Book Information
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ISBN-13: 9781400034772 - ISBN-10: 1400034779 Publication Date: 2003 Pages: 256 |
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Book Reviews of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Bk 1)
145 Book Reviews submitted by our Members
sorted by voted most helpful
Elizabeth B. (
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love the way McCall Smith builds his primary characters in this series; they feel very real, and his details make it very easy to feel as if you, too, are seated with a mug of bush tea, brainstorming ways to drum up business. Highly recommended for those interested in mysteries and/or African culture.
7 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was a breath of fresh air. The author has succeeded in conveying the feeling of the culture, their pace of living and struggle to integrate its old-time values with the new technologies and influence of Western cultures. I found this book highly enjoyable and refreshing to the spirit.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
I have no idea how this series has gotten so popular. I enjoy a quick mindless read as well as the next person, but this book is beyond simplistic. However, I think it would be something that I may have liked in 6th grade. I think this should be categorized as "young adult" readers.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
A different kind of cozy mystery set in Botswana. Precious Ramotswe is a delightful detective.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
I just started this series because my parents got hooked. After one page I was too. I've read the second book and am starting on my third by this author. If you want to live in Africa for a couple days and get fascinated by the warmth and pride of "Precious" the No. 1 Lady detective of Botswana--this is a gift to yourself.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
the cover copy claims it to be "one of the best, most charming, honest, hilarious and life-affirming books to appear in years." personally, that was not my experience and, in fact, i put it aside in favor of the next book in my stack as i simply did not find it particularly engaging. it's a little too polly-ann-ish and, surprisingly, emotionally detached. definitely do not think you have any insight into any part of africa having read this book. but don't let me put you off -- others obviously enjoy this book very much.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the first of the series about Mma Ramotswe and her detective business. It is a marvelous book, the start of a wonderful series, which you will never forget. The characters jump from the page, nearly as true as in the flesh, and they develop from book to book. I highly recommend these stories to anyone!
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
There were some interesting and evocative passages about Africa, but I found the writing style too aggressively simplistic (reminiscent of Dick and Jane books, to be honest) and the mysteries so inconsequential that I don't remember them 20 minutes after finishing the novel. If I don't think of these as mysteries I might at some point pick up another, but probably not.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I enjoyed reading this first book out of the series. The writing is incredible and very well done-you can see all the characters and the environment that they are in. Very well done.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very charming book. A good relaxing read.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love all the Mma Ramotswe books. This is the first in the series. Highly recommend.
Heather M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
AMS is a fantastic author. I really enjoyed his Scotland Street series and this series has not left me disappointed. He has a way of transporting you to another place and creating very true characters. I recommend.
Cynthia L. R. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I read this book in a couple days and loved it. For lack of a better word, it is very charming. The heroine, Precious Ramotswe, opened a detective agency. She is clever and practical and "helps fix people's lives". It is really interesting reading how she solves the various cases that she is hired for. I loved reading about Africa, especially the country of Botswana where the book is set in. I even looked up information on the internet to learn more about the country, people and language. I am hooked now and want to read the entire series.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
As a read aloud to the family, there is challenging pronunciation but we love this series. I hope the HBO series comes back this year.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
After getting the groove of how to read this book, it envelopes you into the culture of Botswana. Easy read, and entertaining.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A Really great fun, quick read that actually is empowering to females and is even a great read for those who are active in the fat acceptance movement, meaning that the main character is fat and yet is not made into a joke! The writing isn't quite my style, i.e. very formulaic, like most detective works, so it took me a little longer to get what all the buzz is about, but I would definitely recommend it. I also found it very interesting to read a detective book that does not take place in the Western world, so not only was it an entertaining read, but it also was a little educational (for me, a person who lives in the States). HBO is currently doing a series based upon the books-unfortunately, I cannot compare, since I don't have HBO!!!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book should be listed as young adult. The writing is very simplistic. It is written as if the speaker is speaking English as a second language and is not used to it. It makes the characters seem simple minded.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought this book started off slowly, but I loved the way the characters were developed. Further, I don't really think this book fits well into the category of mysteries & thrillers.
It is the story of an African woman who opens the first detective agency and her clientele. You get to hear about the African culture, about mining, about her marriage, and about her definition of success.
I enjoyed the style of writing. All of the characters were well developed as were the stories. Further, I enjoyed the way that Africa acted as a character in the novel. I enjoyed the way that the author made me understand the culture that he was portraying.
Someday, I may go and pick up book 2. For now, I'm content with having finished book 1.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Super book! Well written...a gentle story of life in Africa with a little intrigue thrown in. Couldn't put it down.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Although the pace of this book (and it's sequels) is slow they draw you in to the African way of life and I enjoyed reading them. I would definately recommend them.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a quick read that will have you addicted to the entire series. If you like to see women empowered with a fun slant, this series is for you.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was a book club pick - I didn't care for it and wouldn't buy others in this story line. Just too . . . I don't know . . . "made up"?? I know it's fiction, but I just didn't care for it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was a wonderful surprise. Not your typical fast paced mystery. Will now look for others in the series.
Rachelle S. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I enjoyed this book. It is about a bold strong woman finding her place in an uncharted territory!
Deborah H. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The first book in a very delightful series.Highly recommended.
Katie B. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
In a word, bland. Set in Botswana, this is the first in a series about a woman detective. While the main character, Precious Ramotswe, is endlessly likeable- generous, dry-witted, and endlessly nosey, the story dragged along, with no real high points, and no real low points. I found the setting, modern Africa, much more interesting than the story itself, and maybe there's value in that as well. But I doubt I'll be looking into the rest of the books in this series.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was very refreshing from all the Fantesy and Si Fi I ususaaly read. Not a sit on the edge of the chair type but just enough to keep you interested and appreciate the womanly way she goes about things.
Candy B. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was going through my bookshelf and I saw that I still had this poor book. I was originally going to get them all, but seeing as they are still coming out, I decided what the heck... and read it :)
This was such a good/cute read. I have no idea why it took me so long. Totally not something I would have picked up myself and now I'm looking forward to reading some of the others. Definitely, definitely worth a read!
Claudia K. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is just a light, fun, but educational book too. You will grow to love Prescious Ramotswe and her struggles to open the #1 Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana. Alexander McCall Smith provides us with a good description of what it is like to live there. I've ordered book 2 & 3 in the series.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Slow paced, relaxing book to read that has wonderful African flavor. Great for summer afternoons.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Another great book in the series.
Vanessa L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The first in a popular series, this book follows Precious Ramotswe, whose father's death and her subsequent inheritance offer her the opportunity for independence as she starts her own detective agency. Though it deals with some heavy subject matter, it's overall light and upbeat reading. Her attitude, so pragmatic yet optimistic, make her very likable.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a great introduction to a new mystery series. Set in Africa, it's not like the usual whodunit but instead has a series of "stories" or cases from the #1 Ladies Detective Agency. Very enjoyable!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was a very interesting read. Not your typical mystery, but full of small mysteries and one confident woman going against the grain by setting up a detective agency in a society mostly run by men.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fantastic book! Mcall Smith has a perfect way of writing the way people think, almost like a stream of conciousness, but absolutely hilarious.
Suzanne H. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Once you read this, you will want to read all of the books in this series. To call them "mysteries" isn't quite right...but they are a delicious read.
This book is a delightful read! The excellent writing weaves a tale that engages many emotions at once.
Diana M. (Sorry, but I couldn't get far into this one. Yes, I read all the reviews, but this book was just too precious for me. Pun intended.
You have to start reading these easy to read, interesting mysteries. You won't be sorry. The newest book is on the NYtimes bestseller list.
Dianne S. (Good book with an unusual story line. Fun and entertaining.
I really loved this book, about a black woman in Botswana setting up a dectective agency. The characters are great, and it's very different.
Larry G. (Fabulous reading! Unlike any other mystery you've ever read, unless you've read the other books in this series.
Lynn L. (Great introduction to Alexander McCall's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. A fun read.
Susan H. (Alexander McCall Smith's first book in his decective series. Funny and cute read.
GREAT - this is the first book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Precious Ramotswe has heart and spunk, and an interest in solving mysteries
I loved this book. You learn about the country's culture in direct and subtle ways as you follow the mystery. There are a number of humorous points, too.
Heidi P. (The first of a great new series. Mma Romatswe is a superb character. Lovable, humourous and an intelligent detective.
Very enjoyable introduction to Mma Precious Rambotswe and her detective agency.
Kathleen Marie (The first in the series this is the story of Precious Ramotswe who is drawn to her profession to "help people" with the problems in their lives.
A very light, entertaining book...the first in a series. Highly recommended, fast and curious read.
This is a very enjoyable book, telling the story of a delightful women detective (Precious Ramotswe) in Rowanda solving her customers problems sometimes in rather odd and scary ways.
Just before Precious Ramotswe's father dies he tells her to open a store. she immediatly decides she will open a detective agency.she is hired to solve a few small cases but the main case that tugs at her heart and puts her in danger is that of a missing boy who may have been snatched by witch doctors
Renee C. (OK but a bit slow. I haven't gone on to read the rest of the series because of that.
Very entertaining story about an African Woman who opens up a detective agency.
An quick, entertaining read that offers humor and insight into African culture. It reads almost like a book of short stories, only they are mostly about the same person.
Paul L. (My wife liked it a lot. I finished it, but wasn't really thrilled with it, though itis very popular.
This is an absolutely Awesome Series! The first book in a series of five....brilliantly written, holds your interest.
This is the 1st novel in the no. 1 ladies detective series and tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging precious Ramotswe whoe is drawn to her profession to "help people with the problems in their lives". The first day she gets three big cases but the one that tugs at her heart and lands her in danger is that of a missing 11 yr. old boy, who may have been snatched by witch doctors. 2 Booker Judges special recommendations and 1 of the International Books of the Year by the Times Literary Suppplement.
A fun, light mystery filled with many unique charactors. First in a series.
Intesting book. Quite different from my usual genre. I enjoyed it a lot.
This is the first novel in the series of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. You will be introduced to Precious Ramotswe who lives in Botswana and earns her living solving disputes, small mysteries and miscommunications around her village.
Leah G. (
Krista m M. (this is a great book to start out the series, takes you to another land
Sherri H. (Different from what I expected but still an interesting read.
I didn't think that this book lived up to the hype. But it was a quick read that was sometimes interesting.
Taleah G. (Delightful and charming story, and written in a very gripping unique style. I read this in one sitting, couldn't put it down! A beautiful summer read, and light enough to take to the beach!
A truly delightful book and character. You will love to meet Mme Precious Ramotswe and hear her bits of daily wisdom as she experiences her ordinary yet extraordinary daily life. Do not come to this series expecting some great thiriller or mystery, they are more about the rich texture of lives of a different culture that you are thrilled by the pure simplicity and richness of it all. Think of eating a well made milk custard;..simple, yet rich.
It's the detective as folk hero, solving crimes through an innate, self-possessed wisdom that, combined with an understanding of human nature, invariably penetrates into the heart of a puzzle. If Miss Marple were fat and jolly and lived in Botswana--and decided to go against any conventional notion of what an unmarried woman should do, spending the money she got from selling her late father's cattle to set up a Ladies' Detective Agency--then you have an idea of how Precious sets herself up as her country's first female detective. Once the clients start showing up on her doorstep, Precious enjoys a pleasingly successful series of cases.
But the edge of the Kalahari is not St. Mary Mead, and the sign Precious orders, painted in brilliant colors, is anything but discreet. Pointing in the direction of the small building she had purchased to house her new business, it reads "THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY. FOR ALL CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS AND ENQUIRIES. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED FOR ALL PARTIES. UNDER PERSONAL MANAGEMENT."
The solutions she comes up with, whether in the case of the clinic doctor with two quite different personalities (depending on the day of the week), or the man who had joined a Christian sect and seemingly vanished, or the kidnapped boy whose bones may or may not be those in a witch doctor's magic kit, are all sensible, logical, and satisfying. Smith's gently ironic tone is full of good humor towards his lively, intelligent heroine and towards her fellow Africans, who live their lives with dignity and with cautious acceptance of the confusions to which the world submits them.
Smart and sassy...Precious' progress is charted in passages that have the power to amuse or shock or touch the heart, sometimes all at once - Los Angeles Times
loved this book.learned a lot .very quick read. you will feel like mma ramotswe is a new friend that you love to talk to
A great book, and part of a great series about Precious Ramotswe- a quick read.
A treat. If you haven't read Smith's stories about the only lady detective in Botswana, this is a good one with which to start. Not only is Smith a good writer, he knows his people. In this one Mma. Precious Ramotswe tracks down a not so missing husband, uncovers a con man, follows a wayward daughter, and gives her whole heart to finding an 11 year old boy snatched by witch doctors.
This is a story about a woman who opens Botswana's first private detective agency.
This was a fun, fast read. The sentences had a very basic structure, which made the book easy to read, but also made me feel like the book was written for teenagers rather than adults. This might have been because the author was writing in a language that was not his first language, or it may have been intentional, to portray the basic life of people in Botswana as compared to our more complex lives.
Regardless, the book was enjoyable, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
"One of the best, most charming, honest, hilarious and life-affirming books to appear in years."
-The Plain Dealer
This is just a delightful book about an unconventional female detective in Botswana.
This is a most charming and unusual book. The kind that truly takes you out of the present and into a very interesting world. I throroughly enjoyed it!
Colleen H. (The #1 Ladies Detective Agency is set in Botswana, where Mma Ramotswe has opened the first woman owned detective agency. It is knowing human nature that allows Mma Ramotswe to solve her cases. This is a down to earth book, that allows you to think you could actually do the same thing she is doing. Very believable characters. I have enjoyed each of the books in the seies so far.
Michelle J. ("One of the most entrancing Literary treats of many a year... A tapestry of extraordinary nuance and richness." -- The Wall Street Journal
Dena (Suzie) C. (I read this book recently and loved it so much I joined Smith's fan club. He has several series and I'm looking forward to reading them all!
A wonderful book. Not only is Mma Ramotswe an engaging chracter, the details of life in Botswana are lovingly highlighted.
The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a heartwarming novel to be enjoyed. It is rich is Botswanan culture. The story itself is lighthearted and the main character will make you laugh and wonder.
Loved this book and have read the whole series so far. Can't wait for him to write another.
What a cute book. This was not at all what I expected.
It is the story of a clever Afican woman setting up shop as a private investigator. She has no formal training, and relies on a book and her own wisdom to solve her cases. Very enjoyable.
Maura C. (cute story - loved how author reveals pieces throughout the story.
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency for all confidential matters and inquiries. Satisfaction guaranteed for all parties. Unser personal management.
I couldn't get into it but it got 4.5 stars on Amazon.
Great book, funny at times and moving at others. Every woman should read this!
I read this book with my local book discussion group and I enjoyed it very much. Very rich characters! I look forward to reading others in the series.
It took me awhile to get into this book. I stuck with it, though, and in the end I enjoyed it quite well. It's *not* an action-packed book if that's what you're looking for. But it does provide a new insights into Africa in a "cozy-mystery" style.
It's a little different, but some can get into it. It is best read aloud, with a cup of bush tea.
Lorrie M. (I began to read this book and just couldn't get into it after I read about fifty pages. However, I have heard that the book is really good, so I would like to pass it along to someone who will enjoy it!
I began to read this book and just couldn't get into it after I read about fifty pages. However, I have heard that the book is really good, so I would like to pass it along to someone who will enjoy it!
I began to read this book and just couldn't get into it after I read about fifty pages. However, I have heard that the book is really good, so I would like to pass it along to someone who will enjoy it!
"The 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 drrwan to her profession to "help people with the problems in their lives." Funny book that takes you straight to Africa and its wonderful people.
Natasha S. (first novel in series tells teh story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her professin to help peole with the problems in their lives.
Sherri S. (<< Back to Book Details of " The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency "