Fine reading brings homey tale of Botswana to life.

Mma Precious Ramotswe, warm-hearted proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Gaborone, Botswana, is drinking tea at an outdoor café when she witnesses the theft of a bracelet. In her haste to apprehend the female thief and return the bracelet to the poor vendor, she leaves her table without paying her bill. The waitress hurries after her, accuses her of intentionally neglecting her bill, and then offers to "forget" about it if Mma pays her an extortionate fee.

Distressed by what she sees as the loss of Botswana's traditional values, Mma Ramotswe believes fervently in setting a good example, respecting others and promoting friendships in her own life. Recently married to Mr. J. L. B. Matekone, proprietor of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe runs her detective agency (where she doles out homespun advice and often serves as a "mother confessor"), takes care of two orphaned children, mentors Mma Grace Makutsi, her assistant, and endeavors to get the two apprentices at her husband's garage to become responsible citizens.

Throughout the series, plots and subplots serve primarily as vehicles for character development and the exploration of cultural values. In this novel Mma Ramotswe has a deep secret, not shared even with her husband, and she is desperate to have it remain a secret. Her house is broken into, her car is stolen, and Note Makoti, her first husband, returns to Gabarone. Mysterious goings-on occur in Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni's former house, now rented; the detective agency looks for a missing man from Zambia; and Mma Makuti finds herself receiving the attentions of a clumsy suitor. None of these events are, of course, world-shaking, but they are significant in the lives of the hard-working and honest people who populate this delightful novel.

South African playwright Lisette Lecat, reader of this audiobook, puts her feeling for dialogue to work here, giving a dramatic but completely realistic sound to this story of Mma Ramotswe, rolling the MM in "Mma" in a completely natural way, impossible for a foreigner to duplicate. Her ability to assume different voices for different characters, without being "cute," adds to the sense of place and to the characters' personalities. Her clear diction and ability to duplicate the cadence of Smith's writing make her reading particularly memorable. Conveying gentle humor, Lecat adds warmth and wit to this rich novel. Mary Whipple