The Un-Monk

Something Missing is a novel by Matthew Dicks. It is different than anything I have ever read. After I finished it I passed it along to Dad and Emily. They probably have different opinions of it, and so I encourage them to comment on my post and give their two bits. This book is more on the fluff reading side than serious literature.

Martin has OCD to the same level as Monk, but he employs his "skills" on the wrong side of the law--he is a professional thief. Professional is exactly the word for what he does. He treats his thievery as a 9 to 5 job. He has a list of "clients" that he visits every week and only steals what they won't miss. Some of them he has been stealing from for 10 years! The book, although written in the third person, has a stream of consciousness feel to it. It's like Martin is taking you along on his daily visits, narrating what he is doing and why. For the first bunch of pages I felt stressed because I was waiting for him to get caught. But no, he is not the type to put himself in situations where he might get caught.

I enjoyed this book because of the excellence of the character development and the seamlessness of the plot. In the end you sense that Martin will be redeemed and that his life will no longer be empty. That redemption is a natural result of who Martin is and the choices that he makes. He is nothing if not ingenious. There is one page that I would leave out where he discourses about his philosophy about going to the bathroom in public restrooms. I can see where it is an extension of his character, but it seemed rather gratuitous to me. Aside from that, Something Missing is a well-crafted first novel that I am glad I read.