I only made it to about page 50...BORRING!! I'm so disappointed!

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I agree with one review that it is hard to get involved in to begin with, but once you do... I really enjoy learning about different cultures, traditions and habits. I think this was a book that my daughter had to read for school, but I decided to read it. I am glad that I made that decision.

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highly amusing

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The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, first novel in the series, was a delight to read. You are definately caught up in the life of Precious Ramotswe, a woman detective in Africa, and can't wait to find out how she solves her next case. I'm looking forward to reading the next novel.

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Excellent read! This book gives the reader a sense of the basic important issues of love, fun, life, how to deal with sadness and other important issues we deal with everyday.

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A great read - sometimes has a bit too much cadence so that while reading, you feel like it's a form of lulling poetry rather than a prose story.

Solving many different mysteries, Patience lives her life - with some surprises along the way.

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Have gotten hooked on the series.

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An African woman, Mma Ramotswe, uses her inheritance to set up an agency and become the first woman private detective in Botswana. Her common-sense approach to solving the minor (and not-so-minor) problems and mysteries that affect her rural community is both charming and witty.

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I kept falling asleep

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Have you ever wanted to do something'a career move, a hobby,a change in your life'and no one thought you could do it? You knew you could. You wanted it badly, but every one around you gave you no support, not your friends nor your family. That would be what Precious Ramotswe encountered in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

Highly intelligent and pleasantly plump, Precious lived in Gaborone, the capital city of the African nation of Botswana. Her father had left her a nice inheritance. But what would she do with it? Open a detective agency of course. She has no experience or potential clients, but she has "a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter." And don't forget the secretary.

Precious, or Mma Ramotswe as she is referred to, uses her hunches and ends up helping people, sometimes with hilarious results. She does, however, also face dangerous situations with boldness.

Life handed Precious Ramotswe a few curve balls. She refuses to feel sorry for herself and does what she wants to do with her life, no matter what her culture dictates. The reader will cheer Precious on and find inspiration from this character's no-nonsense methods.

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Loved it. Quick read fell in love with the characters and read all in the series.

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A very fast read. Flows nicely.

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This book has so much charm. I couldn't put it down. The protagonist, Mma Ramotswe, uses common sense and her intuitive ability to read people to solve cases no one else wants to accept. Humor, charisma, and light-hearted suspense make this a must read book.

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A wise, cool woman runs this detective agency. She's the kind of woman I'd like to sit down with and have a cup of tea, and her common sense solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems make this book (and series) worth reading.

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An Incredible book - I love these books!

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I love this series. Normally I am not a fan of books written by men about women, but McCall Smith really does a great job. This is the first book in the series. The main character is Precious Ramotswe. It takes place in modern day Botswana in the capital city Gaborone. She sells the cattle she inherits from her father's death and decides to open a detective agency. She has no experience or training in this work but goes ahead with the help of a book she picked up. The characters are so real that I feel like if I flew to Botsawna that I would find the in the office drinking bush tea! The books always have some mystery generated by a case. She solves it through common sense and being observant. Once you read one you'll want to read the others.

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I found the audio version to be utterly charming. No real violence, no forensics, just a clever, confident woman solving problems to help her community and make a living.

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I loved this book when I read it and went out and bought the rest of the series. As the books have been released I have gotten them, knowing I will read these as 'comfort' reads. They are easy stories to read and full of insight and humor.

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LOVED IT!!

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An easy, fun read. I will probably read more in the series.

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Book #1 of The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. The entire series is delightful!

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This was a good easy read. Enjoyable.

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Light mystery. I loved the stories.

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Too many bestsellers are not what I consider "smart fiction" and so I avoid them. I've never read a novel by Stephen King, and only one each by John Grisham and Danielle Steel. I also avoid books my mother recommends, unless they are books that appealed to me on their own. So I am thankful that I "had" to read this for a book discussion group, because now I am hooked on Precious Ramotswe and her romances and adventures. First in a series; sequels include Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, The Full Cupboard of Life, and In the Company of Cheerful Ladies.

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This is a story of Precious Ramotswe and the beginnings of her detective agency in Botswana. It is a quick read. The images of life in Botswana, the culutural influence was very interesting to consider. There are one or two amusing antedotes as well. However I was disappointed in the book overall. I have heard great things about it from many people and have read the hype on book review sites. I did not think that this book was particularly deep or had any thought provoking qualities. I expected much more than I got out of it, although I would possibly recommend to anyone who would like to read a literary work portraying views of Botswana or for a light read.

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A nice, really fast read. I liked how each case was wrapped up in about a chapter or so. I look foward to reading more in this series

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I love it! A different kind of detective and setting. The author keeps the action moving without confusing the reader. Very interesting.

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A wonderful book, smart and funny, yet light. I only wish there were more.

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I loved this book! It provided a glimpse into the daily life of individuals in Botswana. Instead of viewing them as foreigners who were much different from me, I began to see them as real people with many similarities as well as differences.

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although this book is only fiction, it made for some very interesting stories. I loved it! and the author made it seem so real.

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loved it. Plan to read his entire series.

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I read them all!

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The first novel in the No. 1 Agency detective agency series!

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Bought at Goodwill. An ok book, just not one of my regular reads.

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Small bend on front cover - no markings

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