Audiobook – The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith


Genre: Fiction
Series: #13 in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date: 2012 Recorded Books (Book originally published 2012)
Length: 10 hours, 30 minutes
Read by: Lisette Lecat
Source: Library

The Short Version:
Precious Ramotswe comes to the aid of friends as one of the garage apprentices and also her friend Mma Potokwane find themselves in need of her assistance.

Why I Read It:
I have been and continue to be a fan of the audio versions of this series and I try to keep current.

The Book:
From the author's website:

In this latest episode in the beloved, best-selling series, the kindest and best detective in Botswana faces a tricky situation when her personal and professional lives become entangled.

Precious Ramotswe is haunted by a repeated dream: a vision of a tall, strange man who waits for her beneath an acacia tree. Odd as this is, she’s far too busy to worry about it. The best apprentice at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors is in trouble with the law and stuck with the worst lawyer in Gaborone. Grace Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti are building the house of their dreams, but their builder is not completely on the up and up. And, most shockingly, Mma Potokwane, defender of Botswana’s weak and downtrodden, has been dismissed from her post as matron at the orphan farm. Can the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency help restore the beloved matron to her rightful position?

As wealthy and powerful influences at the orphan farm become allied against their friend, help arrives from an unexpected visitor: the tall stranger from Mma Ramotswe’s dreams, who turns out to be none other than the estimable Clovis Andersen, author of the No. 1 Ladies’ prized manual, The Principles of Private Detection. Together, Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, and their teacher-turned-colleague help right this injustice and in the process discover something new about being a good detective.

My Thoughts:
I've said it many times before about this series but I just enjoy listening to Lisette Lecat's narration so much that I just can't imagine reading the print versions. Her voice characterizations of the regular and visiting characters are just a delight to my ear. This is a series that makes my driving around town time much more pleasant. I truly appreciate that she is the one who has to figure out and pronounce the names and places because I'd surely butcher them if I tried to sound them out to myself.

Although my library classifies this series as mystery fiction I hesitate to call what Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makusti work on as cases. This really isn't much of a mystery story. It's much more an ongoing story of Mma.Ramotswe and her family and friends as they live their lives in Botswana. By now with the 13th book the characters are old friends and I enjoyed another visit with them

I love Precious Ramotswe's love for her family, friends and country. I laugh at Grace Makutsi's constant reminders of her 97% final score from the Botswana Secretarial School. I was thrilled for Mma. Ramotswe to be able to meet her unwitting mentor when Clovis Andersen arrives in town. His total surprise at finding himself in a mentor role just adds to the fun.

Don't expect much of a mystery. Do expect to be transported to small town Botswana with a kind hearted main character and some oddball regulars in the cast. I haven't read any of the print versions but I highly recommend Lisette Lecat's audio versions.


Rating 3/5 for the book

Rating 4/5 for the narration

SoundBytes is a weekly roundup of audio book reviews hosted by Jen at Devourer of Books.