The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Today Show Book Club #8)

Rating:
Summary: NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY. YOUR SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Review: The Republic of Botswana is located in Southern Africa, nestled between South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The largest exporter of gemstone diamonds in the world, Botswana is democratically ruled and has some of Africa's last great wildernesses including the famous Okavango Swamps and the Kalahari desert. The country's latest claim to fame is "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" whose owner, and our protagonist, Precious Ramotswe, is its only female detective - perhaps the only one in all of Africa - thus the agency's name.

The delightfully cunning Mma. Ramotswe inherited a herd of cattle from her beloved father. She then sold the cattle and used the money to start her agency in Gaborone. Uncertain of her success as a female entrepreneurial sleuth, she was met with skepticism from all sides. "Can women be detectives?" asked the bank's lawyer. Her only capital assets are a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, an old typewriter, a teapot, and three teacups. Oh! And she owns the sign outside her office, which reads, "THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY. FOR ALL CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS AND ENQUIRIES. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED FOR ALL PARTIES. UNDER PERSONAL MANAGEMENT."

Precious Ramotswe, however, does have the "Right Stuff." Her most valuable assets are intangible, but I'd take them to the bank any day. She is extremely intelligent, with outstanding intuitive capabilities (that sounds professional!). Possessing a keen perception of the human character, along with perseverance, and a strong set of values, she inspires trust in most all who meet her. She is also good woman with a kind heart. Most inspiring is her deep and abiding love for Africa, and for Botswana and its people in particular. "They are my people, my brothers and sisters. It is my duty to help them to solve the mysteries of their lives. That is what I am called to do."

This is not an ordinary crime novel/police procedural. Nor is it an edge-of-your-seat mystery thriller. Yes, Mma. Ramotswe is a private detective, but she manages to solve mysteries without the use of guns and violence, for the most part, preferring to use unorthodox solutions instead. Her cases may be small but they deal with issues important to people's lives, and some of them are extremely thought-provoking and emotional. A sinister event comes to her attention when a young boy goes missing. Mma. Romotswe will have to confront one of her country's most fearful traditions - the use of human bones to make powerful medicine.

The narrative is written simply, in a clear, uncluttered style. And our Number One Detective is a pure delight, as are the people she deals with, and their everyday problems which she helps them resolve. The details of Mma. Ramotswe's background, her life before she began detecting, are intense and absorbing. The novel is enchanting and I am captivated by Precious Ramotswe. "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" received two Booker Judges' Special Recommendations and was voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement. This is the first book in a series.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: Audio Version - Good story.
Review: I think my review is a little bit lower than average because I listened to this book on CD in the car. It was an entertaining story that gave you a little peek into the South African culture, but it was a bit slow - at least listening to it. I can imagine that if I had read the book the pace would have picked up dramatically.

Another point that you might not think of before getting an audio version is that this book is read by a female (since the story is told from a female perspective) from South Africa (or at least does a very good impression of a South African accent). At first I thought it was great - it added to the story, but after a while it felt like the accent was slowing the reading down a little bit and I found myself noticing the accent here and there (usually on audio versions I don't notice the voice very much after the beginning). So just be forewarned.

But overall, a good book with a good story. Not something I would read or listen to twice, but still good.

Rating:
Summary: Great read,
Review: This book is a great read and a great escape from the usual, predictable novel. This was a Christmas gift from a friend in Scotland and I thanked her for introducing me to a new author.

I have ordered the following 3 books and plan to savor them.

Rating:
Summary: Simple and Beautiful
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It was touching, warm and kept you interested in the fate of each character. Its a perfect Sunday afternoon read.

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming book
Review: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is the delightful first story of Precious Ramotswe, a single woman in Botswana who opens a detective agency and is immediately besieged with calls for help. Precious helps a woman to find her husband, shows another that a man is really just after her money, and tries to determine if someone has been the victim of witchdoctors. Precious is a likable character, and I think it is her warmth that makes the book work so well. She was once, at a much younger age, the victim of bad judgment herself, when she got married too quickly to the wrong man. Precious now has the attentions of a few men who aren't so sure she should stay single.

This is a fun, quick read - a delightful story.


Rating:
Summary: A glimpse at Southern Africa
Review: Many of us in the United States know very little about Africa. This book, the first in a multi-volume series by Smith, provides an insightful, thoughtful, and sensitive look at Botswana, its people and its lifestyle.

This book is fun and informative, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who wishes to enjoy a few hours a pleasant leisure. I just wish that there were similar books on Eastern Africa and Western Africa that provided the same enjoyment and insight into the wonderful continent of Africa.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Look at Botswana; Not Much Plot
Review: Like all of Alexander McCall Smith's books in this series, "The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency" captures the "feel" of life in Africa. So much of the printed material that Westerners come in contact with about countries in Africa has a negative or impersonal focus. The "No. 1 Ladie's Detective Agency" series gets beneath the politics and the news stories about "incidents" and poverty and disease to give a sense of the beguiling rhythm and charm and fullness of the daily lives of the ordinary people who make up much of Africa's population. McCall Smith captures all of that through stories that are fun to read and memorable in simple ways. His characters are universally recognizeable and at the same time, quintessentially African. He's a great storyteller.

Sherry Norman Sybesma
Author of "Two Weeks in a Land Rover, On Safari in Tanzania"

Rating:
Summary: Slow down, sit back, relax, and listen to a storyteller
Review: This is a sweet read.

If you sit back, relax and start reading - it feels as though the main character is telling you a story while you're both sitting on her porch in the heat of an African afternoon with all the time in the world.

You'll find yourself transported to a world away, where things move slower, gadgets are non-existent and the perspective refreshing. I love the way the author matches the tone and pace of the book perfectly to the main character and the setting.

A sweet, easy-going read about a time and place where values and character are the riches in life.