The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

By: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrated by: Lisette Lecat

This remarkably fresh and charming best seller took the world by storm upon its publication. It has since earned two Booker Judges' Special Recommendations and was voted one of the "International Books of the Year and the Millennium" by the Times Literary Supplement.

Mma "Precious" Ramotswe sets up a detective agency in Botswana on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making her the only female detective in the country. At first, cases are hard to come by. But eventually, troubled people come to Precious with a variety of concerns. Potentially philandering husbands, seemingly schizophrenic doctors, and a missing boy who may have been killed by witch doctors all compel Precious to roam about in her tiny van, searching for clues.

Chosen as a Top Ten Mystery by the Organization of Independent Booksellers, U.S.A., The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is that rare novel that imparts a sage wisdom while inspiring hearty laughter and lasting smiles.

Listen to the other titles in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.©1998 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

• Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Paperback, 2003
• Edgar Allan Poe Award Winner, Best First Novel by an American Author, 1998

"One of the most entrancing literary treats of many a year...A tapestry of extraordinary nuance and richness." (Wall Street Journal)
"An artful, pleasing novel...General audiences will welcome this little gem of a book just as much if not more than mystery readers." (Publishers Weekly)
"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)

Heart warming and gentle

If you want lots of action and a crime thriller this isnt for you. If you want something gentle and heartwarming that transports you to another place, a different culture, hit the download button.

I was thoroughly absorbed back in time and place.

I read these books some time back but the listening experience made it an even better experience.

Engaging

If you could sum up The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in three words, what would they be?

Interesting insight into Africa

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mma Rotzwei represents a strong woman while the character illustrates an entire culture.

What about Lisette Lecat???s performance did you like?

Good, measured narration with appropriate humor and tension.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The brief insights into other characters were strong and well defined and the glimpses into their lives were, at times, moving as they illustrated the complexities of relationships in the culture.

A Winner!

I couldn't get into the printed version at all, but found the audio book delightful!

Pleasant and well-done social commentary of Africa

This is the story of a woman who takes up her own life and decides to do what she always liked to do: find out about people and help them learn the truth about themselves. The author clearly loves Africa and the book was like a window on a different world. The social commentary especially was very well done, I thought. It's a piece of "light" literature that is not only very pleasant to listen to, but nicely sectioned into a few inside stories. It was an easy book to put aside and return to, if you can choose the breaks. (I couln't always in the subway and it took a little while to get back into the current story, however.) It didn't leave a lasting impression like other books, which is also nice in a way, not to be haunted. And yet, it was very pleasant to read and I'll read another book by Alexander McCall Smith as soon as I have another credit free.