Diary of an Autodidact: The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

Source of book: Audiobook from the library

Ah yes, another long trip, another Alexander McCall Smith book. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection is the 13th in the series. Regular followers of this blog will note that my wife and kids introduced me to this author and series, and that all except for the first book have been the subject of posts. The first is omitted because they already read it, and I still haven’t gone back and picked that one up.

This book is more of the same, shall we say. Yet again, Mma. Ramotswe and her associate, Mma. Makutse, are faced with challenging cases to unravel. Their husbands, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and Mr. Phuti Radiphuti have their own issues to resolve. There are villains old (Violet Sepotho) and new (Mr. Ditsu Ditsu) to defeat.

Unique to this book, however, is the fact that a case hits really close to home: the younger apprentice mechanic, Fanwell, becomes a suspect in a car theft ring, courtesy of a school friend who shows up and bullies him into fixing a car.

And, in a shocking turn of events, Clovis Anderson, whose book, The Principles of Private Detection, has been the bible for the Ladies #1 Detective Agency, appears in person. Meeting one’s heroes is always a risk, and it turns out that Anderson may not be who the ladies thought he was.

So, for the cases. First is the issue with Fanwell. Second is that Mma. Potokwane, the longstanding headmistress of the orphanage, has found herself dismissed after the board votes to build a dining hall that she opposes. Behind this change is the wealthy benefactor, Mr. Ditsu Ditsu. Why is he so set on making the change?

Meanwhile, the newlywed Mma. Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti want to build a house, and retain a contractor. He is, unfortunately, sexist, although his houses appear to be well built. One of his workers hints that there may be issues, though.

There are some great moments in the book. Fanwell’s incompetent lawyer is good for some laughs, although the damage he does is not funny. Alas, any of us in legal practice have worked with people like that.

There is also the surprise moment when Phuti’s scheming aunt - the one who tried to steal him away from Mma. Makutsi - actually does something useful.

As one might imagine, along with the humor and the plot, the book explores some deeper themes.

In this case, the way that criminal justice systems tend to run roughshod over the poor becomes a central idea. Between incompetent defense attorneys, who, while a minority, can be catastrophic in individual cases - I have definitely seen that on cases I have had - and judges with crowded calendars and little time to understand nuance - this is more universal than the Botswana setting would suggest.

Likewise, casual sexism is yet again a theme of this book. McCall Smith grew up in Africa, and it is clear that he observed the way things were.

I also thought that he, in his usual subtle and non-preachy way, looked at the privilege that white men have, even in a majority-black and black-governed country. Clovis Anderson may well be a stand-in for the author, an idea bolstered by Anderson’s self-deprecating style. He is actually a great character in this book, neither a swash-buckling hero nor a villain. Instead, he has his own insecurities, yet also treats Mma. Ramotswe and Mma. Makutsi with respect and as equals. His insights are good, but he also listens to the women, and understands that their greater knowledge of the cultural dynamics are the key to resolving the issues.

Finally, the book examines the way that rich and powerful “reformers” like to meddle in the working of institutions - in this case an orphanage - without understanding the real needs involved. This certainly happens in the realm of education - the push to replace teachers with AI is just the latest - but it really is an issue in any of the human services fields.

Humans can’t be reduced to “saving money” or theories about learning. Humans learn in community, and grow up in community, and the community itself is more important than the specifics of how things are done.

Hence, preserving the family dynamics within the orphanage are more important than efficient food service - something most of us understand instinctively within our own families.

As usual, the strength of the book is McCall Smith’s keen eye for human nature, and gentle focus on human foibles.

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Regarding the title, it isn’t all that connected to the book until the end, when Anderson and Makutsi contemplate opening such an institution.

For many of us, our first experience of the Limpopo River was through Kipling’s Just So Stories. The “great grey-green greasy Limpopo River” is a recurring phrase in “The Elephant’s Child,” and also appears in a few other stories, if my memory serves.

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For those who want to brush up on the full set of McCall Smith books we have listened to:

#1 Ladies Detective Agency series:

The Tears of the Giraffe (#2 in the series)

Morality for Beautiful Girls (#3)

The Kalahari Typing School For Men (#4)

The Full Cupboard of Life (#5)

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (#6)

Blue Shoes And Happiness (#7)

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (#8)

The Miracle at Speedy Motors (#9)

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (#10)