The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
With an abusive marriage behind her and an inheritance from her beloved daddy, Precious Ramotswe opens her business and becomes the first lady private detective in Botswana.
This series of books follows the adventures of the ‘traditionally built’ Mma Ramotswe as she proves her theory that “ women are the ones who know what’s going on “ and therefore make the best detectives. In solving her cases she is ably assisted by Grace Makutsi, distinguished graduate of the Botswana Secretarial College, and occasionally by Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni , proud husband to be and proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, not to mention the two lazy young mechanics.
Alexander McCall Smith has an amusing and deceptively simple style, approaching serious and sometimes dark issues with a light touch, through stories about the everyday lives of an enchanting set of characters and evocative of the Botswana landscape and culture.
I had the great pleasure a while back of hearing the author talk about his books. An eloquent and humorous man, he was prone to bursts of laughter throughout the interview, evidently enjoying the characters and stories of his creation as much as his audience. I was left wondering whether this is why his books are such a joy to read. I hope you enjoy them too.