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** spoiler alert ** Two and a half stars.

Unfortunately I must agree that this book is a light-weight as far as mystery goes. The book is mainly about the travails of poor Israel Armstrong, bookmobile librarian. As a public librarian myself at one time, I had to smile at the inside librarian humor (customers asking for “the book with the blue cover��, etc.), but that gets old, fast. The Irish expressions also made me smile, though, as they remind me of friends from Northern Ireland.

There is a fair bit of Jewish humor as well (Israel’s mother, contrary to stereotype, couldn’t cook if she
tried; the police superintendent thinks Israel is Israeli because he definitely isn’t from Northern Ireland—he doesn’t even know the names of the nine glens!, etc.) Other than that, the book is fairly forgettable.

One reviewer thought Samson made the good people of Northern Ireland look like idiots and didn’t appreciate it. I wouldn’t go that far; I mean he does live there, and should know the people fairly well. It usually does take an outsider to notice the oddities/quirks and inconsistencies of a society or culture—anywhere. In the end, Sansom is an author, so he’s going to take creative license in creating his characters. I agree that he makes the Tumdrum police Sergeant seem like a cross between Barney Fife and U.S. Homeland Security, but who has never met a policeman who is a stickler for the rules? Besides, Israel is the same way-which is part of the reason for his being singled out. On the other hand, it is a sad truth that local police everywhere will look first at anyone who is ‘different��, anyone who doesn’t look or sound local.