Precious and the Monkeys, by Alexander McCall Smith, is a lovely tale of a young schoolgirl in Botswana (Africa). She goes by the name of Precious, and uses her detective instincts to solve a mystery at her school and catch the thief, who is stealing delicious treats from her friends, which they have brought to eat after lunch.

The main characters are Precious, the protagonist, who catches the culprit and Poloko, a fat boy who is accused of being the thief by the two victims, Sepo and Tapiwa, who have had their scrumptious desserts stolen from them, and who start spreading rumours across the school. Lastly, there are also the monkeys, who play a part in Precious' dreams and reality. But the question is, is Poloko the thief or not?

I love this story, because although it is a simple enough case, the vivid way in which the author describes Botswana is enchanting. He writes the story in a very engaging way, just the way it would probably happen in real life, and reading it feels like being part of the case and solving it alongside Precious. You can almost feel yourself standing there all through the tale. Since the story is set in a school and all the main characters are school children, it really draws you in.

I can find no fault in this wonderful book and I highly recommend it to anybody who loves to read mysteries, especially those in the 7-9 years of age. A good read.

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