This book is funny, unexpected, light, easy to read. Everyone loved it, talked about it for months, and reported which of the sequels they were currently reading.

I learned a little about life in Africa, which I felt was the only good thing about this book. It was obvioulsy a man trying to write from a women's perspective. He just wasn't able to capture being a woman.

This book is a great train or bus read. However, it doesn't lend itself to significant discussion. No one in our group disliked the book; in fact, most liked it. Just not a lot to discuss.

My objective in reading this book was to find a good book for our ladies book club at our church. It was recommended by someone in the group so I read it. It was hard to get through the first few chapters because it was a very slow read to get into the storyline. Then there were several parts in the book that I could not recommend for a church book club - her experience in her school as a little girl, her experience with her abusive husband (that she said she enjoyed....), the experience in luring a client's adulterous husband in a night with her to prove he was in fact adulterous and suspense of what happened to the little boy captured by the witch doctor. I didn't find this book to be redeeming for a church book club.

What a charming story of a character you can't help but fall in love with! I enjoyed reading this book.

When Precious Ramotswe opens the first female detective agency in her small town she has no experience, but she more than makes up for it with her intuition. She solves many crimes usually within one chapter that range from infidelity to kidnapping.
Yet before any of the action begins McCall Smith takes the reader through both her previous history (did she really have to be a battered wife?) and that of her father. This section coming right at the beginning can be off-putting. That along with the lack of a central mystery and the fact that it appears that almost all the men in Botswana are creeps kept me from really enjoying this novel.

This is a good but not great quick read. Perfect for summer. At first I found the writing too simple. I watched the short documentary on HBO on the making of the series and it helped me get a feel for the real Botswana. It was easier to get into the story and appreciate the pacing and characters when I realized that the intense heat means that life is slower and more time is spent on chit-chat. Don't expect a lot of action. The story is more of a personal success story.

This book was our first book club read and it set the tone nicely. It's a "beautiful", simple story that invites the reader to experience Africa in a time when Africa was changing. Not only are the characters enjoyable, but the writer cleverly weaves his narrative to reveal so much more then just the print on the page. For some accustomed to the suspense and hype of American mysteries, this book may lack the edge-of-your-seat action, but if you want more then a mystery this is the book.

Our club enjoyed this book!

I love stories about women who are strong and do things even when society tells them they can't or shouldn't. This is a book about just such a women.

The pace is slow and laid-back, I feel like I am right at home in Botswana. I found I had to read bigger sections at a time though, to keep up with the back and forth stories in each chapter. I enjoyed this first book, and am looking forward to reading more of the series.

At our meeting on April 4th we discussed the book #1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Members in attendance all enjoyed the book and rated it either a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5. The book included multiple crimes to solve. We noticed themes of a belief in witchcraft, a sense of nationalism, and a suspicious attitude about men. The only case she worked on where she was fooled by the evidence was about a teenage girl and it was the girl who fooled her not a male character. There was the overall belief that women are more perceptive than men and that men just nod their head but did not really listen. The book is the first in a series by the author.

The club had mixed reviews about the book, but I enjoyed it so much that I have read all the other books in the series. I always feel as if I were actually in Botswana. I enjoy the style of writing and the description of the culture. Some of the members felt that there was too much back story at the beginning which interrupted the narrative of the main story and prevented them from enjoying the book. However, I feel that it helped to explain the development of the main character's life.

Precious Ramotswe is not brilliant, but her common sense and large heart make her a woman to love and respect. This series is addictive and the 10th in the series has just been published. Read them all!

It was a fun and easy read and anxious to read the next in the series.

This is the second time I have read this book, and I have also read most of the books in the series. I love the characters, especially Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B Matekoni. I was fascinated about the Botswana culture and history and mores of the people. The book is written so that it is very easy to become engaged and then finish the book quickly, if desired. I have listened to the series on audiobook, and love to hear the voices by the very talented narrator for the Audible version. I highly recommend the book for a fun, easy read and one in which to contemplate how uncomplicated and peaceful one's life can be, and how I hope to live one day.

We found it to be humorous, informative, and engaging. The main character was relatable even though she lived a continent away in with a culture and society very alien. Several members now want to read other books by this author.