"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
It's the detective as folk hero, solving crimes through an innate, self-possessed wisdom that, combined with an understanding of human nature, invariably penetrates into the heart of a puzzle. If Miss Marple were fat and jolly and lived in Botswana--and decided to go against any conventional notion of what an unmarried woman should do, spending the money she got from selling her late father's cattle to set up a Ladies' Detective Agency--then you have an idea of how Precious sets herself up as her country's first female detective. Once the clients start showing up on her doorstep, Precious enjoys a pleasingly successful series of cases.
But the edge of the Kalahari is not St. Mary Mead, and the sign Precious orders, painted in brilliant colors, is anything but discreet. Pointing in the direction of the small building she had purchased to house her new business, it reads "THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY. FOR ALL CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS AND ENQUIRIES. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED FOR ALL PARTIES. UNDER PERSONAL MANAGEMENT."
The solutions she comes up with, whether in the case of the clinic doctor with two quite different personalities (depending on the day of the week), or the man who had joined a Christian sect and seemingly vanished, or the kidnapped boy whose bones may or may not be those in a witch doctor's magic kit, are all sensible, logical, and satisfying. Smith's gently ironic tone is full of good humor towards his lively, intelligent heroine and towards her fellow Africans, who live their lives with dignity and with cautious acceptance of the confusions to which the world submits them. Precious Ramotswe is a remarkable creation, and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency well deserves the praise it received from London's Times Literary Supplement. I look forward with great eagerness to the upcoming books featuring the memorable Miss Ramotswe, Tears of the Giraffe and Morality for Beautiful Girls, soon to be available in the U.S. --Otto Penzler
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Fast Shipping - Safe and secure Mailer. Seller Inventory # 521X7W0004BD
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 240503037
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # YX-KCED-8UR5
Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition 0.51. Seller Inventory # bk1400034779xvz189zvxnew
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published 0.51. Seller Inventory # 353-1400034779-new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. PAP. Seller Inventory # 53MN6P000CSD
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # mon0000058046
Book Description Softcover. Condition: New. New. Quantity Available: 1. ISBN: 1400034779. ISBN/EAN: 9781400034772. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: ABE424386958. Seller Inventory # ABE424386958
Book Description Softcover. Condition: New. NATIONAL BESTSELLER Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswanas premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe-with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi-navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, good humor, and the occasional cup of tea.This first novel in Alexander McCall Smiths widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to help people with problems in their lives. Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors.The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency received two Booker Judges Special Recommendations and was voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement. Seller Inventory # DADAX1400034779
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9781400034772