This is an audiobook review.
I’ve never had the desire to visit Africa, but as soon as I
finished listening, I wanted to hop the next flight to Botswana. This audiobook is a
gem. There are no car chases, no gunfights, so martial arts smack downs just a
smart woman working hard to realize her dream of being the first lady detective
in Botswana. There’s a ton I liked. The heroine, Precious
Ramotswe, is clever, observant, and has a kind heart, all excellent qualities
for a lady detective. She is, as she says, “a fat African woman” and proud of
it. The cozy mysteries at her detective agency are told with good humor and
charm. The timeline of the story flicks from past to present, but is so
well-written it’s easy to follow. The reader learns about Precious’ childhood
and how she developed the knack for detective work. Along the way, family,
friends, and fascinating characters galore appear. I enjoyed the asides. They
brought more descriptive color to an already colorful tale.
The author has an exceptional eye for detail and writes with
the completely believable voice of a black African woman. It’s not long before
I felt I was sitting next to Precious in her little white van driving along the
dusty back roads of Botswana, off on another case. I rather wish I was.
The narrator, Lisette Lecat, is outstanding. She can do
female and male characters of different ages and tackles the soft lilt of
African accents with ease. Her pronunciation of African words is smooth and
erring. For this reason, I highly recommend the audiobook over electronic or
print versions.
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