The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (13) [Hardcover]

Alexander McCall Smith (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 3, 2012 | Series: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 13)

THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY - Book 13

Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the basis of the HBO TV show, and its proprietor Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective.  In this charming series, Mma  Ramotswe navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, and good humor—not to mention help from her loyal assistant, Grace Makutsi, and the occasional cup of tea.
 
Precious Ramotswe is haunted by a repeated dream: a vision of a tall, strange man who waits for her beneath an acacia tree. Odd as this is, she’s far too busy to worry about it. The best apprentice at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors is in trouble with the law and stuck with the worst lawyer in Gaborone. Grace Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti are building the house of their dreams, but their builder is not completely on the up and up. And, most shockingly, Mma Potokwane, defender of Botswana’s weak and downtrodden, has been dismissed from her post as matron at the orphan farm. Can the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency help restore the beloved matron to her rightful position?
 
As wealthy and powerful influences at the orphan farm become allied against their friend, help arrives from an unexpected visitor: the tall stranger from Mma Ramotswe’s dreams, who turns out to be none other than the estimable Clovis Andersen, author of the No. 1 Ladies’ prized manual, The Principles of Private Detection. Together, Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, and their teacher-turned-colleague help right this injustice and in the process discover something new about being a good detective.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection

“Part of the brilliance of this series (now in its thirteenth entry) is that what may seem like tiny cases expand into considerations of virtue, love, ambition, greed, and evil . . . McCall Smith’s novels are both very meditative and laugh-out-loud funny. If you’ve never read a No. 1 Ladies’, now’s the time.”
—Booklist (starred review)

Praise for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series

“Smart and sassy . . . with the power to amuse or shock or touch the heart, sometimes all at once.”
—Los Angeles Times
 
“Enthralling . . . Mma Ramotswe is someone readers can’t help but love.”
—USA Today
 
“A potent mix of charm and whimsy.”
—The Christian Science Monitor
 
“Endearing, amusing . . . sparkles with African sunshine and wit.”
—The Dallas Morning News
 
“McCall Smith makes the sublime look easy . . . [He] has few peers in capturing the quiet moments of people’s lives, and his empathetic lead has one of the biggest hearts in modern literature.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
“Charming and hilarious . . . Sweet and timeless.”
—The Seattle Times
 
“A cast of characters who seem like old and cherished friends.”
—St. Petersburg Times

About the Author

Alexander McCall Smith is also the author of the Isabel Dalhousie series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, the 44 Scotland Street series, and the Corduroy Mansions series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh and has served with many national and international organizations concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon; 1st Us Edition edition (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307378403
• ISBN-13: 978-0307378408
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (253 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British > Humor & Satire

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

132 of 138 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Small tweaks on a proven formula make for a pleasing addition to the series March 12, 2012

By Julia Flyte TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

Take a slow, deep breath, curl up in your favorite chair with a hot drink and prepare to enjoy another satisfying meal of literary comfort food. The latest instalment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series may not win any new converts, but it will most definitely not disappoint its fans. All the familiar characters are back and their stories are woven in with little musings on subjects like always doing your best or the value of taking time out just to sit, gaze upon static things and be calm.

Ever since Mma Ramotswe embarked on her career as a private detective, her "bible" has been Clovis Anderson's book about the principles of private detection. She is thrilled to discover that he is visiting Botswana. They become friends, but it is apparent that Clovis is troubled by something. It's quite endearing to read her gushing praise of him, her assumption that he is internationally renowned, while he is clearly nothing of the sort. However they do work together on a case, which makes a refreshing change in formula.

Mma Ramotswe's case is very dear to her heart. Her friend Mma Potokwani, wants her to check the motivations of a member of the orphan farm board. As the conflict between Mma Potokwani and her foe escalates, Clovis and Mma Ramotswe will need to combine their talents to get to the bottom of the affair.

Meanwhile, Fanwell (one of the Speedy Motors apprentices) is getting himself into hot water. A favor for an old acquaintance has lead into illegal territory. And Mma Makutsi's new husband has decided to build them a new home. However the builder whom he has chosen is not particularly interested in Phuti's input and is even less interested in anything that Mma Makutsi has to say.... It also appears that one of his builders is wary of Phuti - but why?

If you love this series - as I do - you are bound to enjoy this addition to it. Read more ›

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucky #13 April 7, 2012

By David Field VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I've always enjoyed Alexander McCall Smith in just about everyone of the books he's written, including the other series; but the crowning achievement is the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. McCall Smith has kept this series going through thirteen titles, and I'm surprised that no-one has written a review saying that this volume is not up to standard, as they did in previous Ladies' Detective" books.

In my less-than-humble opinion this book shows the same plotting skills as the previous dozen, plus I was constantly impressed by the quality of McCall Smith's writing. Some little turn of phrase begins to be something delightful, and this happens throughout the book. All the usual crew is here, doing the usual things, except for one of Mr. J.L.B Matekoni's apprentices - and it's not Charlie, for once, but the now ex-apprentice Fanwell who falls foul of the law.

One smart move by McCall Smith is to have a cast of characters who are so enjoyable we don't want anything bad to happen to them. We want those in trouble to come out on top, and we want Mme Ramotswe to uncover the truth and help out her clients, and in this book it's Mma Potokwane, the matron of the orphans farm, who is facing dismissal from her job. Add to this Phuti Radiphuti and his new bride, Grace Maskutsi are having a house built by a contractor who isn't quite following the rules. I raced through the book, hoping that all would come out well in the end.

One development that I thought McCall Smith would have trouble with was the arrival of Clovis Andersen, whose book The Principle of Private Detection has been the guide for the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency since day one.... Yet somehow McCall Smith handles this brilliantly, with Andersen playing a largely supportive role and not taking over the entire book. And there's hours of hilarity awaiting you with a description of "Gaborone's Worst Lawyer" fouling up royally in court.

There is in fact plenty of humor in this book, more than usual but it doesn't intrude. My favorite moment was on page one, where Precious Ramotswe considers the effect of a spray that cured an uncomfortable conscience, and how it wouldn't work on the person who invented it, because he would have to consider the consequences of his action.

Even if you've never read a book in this series, this one will be understandable just like all the other ones, as McCall Smith ruminates on human nature. Nothing bad happens to the innocent, yet the personalities of the characters could lead to that. This isn't a Susie Sunshine story, even though it indulges feelings of comfort food.

So if you've ever had the slightest inclination to read one of the books in this series, just get any one of them and settle down for a comfortable few hours of reading. I can't believe that you'd come away with anything but a positive feel and the willingness to read every one of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Read more ›

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gold on the inside April 6, 2012

By Julia Dream

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book will not disappoint. McCall Smith reminds us through the lives of our beloved Motswana cast of the strength of human character. It is a comfort to have confirmed the goodness and decency in our fellows, to know that we can be flawed but wise, that we are not defined by our mistakes but are loved despite them. There are no surprises in the latest of volume of this wonderful series, unless it is that a series of books can be so consistently good.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Short on Words and Action May 11, 2012

By VLG

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have read most of what Alexander McCall Smith has written and the "No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series is my favorite of his works. I always look forward to a new release. "The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection" is a sweet look at the characters we have come to love in this series. Hoping not to reveal too much, I would say that the introduction of a "surprise" character gives one the feeling this may be the final book McCall writes about our Botswana friends. But the book is so very short, it could be a magazine article or short story. When I reached the end, I thought perhaps my Kindle had accidently jumped forward, skipping most of the story. And while one knows never to expect any grand action in Smith's books, there is no real action at all here, other than a few small situations that really do not require the expertise of our detectives to be resolved. This is just a pleasant update on the lives of the main characters. It is lovely, but still very disappointing, and certainly not worth the price. Has Smith joined the ranks of so many other prolific writers who finally get to the point that they begin to consider the number of books they produce more important than the quality? What he has here is excellent as far as it goes, but I feel as if he just does not have a full book.