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Penzler Pick, July 2001: Working in a mystery tradition that will cause genre aficionados to think of such classic sleuths as Melville Davisson Post's Uncle Abner or Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee, Alexander McCall Smith creates an African detective, Precious Ramotswe, who's their full-fledged heir.

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

From Publishers Weekly

The African-born author of more than 50 books, from children's stories (The Perfect Hamburger) to scholarly works (Forensic Aspects of Sleep), turns his talents to detection in this artful, pleasing novel about Mma (aka Precious) Ramotswe, Botswana's one and only lady private detective. A series of vignettes linked to the establishment and growth of Mma Ramotswe's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" serve not only to entertain but to explore conditions in Botswana in a way that is both penetrating and light thanks to Smith's deft touch. Mma Ramotswe's cases come slowly and hesitantly at first: women who suspect their husbands are cheating on them; a father worried that his daughter is sneaking off to see a boy; a missing child who may have been killed by witchdoctors to make medicine; a doctor who sometimes seems highly competent and sometimes seems to know almost nothing about medicine. The desultory pace is fine, since she has only a detective manual, the frequently cited example of Agatha Christie and her instincts to guide her. Mma Ramotswe's love of Africa, her wisdom and humor, shine through these pages as she shines her own light on the problems that vex her clients. Images of this large woman driving her tiny white van or sharing a cup of bush tea with a friend or client while working a case linger pleasantly. General audiences will welcome this little gem of a book just as much if not more than mystery readers.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 19. Januar 2005

Von Mechior Sommer

Format:Taschenbuch

Dieses Buch ist nach seinem Erscheinen in den englischsprachigen Ländern sehr gelobt worden, so wurde es sogar für den renommierten „Booker Price", der wichtigste englische Literaturpreis, vorgeschlagen. Auch im deutschen Feuilleton wurde „Ein Krokodil für Mma Ramotswe" positiv besprochen. Warum?

Alexander McCall Smith hat etwas außergewöhnliches geschaffen! Nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Da wäre zum einen der Ort der Handlung des Buches: Afrika! Aber nicht, wie man erwarten könnte das Afrika der Dürren, Kriege und Hungersnöte, auch kein Afrika der Nationalparks und Safaris. McCall Smiths Afrika ist Botswana, ein Land von dem der überwiegende Anteil der Deutsche wohl nicht wüsste wo es liegt, oder wie die Hauptstadt heißt. Nun ist der Roman kein Reiseführer (um falsche Eindrücke zu vermeiden), vielmehr wird Botswana selbst zu einer Art Figur der Geschichte, in allem was passiert kann der Leser Botswana sehen, riechen, und schmecken. Niemals aufdringlich, oder mit Zeigefinger („Sieh her! So ist das hier"), nein es ist einfach so. Europäischen Lesern wird eventuell die Langsamkeit des Buches auffallen, das beruht nicht auf dem Unvermögen des Autors. Ganz im Gegenteil, das ist eine Eigenschaft seiner Figur, Botswana. Afrikaner unterscheiden manchmal (halb im Scherz) europäische von afrikanischer Zeit. Wer nicht weiß wie das gemeint ist kann es in diesem Buch erfahren.
Als nächstes die Menschen, McCall Smith erweißt sich als herausragender Beobachter, er führt uns in überzeugender Weise lebendige Figuren vor. Die Welt des Romans dreht sich um das Gravitationszentrum Mma Ramotswe. Wir lernen sie kennen und die Menschen, die sie kennen lernt. Junge und Alte, Männer und Frauen. Wir erfahren etwas über afrikanische Vergangenheit und sehen die Schwierigkeiten, die mit der modernen Zeit zusammenhängen. Zum Schluss sein noch erwähnt, das dieses Buch auch eine Emanzipationsgeschichte ist.

Dieses Buch ist ein ganz großer Wurf..!

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A beautiful story 7. April 2005

Von Mikhail

This beautifully written story with exquisite characters is not only humorous, but also full of wisdom in it. I particularly loved the style of writing and the amazing feel of Africa that the work generates in the reader. That feeling made me not to put it down from the moment that I began until the very end. What is more, I became drawn to Botswana after reading this book. Highly recommended along with:

Disciples of Fortune, The usurper and Other Stories, A blade of Grass, Tears of the Giraffe

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Charme - yes, suspense - no 9. April 2005

Von Ein Kunde

Alexander Mccall Smith was born in Zimbabwe and has worked and lived some time in Botswana, so he certainly knows what he is writing about. His prose comes across as warm, humane and atmospheric.

The comparison with Ms. Marple (among others) is, on the other hand, fairly far off the mark. The "solution" of the several cases consists of a sudden idea, a phone call or a conversation, and that's it.

So, sleuths, beware. This is more a book about life in Botswana than a detective novel.