Alexander McCall Smith – Cannonball Read 17

Cozy Botswanan Mystery

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

September 6, 2022 by Wanderlustful 1 Comment

This is the first novel in the eponymous long-running series (22 books over 20+ years) by Alexander McCall Smith. It introduces us to Mma Precious Ramotswe, a canny and capable Botswanan woman who takes her inheritance from her father to start a detective agency in Botswana’s capital city of Gaborone. Rather than a single mystery, the novel is structured more like short stories with overlapping characters, albeit progressing in time- each chapter is a new small mystery for Mma Ramotswe to solve. This first installment […]

More Bertie, Please

Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith

October 18, 2021 by Ellesfena Leave a Comment

CBR Bingo: Reader’s Choice (replacing the Machinery square) Series: 44 Scotland Street. I read (and reviewed) Book 1 in 2017. What I remembered about this series prior to reading this book: Not very much–I definitely remembered Bruce, the Gaston of the book, who had some underwear-related adventure in the first book that made me laugh out loud although I can’t remember the details any more. And Bertie, the 6 year old whose mother forces him to wear pink pants because she’s trying to raise him […]

Law and Order Ennui

The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith

June 2, 2019 by CoffeeShopReader Leave a Comment

Imagine that some old school British comic sitcom stars decided to take over Saturday Night Live and do the entire episode as a Law and Order spoof. The result I imagine would be something very much like The Department of Sensitive Crimes. I’ve read a few of Alexander McCall Smith’s Lady Detective series, and the tone and style are both similar yet different. The humor is really understated, and the plot and overall style are kind of generally meandering. To quote the inside fly-leaf: “In […]

Are there really people willing to read twelve of these?

The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith

May 11, 2019 by KimMiE" 4 Comments

I seem to be on a losing streak with mysteries. I bought this one from my local Friends of the Library bookshop for $1, and you can bet I’m claiming that buck on my tax return next year because I sure didn’t get my money’s worth. Some years ago I read a handful of books in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, and I remember them being fun diversions, so when I saw this other series by Alexander McCall Smith, I was curious. After […]

Emma Drives a Mini Cooper

August 28, 2018 by Rachie3879 Leave a Comment

I think it was earlier this year I read a modern take on Pride & Prejudice and mentioned there were a slew of authors of different genres who’d taken on Austen’s work. Alexander McCall Smith, known to me as the writer behind The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, took a stab at Emma, my second favorite Austen book. I was a little worried about a man taking on Austen’s work; part of her appeal when I was younger was her subtle (and not so) jabs […]

Miss Marple of Botswana – comforting and interesting when you need a break

August 26, 2018 by cheerbrarian 2 Comments

I read the first book in this series a few years ago and, from what I saw of my Goodreads review and the slight tickle in my brain, I enjoyed it. I was interested in picking up a straightforward mystery and remembered this series and moved on to book two. It was fine. Precious Romatswe is referred to in many reviews as the Miss Marple of Botswana, and if you enjoy a homey mystery with a vibrant cast of characters, than you may want to […]

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