The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1): Smith, Alexander McCall: 9781400034772: Amazon.com: Books

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Alexander McCall Smith

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1)

by Alexander McCall Smith (Author)

4.3 6,467 ratings

Book 1 of 24: No 1. Ladies' Detective Agency

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe—with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi—navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, good humor, and the occasional cup of tea.

This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency received two Booker Judges’ Special Recommendations and was voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement.

Book 1 of 24

No 1. Ladies' Detective Agency
Print length

235 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Anchor
Publication date

February 6, 2003
Dimensions

5.16 x 0.74 x 7.96 inches
ISBN-10

9781400034772
ISBN-13

978-1400034772
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

6,467 global ratings

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Refreshing characters and plot

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2023

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Interesting start to a world not frequented by writers. The culture, the characters, and the creative talent of the author make this a delightful dip into Africa.

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2023

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I decided to finally read this one, and I'm super glad that I gave it a chance. This book was delightful! It's a very light read, and I like that the mysteries are interesting, but they aren't too heavy. The whole book is really light and cozy, and I love the ambiance of it! The characters are fun and memorable, too.

I highly recommend this book, and I will be reading others from the series in the future!

HUMOROUSLY BRILLIANT!!

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2020

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“Don’t disregard a hunch. Hunches are another form of knowledge.” —Alexander McCall Smith, No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

The ‘No 1 Ladies Detective Agency’ series is truly a love story of Africa! Book one is a heartfelt, emotional, humorous story about the adventures of Mma [Madam] Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. With the help of her associates and friends, Mma Ramotswe navigates her cases and personal life with a great deal of wisdom, creativity, and humor, not to mention an occasional cup of Bush tea. You’ll fall in love with this confident, stubborn, self assured, modern woman full of love for her country.

I find it most interesting that the author of this delightful series, Alexander “Sandy" McCall Smith (McCall-Smith being his surname), is male, especially since he has managed to brilliantly write a very strong feminine voice perspective, a voice that I would have expected more from a female author. McCall Smith, a British-Zimbabwean writer and Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, is internationally known as a writer of fiction. He is an excellent gifted writer and storyteller, and this book is both educational and humorous. His interesting characters definitely do not disappoint. There is a bit of a plot hole that went unanswered at the end of book one, involving the superstitions of black medicine, but perhaps this was on purpose, leading into future storylines in one of the series 19 books. It’s a great read, so enjoy!!

“Every man has a map in his heart of his own country and … the heart will never allow you to forget this map.” —Alexander McCall Smith, No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

“There is no difference between white men and black men; we are all the same; we are just people.” —Alexander McCall Smith, No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

“If we could go back and know then what we know now, … my goodness, I would live my life differently!” —Alexander McCall Smith, No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

“How sorry she felt for white people, … who were always dashing around and worrying themselves over things that were going to happen anyway. What use was it having all that money if you could never sit still?” —Alexander McCall Smith, No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

12 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2022

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The first book in the series is a bit uneven since the author hadn't planned a series at all and hadn't found the form yet. The foreword is very interesting and you should by the book just to read that even if you have already read an earlier edition of the book.

Mma Ramotswe, her friend the mechanic and her secretary are very interesting people for a white European as myself. The culture that the book conveys is warm and friendly and gives one hope in humanity. Several times I turned to other people in my vicinity and quoted the book. Sometimes I laughed out loud since the author describes things very witty.

3 people found this helpful

I Just Don't Understand

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014

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I just don't understand it. My wife loves Alexander McCall Smith's "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" (this specific book and the series, too). I look at the ratings here and fully half of them are five star. Most of the rest are good ratings. Yet, the highest I can rate this book is a Pretty Bad 2 stars out of 5. What am I missing? It's easy enough to say what I don't like about the book:

- First, the biggest issue is that there's no plot. The book consists of nothing but a series of almost completely unrelated vignettes or anecdotes that form a slice-of-life of the main character: Mma Precious Ramotswe (and that's definitely Mma (female honorific in Botswana), not Mme).

- Second, the most disappointing issue is that even though the title says "Detective Agency," there's really no mystery in the book. Those vignettes, above, are just short, easy cases that the protagonist solves in a straight-forward, even trivial, manner.

- Third, and most irritating, is the language. For some reason, McCall Smith has every character in the book speaking in a short, choppy, words-of-one-syllable form (almost a pidgin or baby-talk). Considering that the official language of Botswana is English (though Setswana is widely spoken) and that it has the second highest Human Development Index of continental Sub-Saharan African countries, I don't know why he does this. It makes me feel like I'm reading a children's book (and from the content, it definitely is not). I can't even lay the reason at the feet of Colonialism. From piecing various things together (a line about "30 years after" their independence in 1966 and the middle-aged (?) protagonist remembering the death of their first president (Seretse Khama) in 1980), it looks like most of the story takes place around 1996.

- And, finally, the characterizations are almost non-existent. The only person who gets fleshed-out is the protagonist, herself. Just about everyone else is a prop that speaks a few words to her to move things along.

As far as I can see, the only positive aspect to the book is the look into an African culture that we normally don't see. But, because McCall Smith has everyone speaking baby-talk when they really shouldn't be, I don't know how much credence I can give to his portrayal of that culture.

I have no idea what the draw is for this book and series. Nor can I give some rule that would allow a person to decide whether they'll like the book before trying it. So, all I can say is read the "Look Inside" excerpt that Amazon provides at the top of the product page. If you like that, give the book a try. Otherwise, forget it.

Here are the books currently in the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series:

1. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (1)
2. Tears of the Giraffe: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (2)
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (3) (Morality for Beautiful Girls (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency)
4. The Kalahari Typing School for Men: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (4)
5. The Full Cupboard of Life: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (5)
6. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (6)
7. Blue Shoes and Happiness: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (7)
8. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (8)
9. The Miracle at Speedy Motors: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (9) (A Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book for Young Readers)
10. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (10)
11. The Double Comfort Safari Club: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel
12. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (12)
13. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection: A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (13)
14. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (14)

23 people found this helpful

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Jacqueline

Awesome series of Books

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2023

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Slowly replacing a set that was stolen, worth it because the stories are diverse, interesting and empowering for women. Very descriptive so your imagination can just take over.

MaRei

bestens

Reviewed in Germany on August 3, 2023

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Lieferung und Buch bestens

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Lucy

Enjoyable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2023

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This was an easygoing, enjoyable read. There was an element of historical fiction which was woven into the story and I enjoyed learning little more about Botswana. There were some heavy moments but nothing too hard going (although may cause distress to some) but also moments of humour. I'll definitely look at reading others in the series in future.

2 people found this helpful

browse shop review

Certainly no defective detective!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2015

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'Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot of the Kgale Hill. These were its assets: a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter. There was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe - the only lady private detective in Botswana - brewed redbush tea. And three mugs - one for herself, one for her secretary, and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need?'

A few economically descriptive lines of introduction, and the scene is perfectly set...

As well as the perpetually endearing, big-hearted, and big-bodied Mma Precious Ramotswe herself. there is of course a whole host of deliciously appealing characters still waiting in the wings. There's the agency's formidable secretary, Mma Makutsi ('Miss ninety-seven per cent', though perhaps the character is a little under-used in this initial instalment); there's Dr Maketsi (a close friend from Mma Ramotswe's home village of Mochudi); there's Mr J L B Matekoni (the ever-helpful proprietor of 'Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors', hailing also from Mochudi, and so hopelessly in love with our very own lady detective); there's Note Mokoti (our lady detective's worthless first love); there's Charlie Gotso (Gaborone's premier local gangster); and last but not least, Obed Ramotswe - the beloved father whose passing made it possible for Botswana's only ladies' detective agency to exist, and who is never very far from Precious's thoughts.

The twenty-two chapters of this book don't really contain tales of detection in the purest sense of the word and shouldn't be approached with that expectation in mind. They are, instead, rather gentle - even whimsical - examinations of a place and a people so utterly captivating that you desperately hope that it does all exist just so, exactly as portrayed...even though a niggling doubt persists that it can't quite be true - can it...? For if this IS Botswana, then and now, and if these are its people - well, who wouldn't want to visit or even live there...? This is the fundamental joy of this novel: its depiction of time, place, and people - clad in such unalloyed appeal!

Some reviewers have criticised the style of prose adopted here by Alexander McCall Smith - that it lacks sophistication. Well, I suppose it does. But so what? I certainly wasn't expecting Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky - and I wouldn't want the contributions from either, in this context, because that simply wouldn't work; it wouldn't fit. Mr McCall Smith has resorted to a style, on the contrary, that works a treat because it perfectly sets the tone of place and personalities: the people and their country are (mostly) honest, candid, and uncomplicated - and surely, so must be the language and idiom that defines them, too!

To conclude:

I thoroughly enjoyed 'The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' and don't fully understand how anyone who reads it could fail to be beguiled by the citizens of Botswana and its capital, Gaborone - and in particular, by the exploits of the one very special resident who lives in the corner house on Zebra Drive. As far as introductory volumes go, it's a winner as far as I'm concerned...though stretching the entire series to a considerable 15 volumes does present something of a daunting challenge, at this moment in time, and perhaps does carry the faintest whiff of 'overkill' about it...

15 people found this helpful

Dev

Nice

Reviewed in India on April 28, 2023

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Awesome read

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