Israel Armstrong is about to turn 30. As if that wasn't bad enough, he has recently broken up with his girlfriend; he's a Londoner stuck in a tiny town in northern Ireland -- living in a converted chicken house -- and he works a dead- end job as a librarian in a mobile library. When a young teen, the daughter of a prominent local politician, disappears, authorities discover Israel was one of the last people to see her. In addition, he lent her one of the "Unshelved" books forbidden to younger readers. Now, with the police and his boss watching his every move, Israel decides it's up to him to find the girl and clear his name. If he can cast off his ennui and take action, maybe life will improve. Then again...he does live in a chicken coop.

Mystery takes a backseat to the eccentric locals and quirky charms of Tumdrum, Ireland, in this story. Israel, a rather dour protagonist, is the perfect foil for the colorful residents of the town. I wasn't sure what to expect from this series, as this was my first book, but I was pleasantly surprised and soon quite entertained by Israel's adventures; the droll narrative had me chuckling out loud more than once. If you like your mystery with a healthy dose of humor, you'll be delighted with this book. With apologies to Israel, I hope that he's stuck in Tumdrum for a long time to come.

Book Summary

Author Ian Sansom “clearly loves a good laugh” (Washington Post), as his delightful mystery series featuring rumpled, fish-out-of-water, Jewish vegetarian librarian Israel Armstrong indisputably proves. The Bad Book Affair is Israel’s fourth hilarious adventure as he tools around Ireland in a rattletrap bookmobile trying to solve the mystery of a missing teenage girl while trying to keep his mess of a personal life in order. Sansom’s Mobile Library Mystery series has made a big splash with critics on both sides of “the Pond.” The New York Times Book Review loves their “formidable reserves of insight and humor,” while the London Times calls Israel “one of the most original and exciting amateur sleuths around.”