3.5 stars

I have a lot to say about Alexander McCall Smith’s series. It is for readers who don’t mind jumping outside a structure and especially; for appreciators of the rich, intricate privilege of immersion in someone else’s culture. Acquaintance with Botswana, Africa is the point. Mysteries are on the side but this series certainly belongs to the genre, in the Botswana way. An incongruous person and place make Precious Ramotswe’s career whimsical; except that it works! Her ‘No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency’ receives ample clients. Rather than one mystery driving the novels; she solves two or three per story, while we observe life in her customs and climate.

Do not minimize these by mistaking the underlying whimsy for “cozy mysteries”. The cultural portrayals are profound and the topics are very serious and sobering. These are “standard adult mysteries”, with a perceptive heroine who surprises us at every turn and makes them spectacular. This is a novel to envision, when we say some of them feel like a journey. Uncannily, this Scottish author has no accent and writes halting, plain dialogue; just the way educated people whose second language is English would speak. We learn how to address men and women, how to respectfully shake hands, and to upturn both of them to receive a gift. Not hiring domestic help if you can afford it at all is considered unkind, for it employs the would-be poor. I feel well-versed in interacting appropriately, if I could visit.

An astonishing survival tactic of a nomadic race, is burying nursing infants if their Mothers die, because taking care of them would weigh on their resources! Siblings come into the lives of Precious and her fiancé, because a Sister saved her Brother and they eventually joined an orphanage. “Tears Of The Giraffe”, 200o, is poignantly memorable.

I don't seek out Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, and yet when I run across them in a clearance rack I can't help but pick them up. Tears Of The Giraffe is the second in the series, and it is just as charming, just as gently comic, as the first installment.

My only problem with the book -- and it's little more than a nagging feeling in the back of my head -- is that the author's depiction of his protagonist, the exceedingly down-to-earth, compassionate and somewhat bumbling detective Mma Precious Ramotswe, borders on caricature and smells just a bit of cultural superiority ("Hey, readers, let's laugh at this overweight African lady who spends her days drinking bush tea and solving trifling mysteries."). I forgive McCall Smith for this, however, as it's clearly not his intent: His love for the country of Botswana, perhaps for the entire African continent, is genuine and infectious -- I can see why the country's leaders see these books (and the HBO series they inspired) as good advertisements to potential tourists.

I think a lot of the reviews appear to ignore this is a series written as a tea cozy mystery genre type. Genres follow commonly accepted rules of plotting and characterization depending on the type of genre. Every once in awhile critics get excited over a "genre bending" book because a book didn't follow the rules. This series is NOT genre bending. What it is is an extremely well written, warm, amusing, tea cozy that lightly touchs on many aspects of African life, VERY lightly. A light touch is at the heart of being a tea cozy mystery and this series does not break any of the conventions of genre writing rules. What sets it apart is the location. The characters are REALLY charming and that is all about the talent of the author. The only quibble I have is the underlying moral tone is a bit louder than it should be even if it's appropriate.

I enjoyed the tv show, now I am enjoying the books.

Not sure what McCall Smith's series did to pee me off so much back when I first read it in 2004, but I gave it and its subsequent volumes a measly Two Stars, but that's what I did. Looking back on this series I found it enlightening and interesting getting into the nitty gritty of life in a small-town Botswana; the life, the trials and the tribulations of a woman trying to set up and run her own detective agency. This instalment sees the main protagonist PI Precious Ramotswe investigating a missing American and juggling that with having unforeseen trouble at home!

The only thing I can think of is that the background was pretty good but the actual detective cases lacked imagination? 5 out of 12.

2004 read

4★
“ ‘You are a fortunate man,’ said the jeweller. ‘Not every man can find such a cheerful, fat woman to marry. There are many thin, hectoring women around today. This one will make you very happy.’ Mr J.L.B. Matekoni acknowledged the compliment.”

As you can see, Botswana has a culture all its own. Our attention is on the one and only Precious Ramotswe, founder and owner of the now well-known No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. This is an agency unlike any other, and it’s in a unique part of the world, beautiful and deadly.

She is an intelligent, kindly, bush tea-drinking lady who drives an old, tiny, white van which Mr J.L.B. Matekoni has managed to keep on the road . . . so far. One day, she gives a lift to a lady, who, after seeing Mma Ramotswe’s engagement ring, offers her opinion of the couple.

“It was a good thing to marry a mechanic, she said, as she had heard that they made the best husbands. You should try to marry a policeman, a mechanic or a minister of religion, she said, and you should never marry a politician, a barman, or a taxi driver. These people always caused a great deal of trouble for their wives.”

The pace is leisurely, and the books are full of gentle, philosophical humour. The author makes a point of using his platform to teach us about his homeland. He frequently refers to Africa as a single entity, rather than the large, complex continent that it is, comprising 54 different countries as well as other states and territories.

I wonder if that is because so many people think of Africa that way. We don’t expect Germany to be like Italy, although both are in Europe, and we know India is not like Japan, although both are in Asia. Botswana has its own identity – you will find it near the bottom of the continent.

Map of the countries of Africa

These are heart-warming stories, but the dark undercurrent of historical wars and feuds is always there. When she has to travel across the border to Zimbabwe, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni is not happy.

“‘It is more dangerous than Botswana,’ he had said. ‘There's always some sort of trouble up there. There was the war, and then the rebels, and then other trouble-makers. Roadblocks. Holdups. That sort of thing. What if your van breaks down?’ ”

She stands her ground. She is a role model for her young secretary, Mma Makutsi, who is an earnest go-getter, full of enthusiasm and trying desperately to belong somewhere and make something of herself. The author also takes advantage of our attention by giving us some insight into the cultural bias which seems to be the same around the world..

Mma Makutsi has been overlooked everywhere else. She is very dark-skinned and has had no luck straightening her “uncooperative” hair. The lighter-skinned girls get all the attention.

“The fun in this life, the good jobs, the rich husbands, were not a matter of merit and hard work, but were a matter of brute, unshifting biology. Mma Makutsi stood before the mirror and cried.”

But now she has a job! She and her boss drink tea together and wait for clients. She would like to be a detective, too. Mma Ramotswe tells her

“‘As you get older, in fact, you see more sides to a situation. Things are more clear-cut at your age.’ She paused, then added: ‘Mind you, remember that I am not quite forty. I am not all that old.’

‘No,’ said Mma Makutsi. ‘That is just about the right age for a person to be.’ ”

What a nice example of positive thinking! (Of course, she'll have to change her tune in a few years.)

There are actual cases that need solving, but the attraction is the people and the place.

“. . . the sun began to rise above the plains, and for a few minutes, the whole world was a pulsating yellow-gold—the kopjes, the panoply of the treetops, last season's dry grass beside the road, the very dust. The sun, a great red ball, seemed to hang above the horizon and then freed itself and floated up over Africa; the natural colours of the day returned. . . “

These are suitable for anyone, and I think you could enjoy this without having read the first, but these are all part of a continuing story and best read that way.

Book 2 does not disappoint! Fantastic character development and a continued strong sense of place. As the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency continues to solve cases, there are ethical dilemmas that must be pondered. What is the distinction between the actions of a detective and that of a criminal? Love these characters and am looking forward to my next visit to the world of Precious Ramotswe.

Don't come to this series for the mysteries.
They are actually quite uninteresting. The resolutions are nothing like what any self-respecting mystery fan would call satisfying, and justice is rarely served.



However.
That's not to say this isn't a great series. I mean, there's so much to love here story-wise. It's a slow burn, rambling slice-of-life tale that sucks you into these people's everyday hopes and dreams.
I got choked up a couple of times listening to this one.
Mr. JLB Matekoni is adorable. I love him. I LOVE HIM.



I will say there is a very blasé outlook on cheating that I'm not quite onboard with when it comes to the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I'm on the fence about some of the cases, to be honest.
But I think this is a series that I will return to when I'm looking for some easily digestible comfort food.

Reading about the ladies again gives me so much joy!

I have never really have any interest in reading the books by this author, but recently a member friend suggested I would probably like them so I decided to give the first one a try. Actually I chose the second in the series by mistake. In the end it didn't really make any difference.

The book is fairly short and an easy read. The cover is colourful and striking. The style of writing is quite unique. It is simple and straightforward with a gentle feel, almost old fashioned in a way and somehow it reflects the atmosphere of Africa. The book is set in Botswana. I did find the names of the characters initially confusing and had to keep checking as to who was who. The main character is a lady detective and is an intriguing personality. The pace is slow in an unhurried fashion and the crime seems to take a back step in that the book is much more about the characters. Madam Precious Ramotswe is a quiet personality on the surface. She is warm and kind. Her intuitive nature is a great aid in that it helps her solve her cases with little fuss and she misses nothing. The man she is engaged too...Mr J. L B Matekoni is also a kindly and gentle personality. I wasn't blown away by the book but it was often touching. There is an absence of the violence often found in the thrillers/crime/ mystery genre. I liked the main characters and it did hold my interest throughout. I will be reading Book One.

3.5 stars, rounded up for the charm. Such a great series - still going strong. Loved visiting with this crew! The mystery is fairly superficial, but that's the point!