Reading The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, my overwhelming feeling was how very Holmesian the book felt. Each chapter dealt with a different mystery (excepting the earliest chapters, which instead were Precious' back story.) However, the whole book was in chronological order and themes and techniques that occurred earlier would recur in later stories -- very evocative of Doyle's classic mystery works.

So the layout, was an initial draw for me. What kept me reading was the theme; most of the mysteries in this installation revolve around the relationships between women and men -- dating, affairs, familial relationships, etc. McCall Smith paints Precious as somewhat of a feminist (a "modern woman"), while contrasting her with the mores of the more traditional people in her town. At times, I felt that the narrative swung the other way -- depicting men as scoundrels and cheaters, which I felt was unnecessary.

Much has been made of McCall Smith's portrayal of Botswana, and this is where the book truly shines. I had no small amount of trepidation about reading a book with an African female protaganist written by a white man, but it turned out to be unfounded. McCall Smith depicts Botswana aptly, with no hint of Orientalism. It is clear from the outset that McCall Smith loves Subsaharan Africa, and his portrayal of such is fair, not veering into noble savages on one extreme, or war-torn, abject poverty on the other. In addition, McCall Smith takes care to show the reader Botswana itself, with the politics and history, rather than a generic "Africa" setting. This delicacy and honesty is what truly promotes the book from a three star rating to a four. ( )

What a treat. Precious Ramotswe's pluck, common sense and traditional build won me over instantly. ( )

"It was curious how some people had a highly developed sense of guilt, she thought, while others had none. Some people would agonize over minor slips or mistakes on their part, while others would be quite unmoved by their own gross acts of betrayal or dishonesty."

My reread of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency was quite enjoyable. I don't recall which year I initially read the book but I only recalled bits and pieces of the story. I think this 1st book in the series was a little rough around the edges and the detective events disjointed or too easily resolved, especially one dangerous situation. Otherwise, I really liked getting reacquainted with the characters all over again. ( )

A nice, light read. ( )

Mma Ramotswe, a tiny white van, detective stories. ( )