The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

For the first book in the series see: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (novel) For the Television series see: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (TV series)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a series of ten novels by British author Alexander McCall Smith. The agency is located in Gaborone, capital of Botswana. Its founder is a Motswana woman, Mma Precious Ramotswe, who features as the stories' protagonist and main detective. The episodic novels are as much about the adventures and foibles of different characters as they are about solving mysteries. Each book in the series follows on from the previous book. They have been adapted for radio and television.

Main characters

• Mma Precious Ramotswe, the first female private investigator in Botswana.
• Mma Grace Makutsi, the Agency's secretary and Mma Ramotswe's assistant.
• Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, mechanic and proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe's suitor and eventual husband. He is always referred to in these novels with this very formal title.
• Mma Silvia Potokwane, matron of an orphanage situated east of Gaborone.
• Charlie, the older of the two apprentices in Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's garage.
• Fanwell - His name is never mentioned until Tea Time for the Traditionally Built; he was formerly referred to as, "the younger apprentice."
• Mr. Polopetsi - Introduced in In The Company of Cheerful Ladies. He is an assistant to both Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni.
• Phuti Radiphuti - Also introduced in In The Company of Cheerful Ladies. He is engaged to Grace Makutsi.
• Charlie Gotso - Introduced in the first book, he is a very powerful and well known man around the Botswana community.

Locales

In Botswana

• Gaborone
• Mochudi
• Molepolole

Themes and topics of the stories

• Women in traditional vs. nontraditional occupations
• Rural way of life in Southern Africa, including muti
• Social relations in traditional African society
• Christianity and traditional belief systems in contemporary Africa
• Clinical depression
• AIDS and AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa

Issues addressed in the cases

• Domestic violence
• Forgiveness and restitution
• Marital infidelity

Bibliography

1. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998)
2. Tears Of The Giraffe (2000)
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
4. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
5. The Full Cupboard of Life (2004)
6. In The Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004 - also known as The Night-Time Dancer)
7. Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
8. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
9. The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)
10. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (2009)
11. The Double Comfort Safari Club (2010)

Television series

The BBC and American television network HBO filmed a series based on the books. It stars Jill Scott as Mma. Ramotswe and was shot on location in Botswana. The 109-minute pilot was written by Richard Curtis and the late Anthony Minghella, who also directed. The six 60-minute episodes were written and directed by others. ^[1]

Radio series

McCall Smith himself dramatised the series for BBC Radio 4. Four series have been broadcast, the first beginning on 15 September 2004, the last ending on 4 January 2008. The series encompass the first to seventh books. They star Claire Benedict as Mma Ramotswe. ^[2]

Cook book

A cook book associated with the novels was published in 2009; Mma Ramotswe's Cookbook by Stuart Brown, with a foreword by Alexander McCall Smith.

References

External links

• Alexander McCall Smith's official website
• BBC Official Press Release
• The Guardian's humorous "digested" version of Blue Shoes and Happiness (February 28, 2006)
• Interview in The Times with Alexander McCall Smith (February 28, 2006)
• IMDB article on the film