The Gentle Detective

"Gentle" is probably not the first adjective that comes to mind when we talk about our favorite fictional detectives. Sherlock Holmes is hardly "gentle," nor Hercule Poirot, nor even Miss Marple, and don't even think about Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe.

But "gentle" is probably the best adjective to describe one of my secret pleasures, the marvelous Precious Ramotswe, the proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana and the heroine of a dozen novels by Alexander McCall Smith. In fact, the mysteries themselves are gentle indeed. There are few deaths (I can only recall a couple from the earliest novels) and fewer of those are murders. Mma Ramotswe deals with more everyday crimes - husbands and wives dealing with unfaithful partners; somebody pilfering the petty cash; someone trying to track down a former friend or acquaintance. She solves her mysteries with a shrewd mixture of insight, common sense and humor.

The latest of the novels to feature Mma Ramotswe is "The Double Comfort Safari Club," which I had a chance to read a couple of weeks ago. Like all the others, it is a warm, gentle mystery. Smith's characters are marvelous, believable and complex, with very human failings. And the deep love of the characters and of the author for Botswana itself comes across beautifully in the books. They need not be read in order; there are many series characters who are developed over the course of the novels, but reading a later book will not give away very much about what may have happened to those characters in earlier books.

The bottom line: if you are looking for thrilling, can't-put-it-down page-turners, these are not the books for you. If you enjoy mysteries with fine characters, magnificent settings, a relaxed pace and, well, gentleness, try the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books.

Comments

[The Magic Of Making Up]

As ever, as really good read. McCall Smith can be relied upon to spin a good yarn. Easy reading with great charm and the ever appealing characters, by now well known and loved. I am never disappointed by Mme Ramotswe and her co-conspirators in the books.
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