Reviews

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

house_on_the_cerulean_kelsey's review against another edition

3.0

I'm glad I read the book; I was worried that a book about a woman from Botswana written by a white man living in the UK would be cringey, but the author's childhood in Botswana seems to have given him genuine love for the place and the people there.
I had to knock off a star though because I really didn't like the ending; it just seemed so out of line with the rest of what the author had been building about the main character, and it felt like he was writing the ending he thought we wanted, instead of one that was true to the character's journey.

kristiallen's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

anajoanreads's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

missmarycrawford's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

happylilkt's review against another edition

4.0

January 2024 update:

It's been many years since I first read this series, but I remember reading several of them ... 5? 10? I can't remember. It was a delight to revisit this first introduction to placid, indomitable Precious Ramotswe.

Precious is honest, practical, resilient, and clever. A wonderful character and I am thinking I will reread the next books as well. It's not all fun detective hijinks, there is a quiet humor and a tender heart to this series, too.

Original review:
Fun quick read. Loved the style and setting. I definitely want to read more of the books in the series.

gengelcox's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

 I read this popular mystery novel prior to visiting Botswana with the idea of getting a little bit of insight into the people and places I would be visiting. The caveats of doing so were many: I hoped that my trip would not be filled with mystery, I was aware that the author was a white man from Scotland writing about an Africa and an African woman, and it’s fiction. Still, I found it rewarding and was happy to find out from some of the people we met in Botswana that the book and series (and TV series adapted from the books) are viewed positively by most of the local population. 

Part of the criticism of the book (and perhaps the series) is that Smith’s portrayal of Botswana sugarcoats the more negative aspects of the country and the legacy of colonialism. His response, as expressed in an introduction to this volume, was that there are plenty of other books that deal with that aspect, whereas his goal with this book (which he hadn’t intended to be a series, but the audience response and the characters drove him to continue writing stories about Precious and her agency) was to focus on the more detailed lives of individuals living within that culture. 

The book is somewhat disjointed. Readers of mysteries expecting a clear through-line to the narrative will be scratching their heads. But if you let the chapters dwell within your memory as you read, the book does have a clear character, if not plot, arc that resolves nicely at the end. 

marireadstoomuch's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

3.0

dayseraph's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

bookook's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

A warm, big-hearted story. Precious Ramotswe starts the first female-owned private detective agency in Botswana, and solves mysteries big and small. There are real emotions and real darkness in this book, but there's also a hopeful, optimistic spirit. I liked this a lot, and will probably read the next one in the series

karijohnson's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0