The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

For Dufferin Clark’s Book Club last month this was the book selected and I really enjoyed it. It takes place in the city of Gabarone, Botswana, Africa where Precious Ramotswe opens up an agency and becomes the country’s first female detective. Her cases include a missing husband, a father who wants to know what boy his daughter is secretly meeting and a dentist who seems to have a split personality. This is a book in which the environment definitely plays a large part. I don’t know of any other book in which a crocodile is a murder suspect. There are many other interesting characters such as Precious’s secretary and assistant Grace Makutsi (who scored 97% on her exams at the Botswana Secretarial College) and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, who eventually becomes Precious’s husband. If you like this book there are many more in the series to read.

If you like discussing books, you might like to register for Dufferin Clark’s Book Club. Upcoming books are A Month of Italy by Chris Brady on July 9 and Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn on August 13. Books are provided by the library.