The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #1) in Around the World

Dec 06, 2011 Pragya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, around-the-world

I have been to Botswana and back, with this book. Refreshing mystery tales, almost like short stories in themselves. I took an instant liking to the character of Mma Ramotswe, self-made, determined woman who opens up a ladies detective agency which was unheard of in that town. With her intuition and thinking abilities, she solves one case after another with ease. The book takes you in from the very start with a case to solve. Though I did not like the change from the case to learning about the l I have been to Botswana and back, with this book. Refreshing mystery tales, almost like short stories in themselves. I took an instant liking to the character of Mma Ramotswe, self-made, determined woman who opens up a ladies detective agency which was unheard of in that town. With her intuition and thinking abilities, she solves one case after another with ease. The book takes you in from the very start with a case to solve. Though I did not like the change from the case to learning about the life of Precious's father and her childhood, I realized that it is important for the building up of a character and took it in my stride. Later, this proved to be beneficial. I have always enjoyed mysteries, especially those where I get to think with the detective and give my mind a jog to solve it. I ended up doing that a lot with this book.

(view spoiler)

I loved to solve mysteries and be a detective since childhood, whenever something disappeared from our home, I would be the one to find it. The only case where it wasn't found was when I was the one who had hidden it in the first place. ;)

A lovely, short book that finished even before you realize it since you are so engrossed solving the mysteries.

I also picked up some great quotes from the book-

“It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That gave you a reason for going on. Pumpkin.”

'I am just a tiny person in Africa, but there is a place for me, and for everybody, to sit down on this earth and touch it and call it their own.'

'You can go through life and make new friends every year-every month practically-but there was never any substitute for those friendships of childhood that survive into adult years. Those are the ones in which we are bound to one another with hoops of steel.'

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Dec 11, 2012 Rusalka rated it really liked it

Shelves: around-the-world, mystery, original-52-books-around-the-world, mudder, africa, ylto-alphabet

I remember first hearing about this series when my step-father asked for it one Christmas. I was slightly bemused being young and judgmental. But then the hype and acclaim got louder and louder. And I knew I was being silly.

But I have still left it until now to read about Precious Ramotswe and her detective agency. I am actually glad this challenge kicked me up the butt to read this book. Did I think it was as amazing as all the reviews have told me for the last 10 years? No. Was it a fun read? I remember first hearing about this series when my step-father asked for it one Christmas. I was slightly bemused being young and judgmental. But then the hype and acclaim got louder and louder. And I knew I was being silly.

But I have still left it until now to read about Precious Ramotswe and her detective agency. I am actually glad this challenge kicked me up the butt to read this book. Did I think it was as amazing as all the reviews have told me for the last 10 years? No. Was it a fun read? Yes. I did feel it was a little tainted with the overhype, but that is not the book's problem.

What actually impressed me about the book was two things. One was the sense of place. Alexander McCall Smith has an amazing way of describing the landscape and the surrounds that you actually feel like you are there. I saw an interview with him and he was just so in love with the landscape of Zimbabwe (where he grew up) and Botswana, and that makes complete sense as it it comes across in his writing. It was like the country and the environment was a character in the story. As someone who comes from a very ragged country herself, it was lovely to have that kind of environment talked about in a book. None of this Thomas the Tank Engine style of manicured landscape, this was real.

Secondly, there is no doubt this book is a cozy. However, there are so many topics and taboos that are talked about in this medium that don't usually fit. It was refreshing. Cozies have a tendency to be so clean and sanitised. None of that horrible life stuff (besides murder of course). But this one talks about rape, witchcraft, domestic violence, sacrificial killings, etc. It was an interesting mix. And yet a very safe way to raise these issues. I was impressed with the sensitivity to the audience, yet the lack of glossing over the truth.

Did I completely fall in love with it? No. Will I go back for a second helping? Yes. I need to see how it develops. I probably won't stick around for the whole 14 books, but I have a bit more time in me for Precious and her agency in the meantime.

For more reviews visit http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/ ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Christine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: wheel-a-thon-2015, read-in-2015, library-books, africa, z-200-to-299-pages, library-7, country-botswana

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a fast read too.

Precious is such a funny and courageous lady. Although the cases she solves sound rather trivial at times to one's ears I had fun, the way she goes about solving them is her own. She owns her business in more than one sense.

I had never read a mystery taking place in Botswana before. I love to read about different places and the people and their lives.

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Oct 27, 2013 Emma rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, around-the-world-in-52-books-readin, read-in-2013

I enjoy good vibrant, suspenseful mysteries.
As I had not yet read any by the famous Alexander McCall Smith,
and felt a bit ashamed about it,
I decided to remedy the situation a few months ago,
and finally set to read this popular book.

Mma Ramotswe is the only lady private detective in Botswana.
She set up her agency with money from her dad’s big cattle sale, when he died.
After telling us about her dad and her own education,
the author invites us to follow the detective in cases for her first clients. ...more

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