No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith
Relax & read - mystery list descriptions do not reveal major plot points.

Character's Personality: Mma Precious Ramotswe is about 40 years old: serene, gracious, compassionate, and just a bit curious about the questionable behavior of others. She's made mistakes in her younger days (including a marriage to an abusive husband) but has emerged into mid-life with a placid, unshakable sense of self-confidence, that's virtually unheard-of in mystery fiction. Blessed with a "traditional" African build (plus size), she has a gentle sense of humor.

Character's Occupation: Private investigator

Character's Culture / Ethnicity: African (Tswana)

Character - Other Notable Traits: 

Location and Time Period: Contemporary Botswana in and around the capital Gabarone

Mystery Subgenre: Cozy, Humorous

Objectionable Material: None

Other Supporting Characters:

• Grace Makutsi – assistant to Mma Ramotswe, smart and hard-working, insecure about her looks
• Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni – husband of Mma Ramotswe, and finest mechanic in Botswana

Series Description: (brought to you by kat impatientreader.com).  Mma Precious Ramotswe owns not just the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, she owns the only Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana.  Clients come to her now and again with problems involving missing spouses, rivals in business, and so forth.

She also has her own family life to enjoy: interactions with her husband, expansion of her and his careers, and humorous situations that come up with her assistant, her neighbors, and her adopted children.  The reader gets a real feel for the culture of Botswana.

By mystery standards, this series offers not much plot, and the private investigator aspect serves merely as a quirky device to create memorable characters and get them chatting and amiably interacting in Botswana. However, the series has a lot of charm and should please general fiction readers, especially those who appreciate exotic locales that feel authentic. Cozy mystery fans might enjoy this series for its affectionate, optimistic tone. If you love this series, you'll probably greatly enjoy the Dr. Siri Paiboun series by Colin Cotterill.

Series List: Purple Copyright Date  = I've read it. Title links go to Amazon.com product pages.

1. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (1998)
2. Tears of the Giraffe (2000)
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
4. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
5. The Full Cupboard of Life (2003)
6. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
7. Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
8. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
9. The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)

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