The no. 1 ladiesâ detective agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

The book and the series (No. 1 ladiesâ detective agency) are very popular, so itâÂÂs possible that many KTers have already read it. However, I feel that the book, which is set in Botswana, Africa, is worthy of mention for the enjoyment of those who donâÂÂt know about it.

This really is a delightful book because of the interesting characters, the entertaining stories and the pleasure of witnessing life in a location, Botswana, that very few of us know anything about. I particularly like the way that the author depicts the people and culture of Botswana in a very respectful and positive way, most especially the main character, Precious Ramotswe. Mma Ramotswe is a dignified, wise and principled character and we see Botswana mainly through her eyes.

This character solves the human-centered dilemmas in this book in quite ingenious and creative ways. The book really isnâÂÂt a mystery as in âÂÂthere is a body in the library and the butler did it.â Some of the dilemmas she is hired to solve are to find out for a young woman whether the man taking advantage of her hospitality is really her father, knowing he wonâÂÂt cooperate; can she steal an already stolen car, finding the rightful owner and returning it when the serial number has been removed; and, can she find out why a doctor alternates between being competent one day to being unaware the next. Most seriously, she is asked to find an 11 year old boy who has disappeared from a remote area. When a small bone is found together with other witch doctor items in a glove box of a car, it is feared that the boy has been sacrificed. The man in whose car the items were found is a fearsome individual, so it is with a great deal of trepidation that Mma Ramotswe arranges that his windshield should be smashed during the process of solving the case. Also present are an unfaithful husband, an absconding teenager, a troublesome crocodile and bodily injury fraud.

A few months ago, I had the great pleasure of seeing the author give a reading when he came to our city. It was a lovely experience to hear him read a segment of Mma RamotsweâÂÂs dialogue from his latest novel; hearing her very wise, gentle and compassionate words brought to life was an extraordinary event for me.

Alexander McCall Smith was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and was a law professor at the University of Botswana and at Edinburgh University. He now lives in Scotland.