Бірінші әйел жеке тергеуші агенттігі

1998 detective novel
the novel

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is the first detective novel in the eponymous series by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, first published in 1998. The novel introduces the Motswana Mma Precious Ramotswe, who begins the first detective agency in Botswana, in the capital city Gaborone, after her beloved father dies. She hires a secretary and solves cases for her clients. Precious tells her own story, from birth, and her father tells his story. When her father dies, she moves from Mochudi to Gaborone, the capital city, to begin her detective agency. She solves three cases, and meets important new people, her secretary Grace Makutsi and good friend, the excellent mechanic, Mr JLB Matekoni. The novel was first published in Scotland, where it gained a following. After two more novels in the series were published, all three were published in the US to much acclaim; in 2002, for example, Publishers Weekly called it a "little gem of a book". The novel gives a happier ending to the story, as the kidnapped child is not murdered, and Mma Ramotswe rescues him.

This novel gained more reviews when the second and third novels were published in the US in 2002. A reviewer in 2014 in The Guardian says "I really enjoyed this book, I found it thoroughly entertaining. Sometimes, while reading, I'd get so involved with the case Mma Ramotswe was solving that I wouldn't leave my chair until the case got over." The Dallas Public Library review says of Precious Ramotswe: "Always optimistic and appreciative of her life in her beloved country, Mma has more than common insight into human foibles and is therefore able to tackle her cases not so much from evidence (of which there is some) but from the psychology of the people involved." Publishers Weekly considers this a "little gem of a book" the pace desultory, which works well, as "Mma Ramotswe's love of Africa, her wisdom and humor, shine through these pages as she shines her own light on the problems that vex her clients." Kirkus Reviews is upbeat about the first novel, mentioning it with the next two in its review, and feels that the main character is ready for prime time. "Precious Ramotswe . she's ready for prime time. The first American publication of this 1999 debut has been preceded by two special Booker citations and two sequels, Tears of the Giraffe (2000) and Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001), both forthcoming in the series."

This novel was released in 1998 in Scotland. This novel and the next two in the series were released at one time in the US, in 2002.

The novel was adapted as a musical performed in Cape Town, South Africa in fall 2015. The musical was written in conjunction with McCall Smith, and includes "performing a music score composed by Scotsman Tom Cunningham and Cape Town native Josh Hawks. Twelve specially created songs incorporate African dance, reggae, pioneer style jazz and gentle ballads."