One of my most recent mooches is a novel by Alexander McCall Smith. It's been on Oprah's book club, and while I don't do everything O tells me to, I noticed there were something like 100 copies on BookMooch so I snapped it up. A friend in Ireland had mentioned to me months ago that there was a TV series in the UK, but I had no idea at the time what she was talking about, nor that it was based on the book series.
The book is not a long one, about 250 pages. I was expecting a mystery, but in fact what I stumbled upon was almost a series of shorter mysteries revolving around the main character, Mma "Precious" Ramotswe, who has just opened up the first ladies' detective agency after suffering a tragedy in her life. Business is slow at first but eventually her first case is brought to her. There is a larger, more sinister, mystery that lurks in the background throughout the book, and I was very happy with how it was eventually resolved.
In addition to the mysteries, we learn a lot about Mma Ramotswe and her childhood, as well as what her home of Botswana is like, and what Africa as a whole is like in the 1960s.
The main cast of characters is small but charming. In addition to Mma Ramotswe, who is the narrative voice, there is also her secretary, Mma Maletsi, and J.L.B Matekoni, the local auto mechanic and one of Mma Ramotswe's friends. Many of the characters that Mma Ramotswe meets during her cases are memorable as well, such as the sneaky Mma Pekwane and the young Nandira Patel.
A very satisfying book, if a bit short, and it makes me hungry to read the next book. I'm thrilled that there are nine more! (And I might just have to check out the TV series, out on DVD in September.)
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