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The no. 1 ladies' detective agency Cover Image Book Book

The no. 1 ladies' detective agency

Summary: 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.

Record details

  • ISBN: 1400034779
  • ISBN: 9781400034772
  • Physical Description: 235 pages ; 21 cm
    regular print
  • Publisher: New York : Anchor Books, a division of Random House, Inc., 2002.
Subject: Ramotswe, Precious -- (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Imaginary organization) -- Fiction
Women private investigators -- Botswana -- Fiction
Botswana -- Fiction
Genre: Mystery fiction.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Alert Bay Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.

  • Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2002 July #5
    The African-born author of more than 50 books, from children's stories (The Perfect Hamburger) to scholarly works (Forensic Aspects of Sleep), turns his talents to detection in this artful, pleasing novel about Mma (aka Precious) Ramotswe, Botswana's one and only lady private detective. A series of vignettes linked to the establishment and growth of Mma Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" serve not only to entertain but to explore conditions in Botswana in a way that is both penetrating and light thanks to Smith's deft touch. Mma Ramotswe's cases come slowly and hesitantly at first: women who suspect their husbands are cheating on them; a father worried that his daughter is sneaking off to see a boy; a missing child who may have been killed by witchdoctors to make medicine; a doctor who sometimes seems highly competent and sometimes seems to know almost nothing about medicine. The desultory pace is fine, since she has only a detective manual, the frequently cited example of Agatha Christie and her instincts to guide her. Mma Ramotswe's love of Africa, her wisdom and humor, shine through these pages as she shines her own light on the problems that vex her clients. 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 linger pleasantly. General audiences will welcome this little gem of a book just as much if not more than mystery readers. (Aug. 27) FYI: Anchor is simultaneously issuing two other titles in this series, Tears of the Giraffe and Morality for Beautiful Girls. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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