The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

by Alexander McCall Smith

(Fiction, 1998)

Called “a little gem of a book” by Publisher’s Weekly, this is the first of eight novels in the worldwide bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. Mma (aka Precious) Ramotswe is Botswana's only female private detective. You’ll follow the tales of a missing child, a wayward daughter, a philandering partner and a curious conman. Mma Ramotswe uses her unconventional methods, as well as her warmth, wit and intuition on her way to solving the problems of her clients, along with some help from her friend Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. The book also explores conditions in Botswana in a way that is both penetrating and light. Images of this large woman driving her tiny white van or sharing a cup of bush tea with a friend or client while working a case will linger pleasantly. 235 p.