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

This wonderful novel is a joy to read. Set in Botswana in southern Africa, it tells the story of Precious Ramotswe, a clever woman in her mid-thirties who decides to open up her country's first-ever female detective agency. Using the inheritance money from her father's death to set up her new business, Precious (or, to be more precise, Mma Ramotswe), begins to work on a series of cases that include, among other things, uncovering a cheating husband, investigating a fraudulent doctor (or is it doctors?), following a wayward daughter, and in a particularly chilling case tracking down a boy who has been kidnapped.

Written in clear and beautiful prose, this novel offers a life-affirming portrait of Africa. Unlike the stereotypical images that appear all too often in the news (with famine, civil wars and dictatorships), the adventures of Precious provide an uplifting and positive vision of Africa, while wrapped up in a highly enjoyable detective story.

This book, the first installment in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, is a true gem. The moment I put this novel down I immediately wanted to pick up the second book. So if you haven't already done so, do yourself a favour and begin reading this series.

5 out of 5 stars