Do you (or someone you know) love a great mystery? Check out “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency,” a unique mystery series set in Botswana. It’s worth exploring…
by Wendy Butzerin
Finding a good book can be challenging for many people. That said, once in a while you discover a great author and even find an entire series where you wait, filled with anticipation for each new book to be published. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith fits that description for myself and millions of people. These novels are international bestsellers in mystery and fiction. I’ve read all 25 books in the collection so far, and they are consistently delightful and full of comedy. They appeal to both men and women, and there is even a TV show based on this popular series.
Each book has a mystery to solve. However, many reviewers including myself are captured first by the colorful characters and the fascinating journey into life in Botswana, the setting for each book. The way of life depicted in the stories reveals a slower pace than many Americans are used to. I particularly enjoy the literary style the author uses to invite you into the comical musings and the train of thought of his characters as they stop and reflect on life as it unfolds around them. The books have great depth as well. A consistent serious theme in this work of fiction is the people grappling with modern ideas that sometimes conflict with the old ways.
Characters are carried on and developed throughout the stories, and each book builds upon the last. The first installment shares the same name as the title of the whole series: The No 1. Ladies Detective Agency. You will meet Precious Ramotswe, who is driven to help people solve their problems. She establishes the first detective agency in Botswana and is talented at unraveling mysteries, along with her ambitious sidekick Grace Makutsi. They are hired for several different cases, such as locating a missing husband, stopping a con man, and finding a boy who may have been snatched by witch doctors. Solutions to cases portray Ramotswe’s goodness and mercy, which is bestowed generously upon her relationships with clients, family, and friends. Author McCall Smith understands human nature well. He writes about marriage, family, and friendship which are beautifully described and honored throughout the book.
Alexander McCall Smith is a prolific writer. Other bestselling series by McCall Smith include the Scotland Street novels, the Isabel Dalhousie novels, the Von Igelfeld series, and the Corduroy Mansions series. He was a Professor of Medical Law, who later co-founded and taught in a law school in Botswana. This experience gave him first-hand knowledge of the country and a deep love for its people. Currently, he is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburgh Scotland.
Goodreads: No 1 Ladies Detective Agency
