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    The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection
    The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection
    The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection

    Written by Alexander McCall Smith

    Narrated by Lisette Lecat

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series has become a worldwide phenomenon thanks to the appeal of endearing protagonist Precious Ramotswe and the author's charmingly quirky prose. In this 13th installment, Mma Ramotswe's attention is focused on a pesky disciplinary problem at her adopted daughter's school-while Grace Makutsi adjusts to wedded bliss and the famed Clovis Andersen arrives in Botswana looking for more than bush tea.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 3, 2012
    ISBN9781464038334
    The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection
    Author

    Alexander McCall Smith

    Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the award-winning series The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and he now devotes his time to the writing of fiction, including the 44 Scotland Street and the Isabel Dalhousie series. He is the author of over eighty books on a wide array of subjects, and his work has been translated into forty-six languages. Before becoming a full-time writer he was for many years Professor of Medical Law at Edinburgh.

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    Reviews for The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection

    4.5/5

    40 ratings16 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Another wonderfully gentle and entertaining episode in the lives of Mma Precious Ramotswe, Mma Grace Makutsi, Mma Silvia Potokwane, Phuti Radiphuti, and the rest of the colorful, gracious and sometimes nefarious characters we've come to know and love in this series about life in Botswana.Those of you familiar with the series may think there's nothing new that can possibly to added to the adventures of the employees of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and their families, but the appearance of the hero of the ladies' endeavors, Clovis Anderson himself (author of the bible of private detection) and three separate problems makes this one a fresh and exciting read. Grace and Phuti are building a house, Mma Potkwane is trying to keep from being fired as director of the orphans' home, and Mma Ramotswe is trying to prove that one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekone's workers does not deserve to be in jail. With Mr. Anderson's help, they are able to bring everything to a suitable Botswana conclusion.These are well-written, classically crafted stories. The mysteries are almost an afterthought. McCall-Smith gives us characters who are so human, so devoted to goodness that they could become saccharine. Instead, the author allows them to make mistakes, become depressed and discouraged, and exhibit some pompous behavior that could be hurtful to others. Through it all, their dedication to maintaining the "Botswana way of life" brings us not just a good ending, but a feeling of wanting more. If you haven't yet been to the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, grab one of these tranquil tellings of stimulating mystery stories and settle back for a feel good read.
    • 4/5
      Three plots - house construction, stolen cars, and orphan matron on the outs. With Clovis Anderson, it has to be a good read!
    • 4/5
      Miracle of miracles! Clovis Anderson, the author of Mma Ramotswe’s Bible of detection arrives from America on a visit to a friend who is building libraries in schools across Botswana. During his stay, he pays a visit of “professional courtesy” to Mma Ramotswe who can use his help.The small and relatively quiet world that is Gaborone seems to turn upside down as Fanwell is arrested for working on stolen property; Mma Potokwani is dismissed as director of the orphanage; and Rra Rhadiputhi discovers that his builder is cheating him.It takes all Mma Ramotse's, Mma Makutsi's, and Clovis Anderson’s detective skills to figure out who the bad people are and how to foil them. And even they could not have achieved success without the help of the good honest citizens of Botswana in the personages of a cosmetician, a bumbling lawyer, an old man on a donkey cart, and an honest carpenter who may be working in Botswana illegally.Possibly McCall Smith’s tenderest and most great-hearted novel in this series. I have been reading these stories for 15 years and still yearn for more. Smith has created a desire in me to visit Botswana to pursue my belif that its real citizens are as delightful as they seem to be in his charming novels.
    • 5/5
      Another in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and I now rate this one as my current favorite of them all. The two detectives are having to reassess their relationship to one another since Mma Makutsi's marriage to Phuti Radiputi. And, Mma Potokwane has been forced out of her job as head of the orphanage. The two detectives undertake to help her get her job back with the help of a famous visitor who has turned up on their doorstep. I will not say more as the identity of this visitor provides one of the great surprises of this book. This is truly a book that brings smiles to the face of the reader throughout. It's a gentle, charming read and not to be missed by fans of the series.
    • 5/5
      The series just keeps getting better. This my favorite so far because the famous Clovis Anderson arrives in Botswana. Many twist in this one. Read and enjoy.
    • 5/5
      When I watched the TV series just recently I was a little disappointed but I couldn't pinpoint just what was missing. It wasn't just that Jill Scott didn't quite fit my mental image of Precious Ramotswe. The content of the stories seemed rather thin and he-who-watches-TV-with-me read his paper because he thought the episodes were rather trite.But now I know what was missing! What the books contain that I so much enjoy. I'm pretty sure that I have read the whole series, so I'm pretty well acquainted with all the characters. What the books contain is the carefully chosen language with that subtle touch of humour that conveys Mma Ramotswe's thoughts and feelings.Followers of this series won't be disappointed in THE LIMPOPO ACADEMY OF PRIVATE DETECTION. The stories feel fresh and while there's no murder there's plenty of everyday life, the stuff that makes these cozies so satisfying. There's no doubt about it - McCall Smith has created a cast of characters that we care about.You'll notice that I have included THE LIMPOPO ACADEMY OF PRIVATE DETECTION under Africa in the 2012 Global Reading Challenge. The novels in this series are very firmly based in Botswana and frequently contain reflections on how Botswana is coping with the modern world. For example Clovis Andersen and Precious Ramotswe talk about how words are disappearing from the language and she often talks about the loss of traditional values. And on a deeper level the novels raise issues about how modern economics is destroying traditional and human structures.
    • 4/5
      More of the same from Alexander McCall Smith, but gloriously so. Further adventures in the life of Mma Ramotswe, her family and friends, reminding us that love is more important than business and that if you change someone's life for the better that's no less important than making a big splash in the world. Loved it.
    • 4/5
      This is one of my favorites from the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I love it that "Clovis Anderson" appears in person in this novel. He contributes to the rescue by Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi of two of their friends.
    • 5/5
      Another installment in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I know that words like charming and sweet are not typical words that people like to hear in reviews.. but these novels, set in the heart of Botswana are simply that. They fill me with joy when there is another installment. And this one continues that trend.
    • 5/5
      This book will not disappoint fans of Precious Ramotswe and the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (of whom I count myself an early member). If anything, they will be delighted to learn about the mysterious Clovis Anderson as well as further the stories of Grace Makutsi and her husband Phuti, the kind-hearted, hard-working Fanwell, and the here-to-fore indomitable Mma Potokwane, matron at the Orphans Farm. If you are unfamiliar with this series, this is the 13th book. Your enjoyment would be doubled by starting with the first (simply, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency) and count yourself lucky that you have so many wonderful hours ahead of you. One last recommendation: If you are off-put by the unfamiliar Botswana character names, please consider listening to the first book so that you will "hear" the names smoothly as you read the next ones.
    • 5/5
      Excellent recent addition to the popular series. I was happy to see all the regular characters return. The ending provided a set up for the next book--I hope there are many! The characters are like family members for me.
    • 4/5
      Precious Ramotswe and her associate detective, Grace Makutsi, have a small detective agency in Gabarone, Botswana. They are both married to hard-working and respectable men so life is good for them. They celebrate their good fortune by helping others who are not so fortunate. In this case, the director of the orphanage, Mma Potokwane is told that she is relieved of her duties. She objected to the orphanage's board of directors who decided to consolidate all of the small houses that shelter the orphans and make one large kitchen and dining facility. No more shall the wee ones run around the kitchen of their own house, watching their house mother fix their meals, steal a taste of dinner, and sit around a small table enjoying a real family-style meal. Now they must all share a large, impersonal hall. Mma Ramotswe and her husband are very connected with this orphanage. Rra J.L.B. Matekoni has always been available to help with repairs around the facility and after they married, they adopted two of the orphans. One of Rra Matekoni's apprentices got himself in a fix, too. He helped a friend repair a car that turned out to be stolen and managed to obtain a lawyer that must be the worst in the world.Mma Ramotswe also receives a visit from a very special person!No blood, no violence, no hi-tech toys. Just a heaping dose of traditional values, respect, attention to others, and lots of love.
    • 5/5
      I love this series and all of the characters in it. I highly anticipate the latest installment every April. In this outing we have Mma Potokwane being removed from her position as matron of the orphan farm by a very bad man, Fanwell, Mr. J.L. B. Matekoni's apprentice has been arrested, and Grace and Phuti are having problems with the construction of their new house. Best of all, the famous author of the Principals of Private Detection, Clovis Anderson, arrives in Botswana! Of course evil is never allowed to triumph over good and Grace and Mma Ramotswe put all to right at the end with the aid of many cups of tea. The gems of wisdom in these books are so wonderful. For example Mma. Ramotswe advises Grace never repay rudeness with rudeness because it never teaches a rude person how to behave better. I may have to work on that one. The loving way marriage and family is portrayed is so refreshing too. These books reaffirm family values, kindness, and manners. I always look forward to a visit to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
    • 4/5
      How McCall Smith manages to write a wonderful book every year, I can't fathom... but he does and I will be sorry when this series reaches its conclusion. The 'special guest' was a nice touch - readers of the whole series have probably had similar questions about them as they have read. I liked how those questions were dealt with. Hoping for a number 14...
    • 3/5
      If you haven't read and liked one of the Precious Ramotswe books in Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, I recommend giving the first one a try. They're charming and often wise.They're set in Botswana, where the author once taught law, and feature a gentle humor and warmth that makes reading them feel like taking a short vacation from our daily pressures. They are mysteries, but typically involve the good sorting out, and outwitting, the wicked and greedy. In The LImpopo Academy of Private Detection an auto shop assistant is unjustly accused of being involved in a stolen car racket, and formidable Mma Potakwane is dismissed for shady-appearing reasons from administering the orphanage she has given her life to. Can "traditionally built" Precious Ramotswe use her clear-sightedness and resolve to save both? There's a timely surprise appearance by the author of the book she learned her detective skills from, as the some of the underlying motivations prove hard to bring to light.These books also have wonderful characters - Precious is insightful, unflappable, maternal and tradition-observing - chastising, for example, a company CEO for chewing a toothpick in front of an out-of-country guest. Her assistant, Grace Makutsi, is inordinately proud of her high score in secretarial college and finds shoe-buying difficult to resist, but also has her own keen instincts and is fiercely loyal. Precious's solid, reliable, common sense husband J.L.B Maketoni, his auto shop assistants, Grace's stutter-prone beloved Phuti and many others brighten the stories and become welcoming friends for the returning reader.
    • 4/5
      There are always problems for Precious Ramotswe and her associate Grace Makutsi to solve for their clients. But in The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, they’re solving the problems of those in their inner circle: Madame Pokokwane, who heads the local orphan farm, and Fanwell, one of the apprentices at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Even Grace’s new husband has some problems, even though he may not be aware of them.To top it all off, the two Botswanan detectives get to meet the man who wrote the book on detection – Mr. Clovis Andersen of Muncie, Indiana, himself. The author is visiting Botswana and stops by to meet his fellow detectives who, unbeknownst to him, have virtually memorized his book, The Principles of Private Detection, and used his principles in their business every day.The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection is a wonderful addition to this series, which readers depend on for quiet wisdom and a story in which everything works well out in the end. It’s amazing how the author can conjure up great stories on the flimsiest of plots and make it look easy. Great characters, too.