The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

by Alexander McCall Smith

It was quite by chance that I sighted this book again as it was perched somewhere in my reading wish list awaiting its turn. Initially suggested by a friend at the book club meet-up, I did a Google search and knew about the book only to be tagged, ‘to read’.

I was ambling - or more a reading block due to a mystery book picked up on whim from the bookstore rack, in the expensive line contrary to my second hand book choices. The ‘No 1 Ladies Detective Agency’ popped in as a savior, quickening my pace of reading with a well written yet simple series of events lined in pages offering pure reading pleasure. Though the title boasts of ‘detective’, this is not the classic ‘whodunit’ or a hardcore crime fiction. Set in various chapters, the book gives a colorful depiction of Africa, Botswana in particular through the various characters surrounding ‘Ms Precious Ramotswe’, the protagonist and the detective. The reader is offered a peek into the history, traditions, and the life of her father and the mining industry that prevailed with a flavor of emotions. This goes side by side with various instances of instinctive methods in solving the cases.

A light and fast read, this book keeps you hooked and would leave with an instant feel of making the protagonist a favorite.