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The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
I have one suggestion don't even think of opening this book and putting it down. This one kept me reading...reading...etc. I'm reading so fast, I can't find enough mysteries! Gina
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Light-hearted reading. Very cute, very different cadence to the narrative. Enjoyed it. Not a strong plot, especially if you like page turners. This book meanders like a collection of short stories. America-bashing while glorifying Botswana. I guess readers have a love affair with Africa and I think that's why this book gained great reviews.There was a lot of male-bashing, but some good guys too, though expressed more subtly. The characters are entertaining, but again the plotlinein this book is dull. The novel is just barely worth reading for the pleasant local color, but as far as mystery fiction goes, I would rather reread Ellis Peters, Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters, or Cynthia Peale.The back cover led me to expect "the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is that of a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witch doctors." What?! Where?! The missing boy case was a teensy part of the book, and certainly did not tug at my heart strings at all. There was barely anything made of it at the end. I would have liked to see at least two of the stories to be tied together, or for some clue from another case to help solve the case of the boy's disappearance. Nothing like that is part of the book.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
First, I have to say that this is not a detective novel; at least, not in the traditional sense of having a murder take place at the end of the first chapter and then the rest of the book is spent by the detective solving the mystery. This is more of a novel with some snippets of mysteries thrown in for good measure. The writing style appears to be simple but as you read on, you realize that the prose is deceptively simple. There are layers beneath the surface that give an unexpected depth to the book. I find Precious Ramotswe, the "lady" of the Ladies' Detective Agency, to be an incredibly interesting character. She has suffered with a bad husband (now ex), the loss of a child, and the loss of a beloved father but is strong throughout and keeps her humanity intact. I cannot wait to read the further adventures.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
I just loved this book. It will quietly draw you in and take you to another world. I went to Botswana for a brief trip last year and fell in love with the country and I love reading McCall's descriptions and his own love for his country through Precious. This is not a book full of wild, bloody action, so if you're looking for that, you will be disappointed. Rather this is a wonderful escape from the harried world of the U.S., written with charm and love with characters that are fresh and that you wish you could meet in real life. I read the Tears of the Giraffe last week too and it was even better, introducing more wonderful characters.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
When Mma Romotwe's father dies leaving her his cattle to sell in order to open a business, she decides to go against recommendations of a butchery or some other regular business to open the first detective agency in her country. She feels it is her "duty to help [people] solve the mysteries in their lives" (2). A series of moral tales with a focus on honesty and doing the right thing range from the case where a doctor does difficult procedures one day and is completely incompetent the next, to wives who want to know if their husbands are cheating, to a woman who is unsure if the man who claims he is her father is really just using her. The best tale gives hope of the country progressing to allow women to use their intellectual potential and independence freely when an overprotective father hires Mma Romostwe to find out if his daughter has a boyfriend, but she relates and befriends the little girl, Nandira, who displays traits of Mma Romostwe herself. Woven throughout these smaller cases is a more sinister and bigger case involving the taboo witchcraft circles in Africa where young boys' bones are used for certain medicines. Mma Romotswe's intellect, which she learned early from hard work and simple things like counting trees, always prevails and her intuition ("the eyes allowed you to see right into a person, to penetrate their very essence" (5) ) proves correct. A beautiful and uplifting read, this unconventional detective novel is much more than solving a few mysteries. Also, while tackling everyone else's mysteries, Mma Romotswe still finds time to learn about, fight, and sometimes love both snakes and men as her private history of independence and love unfolds. At the end of the day, Mma Romotswe focuses on the little things: "you could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin" (81).
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
I selected this book essentially at random. I knew nothing about Alexander McCall Smith. I was pleasantly surprised to be totally delighted with the book. The characters are believable and sympathetic, the plot is engaging, and the sense that we are being told the truth about place and culture is remarkable. When I read in last week's Economist magazine about Smith and how the series has sold over 5 million copies, I was not surprised. He deserves the success for giving us such a positive, rewarding reading experience.