The Principles of Private Detection by Clovis Andersen

Title: The Principles of Private Detection

Author: Clovis Andersen

Publisher:  Self published

Source book: The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

When The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency first appeared in London it seemed to be a wild success and I was given a copy as a birthday present. For whatever reason, I didn’t get on with it at all, so I have only read half of that first book. But in case you’re interested or don’t already know, there are about 20 more books in the series. Who would have thought that detective novels set in Botswana would have such success starting in Scotland? Apparently the Scots read different books to the English, and after Scotland the series became popular in the United States before it achieved success in England. There’s been a BBC TV dramatisation, and the books have also been dramatised for BBC Radio 4.

Unfortunately I can’t tell you if these books are popular in Botswana. It would be interesting to know.

After her first few cases, Mma Precious Ramotswe, the first female private detective in Botswana, buys The Principles of Private Detection and Wikipedia assures me she quotes from it throughout the novels when help is needed in deciding on the next step. Clovis Andersen turns up in person in The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection and helps to solve the case.

Images of Botswana borrowed from the internet