A McCall Smith, The No 1 Ladies´ Detective Agency (1998)

This book, written by a Scottish author, is the first in the series, and my fourth cozy mystery review.

Mma Ramotswe inherits her father´s cattle, sells the herd at the right time, and spends the money on a detective bureau, the first one run by a woman in Botswana. She is a happy and confident woman, yet when she opens the doors to her new business, she feels a twinge of doubt.

“In her heart of hearts, she knew there would be no clients. The whole idea was a ghastly mistake. Nobody wanted a private detective, and certainly nobody would want her. Who was she, after all? She was just Precious Ramotswe from Mochudi. She had never been to London or wherever detectives went to find out how to be private detectives.”

Of course Botswana needs their Miss Marple, an ordinary woman full of common sense, who solves a handful of cases in this rather different crime novel. Her life, background and childhood with her beloved father takes up quite a lot of the story, which is a real cozy mystery with a strong sense of Africa.

Meet Alexander McCall Smith

A.M. Smith, Damernes Detektivbureau Nr. 1 (2003)
Denne krimi, skrevet af en skotte, er den første i serien, og min fjerde ´cozy mystery´-anmeldelse.

Mma Ramotswe arver sin fars kvæg, sælger hjorden på det helt rigtige tidspunkt, og investerer pengene i et detektivbureau, det første i Botswana som drives af en kvinde. Hun er en lykkelig og tilfreds kvinde, men da hun slår dørene op til sin nye virksomhed, føler hun alligevel en snert af tvivl.

”I sit hjertes inderste vidste hun, der ingen klienter ville komme. Hele ideen var en skrækkelig misforståelse. Ingen havde brug for en privatdetektiv, og i særdeleshed ikke hende. Hvem var hun, når det kom til stykket? Hun var bare Precious Ramotswe fra Mochudi. Hun havde aldrig været i London, eller hvor detektiver nu tog hen for at finde ud af, hvordan man var privatdetektiver.”

Men selvfølgelig har Botswana brug for deres egen Miss Marple, en almindelig kvinde fuld af almindelig, sund fornuft, som løser en håndfuld forskellige sager i denne noget anderledes krimi. Mma Ramotswes baggrund og hendes barndom hjemme hos hendes elskede far fylder en del i denne roman, som er en rigtig hyggekrimi med et stærkt islæt af afrikansk miljø.

Mød Alexander McCall Smith

What I Am Reading

I have just begun reading Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies´ Detective Agency. Meet the detective, Mma Ramotswe:

“Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot of Kgale Hill. These were its assets: a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter. Then there was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe – the only lady private detective in Botswana – brewed redbush tea. And three mugs – one for herself, one for her secretary, and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need? Detective agencies rely on human intuition and intelligence, both of which Mma Ramotswe had in abundance. No inventory would ever include those, of course.”

To be reviewed. When? As soon as I have had time to finish the charming cozy mystery.