Back when this series was all the rage a few years ago, I heard this as an audio book. The narrator really did it for me; her rumbly dialects were terribly expressive.

Later on, my mother sent me the hard copy and it didn't have the same effect for me. But the story is still equally gratifying: unhurried, good-natured, and on the verge of modern living. Just like the Africa that I came to know and love in my travels. Spot on, Mr. McCall Smith.