The Case of the Missing Books - Ian Sansom - 4 stars

[Linda C]

Israel Armstrong heads to Northern Ireland for a job as branch librarian only to arrive after a horrendous journey from London to find the library closed. When he finally tracks down the official in charge he is told he will be running a mobile library instead. He is put up in a fixed up chicken coop on a local farm and given a dilapidated van. But when he goes to the locked library for the books, there are none. By now he is ready to return to London but the fine print of his contract makes that impossible and he has to find the missing books and set up the mobile library service by the end of the year (a month). So begins Israel's venture into detective work.

This is an hilarious look at a man out of his depth, in a world that he doesn't understand. He is half Jewish/half Irish but has never been to Ireland. He's vegetarian, a city native and physically non-athletic and portly.

This would make a lovely quirky movie. Looking forward to more in the series.

This was not tagged foreign literature but is by a British author and it is set in Ireland. Both foreign to me.

[Marina]

I was very excited about this book, the premise was so interesting and it seemed like it would be much fun... but I ended up not liking it. I thought the story was developed in quite a poor way. The mystery wasn't much of a mystery at all, and I thought the characters were extremely annoying. But I liked Sansom's writing. The desriptions of Northern Ireland are good and he's great in giving a voice to the different characters. All in all, however, it was just not my cup of tea.

[Ladyslott]

I read this several years ago and did not like it. I was very disappointed.