Something Missing

Who wants to catch a thief when he's as endearing as Martin Railsback, the oddball hero of Matthew Dicks's first novel, SOMETHING MISSING? Martin is, after all, prone to rob people of items they'll never miss (a bar of soap, a few sticks of butter, the odd diamond) as a way of getting to know them. Despite his obsessive-compulsive work ethic, Martin manages to get himself in trouble over a toothbrush--but not before we've decided to let him in next time he calls --New York Times Book Review Mark Haddon s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003)is about a young, autistic amateur sleuth. Monk is a popular television series about a detective with an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This debut novel introduces us to a character who appears to have elements of autism and OCD, but here s the twist: he s a professional criminal. Martin Railsback is a housebreaker with a short list of clients from whom he s been acquiring things for years. He makes regular visits to their homes, cataloging their possessions, tracking their purchases, learning their lives. Most of his thefts are small food from the pantry, toiletries, books of stamps. Only occasionally, and only after a great deal of precise preparation, will he help himself to an object of actual monetary value. And here s another interesting thing about Martin: when one of his clients gets into a sticky situation, Martin will risk his own safety to help them out of their jam, even if being a hero means he may have to come into actual, physical contact with a client. This is a splendid novel, written with loving attention to character and detail; Martin is so vividly realized that he threatens to step off the page and into the reader s own living room. A loopier Bernie Rhodenbarr? A less lethal Dexter? Martin falls somewhere in between, but with a little word of mouth and some shrewd promotion, he could be the next big thing. -- Booklist, starred review Sometimes we're skeptical about debut novels: Can this guy pull it off on his first try? The answer for Matthew Dicks' Something Missing is an unqualified 'YES!' Dicks has dreamed up an unusual premise and twisted it so that the reader is rootting for 'the bad guy.'...Read Something Missing this summer and join the fun as Martin's life and crimes become more than he ever imagine. --The Free Lance-Star [T]he obsessive-compulsive Martin Railsback is a strange but lovable anti-hero. --Boston Globe Dicks combines the neurotic atmosphere of a Woody Allen film wiht the light touch of Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr novels (The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart, 1995, etc) in a unique debut. The fantastically bizarre leading man, obsessive-compulsive Marin Railsback, specializes in stealing things that no one notices have gone missing. Early on, Martin's vengeful, meticulous replacement of his abusive stepfather's prized baseball card led him to his rule-driven life of crim. 'If the missing item will be noticed, don't acquire it, ' is his first imperative, while his second requires a rigid awareness of his victims sense of perception: 'When items go missing in a house, the suspicion of theft occurs only if the possibility of a thief exists.' Martin supplements his part-time job as a barista by stealing toilet paper, groceries and other necessities from wealthy suburban 'clients, ' as well as auctioning off their detritus on eBay. Dicks expertly crafts the setup, showing us Martin's deep-seated need for stability and routine, then turning his world on its head when the compulsive thief accidentally knocks a client's toothbrush into the toilet. This necessitates a nerve-racking, breathless mission to replace it--while its owner is home, no less. Turning a philosophical corner, Martin embarks on an altruistic mission, trying to make his clients' lives a little better without their knowledge and risking his own tenuous subsistence in the bargain. A very funny adventure about the mechanics of burglary and the fragility of an orderly life. --Kirkus Reviews A quirky and endearing first novel that makes you wonder if that misplaced stick of butter or can of soup means there s a burglar prowling your pantry. If that thief is Martin Railsback, you might be glad. He s the kind of burglar you could conceivably want in your house. M. Ann Jacoby, author of Life After Genius A funny, suspenseful and thoroughly original debut that will keep you up to the wee hours flipping pages. David Rosen, author of I Just Want My Pants Back