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    Something Missing
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    Something Missing
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    Something Missing
    Audiobook9 hours

    Something Missing

    Written by Matthew Dicks

    Narrated by Jefferson Mays

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In this quirky debut novel from author Matthew Dicks, career criminal Martin uses his OCD to pilfer items from his victims’ houses without being discovered. It helps that he only takes things the homeowner would never notice are missing—like a roll of toilet paper or a bottle of maple syrup. Martin has spent so much time snooping through homes he feels like he knows the owners, but when he starts meddling in their personal lives, his precise world turns to chaos.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books Audio
    Release dateSep 11, 2009
    ISBN9781440759932
    Unavailable
    Something Missing
    Author

    Matthew Dicks

    MATTHEW DICKS is a writer and elementary school teacher. He has been published in the Hartford Courant, featured at the Books on the Nightstand retreat, and is a Moth StorySLAM champion. He is the author of three previous novels, Something Missing, Unexpectedly Milo, and Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, an international bestseller. His novels have been translated into more than 25 languages. Dicks lives in Newington, Connecticut, with his wife, Elysha, and their two children.

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    Reviews for Something Missing

    3.5/5

    185 ratings31 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A fun, quirky novel about a lifetime professional thief with OCD who steals everyday household supplies that nobody would ever notice are missing.
    • 4/5
      I LOVED this book! I love the idea of an OCD career thief, taking such time and effort to rob people (clients) in such a way that they never notice anything has gone missing! I think Martin would probably drive me crazy, though, if we were friends.... But he's clearly someone you want on your side in your time of need!
    • 3/5
      Picked this up as it sounded a little off and humourous. It has been on my to-be-read shelf for a while. I also took a bit of time to read it.It started off fine, but did get a bit tedious with all the detail about Martin and his career of crime. But then I should have expected it as he is a criminal with OCD. His OCD is what has allowed him to get away with his crimes for so many years.His choice of items to steal are things like toilet paper, shampoo, laundry detergent and other items found in the usual home inventory. He doesn't take large quantities, only what might be on the average shopping list. His attention to detail has allowed him to have a list of repeate clients he can visit (steal from) for a good number of years.The thing with Martin is that his life is extremely predictable and limited. It is not that he could discuss work with any of his few friends. He has a part-time job at a coffee shop (a Starbucks style) that covers for that. But still, he prefers a limited number of friends. But all that changes when he does something to help improve some of his clients' lives. He meets Laura and finds that he may be falling in love.Martin's attention to detail, his klutziness and his neuroticism are entertaining at times but for me got a little tedious. It does pick up in the last third and I did find myself a bit tense with the action that happened.
    • 4/5
      I am constantly reading book reviews and blogs looking for my next Great Read, but I had never heard of this book until I recently stumbled upon it on the Staff Recommends shelf at my local library. I am so glad I read it because it turns out this is a diamond in the rough! So many of the books that get glowing reviews aren’t all that! (I guess they just have a better publicity machine.)

      This is a quirky little novel about Martin, a house robber, who has OCD and a conscience.

      Martin is meticulous about everything from his rigorous due diligence in selecting his long-term “clients” (the people he is going rob), to what items he actually takes from each client (usually household items like toilet paper and laundry detergent-rarely jewelry and silver). He has back up plans for his back up plans. And he knows his clients very well since he has had most of them for years. He knows all about their personal lives, both triumphs and tragedies, but never allows himself to get involved, just goes about his job of robbing them. But one day something in his routine changes and he subsequently gets trapped in the house of one of his clients when they are home. Overhearing his client on the phone he realizes that he can help his client out, and thus begins his stint as a “guardian angel” for several of his clients.

      I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but can see why some people would find it boring. Since Martin has OCD there is a lot of detail about how he goes about doing EVERYTHING and why. But there is a lot of dramatic tension (will he get caught) and humor (the scenes with Alfredo the Parrot are very funny) to keep the reader’s attention and interest.

      This is an original and charming debut novel that I am so glad I didn’t miss!
    • 5/5
      B.A.B.A.E.L.If there was something missing from my life before, it was this book. Har, har, har. I'm so funny. Ahem....Sorry.I've been raving about this book to anyone who will listen to me. Creative, engaging, funny, outrageous -- Something Missing is one of the most interesting and satisfying stories I've read for months.So, the premise: Martin is a somewhat antisocial oddball (the blurb says OCD, but I'd say more detail-oriented and methodical than true OCD... or neurotic, maybe). He has few friends. He has no pets. He has no girlfriend. He lives alone in a house left to him by his dead mother.Oh, and he's a thief.But not your usual thief. Oh, sure, he makes the occasional high-dollar "acquisition" (to use his term) from what he thinks of as his "clients" (a carefully developed list of people he steals from, and studies). But mostly he sticks to a roll or two of toilet paper, a few Advil, or a little bit of laundry detergent. Things his clients never miss and that he needs to get by.Things change for Martin, though, the day he drops a client's toothbrush in the toilet.From there, Martin's carefully ordered, cataloged life, becomes increasingly chaotic. And, Martin realizes, increasingly worth living.Martin is a charming literary hero, and not just for a thief either. I don't know how Dicks does it, but a character that should have been boring and offensive was outright loveable. Some may consider seeing the world through his eyes a little tedious, but I found it a detailed delight. Meanwhile, the story brims with humor and compassion.And then, once you hit a certain point (and you will know it when you see it) you will find the book impossible to put down.
    • 5/5
      Martin is a thief. He's different from other thieves because he breaks into the same houses repeatedly to steal things he thinks the owners won't notice are missing, such as a roll of toilet paper or a scoop of laundry detergent. It was fun for me to read about how he methodically catalogues the items in his "clients'" homes and the thing he takes. A part of me wishes I could be as OCD as him. One member of my book club disliked Martin because she said he's just a criminal, but I grew to love Martin because he believed to have relationships with the homeowners even though he never met them, and he even cared about their lives. I love a story that makes you root for the bad guy.This was truly a unique and exciting story. You should read it if you're ready for Something Different.
    • 2/5
      My favorite thing about the book was the premise, which I thought was pretty clever. I wasn't as crazy about the writing and plot.
    • 2/5
      This book was just ok. It definitely wasn't as funny as I was hoping/expecting it to be. I did really like how the main character Martin progressed throughout the book but the way it ended really ruined what little I did like about it.
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful debut novel about a lovable thief! Martin is believable, sympathetic, and twisted all at the same time. I love how Martin refers to his victims as "clients" and his life of crime as "work".

      A must read for anyone interested in suspense, mystery, psychology, and literature.
    • 4/5
      adult fic. Enjoyable story about lonely cat-burglar (with OCD tendencies) whose life changes forever in one careless moment when the toothbrush of one of his "clients" gets knocked into the toilet.
    • 4/5
      A career burglar with OCD, Martin is the most unusual criminal I have yet to read about. He only takes things people will not miss (barbecue sauce, a tomato, a cup of laundry detergent or a roll of toilet paper) so he can revisit the homes of his “clients” over a period of years. He gets to know them and their habits through their diaries, pictures and events written on calendars. They become his friends. When he inadvertently “helps” one the snowball starts rolling and his orderly life becomes chaotic. Excellent read with a most original story concept.
    • 4/5
      Martin Railsback is a thief, and he's very good at it. He is not, however, your typical thief. He takes things you won't miss: a couple of rolls of toilet paper, an extra bottle of Liquid Plumr, the dusty china at the back of your cabinet that you never use, or, brilliantly, one diamond earring. This enables him to return to the same houses over and over again, with no one ever suspecting a thing. Martin researches his “clients” thoroughly, and keeps up with their lives. In fact, he's now come to think of these clients as friends, and one day he takes the unusual step of actually helping out a client. It's complicated and way out of his comfort zone (which is small and OCD-like), but success is intoxicating. Now one if his clients is in real danger, and Martin has to figure out how (or even if) to help. Really funny, with likeable characters and a quick pace.
    • 3/5
      This is a fun book. I fell in love with Martin and wished he would steal stuff from my house (not really, although I do wonder where that laundry detergent I swear I bought went). Not as dark as Dexter and not as OCD as Monk, Martin is such a likeable character, you can't help rooting for him.
    • 3/5
      Caveat: this was a forced quick read, because the book is due at the library today. So I probably didn't get as much out of it had I been able to take it at a more leisurely pace. But what they say on the back of the book is true, and there was no way I was going to be able to take the last 50 pages at a leisurely pace anyway. Three-and-a half stars.
    • 5/5
      Clever. Very very clever and unique. I love the premise, love the charachter and love the twists. A page turner and just... different. Read this.
    • 3/5
      The concept for this story was a great one, but unfortunately it wasn't delivered well. Nothing much really happened until half way through, and too much time was spent giving minute details that weren't really all that interesting and didn't lead up to anything much. I expected the book to have a bit more humor, as one may expect for having a cautious, somewhat caring thief with OCD. It did have a few parts of the book that left you wanting to read more. I was disappointed in this book. Some may find it perfectly interesting, as many of the other reviews have indicated.
    • 3/5
      SOMETHING MISSING is an entertaining romp through the life of a very unique burglar. The sort of burglar (if you must be burgled), that you would hope was rifling through your personals. Martin Railsback is really, seriously, just about the perfect burglar. His OCD tendencies mean that he's absolutely obsessed with his methodology. In fact, Martin approaches his burglary with a seriousness that's strangely endearing. He has a very limited group of houses that he steals from - a client base, as he refers to them - that have a particular household profile. Once in their homes, he takes small items that are unlikely to be noticed, toilet rolls, half empty bottles of detergent, rarely used pieces tucked away at the back of display cabinets. Mostly though it's general day to day living items, his version of grocery shopping if you like. He works the houses of his clients carefully, setting up the stealing of some items over long periods of time, carefully ensuring that most of the items he takes will go unnoticed by his clients. He limits the "big ticket items" to those that he can carefully scope out, taking months and months to steal first one, then the second in, for example, a rarely worn pair of diamond earrings. Everything this man does is so carefully controlled, considered, cautious and ... well ... tidy, that you really can't help wondering where the author is going with all of this, but there is a very slow build up as Martin carefully takes the reader through his methodology, his life. It's all a bit car-crash fascinating, and made me profoundly pleased that we wouldn't have fit Martin's careful client profiling, as to be honest, the sorts of things he was regularly stealing from his clients, are exactly the sorts of things that could go missing around here with neither of us likely to notice!But something does eventually go wrong for Martin, and his carefully contained, controlled life does hit a very big snag. What is even better is that the snag is self-imposed, something he could have walked away from, leaving nobody any the wiser about his daily activities. Something that is happening in a client's life offends Martin's sense of right and he has to get involved. SOMETHING MISSING was a thoroughly enjoyable book, it's the sort of book that slowly builds, that weaves a story around the reader, that's sometimes laugh out loud funny. But for somebody as controlled, considered and self-involved as Martin, somehow he works as a first person voice for the book. Somehow the OCD that affects his every waking hour, also affects his own voice. It's contained, it's explanatory, rather than self-congratulatory, it's quiet, measured and just a little bit sad to be honest. It's an unexpected viewpoint, and goes towards what was really an interesting, unusual and rather entertaining book. Especially if you'd like a crime fiction outing that's not about death and mayhem and murder.
    • 4/5
      Yes, Martin Railsback is a thief. He breaks into homes and steals, selecting the same group of residences, repeatedly. The funny thing is, no one notices. Martin only pilfers items, that will not be missed. A roll of toilet paper, a dish towel, a can of soup. He has a touch of OCD, which works perfectly, for this unusual, but productive career. He is as meticulous, as a brain surgeon.The twist in the story, arrives, when Martin inadvertently becomes a sort of “guardian angel” to his beloved homeowners, helping them out in some difficult circumstances. This leads to some situations, which are humorous, suspenseful and dangerous. If you are looking for something, completely refreshing, with a wonderful lead character, give Martin a try, it’s a lot of fun.
    • 4/5
      In a nutshell: Charming story of a quirky thief.Matthew Dicks has created a memorable hero in Martin Railsback, a thief with a touch of OCD who takes only items that won’t be missed from his “clients’” homes – some laundry detergent, a few groceries, a rarely worn piece of jewelry. In this way, Martin has escaped detection, despite routinely entering some people’s homes repeatedly over the course of many years. He has come to consider his clients as friends, though they have never met. It is this instinct which gets him into trouble – while trying to play guardian angel to those he cares about, Martin finds that keeping his identity a secret may be impossible.Something Missing is charming and laugh-out-loud funny in many parts, and though you know intellectually that what Martin does for a living is wrong, he is so engaging a character – so modest and self-effacing – that you can’t help rooting for him. If I were to look for a deeper meaning in the novel, I would say that it is about personal relationships and what holds us back from connecting to other people. Only by moving out of what we consider safe and known can we really know ourselves and come to truly know other people.
    • 5/5
      The perfect book, well written, and totally enjoyable! Martin is a unique kind of thief---he studies his "clients, visits them on a regular basis, and carefully helps himself to a few select items that would not be missed. He becomes very involved from a distance in their lives until one day he starts to take action to help them. This is so cleverly written, great character developement, and a totally perfect ending. I highly recommend this great book!
    • 4/5
      I got this one because I needed something light and engaging to read while traveling, and I ended up liking it quite a lot. Martin Railsback is an odd guy - the precision with which he plans everything he says and does borders on obsessive. But it is precisely this quality that makes him perfect for his vocation. He's a thief. Not an ordinary, smash-and-grabber. Martin despises them. Rather, Martin carefully screens his clients, visits them regularly, and acquires a carefully planned list of items that won't be missed. But, one day, Martin's careful plans are foiled, and he's put into the position of helping a client. And from there, everything comes unraveled. Several things made this an excellent read. Martin himself is oddly compelling - even likable. The writing style cleverly mirrors the storyline - careful and precise in the beginning, loosening up in the end. And the story itself kept me quickly turning pages. The ending might be a bit improbable, but I was so caught up in the story that I was willing to be carried along to the end.
    • 4/5
      I did really love this book. One characteristic I think many librarythingers have in common is a touch of OCD, liking to keep track of their books, applying categories to them, etc. This book centers around Martin, who is a minor sort of thief, and an OCD one at that. He closely monitors peoples lives, and only steals items that he knows they will not miss. When taken at the right time, no one will notice a can of missing vegetables, a third of a container of laundry detergent, or wedding presents that have never been used (To be put on ebay under a fake name). He carefully takes items from the same couples over an extended period (years). He thinks of the people he steals from as 'clients' and feels this method is full-proof."The secret behind Martin's success was that the possibility of a thief operating in his client's homes never entered their minds. As long as the notion of theft didn't occur to a client, he would never be caught. This was achieved by choosing all of his clients with great care."The detailed method by which he chooses and tracks clients and intake (Excel anyone?) was beyond hilarious to me. It also makes you think about just how much you have around the house that you would not notice if it went missing... and if so, do you really need it?At some point Martin feels compelled to try to help one or two of his clients, and hi-jinks occur from there.A hilarious book, the only quibble I have is with the ending (Won't spoil it). If anyone gets my feed (Books entered, rated etc) they would have been frustrated with me this evening as I kept changing the rating for this book. I would rate the first half of this book a 5/5 and the second half a 4/5. The ending, 3/5. That is the best I can do!
    • 4/5
      Very clever concept. Funny and well-written.
    • 5/5
      Martin Railsback is a burglar. But he is not your ordinary burglar. Martin breaks into homes and takes only what he needs and won't be missed. He chooses his clients, as he calls those whom he burgles, very carefully. They must have money, but not too much as Martin believes the very wealthy keep track of everything they own. They can't have kids, maids, and they must be married couples. Martin has a lot of rules. But this has enabled him to keep the same clients for years, without them ever suspecting that their home has been broken into several times. Martin will take toiletries, food, and the occasional piece of jewelry or other expensive item that won't be missed.Martin is very obsessive-compulsive and plans everything carefully. Until the one day when he accidentally knocks a client's electric toothbrush into the toilet. Now, he could just take it out and put it back. But Martin can't bear to think of her then using that toothbrush. So now he has to go off script and replace it. This sets in motion a series of events that lead Martin to start helping his clients and changes his carefully constructed world.Every so often I will come across a gem of a book. Something Missing is one of those gems. I have read some great literary fiction this year and I'm not saying this is better than those. But it was such a great, charming, engaging, and quirky book. I love, love, loved Martin. He is such a great character and this was such an unusual story that had an unexpected poignancy to it. Of course, now I also think that I have a burglar, that would explain missing pens, socks, and other small items I was sure I had that I can't find.Some might find the details of Martin's carefully planned out procedures a little slow reading but it does pick up. I find the details important in defining Martin's character. It is also helpful if you are planning a burglary! I loved all the inside info into his clients' lives, there is a lot people can tell about us just from looking through our homes, more than you would think.I read this in two sittings and was sorry when it was over but it left me feeling very satisfied. This is one I will reread often. I highly recommend this very entertaining and sweet novel. I also plan on reading the author's next work, Unexpectedly, Milo.my rating 4.5/5
    • 3/5
      Fast read. I was not to taken with the main character as other readers seem to be. I did find this tale amusing.
    • 3/5
      This is a charming book that perhaps makes too little of the crimes of the main character Martin. Martin is an obsessive and mostly likable mentally ill man who is nervous, shy, and is obsessive compulsive. He is a thief who has decided to be very particular about who he robs, and he attempts to rob them in ways they won't notice so he can continue stealing from them over time.The prose is taut, if workmanlike, but the strength of the main character--and more focus on Martin's 'victims' than his personal friends--make the book very readable. The book redeems it's pure vanilla beginning when Martin starts changing his routine and ends up interacting with some old family (and new family?) he never expected.
    • 3/5
      The best part of this book is its premise: Matthew is a thief who steals from an established list of "clients". He only takes things they won't notice are missing, such as a few aspirin from a bottle or an extra bottle of salad dressing nearing its expiry date. He suffers from OCD and is compulsive in his methods, including inventorying everything he takes.I was bored during the first part of the book. Martin doesn't interact with people much, so the book was a lot of description of what he was doing. A telling of who Martin is, rather than a revealing through his intereactions with others and their reactions to him.Things picked up a bit, but the plot was fairly standard. Martin starts interfering in the lives of his clients and helps them with crises small and large. In the end, he mends his ways and finds true love.So, five stars for the idea, but fewer for its execution.
    • 5/5
      I picked this out to cover "Connecticut" for my 50 States Reading Challenge - I had never heard of it before, and I found it solely based on its location. But I'm glad I found it.Martin makes his living as a house thief - but not your common, run of the mill burglar. He carefully chooses his "clients" and then methodically steals from them over a period of years. Most of the time, the items he steals are things his clients wouldn't miss (extra salad dressing, several tablets of aspirin he pours out of their containers into his, spare bath towels, etc.), but he really supplements his income by stealing bigger items (old wedding presents left wrapped up in the back of the closet, a single diamond earring (wouldn't you just assume you lost one, if the other was still in your jewelry box?), etc.) which he plots out for theft over a period of months, so that again he is sure his clients won't notice they are missing.The book is an enjoyable read as this very likable criminal outlines how he does his job (very methodical, slightly OCD) and then the tale turns. He realizes that while on the "inside" of his clients' lives, he is in a position to serve as their guardian angels and help them out as well. This kicks up the pace of the book a little and saves it from becoming a one trick pony.
    • 3/5
      Martin is a thief who makes a living out of stealing only things that careful research indicates are unlikely to be missed. If you vaguely remember having an extra bottle of syrup in the back of your pantry somewhere but can't find it now, it's possible that Martin made off with it. And while he was at it, he might have taken that crystal bowl you got as a wedding present that's been sitting in a cabinet for years still in its original packaging, too. He's very successful at this unusual career, until, after many years, he finds himself being drawn into the personal lives of his "clients."This is a terrific premise, simultaneously mildly creepy and strangely charming, with the potential for lots of quirky fun. Unfortunately, I think a nifty premise is really all there is to this book, and the writing doesn't really do it justice. We're told all about Martin and his habits and the intricate details of how he works at great length, but I never felt emotionally engaged with Martin or his world. The writing style is very flat, often repetitive, and generally feels more like exposition than storytelling. The plot's kind of thin and simplistic, too. There's really just not a novel's worth of ideas in here, and I can't help but think that I would have enjoyed it much, much more if it were condensed down to something like novella length. Livelier writing and more of a sense of humor would have helped, too.
    • 3/5
      The premis for the book is one of it's best assests. Martin is a concientious thief. His first rule when conducting buisness is never take anything that will be noticed missing. A half container of detergent here, five asprin there...He has morals and standards and seems to genuinly care about integrity and fair play, thinking of the people he steals from as "clients." Martin is hard to get close to as a character as a reader because his obsessive compulsive behavior is deeply embedded into the text. The pages of detail can make for some difficult reading, though I understand it ads to the believability and authenticity of the narrative from his world view. The glimpses the reader gets into his deeper self are that much more enjoyable when they pop up, like Martin flashing a funny lovable side by talking about his relationship with a pet bird in a clients house. The only critisism I have of this book is that I could of used a little more space for this side of martin.Otherwise the book was very well done, Smart and genuinly endereaing characters. Painfully endulgent to detail perhaps, but also very effective to sweeping you into Martin's world as he walks through it.