‘The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency’
by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by ISIS Audio Books March 2003. ISBN 6 Cassettes (£16.99)
Read by Hilary Neville

This series featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe has become one of the most talked about within the last one year. The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency is the first in the widely acclaimed series by Alexander McCall Smith. Mma Ramotswe has been called by some as the “Miss Marple of Botswana”. I am not sure that I agree with that, but this series is very gently written and is also quite engaging. Mma Ramotswe is drawn to helping people sort out the problems in their lives and is soon involved in dealing with a number of intriguing cases. However, there is one particular case that worries her more than anything else and it is the story of a missing young boy, who may have been seized by witchdoctors.

Listening to this being read by Hilary Neville is quite enjoyable and she has quite a pleasant voice that manages to convey a sense of what Mma Ramotswe is like. The reading gently lulls you into a state of relaxation and this is the type of book that one should take on a train journey as one can close their eyes and immerse yourself in the story. The No.1 ladies Detective Agency is well worth listening too.
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Ayo Onatade
Other Books in the series are Tears Of The Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men and The Full Cupboard of Life