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Wonderful from cover to cover. Gentle, evocative and memorable. I could just hug Mme Ramotswe!!
by
Mark Clemow
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and land... (show more)
This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors.
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. (show less)
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Reviews (See all 1,937) Write a reviewfor this
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I have only heard good things about this series, and perhaps it is my high expectations that let me down while reading this book. I enjoyed it, but... (show more)
I have only heard good things about this series, and perhaps it is my high expectations that let me down while reading this book. I enjoyed it, but am not sure how I feel about the character. A friend wanted to read these books as a book club, so I bought the first four. I am just starting number two, but am not sure if I will continue beyond that. I feel there could be a better physical description of the main character. The only physical description the author offers is that she is fat...over and over. Also, I feel that she is niave in many ways and judgmental in others. I like the stories of what she did for clients, but I felt that the book moved slowly and there wasn't a central plot. I thought the kidnapped boy would be the central plot, but in the end, I feel the author didn't develop that well enough or go into enough details about he aftermath. As I said, I went into this book with high expectations, and they were not met. I will read book two, and hope that the author continues to develop the character and has more of a central plot that ties the whole book together this time. (show less)
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This is a great series of books. Gentle, funny and yet with depth. but read them in order - it's really one long story.
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I was given this book to read for one of my classes in college. At first I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but as I kept reading I was swept up into the world of Mma Ramoteswe and her life in Botswana. With a perfect mix of background information and current mystery, you start to get involved with the many characters that revolve around Mma. The only problem I had was with the very end of the book. It seemed to lag a little bit in the last few chapters, and it felt as if I were trudg... (show more)
I was given this book to read for one of my classes in college. At first I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but as I kept reading I was swept up into the world of Mma Ramoteswe and her life in Botswana. With a perfect mix of background information and current mystery, you start to get involved with the many characters that revolve around Mma. The only problem I had was with the very end of the book. It seemed to lag a little bit in the last few chapters, and it felt as if I were trudging through murkey water while trying to read it. I wish it had the light skips and jumps that earlier chapters had. But of course by the end, Smith has gotten you to love the characters so much that when he writes the last line, he knows he has you hooked into purchasing the next book in the series. (show less)
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I don't read mysteries, but this was a great way to break into the genre. Quick read. The cases were delightful as was the main character Mma Ramotswe. Gave a nice balanced image of African culture in Botswana. I hate when authors pigeon hole the entire continent of Africa into one set of stereotypes; Smith was careful to show the differences across bordering countries on that magnificent continent. Will consider reading other books in this series. Pleasantly surprised.
Facebook User about 1 month ago -
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Did you see this?
It was on at 9pm today on BBC1. Slightly different from the book [lets face it, a lot different]
Mobs Sotomi about 1 year ago
but i really enjoyed it! Did any one see it???
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