https://www.stevedrice.net/ 2026-04-24T16:28:38+00:00 https://www.stevedrice.net/ https://www.stevedrice.net/_media/wiki/dokuwiki.svg text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/162 Review of 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith 1st book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series Precious Ramotswe is Botswana's only female private detective and this charming book tells the story of her life as well as about some of her cases. I found the style of the book to be very compelling with Smith including many references to the local culture of Botswana. The chapters containing various cases that Mme Ramotswe ta… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:45+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/166 Review of 'Things Fall Apart' Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe This story follows the life of an important man - Okonkwo of the tribe Igbo. The first 2/3 of the novel show the various ceremonies and describe the beliefs of the tribe that eventually cause Okonkwo to leave his village in exile for a number of years. Before he returns sees the arrival of the white man and his church leading to an ultimate collapse in the social fabric of the community and, ultimately, the ultimate collapse… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:45+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/167 Review of 'Devil on the Cross' Devil on the Cross by Ngugi wa Thiong'o Jacinta War??nga has just lost her job for rejecting her boses sexual approaches. She attempts suicide on the streets of Nairobi but is saved then by chance takes a matat? (bus) on a strange journey to the region of her birth: Ilmorog. In the Matat? Matata Matamu Model T Ford, registration number MMM 333, driver Robin Mwa?ra she meets some interesting individuals: Gatu?ria a lecturer at of African Studies at the Univer… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/364 Review of 'Blue Shoes and Happiness' Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith 7th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series Mma Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is now married to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni mechanic and proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors (next door to her offices) who has taken on two apprentices: Charlie and Fanwell (the younger but more able of the two). Matekoni has now taken on an assistant of Mr. Polopetsi who, though older, is… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/365 Review of 'The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party' The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith 12th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series Mma Precious Ramotswe is missing her old truck now replaced with a shiny new one. Mysteriously the old truck reappears like a ghost throughout this latest instalment of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Precious though concentrates on a case involving the mutilation of a cow on a farm. Could the young boy who initia… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/371 Review of 'The Kalahari Typing School for Men' The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith 4th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series The fourth book in the ever-popular “No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” sees Precious Ramotswe's detective agency facing competition from the text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/387 Review of 'The Full Cupboard of Life' The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith 5th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series Another instalment in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana as the story continues. Mma Ramotswe is now engaged to the best auto mechanic in Botswana: Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors who is somewhat reluctant to set a marriage date. Hiding her disappointment Ramotswe continues with her duties as detective when she is… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/497 Review of 'In the Company of Cheerful Ladies' In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith 6th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series Another instalment in the ever-popular “Ladies' Detective Agency” books from Alexander McCall Smith sees Precious Ramotswe's life settling in quite well with business for her agency and a happy marriage to Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. A near accident with a bicyclist brings a new face to the agency and gara… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/520 Review of 'Tears of the Giraffe' Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith 2nd book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series I have read many of the “No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” books over the years (and enjoyed the BBC television series a few years ago) so I recently made a list of all of the books in the series to make sure I have read them all. They are a light, easy read that has characters that are at once amusing as well as poignant in their relative simplicity. It is … text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/524 Review of 'Morality for Beautiful Girls' Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith 3rd book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series In this third novel of McCall Smith's “No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” we find Mr. Marekoni sole proprietor of of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors feeling out of sorts, wracked with guilt for an unspecified sin with lady detective Precious Ramotswe putting her ever-reliable assistant Mma Grace Makutsi in charge of the garage which has an instant e… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:45+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/528 Review of 'Out of Shadows' Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace It is 1983, Zimbabwe and Robert Jacklin is attending a boarding school having moved there from England. Immediately Robert is immersed into the politics of the school initially befriending the unassuming Nelson, a native Zimbabwean but increasingly spends time with the clever and charismatic though brutal Ivan, son of a white farming family that soon finds itself faced with the white-farmer removal policies of a newly elected Rober… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/596 Review of 'The Good Husband of Zebra Drive' The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith 8th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series Returning once again to Botswana we see Mme Ramotswe's, now, husband Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors looking to see what it is like to be a detective himself and proving himself a worthy husband by taking on the case of a suspected cheating husband. Mma Makutsi is feeling like she is not meant to be Mme Ramotswe's … text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/604 Review of 'The Miracle at Speedy Motors' The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith 9th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series In this 9th instalment in the “No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” series Detective Precious Ramotswe is asked by a woman to find her mother. She relates that she was brought up by a couple who recently passed away and never knew her real parents. Meanwhile Precious' assistant Mme Makutsi persuades her fiancé to buy her a fancy bed which she de… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/605 Review of 'Tea Time for the Traditionally Built' Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith 10th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series Mma Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency has no interest in football but is hired by the owner of the Kalhari Swoopers to investigate why his team seem to be losing all the time. She takes the case and wastes no time in interviewing all the players, listening to their complaints and petty squabbles text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/619 Review of 'The Double Comfort Safari Club' The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith 11th book in the 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series There is a lot happening at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Mma Makutsi's fiancé Phuti has been seriously injured in an accident and his aunt refuses to let Makutsi visit him. Mma Ramotswe is asked by a woman to find out if her husband is cheating on her, track down an exceptional safari guide left a bequest by a grateful guest des… text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/introduction African I read a bit of this when I was living in The Gambia and it was certainly surprising. But, to be honest, I do not even know where to start and had to pointed in the right direction. Latest Reviews text/html 2025-02-02T15:06:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/books/african/list List (by Author)