The no.1 ladies' detective agency, Alexander McCall Smith

Opens the author's well known Botswana series.
Premise: I'm somewhat suspicious of serialized novels. The Abacus edition I've read claims that film director Minghella is (was?) bound to make a film version. Just for a change.
Well, at least rights still go to the author here (see Harry Potter).

Forget the "African Miss Marple" kind of review: to me, the biggest surprise was not Mma Ramotswe's wisdom and shrewdness, but the careless way we are introduced into the world of Gaborone, Botswana.
Africa is not the kind of set we European readers are used to seeing and reading adventures into; it is in fact a whole new world, which Mc Call Smith presents us in nice colourful shots. Despite the plain, almost naive style of writing, we smell the bush and hear the evening and touch the thorn trees. Like good-willed tourists allowed for a tea into a local home.

But that is all.
Accidentally, we are told that here women are not supposed to open detective agencies, that black magic still exists and "progress" has just started out.
Despite all this there's no trace of social clash nor discontent. Mma Ramotswe is a bearer of quiet traditional values and homeliness: so don't fear revolutions and carry on with your holiday.

The book is really only about mysterious cases which she solves simply and plainly, with no external complications. It is indeed a lovely read to pass your time before going to sleep.