Trouble in Botswana

By chance I came upon this series of books about a lady detective "of traditional build" who sets up her business in Gabarone, Botswana. Now I am hooked! They are not detective novels as such, but a combination of a few cases that our protagonist,the delightfully named Precious Ramotswe, is hired to solve and a finely observed description of everyday life in Botswana. The reader is transplanted under the African sun, standing on the kikuyu-grass lawn of a garden or at the edge of the Kalari or sitting drinking a large mug of bush tea in Mma Ramostwe's office. We cheer when she deflates the egos of the vain and gives the cheats their just desserts, and we smile in agreement when she recognises a kind deed and an honest heart. She is someone we would trust with our knottiest problems - as so many of her clients do - and know that she would never betray a confidence. Apparently Anthony Minghella, director of The English Patient, is set to co-producing the film with Sydney Pollack's company, Mirage. But read the books first!