The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Set in Gaborone, Botswana, this is the first book in a series that introduces private investigator Precious Ramotswe. She uses her inheritance from her father to buy a house and setup a detective agency. Precious is a great character. She’s smart and likeable and it is easy to root for her to succeed. She is up against traditions and a patriarchal society. The plot entails several clients asking Ramotswe for help. Some are small jobs, easily solved, and others are more complex. One longer thread of the story involves a missing person, a witch doctor, and a wealthy businessman. It was a quick, fun read, and a nice break from some of the heavier books I have been reading lately.

In Gaborone, Botswana, Precious Ramotswe relies on her wit, attention to detail, and network of friends to recover stolen property, expose extra-marital affairs, and reveal secret identities. This light and airy mystery is the first in a series about Botswana’s original lady detective. Each chapter reads like a short story in which Mma Ramotswe tackles a new client’s dilemma with humorous, unorthodox investigative methods. McCall Smith’s writing style effectively transports readers to hot, dusty, slow-paced Africa, where an unmarried woman who is a detective is doubly odd. The protagonist is a delightful heroine, fiercely independent as a result of suffering several difficult losses in her adult life. Readers will appreciate her show more determination to prove herself as a professional sleuth, and smile as she resists the advances of Gaborone’s eligible bachelors. show less

I loved this book even though it was not the traditional mystery novel I was expecting. Rather than being about crime and detective work, this novel is more of a story about a woman detective (Mma Ramotswe), her family, and everyday happenings in Botswana. She does solve mysteries, however they aren't traditional mysteries for the reader to try and solve based on clues in the story (they are on the whole too easy to figure out for that), but rather they are opportunities to learn more about Mma Ramotswe and her views on life. This book is both funny and charming and I would recommend it as a kind of a lazy, relaxing, heart-warming read rather than a gripping mystery novel.

The first of a series about Precious Ramotswe, the Botswanan woman who sets up a detective agency. I'd read one of the later books first, which felt more like a mystery genre novel, and by comparison this one strikes me as aiming more at the literary genre, with more overt meditations on life in southern Africa. While it's written by a white man, it's written by a white Zimbabwean who's worked in Botswana, who is writing what he knows. What he's written is a loving portrait of Botswana, both the good side and the bad, framed through a woman who respects many of the old ways but thinks change can bring good.

The structure is a series of small cases interspersed with chapters looking at how Mma Ramotswe came to set up the detective agency show more with an inheritance from her father, and how her father came to have the money to leave to her. Some of the individual cases have serious consequences, but it's largely a gentle and subtly funny novel. It feels almost like a series of short stories within a frame story, although some of the story threads run through the length of the book. As such, it makes for easy reading, even though there's a lot of thoughtful social commentary worked into the narrative. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. show less

I have browsed many books by Alexander McCall Smith -- he appears to publish a new novel every fifteen minutes -- but only decided to finally read The Number One Ladies Detective Agency when I heard that the movie will soon be released. NEVER see the movie before reading the book. (Unless the books are in need of serious editing, of course. This is the Lord of the Rings exception.)

Anyway, welcome to Botswana, where wise lady Precious Ramotswe takes her inheritance and opens the titular agency. Why not? She's clever and discreet. Before long she is helping wives keep track of wayward husbands, bosses investigate employees with suspicious injuries, and (most important) finding a missing boy who may have been kidnapped by a so-called witch show more doctor.

This book is very, very laid-back, much like its protagonist. Mma Ramotswe -- and how does one pronounce that, by the way? -- is the physical embodiment of the word "sensible." She married a ad man once, and lost a child soon after, but she didn't let it wreck her life. And now her sensible streak makes her a successful businesswoman and a figure of adoration for several men who would like to marry her. She very gently turns them all down, and why not? She's quite sufficient unto herself.

I didn't learn much about Africa from this book, though it imparts a bit of the sensation of living there -- open space, continuity, the importance of family, the occasionally brutal weather. I can see why so many people have taken to devouring every series of novels put out by AMS...he tells good tales in a straightforward style, creating people and settings that invite a long and comfortable acquaintance. show less

I sooo wanted to like this book more than I did. I love the setting, I love the way the characters take care of one another, I love the love of their country, but the main character, Precious, was way too precious for me.

Not a single flaw, never a bad thought, never a step wrong, drove me a bit batty. And it was also a bit sappy.

Okay, granted, I’m a gal who likes noir, so I’m probably prejudiced about flawed heroes, but still….. Glad I read it, glad I’m done with it, and it’s off my virtual shelf.

I was a bit skeptical when I picked this book up. It's very different from what I typically read. But a friend said great things about this series, so when I saw it at a used book store, I picked it up. I finished reading it in four days.

It's an easy book - only about 250 pages. It's put together kind of like a bunch of short stories, but each of the stories relates to the others.

Some of the names are hard to pronounce. I'm not sure how African towns and names are supposed to be said, but I came up with my own pronunciations in my head and just rolled with it.

There isn't anything about this book I didn't like (unless you count the pronunciation thing, but that wasn't a biggie). The characters are charming, and I love the not-so-evident show more humor. The deal about the government made up of a bunch of constipated people made me laugh out loud! (What would these people accomplish? Nothing. They'd try to pass legislation and fail.)

Definitely worth reading, and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. Here's hoping the used book store in Singapore has it! show less