The Case of the Missing Books

By Ian Sansom

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060822503
• ISBN13: 9780060822507
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

It's all about the characters

The mystery plays a minor role in this book. It's really all about the characters. If you are a Larry David fan you'll enjoy Israel Armstrong. They both get themselves into awkward and at times uncomfortable circumstances. At times I laughed out loud. If you are looking for a mystery this really isn't the book for you. The author has a great style of writing. I highly recommend it.

An amusing read

Enjoyed this novel very much and found myself laughing outloud at several points, startling readers around me.

Gotta Love Israel

I was surprised to read so many negative reviews for this book because I enjoyed it so much. It is not a "high action" book but if you like a farce with the eccentric-est of characters, definitely check this book out. This book definitely has a rythm that it takes a chapter or two to get into, but once there, I found it difficult to put down. The mystery itself is so silly that the solving of it became an obsession for me, and I was definitely stumped at the end. It's a wry sort of Brit humour you'll find in these pages, but I suggest you definitely go looking. What an enjoyable read! And I have to see that I have a strong desire to find a mobile library at the moment as a result of reading this pleasant, diverting book.

Charming...

This book was a real pleasure to read. Its was charming and funny. A very light-hearted read. If you enjoy the books of Alexander McCall Smith, you will enjoy this one as well. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Librarian Loves Library Mystery

The first in a proposed series about Israel Armstrong, rumpled and befuddled bookmobile librarian in a small town in Northern Ireland, The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom (2006), introduces not only Israel, who travels from London to start a new job as town librarian at the Tumdrum and District Library, but also a whole cast of local eccentrics. The story is a classic "fish out of water" tale. The plot: an overeducated cityslicker arrives in a rural backwater where wiley locals contrive to pull the wool over his eyes about how 15,000 library books have disappeared. The Case of the Missing Books is a charming satire in this tradition. The book reminded me of Bill Forsyth's 1983 movie, Local Hero, or more recently, Waking Ned Devine or Saving Grace, all movies based in the U.K. where the townsfolk's mistrust of authority binds them together, results in heart-warming hijinks, features endearingly nutty locals and ends happily. The Case of the Missing Books, a mobile library mystery is the funniest book I've read in a while and I would recommend it to anyone who for example, has finished all the #1 Ladies Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith, and is looking for a gently humorous, character driven, "cozy" kind of mystery.