Vidya's review
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 1) by Alexander McCall Smith
I read the other reviews for this novel on Goodreads and it seems that most people agree that though it's not the fast-paced, nail-biting story that one would expect from a mystery/suspense novel, it is charming and quite readable.
Some highlights:
* Fascinating descriptions of wild, "untamed" Africa and the daily lives of the people of Botswana. Brings out the fondness the author has for what he considers his homeland.
* Mma (Precious) Ramotswe is delightful and quite endearing, but there are some actions and decisions of hers that I would question :-)
* Mma Ramotswe's town is a world of its own - every other person is her friend, her dad's friend, her uncle's friend, her neighbour/butcher/grocer/doctor or some other friendly neighbourhood guy. Sometimes it's cute, but at times it's not very realistic.
Half-way through the book it felt like I was reading a children's tale - simple, black-and-white characters, descriptive, and slightly didactic. But I was...more
Some highlights:
* Fascinating descriptions of wild, "untamed" Africa and the daily lives of the people of Botswana. Brings out the fondness the author has for what he considers his homeland.
* Mma (Precious) Ramotswe is delightful and quite endearing, but there are some actions and decisions of hers that I would question :-)
* Mma Ramotswe's town is a world of its own - every other person is her friend, her dad's friend, her uncle's friend, her neighbour/butcher/grocer/doctor or some other friendly neighbourhood guy. Sometimes it's cute, but at times it's not very realistic.
Half-way through the book it felt like I was reading a children's tale - simple, black-and-white characters, descriptive, and slightly didactic. But I was...more
