Alexander McCall Smith. The Kalahari Typing School for Men. Anchor, 2003. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.
Over the years we have reviewed many books by Alexander McCall Smith, who is a favorite author of ours. Included are numerous books from the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. The Kalahari Typing School for Men is an early one that we had somehow overlooked.

As always, the narrative is easygoing and relaxed, but it tells a delightful story. For readers of the series (or of our reviews) this one takes place while Precious Ramotswe is engaged but not married to Mr. J.L.B. Maketoni and Grace Makutsi has yet to meet the man she will marry.

As is typical of these stories, there is a lot going on. We read of some of the activities of the apprentices who work for Rra Maketoni’s garage, and none of these tales can happen without at least one visit to Mma Potkwane’s orphan farm. But there are a few things happening that do affect the Botswanan detective agency.

First, we learn that another detective agency has opened up in town. Its founder claims to be an experienced policeman from South Africa who has spent time in New York. His name is Buthelezi, a well-known name from South African news. He says his father was indeed Zulu, but his mother was from Botswana. His main advertising theme, though, is that men would do a better job as detectives than women would.

Her main client has an interesting tale to tell. Twenty years ago when he was a college student in Gaborone, he stole a radio from a family he was boarding with because he needed some money. He also badly treated a girlfriend from that time—no physical abuse, but as the song says, “he done her wrong.” He wanted to apologize to both the family and the ex-girlfriend and pay restitution for the stolen appliance.

He cannot locate either party and asks Precious to help. She does. Of course, there are complications, but Precious’s kindness and insight make his story work out well.

Mma Makutsi would like to earn more money than what she can from the detective agency. She uses her 97% graduation record from secretarial school to make some connections and begin an evening school for typing. She is seeing the transition from where typing was seen as a woman’s skill to something that, thanks to computers, everyone needs to know. She begins the night school that is the title of the book.

It gets interesting because one of the men in the class is falling in love with her. Could this be the one? While Precious does not do a background check on Grace’s suitor, she becomes aware of some information that might make Grace change her mind, but it also might break her heart. Again, we see Precious’s wisdom at work.

There is more, as always, in episodes about the detective agency, Speedy Motors, and the orphan farm. It does make the reader long for Botswana, or a least something better. One other thing: Though Grace Makutsi does have some problems in this story, none of them involve Violet Sephoto.