S&S Book Club: Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
Lida & Jen chat about Lida’s pick: Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
Our website is supported by you, our readers. We sometimes earn a commission when you click through the affiliate links on our website. We appreciate your support.
Why Lida Picked It
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is another book I hadn’t read in a long while, and I thought it was high time to see how it held up. I’d say not too badly at all. What I liked about Alexander McCall Smith’s novel was being transported to a land I knew nothing about: Botswana. The author's great love for the country shines through the characters and the descriptions. The story contains a series of sub-plots involving the first female detective in Botswana and her creative ways of solving mystery after mystery. She handles everything from unveiling imposters to finding missing husbands (that resolution was an interesting, unexpected outcome) to saving an abducted child.
Although the book is very simply written, there's surprising depth to each character as well as to the cases. What I loved about this book, and others in the series, is the smattering of wisdom sprinkled throughout, along with the kindness and generosity of the main character, Precious Ramotswe. Humor pops up when least expected, and is easy to miss if the reader is not paying attention. For instance, on her father's deathbed, he tells Precious that she must start her own business; he's provided plenty of money for her to do so. When she informs him that she's setting up a detective agency, her father's eyes "opened wide and it seemed as if he was struggling to speak." He died before he could elaborate. That's the reaction Mma Ramotswe gets from most of the people who learn of her occupation...until she slowly proves her worth.
For readers seeking action, fast talking, and gritty plots, this book will not deliver. But for those seeking a tale that takes its time to delicately unfold in a simple and straightforward manner, and in such a way that reveals the strengths and frailties of human nature, this book will be heartwarming.
What Jen Thought
Gentle is the word I’d use to describe the fabulous The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. Like Lida, I find this series to be an antidote to the harsh, often cynical stories that dominate so much of the mystery world .
The New York Times Book Review called Precious “The Miss Marple of Botswana,” but I disagree. Miss Marple is a cool observer of the worst of human nature. Precious is good-hearted and optimistic, just the type of character I want to follow from adventure to adventure. McCall Smith’s books are comfort-reading through and through, with good people doing good things. When I’m looking for a book to read at the end of a long day, this series fits the bill.
