What a charming book! It had been on my to-read list for some time, and I regret that it took me so long to get to. Precious Ramotswe is a clever, plucky woman in her 30s who decides to open a detective agency -- the only such agency run by women -- in her native country of Botswana. Although business is initially slow, the locals soon warm up to the idea and Mma Ramotswe takes on cases ranging from missing husbands and stolen cars to false fathers and fraudulent doctors. Getting to know Mma Ramotswe is a hoot, as is meeting her friends and clients. Throughout it all, Botswana's beauty and charm subtly take center stage.

posted Feb 22, 2007 at 10:34AM

First in a series set in Botswana.

posted Feb 22, 2007 at 4:23PM

Thanks to Kim B for turning me on to more books in this series! They are terrific.

posted Sep 21, 2008 at 6:58PM

There are not many detective agencies in Botswana. There are even fewer ladies’ detective agencies in Botswana. In fact, there are none—until now. Using the funds from the sale of her beloved father’s cattle, middle-aged Mma Precious Ramotswe sets up the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in her small hometown of Gaborone. As the country’s only female private investigator, Mma Ramotswe is not entirely certain that her gamble will pay off. But sure enough, the clients come. Women want to know where their cheating husbands have strayed. Fathers want to know which boys their young daughters are dating. And there are more sinister crimes afoot too, as in the case of a missing little boy. But Mma Ramotswe handles them all in her own fashion. Armed with only a detecting manual, the example of mystery writer Agatha Christie, and her own more-than-competent intuition and understanding of her fellows, Mma Ramostwe tackles every case with humor and wisdom. Told in a series of vignettes that trace Mma Ramotswe’s history as well as her present casework, author Alexander McCall Smith paints a vivid portrait of Africa and the people who love to call it home. Cozy, gentle, and brimming over with true glimpses into the myriad workings of human nature, Mma Ramotswe and her little detective agency are a welcome addition to the otherwise hard-edged world of private eye fiction—and so popular that HBO has developed a No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency television show.

posted Sep 14, 2010 at 9:18AM

I would not have picked this book. So glad the librarian recommended it. Thx.

posted Feb 28, 2011 at 4:32PM

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