The Miss Marple of Botswana

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith was an absolutely delightful book! I adore Mma Precious Ramotswe and can't wait for the second book in the series by Alexander McCall Smith, The Tears of the Giraffes, to arrive in my mail box.

This was not the typical whodunnit. There was no single overarching murder or crime spree that had to be solved before the book was finished. There was, however, a cast of delightful characters, some of whom I am sure will be resurfacing in future books (I've not read any in this series - a failing I intend to rectify ASAP!). And there were plenty of red herrings.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency was a wonderful introduction to Mma Precious Remotswe and the country she obviously loves deeply. After an abusive marriage and the death of her baby, Mma Ramotswe returns to her father's home and settles into a pleasant routine, happily spending her days tending to her father and working for her brother-in-law. When her father dies, Mma Ramotswe decides to use her inheritance to establish the first detective agency in all of Botswana to be run by a woman. She knows nothing about being a private investigator, but she has a deep desire to help people with their problems. With her sound common sense and insight into human nature, she becomes a resounding success and gradually builds her little business.

Her first cases are pretty run-of-the-mill PI stuff: wayward husbands, an over controlling father trying to keep tabs on his willful daughter, an ex-employee suing his former employer for the loss of a finger, and the mysterious case of a doctor who is competent one day but a medical disaster the next. While following the advice of a PI how-to book to solve these cases, Mma learns to rely upon her own instincts and powers of observation.

The one case that runs through the book and touches Mma Remotswe most deeply is the tragic disappearance of a child who is thought to have been the captured and killed by a witch doctor. Although she has not been solicited to look for the child or solve the mystery of his disappearance, Mma Ramotswe is haunted by the tale and investigates the matter, despite people's reluctance to even admit that this evil sort of magic exists, let alone talk about the particulars.

Read-A-Thon Progress

Progress Report (10:00 p.m.)
I watched Law and Order CI and In Plain Sight on TV tonight. What a downer In Plain Sight was! Wish I'd been reading instead. Well, I'm signing off and may start reading The Clovis Incident by Pari Noskin Taichert. Tony Hillerman says she's a skilled and witty writer. Sounds like just what I need right now.

======================

Progress Report (7:41p.m.)
I finished The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, but I'm not sure I'm going to start another book tonight. For one thing, I'm tired. For another, I'm hungry. And for the third thing, I'm not missing In Plain Sight on TV tonight.

I was very happy to be able to spend the day reading such a fabulous book. I just loved every minute of it, every word. I'm going to the PaperBack Swap site shortly and see if I can get the others in the series. Hope I have enough credits left to order at least one. I loved the book, but I'm too tired at the moment to write more about it and do it justice. I need time to think.

======================

Progress Report (4:30p.m.):
I'm about halfway through The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and am enjoying every single word. I just took a break to stretch my legs, get something to drink and come check out everybody else's progress. Thanks for the lovely excuse to read all day.

======================

Progress Report (noonish):
I finished Work of the Angels by Kat Goldring. I stayed up til the wee hours reading that last night, but finally had to give in to exhaustion and get some sleep. So after cleaning up and starting the cooking, I read the last three chapters. I must admit, I did not guess who the villain was. I usually can figure it out, but Kat Goldring surprised me. I like that. Now I'm going to have to go find the previous books in the series and catch up on the lives of Willi and Quannah.

I've read the first chapter of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and am completely enchanted. I'm going to go check on the London broils and then get back to Mma Ramotswe.

======================

Checking In (about 10:00a.m. or thereabouts):

Not going as well as I'd planned. But isn't that how life goes sometimes? I've heard it said that life is what happens while you're making other plans. We had some life happening this morning. When hubby got up to feed the kitties (no such thing as sleeping in with kitties, unfortunately), he found that the upright freezer's door was ajar. SIGH!! The meat was not completely defrosted, fortunately. All the packages were still halfway frozen, so there was no worry about contamination. We decided to cook all the meat and then freeze the dishes for easy reheating. Well, at least I won't have to cook anything other than vegetables for our suppers for a few days.

I've spent too much time today reading other folks blogs and making lists of books to add to my TBR wish list. I love blogs, but I gotta discipline myself and go read a mystery or two. Blogs later. Mysteries now.

Read-a-thon

Tomorrow, June 7, is the first Mystery Read-a-thon. We're supposed to read for 12 hours. Hmm. Not sure I can sit for 12 hours and just read. Well, that's not true. I have done that, most recently with the last Harry Potter book.

Time to do a little pre-reading planning for the day, especially regarding food. Munchies are okay, but hubby's a diabetic, so scratch that idea. We gotta eat right, which means time and planning. So .... I'm thinking we can do fruit, salad and sandwiches. Or maybe hubby won't mind cooking. Or there's always the crock pot. Ah,yes! There are pork chops in the freezer. Add a can of diced tomatoes, a dash of seasoning, turn the pot on and adjourn to my favorite reading spot. Sounds like a great plan to me.

Here are some questions from the Read-a-thon site:

What books do you want to read during this read-a-thon?
I'm thinking I'll start with The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I received that from PaperBack Swap recently and am eager to read it. I had heard such great things about the books from the DorothyL mystery discussion group. Then I discovered the HBO series and really got hooked. So naturally I had to order the first book in the series even though my TBR pile is already dangerously high.

If I finish The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency before the 12 hours are up, I'm planning to start on another book I've been eager to read: The Clovis Incident by Pari Noskin Taichert. It just sounds like a fun book.

If by some miracle I finish that, then I hope it's okay to use Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I gotta refresh my memory before the movie comes out next month! Like I said, I'm a slow reader, especially if I'm enjoying a good book.

How many books do you hope to finish?
At least one, maybe two. I'm a slow reader by choice. I really love good writing, so I savor it.

What (if any) breaks do you intend to take?
As needed for the basic necessities of life.

Do you generally read lots of mysteries and thrillers or are the one of the many genres you like?
I read lots of mysteries, but I enjoy any good book with great characters, plots and settings. I like humorous cozies and historical mysteries the most, but I also frequently read police procedurals and thrillers, an occasional political thriller. And I love science fiction, especially Star Trek. I've recently read some mainstream fiction, for want of a better term. I've even been known to read a romance every now and again. I used to be snobby about romances, but discovered some good ones that I really enjoyed and was forced to change my mind. I just love good stories and good writing.


Who are some of your favorite authors?
In no particular order: Susan Wittig Albert, M.C. Beaton, Emilie Richards, Jeff Cohen, Tony Hillerman, Margaret Coel, J. K. Rowling, Tamar Myers, Jimmie Ruth Evans (aka Dean James), Betty Rowlands, Sue Grafton, Margaret Frazer, Peter Tremayne, Mary Reed and Eric Mayer, Sharon Kay Penman. I could go on and on and on.

If you could make us all read one mystery or thriller for this read-a-thon, which one would it be and why?
Oh, good grief! Just one? I have a hard enough time choosing something for myself to read at any given time. Coin tossing is frequently involved. So I guess I'd pick a writer who may not be so well known but who IMHO deserves to be. But I'll have to think about that recommendation for a bit. There are so many good writers who definitely need more exposure. See the favorites list above.

Do you prefer series or stand alones?
I really love series, but stand alones are okay, too.