Here’s a book I just loved, Something Missing: A Novel. No, it’s not science fiction, nor fantasy. It’s not really a mystery either. And it’s definitely not one of those “oh I’m so miserable and want to make you miserable too” novels (thank heavens). It’s fun with a great character, Martin.
An Unusual Occupation
Do you know how many rolls of toilet paper or sticks of butter you have? How about those towels you got as a gift five years ago? Still there? Do you have stuff in the back of your closet you would never miss? I know I do.
So do Martin’s clients. You see, Martin makes his living by visiting his clients every week or two and taking just things that he knows no one will miss. That can of soup, wedding gift china, diamond earrings. Martin is a thief with a most unusual business model. For one thing he knows what a business model is and has carefully planned his out. He knows exactly how to enter a home undetected and how to leave. He knows how determine which items are safe and plans carefully when to acquire them. He reads clients’ mail and their diaries, knows their vacation plans and upcoming trips to the dentist.
Martin is OCD in spades. He has a definite schedule and an acquisition plan for each client. He takes meticulous care to leave no DNA evidence behind and comes and goes at different times and routes. He also flosses five times a day and avoids doorknobs.
Besides being OCD and fanatical about hygiene, Martin has a wonderful imagination. He built an entire persona to sell his acquisitions on eBay. He dreams that the waitress at his favorite breakfast spot likes him and that her “see you tomorrow” is a date. He uses this imagination to think through risks and plan his day, but his secret dream is to write. Martin’s cover story for his friends is that he writes instruction manuals, but he really wants to write novels.
The Plot Thickens….
Martin could continue this way forever except he knocks his client’s electric toothbrush into the toilet. Appalled at the idea of her using it with residual fecal material, Martin runs to the store, buys a replacement, and almost gets caught returning the replacement.
The plot thickens from here. Martin took the first step to get involved with his clients and his next step takes him further into their lives. He saves a surprise birthday party and finds a girl to love. All well and good, and he can still tell himself that his clients are just that, clients, not people.
Then he discovers one client is being stalked by a rapist. Now what? Martin follows his heart and saves the day at considerable cost to him.
Wonderful Characters and Dialogue
Martin is priceless, one of the best characters I’ve come across lately. The dialogue is outstanding – and realize that most dialogue occurs in Martin’s mind. It is hard to believe that Something Missing is Matthew Dick’s first novel. It reads like a polished, complete story, with well-done characters and fast pace.
My thanks to Amy Peveto of Bookzilla for recommending Somethihttp://amzn.to/2HnrtGJng Missing. It was great, thanks Amy!
4 Stars
Amazon links are ads that pay commission to blog owner.
Yay, spreading the love for Something Missing! One of my favorite reads of 2010. It’s so easy for a book that’s mostly internal monologue to get boring, but Martin is such a great character, and the book so well-written, that I enjoyed every second. Glad you loved it so much, and thanks for the shout-out!