.”
Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a quick and fun read. I felt transported to a Botswana with a slower pace of life reflected in folksy good-natured lady detective Precious Ramotswe. Precious solves a number of cases, but it's not the cases that are important, but how she goes about solving them. I was surprised to learn that there are something like 22 books in this series. I enjoyed the book, but I think I will need to be in the mood to relax before I pick up another. So yeah, it's a detective novel that allows you to relax and rewind instead of whatever it is that usually happens when you read detective or crime fiction. 3.5 stars
“It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on. Pumpkin.”
August 7, 2011
i am probably the only person in the whole world who thinks this but these books are singularly underwhelming. Nothing ever happens. The characters are annoying. To be honest I did only read this first one but couldn't face another. Have refrained from putting this on my list till now cos I always thought I might try another and find it more interesting but then I thought there are enormous caverns of books as yet undiscovered. Why force myself to read another book of this just because I feel I should. So Mr McCall Smith, have a good life
May 13, 2020
****1/2
October 31, 2020
As research for a novel I'm writing, I'm reading detective fiction and ripping off everything of value. My story takes place in L.A. of the early '90s, but I'm traveling to all eras and hiring all types of sleuth as tour guide. Published in 1998, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency launched twenty novels and counting by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith based in Botswana and centered around Mma "Precious" Ramotwse, a young woman who opens the country's first private detective agency run by ladies. The book is leisurely and episodic, much like the arid sub-Saharan land of the story. I felt as if the day was too hot for excitement and I was stopping for a sip of water and gossip before moving on.
The book unfolds as a series of vignettes. Ramotwse is living with her cousin and her cousin's husband and working at the bus company they operate. She possesses a sharp mind for figures and as a child, developed an aptitude for drawing and for observation as well. She is close with her father, visiting him in their nearby hometown of Gaborone each weekend. A widowed miner, he dies leaving her a herd of cattle which Ramotwse sells at a handsome sum to open the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, as well as purchase a white van she uses on her cases, and a house, where she lives alone, having decided that one marriage was enough.
I found that Ramotwse to be a very feminine character without the author making her gender a central focus. Oh, look at how cute this is, a sassy lady with a stylish purse chasing bad guys. Ramotwse is a detective, not a lady detective. I can see why the series took off. Ramotwse is someone I'd love to hang out with, sip some bush tea and chat up. Smith structures a lot of time for hanging out in this book.
The southern African setting is picturesque and offers a stunning contrast to the Los Angeles or London worlds where most fictional detectives lurk. The cases that Ramotwse lands say something about the country. Botswana is a place where disappearing husbands end up in the bellies of crocodiles, the new trauma doctor from Nairobi is an imposter and a boy is abducted by men who need someone to look after cattle.
Smith adds a lot of color to the proceedings. My favorite part in the whole book involves Ramotwse encountering a snake that shoots across a road and she runs over with her van without thinking. The problem is she can't find the serpent anywhere and has to assume it's crawled into the van. While Ramotwse climbs out and flags down help, she tries to recall what the snake looked like and concludes that it is a cobra.
The encounter with the cobra is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It's a delicious treat for the sake of being a delicious treat. The cobra doesn't fit into any story. The cobra isn't a clue that helps Ramotwse solve a mystery. The cobra doesn't belong in the novel. It's like when Mom told me I couldn't eat any candy because dinner was in an hour. Smith is gobbling lots of candy here and spoils his appetite for a healthier and more satisfying meal.
Smith's prose often seemed like a translation to me, and not in a good way. It is very on-the-nose, very obvious. I got the sense that Smith overstated the obvious at times to pad his word count and get enough paragraphs in for a novel.
Mma Ramotswe had thought that it would not be easy to open a detective agency. People always made the mistake of thinking that starting a business was simple and then found there were all sorts of hidden problems and unforeseen demands. She had heard of people opening businesses that lasted four or five weeks before they ran out of money or stock, or both. It was always more difficult than you thought it would be.
And this is a chapter opening, expensive real estate in a novel. This is space I want to discover something I don't know, not read stuff I already know.
Smith devotes Chapter 2 to Ramotwse's father, writing in the father's voice about his experiences in the diamond mines of South Africa. This choice baffled me. Arthur Conan Doyle didn't introduce Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and then spend Chapter 2 on the life and times of Mrs. Hudson. Fortunately, the rest of the book is about Ramotwse without any other characters shoving her off stage.
There were several false starts in the book. I felt like the genre Smith was writing as well as good storytelling demanded Ramotswe meeting a client and going off on a case right from the start and through that, the character’s past and how she started a detective agency could be revealed. Characters she meets could provoke that information from her. Smith didn’t need to tell me about Ramotwse winning an art contest in school or her ex-husband.
I also didn't prefer Smith building Ramotwse up as unmarried--most of the great fictional detectives I can think of just don’t have a spouse or children waiting for them to come home--only to update her marital status to “engaged” at the very end . I'm sure many of his readers were delighted by this but it felt like a cop out to me. Ramotwse seemed more complex as an independent who’s too dedicated to detective work and also too hurt to settle down. Even in a cozy mystery, that was too cozy for me.
Ramotwse is not only an African woman, but a big African woman. The sage advice of "my" writing instructor Malcolm Gladwell rang in my ears here. Smith doesn't worry about writing a better mystery novel than anyone else and doesn't try. What he does is write a different mystery novel than anyone else and on that count he succeeds wildly. If you asked me for a recommendation for a detective series set in Africa, his books would be it.
In 2008, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency landed on the small screen as a BBC production in conjunction with HBO. The 109-minute pilot was adapted by Anthony Minghella & Richard Curtis and directed by Minghella, who divided audiences over his Oscar-winning The English Patient. Six one-hour episodes followed. Jill Scott was supremely well cast as Ramotwse and Anika Noni Rose as her secretary Grace Makutsi.
The book unfolds as a series of vignettes. Ramotwse is living with her cousin and her cousin's husband and working at the bus company they operate. She possesses a sharp mind for figures and as a child, developed an aptitude for drawing and for observation as well. She is close with her father, visiting him in their nearby hometown of Gaborone each weekend. A widowed miner, he dies leaving her a herd of cattle which Ramotwse sells at a handsome sum to open the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, as well as purchase a white van she uses on her cases, and a house, where she lives alone, having decided that one marriage was enough.
I found that Ramotwse to be a very feminine character without the author making her gender a central focus. Oh, look at how cute this is, a sassy lady with a stylish purse chasing bad guys. Ramotwse is a detective, not a lady detective. I can see why the series took off. Ramotwse is someone I'd love to hang out with, sip some bush tea and chat up. Smith structures a lot of time for hanging out in this book.
The southern African setting is picturesque and offers a stunning contrast to the Los Angeles or London worlds where most fictional detectives lurk. The cases that Ramotwse lands say something about the country. Botswana is a place where disappearing husbands end up in the bellies of crocodiles, the new trauma doctor from Nairobi is an imposter and a boy is abducted by men who need someone to look after cattle.
Smith adds a lot of color to the proceedings. My favorite part in the whole book involves Ramotwse encountering a snake that shoots across a road and she runs over with her van without thinking. The problem is she can't find the serpent anywhere and has to assume it's crawled into the van. While Ramotwse climbs out and flags down help, she tries to recall what the snake looked like and concludes that it is a cobra.
The encounter with the cobra is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It's a delicious treat for the sake of being a delicious treat. The cobra doesn't fit into any story. The cobra isn't a clue that helps Ramotwse solve a mystery. The cobra doesn't belong in the novel. It's like when Mom told me I couldn't eat any candy because dinner was in an hour. Smith is gobbling lots of candy here and spoils his appetite for a healthier and more satisfying meal.
Smith's prose often seemed like a translation to me, and not in a good way. It is very on-the-nose, very obvious. I got the sense that Smith overstated the obvious at times to pad his word count and get enough paragraphs in for a novel.
Mma Ramotswe had thought that it would not be easy to open a detective agency. People always made the mistake of thinking that starting a business was simple and then found there were all sorts of hidden problems and unforeseen demands. She had heard of people opening businesses that lasted four or five weeks before they ran out of money or stock, or both. It was always more difficult than you thought it would be.
And this is a chapter opening, expensive real estate in a novel. This is space I want to discover something I don't know, not read stuff I already know.
Smith devotes Chapter 2 to Ramotwse's father, writing in the father's voice about his experiences in the diamond mines of South Africa. This choice baffled me. Arthur Conan Doyle didn't introduce Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and then spend Chapter 2 on the life and times of Mrs. Hudson. Fortunately, the rest of the book is about Ramotwse without any other characters shoving her off stage.
There were several false starts in the book. I felt like the genre Smith was writing as well as good storytelling demanded Ramotswe meeting a client and going off on a case right from the start and through that, the character’s past and how she started a detective agency could be revealed. Characters she meets could provoke that information from her. Smith didn’t need to tell me about Ramotwse winning an art contest in school or her ex-husband.
I also didn't prefer Smith building Ramotwse up as unmarried--most of the great fictional detectives I can think of just don’t have a spouse or children waiting for them to come home--only to update her marital status to “engaged” at the very end . I'm sure many of his readers were delighted by this but it felt like a cop out to me. Ramotwse seemed more complex as an independent who’s too dedicated to detective work and also too hurt to settle down. Even in a cozy mystery, that was too cozy for me.
Ramotwse is not only an African woman, but a big African woman. The sage advice of "my" writing instructor Malcolm Gladwell rang in my ears here. Smith doesn't worry about writing a better mystery novel than anyone else and doesn't try. What he does is write a different mystery novel than anyone else and on that count he succeeds wildly. If you asked me for a recommendation for a detective series set in Africa, his books would be it.
In 2008, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency landed on the small screen as a BBC production in conjunction with HBO. The 109-minute pilot was adapted by Anthony Minghella & Richard Curtis and directed by Minghella, who divided audiences over his Oscar-winning The English Patient. Six one-hour episodes followed. Jill Scott was supremely well cast as Ramotwse and Anika Noni Rose as her secretary Grace Makutsi.
April 22, 2019
#mystrangereading The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book came in my cousin book exchange and had also been gifted to be by my dad a couple of Christmases ago, so I really needed to read it. Lol.
🕵️🏾♀️I loved Precious (Mma). I loved how strong and independent she was. I loved how she went after her dreams and I loved her cases.
🕵️🏾♀️ I loved how the culture of Botswana was ever present in each story told because you would not expect that from a white man writing a story about an African woman. I know he was born in Zimbabwe and worked in Botswana so that gives him a unique perspective, but I still found his writing of the underlying cultural norms and values of this country to be amazingly insightful.
🕵️🏾♀️ I struggled with the pacing of this book. The cases and then the 'big case' all just seemed to meld together into unremarkable storylines which was disappointing because the premise of the book was really intriguing.
All in all, I will not be continuing the series and I might recommend to readers who really love detective stories and are looking for a different twist on the trope, but it wasn't my favorite.
This book came in my cousin book exchange and had also been gifted to be by my dad a couple of Christmases ago, so I really needed to read it. Lol.
🕵️🏾♀️I loved Precious (Mma). I loved how strong and independent she was. I loved how she went after her dreams and I loved her cases.
🕵️🏾♀️ I loved how the culture of Botswana was ever present in each story told because you would not expect that from a white man writing a story about an African woman. I know he was born in Zimbabwe and worked in Botswana so that gives him a unique perspective, but I still found his writing of the underlying cultural norms and values of this country to be amazingly insightful.
🕵️🏾♀️ I struggled with the pacing of this book. The cases and then the 'big case' all just seemed to meld together into unremarkable storylines which was disappointing because the premise of the book was really intriguing.
All in all, I will not be continuing the series and I might recommend to readers who really love detective stories and are looking for a different twist on the trope, but it wasn't my favorite.
April 30, 2018
When Precious Ramotswe’s father died and left her with his cattle, the sale made her quite wealthy. Her decision to open the first Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana – in fact the only detective agency – was an easy one. And of course, she had to have a secretary, even though she had no clients (as yet). She hired Grace Makutsi and together they enjoyed many cups of tea between the occasional case.
Mma Ramotswe was admired by many, but her intuition and stubborn desire to solve people’s problems saw her succeed in (most of) the cases she was asked to investigate. Would her business be a success and make a profit?
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith was an absolutely delightful experience! I thoroughly enjoyed it and the intelligent humour fits Precious Ramotswe’s character perfectly! An oldie, but a goodie! And I’ll be reading more 😊 Thanks to my goodreads friends for the recommendation.
Mma Ramotswe was admired by many, but her intuition and stubborn desire to solve people’s problems saw her succeed in (most of) the cases she was asked to investigate. Would her business be a success and make a profit?
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith was an absolutely delightful experience! I thoroughly enjoyed it and the intelligent humour fits Precious Ramotswe’s character perfectly! An oldie, but a goodie! And I’ll be reading more 😊 Thanks to my goodreads friends for the recommendation.
May 27, 2021
5★
A new favourite! I know, I know. I’m late to Precious Ramotswe and her wonderful business, and I shouldn’t have waited so long to enjoy these books. I loved this first book in the series. Funny, good-natured, good-hearted and poignant.
How a white Scotsman got into the head of a black lady in Botswana (or vice versa) is beyond me, but thank goodness for us readers that he did. She is absolutely delightful. “Mma Ramotswe was not tall—being blessed with generous girth, rather than height…”
Precious’s beloved father has worked all his life in the mines to amass an impressive cattle herd, and when he dies too young, she is scathing of the mining industry. She describes his terrifying life underground and how the wealthy owners take advantage of black workers.
“The Sotho miners used to sing ‘The mines eat men. Even when you have left them, the mines will still be eating you.'”
When she decides to cash up the cattle herd and establish the first detective agency run by ladies (well, A lady and a secretary/clerk), she is very business-like. She does things herself, approaches the bank, finds a house, finds an office, hires a secretary, and looks for business. Her first clients do end up being ladies checking up on husbands, but she quickly graduates to fraud and kidnapping, often for men's clients who are comfortable talking to her.
We never forget this is Botswana, specifically Gaborone, on the edge of the Kalahari Desert and all that represents, including the wildlife, really wild – life. She shoots a croc, suspecting it’s responsible for a disappearance.
“She took a knife and slit through the creature’s belly. The leather was soft, and the stomach was soon exposed.”
She deals with a cobra and then there are witch doctors.
But it’s hers. Standing under the night sky she’s drawing “the dry clear air into her lungs. And she thought: I am just a tiny person in Africa , but there is a place for me, and for everybody, to sit down on this earth and touch it and call it their own.”
Another time: “Dusk was approaching, and the sky was streaked with gold. This was her favourite time of the day, when the birds went dipping and swooping through the air and the insects of the night started to shriek. In this gentle light, the cattle would be walking home and the fires outside the huts would be crackling and glowing for the evening’s cooking.”
There are plenty of flashbacks to bad episodes in her life, but her overall attitude is one of finding the joy in everything. She doesn’t complain, but she certainly wonders why some people are so ignorant or mean-spirited.
I enjoyed the various characters, the descriptions of a very different part of the world from mine and why Mma Ramotswe loves it so.
Disclaimer – I had seen the TV series so was predisposed to like the books, but if they’d fallen short of expectations, I’d say so. Nope. Terrific book.
A new favourite! I know, I know. I’m late to Precious Ramotswe and her wonderful business, and I shouldn’t have waited so long to enjoy these books. I loved this first book in the series. Funny, good-natured, good-hearted and poignant.
How a white Scotsman got into the head of a black lady in Botswana (or vice versa) is beyond me, but thank goodness for us readers that he did. She is absolutely delightful. “Mma Ramotswe was not tall—being blessed with generous girth, rather than height…”
Precious’s beloved father has worked all his life in the mines to amass an impressive cattle herd, and when he dies too young, she is scathing of the mining industry. She describes his terrifying life underground and how the wealthy owners take advantage of black workers.
“The Sotho miners used to sing ‘The mines eat men. Even when you have left them, the mines will still be eating you.'”
When she decides to cash up the cattle herd and establish the first detective agency run by ladies (well, A lady and a secretary/clerk), she is very business-like. She does things herself, approaches the bank, finds a house, finds an office, hires a secretary, and looks for business. Her first clients do end up being ladies checking up on husbands, but she quickly graduates to fraud and kidnapping, often for men's clients who are comfortable talking to her.
We never forget this is Botswana, specifically Gaborone, on the edge of the Kalahari Desert and all that represents, including the wildlife, really wild – life. She shoots a croc, suspecting it’s responsible for a disappearance.
“She took a knife and slit through the creature’s belly. The leather was soft, and the stomach was soon exposed.”
She deals with a cobra and then there are witch doctors.
But it’s hers. Standing under the night sky she’s drawing “the dry clear air into her lungs. And she thought: I am just a tiny person in Africa , but there is a place for me, and for everybody, to sit down on this earth and touch it and call it their own.”
Another time: “Dusk was approaching, and the sky was streaked with gold. This was her favourite time of the day, when the birds went dipping and swooping through the air and the insects of the night started to shriek. In this gentle light, the cattle would be walking home and the fires outside the huts would be crackling and glowing for the evening’s cooking.”
There are plenty of flashbacks to bad episodes in her life, but her overall attitude is one of finding the joy in everything. She doesn’t complain, but she certainly wonders why some people are so ignorant or mean-spirited.
I enjoyed the various characters, the descriptions of a very different part of the world from mine and why Mma Ramotswe loves it so.
Disclaimer – I had seen the TV series so was predisposed to like the books, but if they’d fallen short of expectations, I’d say so. Nope. Terrific book.
August 9, 2019
Precious Ramotswe is a super nice woman, and the story told by the great McCall Smith is really fun, it was for me a perfect read after books with heavy narratives, violent and extreme, I needed to relax a bit and smile a lot 😉 , and so came Precious!
Precious’s presentation is very meticulous, I loved how the writer presents her life, not only her wonderful qualities and talents, but also her weaknesses and sorrows of the past ( wrecked marriage and a child in heaven)
Precious is well characterized without heaviness or without redundancy of constant winning and positive aspects in her investigations....
The story then of the Botswana is presented with historical meticulousness, and here McCall Smith has been fantastic, every Bostwana state enterprises but also social or urban aspects are exactly reported with fidelity without yielding on this aspect to fiction....
The part a little more 'weak is definitely the series of investigations' agency,some are very funny and positive stories along with some more' dramatic and painful... but presented and resolved quickly, with little thickness of elements and investigative twist effects.
Precious however is very nice, a woman to hug and have her as a friend! I will definitely read the other books of the collection.
PS: I never saw, I didn't knew before about HBO TV series
Precious Ramotswe è una donna troppo simpatica, e la storia narrata dal grandissimo McCall Smith è veramente uno spasso, è stata per me una lettura perfetta dopo libri con narrazioni pesanti, violente ed estreme, avevo bisogno di rilassarmi e sorridere un pò, e così è arrivata Precious!
La presentazione di Precious è molto meticolosa, mi è piaciuto molto come viene raccontata la sua vita, non solo i suoi meravigliosi pregi e doti, ma anche le sue debolezze e e dolori del passato ( matrimonio naufragato e un bimbo in cielo)
Il personaggio è ben caratterizzato senza pesantezza o ridondanza di aspetti sempre vincenti e positivi nelle sue indagini....
La storia poi del Botswana è presentata con meticolosità storica, e qui McCall Smith è stato fantastico, ogni impresa ma anche aspetti sociali o urbanistici vengono esattamente riportati con fedeltà senza cedere su questo aspetto alla finzione....
La parte un pochino piu' debolina è sicuramente la serie di indagini dell' agenzia, sono storielle molto simpatiche e divertenti insieme ad alcune piu' drammatiche e dolorose... ma presentate e risolte con rapidità, con poco spessore di elementi e twist investigativi ad effetto.
Precious comunque è simpaticissima, una donna da abbracciare e averla come amica! Sicuramente leggerò gli altri libri della raccolta.
PS: non ho mai visto, ne sapevo della serie televisiva della HBO 😉
Precious’s presentation is very meticulous, I loved how the writer presents her life, not only her wonderful qualities and talents, but also her weaknesses and sorrows of the past ( wrecked marriage and a child in heaven)
Precious is well characterized without heaviness or without redundancy of constant winning and positive aspects in her investigations....
The story then of the Botswana is presented with historical meticulousness, and here McCall Smith has been fantastic, every Bostwana state enterprises but also social or urban aspects are exactly reported with fidelity without yielding on this aspect to fiction....
The part a little more 'weak is definitely the series of investigations' agency,some are very funny and positive stories along with some more' dramatic and painful... but presented and resolved quickly, with little thickness of elements and investigative twist effects.
Precious however is very nice, a woman to hug and have her as a friend! I will definitely read the other books of the collection.
PS: I never saw, I didn't knew before about HBO TV series
Precious Ramotswe è una donna troppo simpatica, e la storia narrata dal grandissimo McCall Smith è veramente uno spasso, è stata per me una lettura perfetta dopo libri con narrazioni pesanti, violente ed estreme, avevo bisogno di rilassarmi e sorridere un pò, e così è arrivata Precious!
La presentazione di Precious è molto meticolosa, mi è piaciuto molto come viene raccontata la sua vita, non solo i suoi meravigliosi pregi e doti, ma anche le sue debolezze e e dolori del passato ( matrimonio naufragato e un bimbo in cielo)
Il personaggio è ben caratterizzato senza pesantezza o ridondanza di aspetti sempre vincenti e positivi nelle sue indagini....
La storia poi del Botswana è presentata con meticolosità storica, e qui McCall Smith è stato fantastico, ogni impresa ma anche aspetti sociali o urbanistici vengono esattamente riportati con fedeltà senza cedere su questo aspetto alla finzione....
La parte un pochino piu' debolina è sicuramente la serie di indagini dell' agenzia, sono storielle molto simpatiche e divertenti insieme ad alcune piu' drammatiche e dolorose... ma presentate e risolte con rapidità, con poco spessore di elementi e twist investigativi ad effetto.
Precious comunque è simpaticissima, una donna da abbracciare e averla come amica! Sicuramente leggerò gli altri libri della raccolta.
PS: non ho mai visto, ne sapevo della serie televisiva della HBO 😉
April 25, 2016
If you have had a rough week, if your day has been hectic and you feel frazzled, I recommend sitting down with The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency for a while. I would describe the feeling of reading it to be “calming.” It is very unlike the North American or Scandinavian crime fiction genre.
I’ve never been to Botswana, but I felt like I had taken a mini-holiday there by the end of the book. And you get an insight into the people and their culture than you would never get as a tourist—a sense of how completely different their approach to life is.
Just took a look and have realized that there are seventeen books so far in this series. I have friends who adore them and I can see why they do. I felt that No. 1 was quite well written and I liked Precious Ramotswe very much as a main character. I love the kindness and the gentleness that contrasts with the situations when she gets tough.
This was a selection for my real-life book club and is also a recommendation by Book Riot (their African authors reading list). I’m very glad to have read it and eventually I may get around to further books in the series. For now, I am off to other things. So many books, so little time.
I’ve never been to Botswana, but I felt like I had taken a mini-holiday there by the end of the book. And you get an insight into the people and their culture than you would never get as a tourist—a sense of how completely different their approach to life is.
Just took a look and have realized that there are seventeen books so far in this series. I have friends who adore them and I can see why they do. I felt that No. 1 was quite well written and I liked Precious Ramotswe very much as a main character. I love the kindness and the gentleness that contrasts with the situations when she gets tough.
This was a selection for my real-life book club and is also a recommendation by Book Riot (their African authors reading list). I’m very glad to have read it and eventually I may get around to further books in the series. For now, I am off to other things. So many books, so little time.
October 31, 2009
This collection of vignettes disguised as a novel was a great read. The main character is a gentle African woman who decides to be a detective to help other people. She is a delightful character, with light humor and a big heart. Agency isn't like any other detective novels...the characters are much more developed and the "mysteries" aren't the usual murders, whether cosy or hard-boiled. If you'd like a sweet trip to another culture, calmer and gnetler than ours, this is a book for you.
March 24, 2018
Just wonderful! I wish I could meet the heroine in real life.
I see that many readers shelved this book under mysteries. I would say if you picked this book expecting a crime/mystery genre, you would be disappointed. Yes, the heroine solves mysteries as part of her business of being a private detective. But the mysteries are very small part of the story and they are not why I loved the book.
What really is wonderful is how these detective stories turn into little pieces full of fascinating descriptions of Botswana, insights into culture in all its myriad forms stitched together by a deceptively simplistic language into a big and colorful quilt. A quilt that represent a heartfelt love of the country. It's one of those books that you read for the journey, not the destination.
And at the heart of it all is our wonderful heroine, Mma Ramotswe, the first lady detective in Botswana.
After her beloved father death, Mma Ramotswe used her small inheritance to open a business, “the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”. It wasn’t easy at the beginning as she battles chauvinism, sometimes works for free for a good friend, and gradually develops a solid name for herself. Her native good sense leads her to creative ways of solving cases involving insurance fraud, wayward teenagers, and cheating husbands. But, as I mentioned, there is so much more to the story than just retelling the cases.
I love Mma Ramotswe. In a culture where female dependence is embedded in history, Mma acts with extraordinary strength and courage. Her determination to overcome adversities in life both personal as well as societal earned her admiration and respect from many even from some men who wanted to dismiss her in the first place.
There was a funny scene when the heroine went to a lawyer about opening her business:
This was a selection for my book club. I’m very glad to discover such a wonderful gem.
I see that many readers shelved this book under mysteries. I would say if you picked this book expecting a crime/mystery genre, you would be disappointed. Yes, the heroine solves mysteries as part of her business of being a private detective. But the mysteries are very small part of the story and they are not why I loved the book.
What really is wonderful is how these detective stories turn into little pieces full of fascinating descriptions of Botswana, insights into culture in all its myriad forms stitched together by a deceptively simplistic language into a big and colorful quilt. A quilt that represent a heartfelt love of the country. It's one of those books that you read for the journey, not the destination.
And at the heart of it all is our wonderful heroine, Mma Ramotswe, the first lady detective in Botswana.
After her beloved father death, Mma Ramotswe used her small inheritance to open a business, “the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”. It wasn’t easy at the beginning as she battles chauvinism, sometimes works for free for a good friend, and gradually develops a solid name for herself. Her native good sense leads her to creative ways of solving cases involving insurance fraud, wayward teenagers, and cheating husbands. But, as I mentioned, there is so much more to the story than just retelling the cases.
I love Mma Ramotswe. In a culture where female dependence is embedded in history, Mma acts with extraordinary strength and courage. Her determination to overcome adversities in life both personal as well as societal earned her admiration and respect from many even from some men who wanted to dismiss her in the first place.
There was a funny scene when the heroine went to a lawyer about opening her business:
The lawyer winced as she spoke. “It’s easy to lose money in business,” he said. “Especially when you don’t know anything about what you’re doing.” He stared at her hard. “Especially then. And anyway, can women be detectives? Do you think they can?”
“Why not?” said Mma Ramotswe. She had heard that people did not like lawyers, and now she thought she could see why. This man was so certain of himself, so utterly convinced. What had it to do with him what she did? It was her money, her future. And how dare he say that about women, when he didn’t even know that his zip was half undone! Should she tell him?
“Women are the ones who know what’s going on,” she said quietly. “They are the ones with eyes. Have you not heard of Agatha Christie?”
The lawyer looked taken aback. “Agatha Christie? Of course, I know her. Yes, that is true. A woman sees more than a man sees. That is well-known.”
“So,” said Mma Ramotswe, “when people see a sign saying NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY, what will they think? They’ll think those ladies will know what’s going on. They’re the ones.”
The lawyer stroked his chin. “Maybe.”
“Yes,” said Mma Ramotswe. “Maybe.” Adding, “Your zip, Rra. I think you may not have noticed …”
This was a selection for my book club. I’m very glad to discover such a wonderful gem.
December 24, 2020
Upon the death of her beloved father, Precious Ramotswe sold the cattle he'd left to her and opened a private detective agency. She had no education in the field; no experience, no mentor. What she did possess was an active intellect, knowledge of human behavior, and a heart filled with the desire to help her brothers and sisters solve the mysteries of their lives. As hers is a small town in Botswana, that just might prove to be enough.
Alexander McCall Smith takes his reader through this bold decision and the stutter-step start of its implementation in the first of what will prove to be a long series of mystery novels set in post-Mandela Africa. Here we find "Mma Ramotswe" setting up her business and accepting initial (tentative) requests for assistance from a community inclined to test this avenue of problem-solving. It is through the tackling of these cases that the character of this woman is revealed, along with a bit of the life history she uses to direct her course of action. A simple and rather elegant solution to the introduction of a protagonist - and the good news is it works.
I was quite taken with the steady pace of these inaugural investigations. Each small matter served, in interesting ways, to build investment in both the detective agency and this literary enterprise. Precious emerges as a strong and righteous individual, forged by her own painful past and the faith she has in the spirit of her people and her country. These inquiries might have been mundane had they a less substantial heroine to pursue them. That they did not is no doubt the key to the popularity of these novels.
That and, it must be said, the wonderous ease of the reading.
Alexander McCall Smith takes his reader through this bold decision and the stutter-step start of its implementation in the first of what will prove to be a long series of mystery novels set in post-Mandela Africa. Here we find "Mma Ramotswe" setting up her business and accepting initial (tentative) requests for assistance from a community inclined to test this avenue of problem-solving. It is through the tackling of these cases that the character of this woman is revealed, along with a bit of the life history she uses to direct her course of action. A simple and rather elegant solution to the introduction of a protagonist - and the good news is it works.
I was quite taken with the steady pace of these inaugural investigations. Each small matter served, in interesting ways, to build investment in both the detective agency and this literary enterprise. Precious emerges as a strong and righteous individual, forged by her own painful past and the faith she has in the spirit of her people and her country. These inquiries might have been mundane had they a less substantial heroine to pursue them. That they did not is no doubt the key to the popularity of these novels.
That and, it must be said, the wonderous ease of the reading.
June 23, 2008
I put off reading this series for a long time until I found out that it wasn't a book for "ladies," but one to be enjoyed by readers of both sexes--and enjoy it I did.
In its simple and conversational manner, this book taught me a little bit about many things: Botswana, African culture in general, working in the diamond mines of South Africa, and human nature. Through the first-person account of Precious Ramotswe we are treated to an assortment of quirky detective stories that are intertwined with the ups and downs of her life. It is in various parts funny, interesting, and heartbreaking.
I especially like when the things that she experiences reveal truths about human nature and life in general:
"You can go through life and make new friends every year--every month practically--but there was never any substitute for those friendships of childhood that survive into the adult years. Those are the ones in which we are bound to one another with hoops of steal."
And there are often some short but profound observations that find their way into the middle of the cases she is trying to solve. Mma Ramotswe was in the middle of cracking a case and approached the house of a dangerous, child-abducting witch doctor and asked for a class of water:
"She turned around, almost guiltily, and stared. It was a large black beetle, a setotojane, with its horny neck, pushing at a minute trophy, some insect tht had died of thirst perhaps. Little disasters, little victories; like ours, she thought; when viewed from above we are no more than setotojane."
I try not to be too effusive with my praise and rate books four and five very often. I gave this a three, but that doesn't mean I don't think it is a worthy read. I definitely plan on reading more of the series; what endorsement can be better than that?
In its simple and conversational manner, this book taught me a little bit about many things: Botswana, African culture in general, working in the diamond mines of South Africa, and human nature. Through the first-person account of Precious Ramotswe we are treated to an assortment of quirky detective stories that are intertwined with the ups and downs of her life. It is in various parts funny, interesting, and heartbreaking.
I especially like when the things that she experiences reveal truths about human nature and life in general:
"You can go through life and make new friends every year--every month practically--but there was never any substitute for those friendships of childhood that survive into the adult years. Those are the ones in which we are bound to one another with hoops of steal."
And there are often some short but profound observations that find their way into the middle of the cases she is trying to solve. Mma Ramotswe was in the middle of cracking a case and approached the house of a dangerous, child-abducting witch doctor and asked for a class of water:
"She turned around, almost guiltily, and stared. It was a large black beetle, a setotojane, with its horny neck, pushing at a minute trophy, some insect tht had died of thirst perhaps. Little disasters, little victories; like ours, she thought; when viewed from above we are no more than setotojane."
I try not to be too effusive with my praise and rate books four and five very often. I gave this a three, but that doesn't mean I don't think it is a worthy read. I definitely plan on reading more of the series; what endorsement can be better than that?
March 30, 2017
I should have paid more attention to the reviewer who said that this is not a mystery. It's not. And that's what I was after. This is a collection of tales about people and their problems. The main character solves their problems in unconventional ways, and so maintains a private detective agency.
It is told in simplistic language, distancing me from the stories, which are rambling and random. There is little cohesion to the plot. It's a more realistic ebb and flow of lives that cross each other once and probably won't again. There are some sad, heartwarming, and amusing stories, but I felt like I was listening to an old man recounting tales that mean more to him than to me.
So for me, this was just ok. Several times it peaked into slightly interesting, but mostly not. I don't intend to read more of the series, and now I'm going to go find myself a real mystery, which is what I wanted in the first place.
It is told in simplistic language, distancing me from the stories, which are rambling and random. There is little cohesion to the plot. It's a more realistic ebb and flow of lives that cross each other once and probably won't again. There are some sad, heartwarming, and amusing stories, but I felt like I was listening to an old man recounting tales that mean more to him than to me.
So for me, this was just ok. Several times it peaked into slightly interesting, but mostly not. I don't intend to read more of the series, and now I'm going to go find myself a real mystery, which is what I wanted in the first place.
November 12, 2016
"Women are the ones who knows what's going on," she said quietly . "They are the ones with eyes. Have you not heard of Agatha Christie?"
I love Mma Ramotswe. She is funny, wonderful, brave, and unapologetically a feminist. Sure, she's made mistakes. Sure, she's done stupid things, but then again, that just gives her more character.
Detective agencies rely on human intuition and intelligence, both of which Mma Ramotswe had in abundance. No inventory would ever include those, of course.
I was born in Botswana; my parents lived there for about four years together, and my father had lived there for about six years before he got married. And so, for some reason, because I've heard so many stories about life and the people there, things in this book did not come as a culture shock to me. Even such things as finding a cobra in your car, because my father once found a black mamba in his. My parents regaled me with tales of what, according to them, was the nicest country in the world. They told me about the warm people of Botswana, with big hearts, about the easy life there, about the vegetable gardens, about the Kalahari. After all, people want to be left alone to look after their cattle.
And so, reading this book, in some ways was kind of nostalgic, I guess, even though I personally have no memory of anything. But Mma Ramotswe reminded me of every Motswana woman my parents ever told me about - the maid, the cook, the neighbour - large in body and heart, and always willing to help. Sure, the mysteries here aren't really the Sherlock Holmes kinds that we usually read, but smaller mysteries involving cheats and philanderers, and the occasional witchcraft. But then again, that is the point, because Botswana, at least the Botswana portrayed in the book, the Botswana of the by-gone eras, wasn't really much plagued by crimes like rape and murder as it was by crimes like petty theft and fraud. My parents, in fact, recall tales of having had their tyres and/or fuel stolen from their cars in the middle of the night. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is a warm, cosy story written beautifully. The language is simple, as are the characters, but sometimes, there is beauty in simplicity, and this book is an instance of that. Because sometimes, it's just best to admire the simple things in life. Like pumpkin. It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on. Pumpkin.
I was born in Botswana; my parents lived there for about four years together, and my father had lived there for about six years before he got married. And so, for some reason, because I've heard so many stories about life and the people there, things in this book did not come as a culture shock to me. Even such things as finding a cobra in your car, because my father once found a black mamba in his. My parents regaled me with tales of what, according to them, was the nicest country in the world. They told me about the warm people of Botswana, with big hearts, about the easy life there, about the vegetable gardens, about the Kalahari. After all, people want to be left alone to look after their cattle.
And so, reading this book, in some ways was kind of nostalgic, I guess, even though I personally have no memory of anything. But Mma Ramotswe reminded me of every Motswana woman my parents ever told me about - the maid, the cook, the neighbour - large in body and heart, and always willing to help. Sure, the mysteries here aren't really the Sherlock Holmes kinds that we usually read, but smaller mysteries involving cheats and philanderers, and the occasional witchcraft. But then again, that is the point, because Botswana, at least the Botswana portrayed in the book, the Botswana of the by-gone eras, wasn't really much plagued by crimes like rape and murder as it was by crimes like petty theft and fraud. My parents, in fact, recall tales of having had their tyres and/or fuel stolen from their cars in the middle of the night. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is a warm, cosy story written beautifully. The language is simple, as are the characters, but sometimes, there is beauty in simplicity, and this book is an instance of that. Because sometimes, it's just best to admire the simple things in life. Like pumpkin. It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on. Pumpkin.
May 30, 2019
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
This is my third time through AM Smith’s lovely launch of this series. I adore Mma Ramotswe, and Mma Makutsi and the entire cast of characters that appear throughout the 19 books that comprise (so far!) this enchanting group about Botswana and the further adventures of No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I enjoy the narrator of the audio format, Lesette Lecat, and look forward to each new book.
Precious Ramotswe is traditionally built, and here at the start of the series is not yet married – she has been in a nightmare marriage, and has other harrowing experiences, not the least of which is losing her father. This makes an orphan of her, this very well-loved daughter, and she needs to figure out what she is going to do for a living, and with her copy of The Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen clutched to her ample bosom, decides to open her agency for business. From there, the delights fall out page after page.
This is a delightful series – all kinds of issues have been tackled: infidelity, voodoo, witchcraft, overweening pride, country people v city people, to school or not to school, African traditions, religion, AIDS/HIV, men v women, orphans, displaced people set right, virtue, justice, death, depression, domestic violence, forgiveness/reconciliation, true friendship, revenge (worth it or not?) and so many others!
These are quick reads, and I like to read them in order because of the new people introduced, although I suspect that is just my OCD hanging out again. I’d bet a person can pick them up out of order, especially once they have ready the first one, and catch on sufficiently to hang on and enjoy the ride to the same degree my walk of order dictates.
Because they are re-readables, I give them 5 stars!
This is my third time through AM Smith’s lovely launch of this series. I adore Mma Ramotswe, and Mma Makutsi and the entire cast of characters that appear throughout the 19 books that comprise (so far!) this enchanting group about Botswana and the further adventures of No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I enjoy the narrator of the audio format, Lesette Lecat, and look forward to each new book.
Precious Ramotswe is traditionally built, and here at the start of the series is not yet married – she has been in a nightmare marriage, and has other harrowing experiences, not the least of which is losing her father. This makes an orphan of her, this very well-loved daughter, and she needs to figure out what she is going to do for a living, and with her copy of The Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen clutched to her ample bosom, decides to open her agency for business. From there, the delights fall out page after page.
This is a delightful series – all kinds of issues have been tackled: infidelity, voodoo, witchcraft, overweening pride, country people v city people, to school or not to school, African traditions, religion, AIDS/HIV, men v women, orphans, displaced people set right, virtue, justice, death, depression, domestic violence, forgiveness/reconciliation, true friendship, revenge (worth it or not?) and so many others!
These are quick reads, and I like to read them in order because of the new people introduced, although I suspect that is just my OCD hanging out again. I’d bet a person can pick them up out of order, especially once they have ready the first one, and catch on sufficiently to hang on and enjoy the ride to the same degree my walk of order dictates.
Because they are re-readables, I give them 5 stars!
July 27, 2023
***Third read***
4.5 stars. After pushing this series on those close to me countless times, I had given up. Then my husband, out of the blue, decided to try it, needing something light for his commute. So we are reading it together.
I now have a whole new appreciation for this first of the series, which wasn’t my favorite. He noticed things I didn’t, amplified the humor by adding his own, I could go on. Long story short, I loved this book so much more than ever, this time. He is going to alternate this series with Sue Grafton’s alphabet mysteries (both series have great audiobook narrators), but hopefully we’ll be reading the second book, Tears of the Giraffe: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel, soon. Really looking forward to it 😀❤️
What a wonderful series and author. I can not recommend this series or this author’s work highly enough. If you need a laugh or a comfort read, or even some wisdom and a cultural boost, you can’t go wrong with this series.
***Second read***
Wow, so this series definitely holds up to a reread. Now that I've read to the end in terms of books published to date (more to come 11/17!), I decided to reread it.
Why? Because nothing comes close, for me, in terms of a comfort read with soul, wisdom, great characters I've come to love and appreciate, and a beautifully alive setting in Botswana.
I wish I could convince everyone to try this series out. ***For readers who have tried the first and didn't move on, please try the second, Tears of the Giraffe, before abandoning it. The first book has a fair amount of backstory for both the main character and her father. It goes on with what feels like a collection of unrelated cases for the m/c to solve, leaving the reader a little adrift, at times.
The rest of the books don't have that disjointed feeling. There is usually one major case and sometimes one or two others that sit off to the side and are mentioned briefly. As the series progresses, more time is spent fleshing out the characters, and we read as much to see what's going on with them as we do to hear about Mma Ramotswe's latest case. They feel more like novels than a novella wrapped around a series of short stories, as this one does.
I promise, this series gets better as it goes. How many series with 17 volumes can you say that about?
The audiobooks are all narrated, expertly, by Lisette LeCat. She does an amazing job and I can't think of one way she could improve. Six stars for every audio performance across the board.
Please give this book and the second one a try, particularly if you're looking for a comfort read that is never sweet or cutesy, written by a humble gentleman with a heart of gold. Lots of humor, you will come to love the characters, and as the pages turn, you'll feel like you're drifting in a boat on a still lake, with the sun gently shining and nowhere else to be. Just perfect!
They say this series is author Alexander McCall Smith's love letter to Botswana. A quote to illustrate this:
***Original review from 2010 1st read***
4.5 stars. This is exactly what I was looking for. A sweet, wise, wonderful book - and even better that it's the first of a series. Great audio performance as well. I really can't believe this is written by a man. The voice is so pure. I just loved it, and I'll be reading Tears of a Giraffe later on this week, with any luck. Thx to Jeane, Fiona, Jon and I'm sure there are others for pushing this on me multiple times until I finally gave in!
4.5 stars. After pushing this series on those close to me countless times, I had given up. Then my husband, out of the blue, decided to try it, needing something light for his commute. So we are reading it together.
I now have a whole new appreciation for this first of the series, which wasn’t my favorite. He noticed things I didn’t, amplified the humor by adding his own, I could go on. Long story short, I loved this book so much more than ever, this time. He is going to alternate this series with Sue Grafton’s alphabet mysteries (both series have great audiobook narrators), but hopefully we’ll be reading the second book, Tears of the Giraffe: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel, soon. Really looking forward to it 😀❤️
What a wonderful series and author. I can not recommend this series or this author’s work highly enough. If you need a laugh or a comfort read, or even some wisdom and a cultural boost, you can’t go wrong with this series.
***Second read***
Wow, so this series definitely holds up to a reread. Now that I've read to the end in terms of books published to date (more to come 11/17!), I decided to reread it.
Why? Because nothing comes close, for me, in terms of a comfort read with soul, wisdom, great characters I've come to love and appreciate, and a beautifully alive setting in Botswana.
I wish I could convince everyone to try this series out. ***For readers who have tried the first and didn't move on, please try the second, Tears of the Giraffe, before abandoning it. The first book has a fair amount of backstory for both the main character and her father. It goes on with what feels like a collection of unrelated cases for the m/c to solve, leaving the reader a little adrift, at times.
The rest of the books don't have that disjointed feeling. There is usually one major case and sometimes one or two others that sit off to the side and are mentioned briefly. As the series progresses, more time is spent fleshing out the characters, and we read as much to see what's going on with them as we do to hear about Mma Ramotswe's latest case. They feel more like novels than a novella wrapped around a series of short stories, as this one does.
I promise, this series gets better as it goes. How many series with 17 volumes can you say that about?
The audiobooks are all narrated, expertly, by Lisette LeCat. She does an amazing job and I can't think of one way she could improve. Six stars for every audio performance across the board.
Please give this book and the second one a try, particularly if you're looking for a comfort read that is never sweet or cutesy, written by a humble gentleman with a heart of gold. Lots of humor, you will come to love the characters, and as the pages turn, you'll feel like you're drifting in a boat on a still lake, with the sun gently shining and nowhere else to be. Just perfect!
They say this series is author Alexander McCall Smith's love letter to Botswana. A quote to illustrate this:
"He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him--mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken, the smell of sweet cattle breath, the white sky across the endless, endless bush, and the giraffe that cried, giving its tears for women to daub on their baskets;
O Botswana, my country, my place."
***Original review from 2010 1st read***
4.5 stars. This is exactly what I was looking for. A sweet, wise, wonderful book - and even better that it's the first of a series. Great audio performance as well. I really can't believe this is written by a man. The voice is so pure. I just loved it, and I'll be reading Tears of a Giraffe later on this week, with any luck. Thx to Jeane, Fiona, Jon and I'm sure there are others for pushing this on me multiple times until I finally gave in!
May 2, 2020
Want to take a trip to Africa for a price you can't refuse? It's free! Just borrow this audiobook from your local library. Precious Ramotswe comes to life through the expert narration of Lisette Lecat. As soon as I started listening I knew that the audiobook was the perfect choice. Ms. Lecat helps the reader to do a deep dive into the culture of Botswana and surrounding areas. The life of MMa Ramotswe lends structure to the 22 chapters about her life and activities as a lady detective. Now I am wondering why I waited to so long to dip into this outstanding series. I also need to check out the television adaptation.
May 29, 2013
I listened to this book on CD! The woman reading it is awesome! And the African Music in the background sets the scene perfectly! This is the perfect, lighthearted book to listen to in the car. I drove around daydreaming that I was driving through the Kalihari! Loved it!
March 27, 2009
Pleasant and somewhat interesting, but not compelling.
It's my impression that mystery novels are part puzzle and part vehicle for depicting a cross-section of life in some locale. The puzzle part in No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency was never very elaborate. Most mysteries arose and resolved in the span of one chapter. In fact it seemed like the point was to showcase Precious' subtle knack for zeroing in and keeping things from being more complex than they need to be. Precious and her approach to sleuthing were charming and pleasant, but not page-turning for me.
The slice of life aspect was interesting because I know almost nothing about Botswana. I got a sense of the landscape, the pace of life, the economy, and the culture.
I might pick up another book in this series one day, but I'm not making it a priority right now.
It's my impression that mystery novels are part puzzle and part vehicle for depicting a cross-section of life in some locale. The puzzle part in No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency was never very elaborate. Most mysteries arose and resolved in the span of one chapter. In fact it seemed like the point was to showcase Precious' subtle knack for zeroing in and keeping things from being more complex than they need to be. Precious and her approach to sleuthing were charming and pleasant, but not page-turning for me.
The slice of life aspect was interesting because I know almost nothing about Botswana. I got a sense of the landscape, the pace of life, the economy, and the culture.
I might pick up another book in this series one day, but I'm not making it a priority right now.
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