Wednesday 20 August 2008

A Wee Review - Mr Dixon Disappears by Ian Sansom


Mr Dixon Disappears continues where Ian Sansom’s The Case of the Missing Books leaves off. Israel Armstrong, the latest and not-so-greatest Northern Irish amateur detective, gets himself caught up in another case. The second of The Mobile Library series takes place once again in the small Antrim Coast town, Tumdrum, and all the ingredients that made the first instalment work so well are all present. And there’s an extra pinch of comedy in there, if I’m any judge.

When Mr Dixon, the man at the helm of the legendary Dixon and Pickering’s department store, disappears, Israel finds himself the chief suspect. Having arrived to the store early to set up his five-panel touring exhibition dedicated to the Dixon and Pickering legacy, he happens to be first on the scene when the store’s caretaker discovers that both Mr Dixon and £100,000 have gone missing. And because he’s rather clueless in the ways of thievery, he manages to get his fingerprints all over the safes that have been relieved of their cash. And so, despite the fact that Israel’s co-worker and almost-friend, Ted, insists that Israel couldn’t be trusted to go for a loaf of bread, Israel is lifted, bundled into a cell, interviewed by the police, suspended from his job and forced to investigate the case to prove his own innocence.

Again, Israel takes to amateur detection like a duck to rollerblades. No matter how many crime fiction novels he attempts to read he just can’t get into the right frame of mind. Perhaps it’s the lack of whiskey and dames? Maybe it’s the fact that he’s a mobile librarian? Or is it because he’s a young Jewish man from north London, lovelorn, misunderstood and hapless, who couldn’t be more out of his element? Whatever the reason, his hard-line questioning of suspects usually leads to a guilty admission of overdue books and little more. So, he has to swallow his pride and ask his co-worker, Ted, to help him out of bother again. Together, they are a crime solving dynamic duo... well, sort of.

I truly enjoyed this trek through fondly familiar territory. The first instalment of The Mobile Library series set the bar high, and Mr Dixon Disappears has pushed it up another notch. Sansom’s sometimes dithering and sometimes razor-sharp prose elegantly reflects Israel’s not-so-elegant personality. There’s a slightly harder edge to the “crime” the plot is based around. Part one seemed a little soft as the main drama revolved around a heap of missing books. In this one a person and a goodly amount of money vanishes into thin air. You can see how that might create a little more tension, can’t you?

My favourite part of the book? The thinly veiled Stephen Nolan character. I truly hope Sansom sent a copy of the book into the Nolan show. If not, I might be tempted to tip them off with an anonymous email. I’m sure the star of the biggest show in Ulster would take it in good humour. I did notice that he included the portly BBC Radio Ulster DJ in the book’s acknowledgements, so, you know, there’s an element of respect there. Ahem.

So, you’re looking for a fresh spin on Northern Irish comedy-crime fiction? You really need to check out The Mobile Library series. Mr Dixon Disappears is further proof; Ian Sansom is a comic genius!

11 comments:

Michael Stone said...

Book One of the Mobile Library series is on order from my local bookshop, as is Mr McKinty's 'Dead I Well May Be'. And today I finished reading Lucy Caldwell's 'Where They Were Missed'. Arenten I a good little CSNI'er! Do I get a badge?

Oh, by the way, for anyone thinking of ordering Ian Sansom's 'The Book Stops Here', just be aware that it is actually Mobile Library bk 3 -- 'The Delegates' Choice' -- renamed.

Gerard Brennan said...

Mike - Your badge is on the way. No need for any guldering.

Great to hear you've more quality NI fiction on the way. You won't be disappointed. I'll be sure to post about the Mobile Library book 4 mix-up in the next few days. Just want to get confirmation from Mr Sansom on book 4's title.

gb

Michael Stone said...

Sorry, didn't mean to gulder. Heh, thanks to Lucy Caldwell, other words slipping into my vocabulary are gurning, clabber, juking, hoking and boking. I still sound like a Pakistani when I try to do an Irish accent, though.

Peter Rozovsky said...

Crikey, you're psychic once again. I just started Mr. Dixon Disappears today, so I'll try to avoid reading this comment of yours until I've finished the book.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

Gerard Brennan said...

Mike - Yeah, I get that when I attempt an Ozzie accent. Still, they're all quality words to add to your vocabulary. Juking is one of my favs.

Peter - Just read your first Mr Dixon Disappears related post. Looking forward to more!

gb

adrian mckinty said...

Ger,

You say guldering and I say gurning. The difference between Co. Antrim and Co. Down or two different concepts?

Mike,

I hope you like it.

Adrian...

Gerard Brennan said...

Adrian - No, I say gurning too. Guldering is from Lucy's book. And I think it's a more enthusiastic, louder gurn, like screeching and wailing, because Lucy uses gurn as well.

gb

adrian mckinty said...

Ger,

I see. You're both ten years younger than me, so maybe its a young person's thing. I had never heard of someone having an "eggy fit" until my nephews used it. I loved it immediately. Some of the older words like "pochle" and "ganch" seem to be dying but thats the way things go.

My dream is to get a ref in the OED for the use of the word "sheugh" either in the literal sense of drainage ditch or in the metaphorical usage "Irish Sea" or latterly "Atlantic Ocean".

I know its a long shot, but a boy can dream.

a...

Gerard Brennan said...

Adrian - I still use "ganch", usually in reference to my wee brother. Gotta tell you though, never heard of "pochle". What's it mean?

Good luck with the sheugh dream!

gb

adrian mckinty said...

poche = messy or unkempt person

"Ach, you can't go out like that, you're a pochle."

A...

Gerard Brennan said...

Adrian - Cheers! Something new every day.

gb