The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency cover art

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

By: Alexander McCall Smith
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £10.99

Buy Now for £10.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Winner of the British Book Awards, Author of the Year, 2004.
Winner of the CWA Dagger in the Library Award, 2004.

Wayward daughters. Missing husbands. Philandering partners. Curious con men. If you've got a problem, and no one else can help you, then pay a visit to Mma Ramotswe, Botswana's only female private detective. Her methods may not be conventional, and her manner not exactly Miss Marple's, but she's got warmth, wit, and canny intuition on her side - not to mention Mr J.L.B. Maketoni, the charming proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors.

©1998 Alexander McCall Smith (P)2003 Time Warner AudioBooks
Detective Fiction Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Feel-Good Heartfelt
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency cover art
44 Scotland Street: The Complete Series 1-5 cover art
Tucker's Way cover art
The Stratton Story cover art
Language of the Heart cover art
The Frenchman and the Lady cover art
The Cornish Wedding Murder cover art
Sanctum: A Jake Crowley Adventure cover art
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey cover art
At Home in Mitford cover art
Wonderland Creek cover art
A Quiet Life in the Country cover art
An Irish Country Doctor cover art
Allie and Bea cover art
The Song of the Skylark cover art

Critic reviews

"A rare pleasure." ( Daily Telegraph)
"A publishing phenomenon." ( Guardian)
"Everything about [McCall Smith] is appealing. He's just full of delight; it just bubbles out of him." ( Sunday Herald)

What listeners say about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    174
  • 4 Stars
    33
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    155
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    137
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely Story

Beautiful story with lovely narrative that transports you to Africa.
Will definitely be listening to the next audio book 📕

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Feelgood story

This is the first novel in Alexander McCall Smith's series about Precious Ramotswe, the "traditionally built" owner of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency". The series is set in Botswana and the author, having been born in Africa and visited this part of the world many times, is perfectly capturing it's people and culture. You are introduced not only to Mma Ramotswe who is kindhearted, witty and just plain lovable; but also to her family and quirky friends whose paths and relationships with each other will develop in the course of the series.



What sets this series apart from other mysteries is the different way and pace of life in Botswana as well as the main character's way of solving her cases. If you are looking for a fast-paced, edge-of-your seat thriller, this book is not for you but if you enjoy an array of lovable characters, exotic settings and a feel-good story then give this series a try and I can almost guarantee, you will not be disappointed.



Adjoa Andoh brings the characters to life perfectly. People and places are coming alive in your imagination and you wish you could be part of Mma Ramotswe's world.



Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One word - Uplifting

This is the most innocent, beautifully written book ever. If only the whole world acted and thought like Mme Ramotswe, we would all have wonderfully fulfilled lives. It is an excellent read from beginning to end, including tragedy, happiness and real laugh out loud humour. Have now read the whole series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Story lines…

I watched the tv show and felt that the book would be better, of course it absolutely was, but the additional details were great! If nothing else, longer and more building and development of relationships please 🙏🏾

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Relaxing and heart-warming

I enjoyed this book it was well-written and perfectly narrated. There is a big chunk of backstory near the beginning, but persevere and you will be rewarded.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Adjoa Andoh brings Botswana to life

Mma Ramotswe lives in Botswana and leads the #1 ladies' detective agency in the country. She accepts every case, as long as it is legal, and slowly makes a name for herself. Precious Ramotswe is a smart lady and her intuition proves correct in most of her cases. The book is written in the form of several short stories that together paint a picture of Mma Ramotswe, her family and friends, and her country.

I know some people complained about this audio being abridged, and although I haven't read the full version, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed Adjoa Andoh's narration. She does a wonderful job of voicing the different characters, and she was the reason I started listening to the book. Moving forward to the next one on the series!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining light hearted humorous characters

I'm a big fan of the series and loved the radio plays, For me these are light hearted and entertaining, so I decided to go on and purchase the entire collection.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely narration

It was like being in Africa I loved this book and narration. Highly recommended now for book 2!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

Warm characters, great narration and an opportunity to enjoy the story without overthinking the plot. Read this as a child and rediscovered as an adult

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

My second Mma Ramotswe book

Adjoa Andoh is the perfect advocate for the world of Mma Ramotswe. I find myself caring about a whole gallery of characters. The stories seem to me charming without being over sentimental, not being afraid of some
serious issues, from sex to witch doctors. Very well produced with appropriate music.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful