Wayward daughters. Missing husbands. Philandering partners. Curious conmen. If you've got a problem, and no one else can help you, then pay a visit to Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's only - and finest - female private detective.

Her methods may not be conventional, and her manner not exactly Miss Marple, but she's got warmth, wit and canny intuition on her side, not to mention Mr J. L. B. Matekoni, the charming proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. And Precious is going to need them all as she sets out on the trail of a missing child, a case that tumbles our heroine into a hotbed of strange situations and more than a little danger...

 
I first heard of this book when I was putting up the Book Break bookshelf, and one of the members offered this up. It sounded cool, but I was a little put off with the idea that because it was set in Africa a great idea might get buried in PC bullshit. Anyway, since then I've heard so much good stuff that I've bought it, and it's sequel.

 
September 13th 2004
Up to page 28

I'm actually a little disappointed with this book so far, which is a real shame as it was voted book of the month for Book Break this month. Not only did it win, but I voted for it!

I admit, I'm only two chapters in but the first chapter was little more than a short story, or amusing anecdote, and now I'm reading the history of Precious's father, who was a diamond miner who died allowing her to set up the agency. Maybe I'm being pessimistic thinking it's not going to get any better, but the style is annoying me (endless usage of African terms with no explanation of their meaning) and I was hoping for a full-length mystery novel rather than a collection of short stories, which I rarely enjoy. I want to engage with the characters and spend time seeing the story build, rather than having snappy, quick resolutions to problems I don't care about. I really hope this book improves as I was looking forward to it so much!