By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

Alexander McCall Smith’s ninth novel in the wildly successful No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency  series. The Miracle at Speedy Motors, revisits the life of Mma Ramotswe. She is a “traditionally built” woman of Botswana, who has created something completely new in the town of Gabarone, and even in all of Botswana: a detective agency led by a woman. Precious Ramotswe was led to do this after her dear, good father died, and she needed a means to support herself, since she had left her terrible marriage.

I am not a big fan of the classic mystery genre (hate the whole “red herring” thing), and worse yet, this sub-genre is often termed a “Cozy”, which seems about as appealing as lukewarm oatmeal. Do not be put off by these terms! This series is fascinating, lively, and hilarious: if you start them you will not be able to stop!

They are like small snapshots of the lives of some very fascinating characters, in the cultural context of Botswana. These books have had unfailingly great reviews, even receiving two Booker Judges’ Special Recommendations and also being voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement. So don’t worry that they will be too enjoyable to be good for your mind.  And don’t be surprised if they lead you into reading more books about Africa, a continent rich in so many different traditions, with unimagined wealth still to be discovered, that may well become the next China or India.

Alexander McCall Smith’s biography would make an interesting book in itself. He has lived and taught at universities in different countries, and has written many non-fiction books that are considered definitive in their field. He was born in Zimbabwe (which was then Rhodesia) and went to school near the Botswana border. Later in life, he wanted to write a book that would speak to his admiration for the people of Botswana, and Mma Ramotswe came into being.

If you have heard about them but not tried one yet, it is important to begin at the beginning in this series.

• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (1998)
• Tears of the Giraffe (2000)
• Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
• The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
• The Full Cupboard of Life (2004)
• In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
• Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
• The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
• The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)