The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002).When I’m looking for a book to read at the end of a long day, this series fits the bill. McCall Smith’s books are comfort-reading through and through, with good people doing good things. Precious is good-hearted and optimistic, just the type of character I want to follow from adventure to adventure. Miss Marple is a cool observer of the worst of human nature. The New York Times Book Review called Precious “The Miss Marple of Botswana,” but I disagree. Like Lida, I find this series to be an antidote to the harsh, often cynical stories that dominate so much of the mystery world. Gentle is the word I’d use to describe the fabulous The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. But for those seeking a tale that takes its time to delicately unfold in a simple and straightforward manner, and in such a way that reveals the strengths and frailties of human nature, this book will be heartwarming. That's the reaction Mma Ramotswe gets from most of the people who learn of her occupation.until she slowly proves her worth.įor readers seeking action, fast talking, and gritty plots, this book will not deliver. When she informs him that she's setting up a detective agency, her father's eyes "opened wide and it seemed as if he was struggling to speak." He died before he could elaborate. For instance, on her father's deathbed, he tells Precious that she must start her own business he's provided plenty of money for her to do so. Humor pops up when least expected, and is easy to miss if the reader is not paying attention. What I loved about this book, and others in the series, is the smattering of wisdom sprinkled throughout, along with the kindness and generosity of the main character, Precious Ramotswe. She handles everything from unveiling imposters to finding missing husbands (that resolution was an interesting, unexpected outcome) to saving an abducted child.Īlthough the book is very simply written, there's surprising depth to each character as well as to the cases. The story contains a series of sub-plots involving the first female detective in Botswana and her creative ways of solving mystery after mystery. The author's great love for the country shines through the characters and the descriptions. What I liked about Alexander McCall Smith’s novel was being transported to a land I knew nothing about: Botswana. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is another book I hadn’t read in a long while, and I thought it was high time to see how it held up.
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