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The Case of the Missing Books
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The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
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Iamabibliophile
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Nov 03, 2013 05:42AM
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A brief description: Israel Armstrong is a passionate soul, lured to Ireland by the promise of an exciting new career. Alas, the job that awaits him is not quite what he had in mind. Still, Israel is not one to dwell on disappointment, as he prepares to drive a mobile library around a small, damp Irish town. After all, the scenery is lovely, the people are charming—but where are the books? The rolling library's 15,000 volumes have mysteriously gone missing, and it's up to Israel to discover who would steal them . . . and why. And perhaps, after that, he will tackle other bizarre and perplexing local mysteries—like, where does one go to find a proper cappuccino and a decent newspaper?This book really appealed to me because I love mysteries and read many set in the British Isles, books are an obvious love, as are libraries. I read this one and really enjoyed it. I will skim it to participate in the discussion but will be catching up on later ones in the series.
Ian Sansom has been described as 'quirky and delightful" and I would agree with that assessment of him as an author.
Questions to think about:
1) The strength in this book is more in the development of the characters, the setting and the humor (black and otherwise), not necessarily the mystery itself, was this enough for you or did you find the mystery lacking?
2) I would compare this book to some of Lisa Lutz's books which in my mind are mysteries but are more about the humor and the quirky characters. How would you categorize this? Is it true mystery or more general fiction with a mystery element, humor???
3) I see this book as an irreverent look at a deeper theme of being an outsider and trying to fit in to an established community. The resolution of the book speaks to the theme of acceptance, perhaps grudgingly. What are your thoughts on these themes running through an otherwise humorous, politically incorrect, mystery light book? Was the mystery just a vehicle to address these other thoughts?
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