The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (2004)

By Alexander McCall Smith
The adventures of Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s only female private eye, are something of a literary phenomenon at the moment, from what I understand. There are at least four in this series so far, and I’m sure there will be more. The book describes the adventures of Mme Ramotswe, a smart, large woman who opens up her detective agency after her father dies. (Her father recommended that she buy her own business, but a detective agency was not what he had in mind).

I liked this book, although it’s not going on my list of all-time favourites. I will certainly keep the others in the series in mind for my next holiday or MS Readathon, whichever comes first. This is a gentle book, despite dealing with some fairly serious issues, not the dark, gritty kind of detective novel. Or even the smart, sassy kind of detective novel. Or the suave, world-weary kind of detective novel. Anyway, you get idea. Give Mme Ramotswe a go.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10