The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

This whole series always makes me smile–Mma Ramotswe remains one of the most hilarious main characters in any cozy mystery I’ve ever read. The crimes she comes up against are usually low-key, usually secondary to the backdrop of Botswana, and often solved by accident as much as design.

Precious Ramotswe’s commentary on Botswanan life is simply brilliant, but almost even more amusing is her sidekick, Grace Makutsi, who bumbles through her role as secretary-promoted-to-assistant-detective, and the interaction between the characters never fails to give me laugh-out-loud moments.

This whole series has to be the most feel-good series ever, and now… show more.

From the first line of this charming novel, McCall Smith transported me to the outskirts of the Kalahari Desert to “traditionally built” Precious Ramotswe's detective agency in Gaborone, Botswana.

In the dusty shade of the thorny acacia tree, Mma Ramotswe contemplates the cases of her friends and neighbors, the viability of the only female-owned detective agency in the country, and the future of her beloved Botswana. I’m reminded of a more innocent time and a simpler place where heaven is full of beautiful white cattle.

At the same time, I’m struck by the stark cruelty of the setting–where unfaithful husbands… show more.

Some might consider this cheating, as Mma Ramotswe’s age is not obvious as the books progress, but after 23 adventures, I will count her tending toward middle if not old age.

If she is not, the gentle mannerisms and thoughtful concerns of her and her husband, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, definitely put the books into this category of wise and poignant characters.

There may still be a mystery to each book, but these stories offer marriage advice, friendship advice, life advice in as joyful and tranquil a way possible.

Male authors who try to write from the POV of women almost always fail. I want to shake them and ask why they don’t ask their mothers or wives or daughters for help.

Alexander McCall Smith is the only privileged white male I’ve read who actually succeeds. In The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, he takes us to the African country of Botswana to meet Precious Ramotswe, who inherited her late father’s cattle and sold the herd to set up her private detective agency.

Precious is the only female detective in the country, a woman with a traditionally-large African figure.… show more.

If you love a good cosy mystery and characters that unfold gently over time, this book is a must-read. Here, we meet Mma Precious Ramotswe, the only lady private detective in Botswana, as she solves the everyday mysteries of the people of Gabarone. 

The series centres around her and her particular approach to solving mysteries—through relaxed conversation over cups of tea. The surrounding cast of characters play a critical role in making the series shine. Seeing Botswana through Mma Ramotswe’s eyes is both honest and heart-warming. She recognises its beauty and strengths while acknowledging where her country still has the… show more.

This book made me fall in love with the southern African country of Botswana as well as with Mma Ramotswe, the intrepid lady who starts a company to help people solve their problems. Her advice isn’t conventional, but it works! If a client’s husband has stolen an expensive auto, why not steal it back and return it to the rightful owner? I’m told that Alexander McCall Smith accurately depicts much about Botswana; he also celebrates decency, courage, empathy, and good humor. Happily, there are many more books in the series. They’re addictive.

Okay, you might know this book series by Alexander McCall-Smith. Although I experienced Botswana differently, I must give him literary license when it comes dramatising life in this country. I like how he mixes facts about Botswana with his fictional stories and puts my country of choice (for a couple of years) on the map.

This is the first novel in a series and what I love about them all is that they show Africa in a positive light. The crimes our heroine, Precious Ramotswe, has to solve are whimsical rather than violent and show us all to be victims of the frailties of human nature rather than anything more sinister. I’m lucky enough to have travelled in Botswana and you can see a little bit of McCall Smiths characters in everyone you meet. I also love the way that he describes the richness of African everyday life, and the way he captures these moments… show more.

This is the first of the long and very successful series, featuring Precious Ramotswe, founder of the agency and a super cast of supporting characters, including Grace Makutsi, her vain but faithful assistant,  and Mr. JLB Matekoni, genius mechanic and later Precious’s husband. The little stock company of characters is one of the charms of the series, but it is the character of Mma Ramotswe that is unusual. Detectives are all out to solve their cases and catch the perpetrator, Precious, too. But her ultimate aim is always restoration of civility with forgiveness, restitution, a change in attitudes. Her tact… show more.

For a more gentle form of crime writing, away from the gore of many, this famous series is charming, witty, beautifully observed, sparingly written, but richly described. Precious Ramotswe and her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi detect. Wayward daughters. Missing Husbands. Philandering partners. Curious conmen. If you've got a problem, and no one else can help you, then pay a visit to Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's only - and finest - female private detective. Unconventional, relying less on the procedure and more on warmth, wit, and canny intuition - not to mention Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, the charming proprietor of Tlokweng… show more.