The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman
-
-
4.2 • 6 Ratings
-
-
- £4.99
-
- £4.99
Publisher Description
'A perfect blend of literature, mystery and love . . . and side-splitting humour' Lucy Robinson, author of The Greatest Love Story of All Time
Atticus Craftsman never travels without a supply of Earl Grey and a favourite book. So when he is sent to shut down a failing literary magazine in Madrid, he packs both. A short Spanish jaunt later, he’ll be back in Kent, cup of tea and smoked-salmon sandwich in hand.
But the five ladies who run the magazine have other ideas. They’ll do anything to keep the jobs they love - even if it involves hoodwinking Atticus with flashing eyes, the ghosts of literature past and a winding journey into the heart of Andalucía.
With not the most efficient of detectives in pursuit, it’s only a matter of time before Atticus Craftsman either falls in love, disappears completely or – worst of all – runs out of Earl Grey.
Crime comedy, love story and literary adventure all at once, The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman is fiendishly fun and delightfully different.
'A delightfully funny literary adventure' Choice Magazine
'What a fabulous read! Written with verve and wit' Frances Mayes, author of bestselling Under the Tuscan Sun
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We couldn’t wait to curl up with this delightful novel, about an aristocratic British bachelor dispatched to Madrid to fold a literary magazine run by five spirited women. Like a classic Cary Grant screwball romance, The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman is zany and irresistibly fun. Spanish magazine editor and author Mamen Sánchez has a wonderful imagination, cooking up a bumbling detective named Inspector Manchego; a dashing hero with an affinity for Tolkien, Lolita and Earl Grey tea; and a crew of cunning woman who employ every tool in their arsenal—including seduction, churros and witchcraft—to protect their cherished livelihood.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sanchez offers her first novel in English, a lighthearted, madcap romantic comedy set in 2012 Madrid, beginning with the three-month disappearance of a proper, stuffy Englishman on an unpleasant mission. Atticus Craftsman, son of a wealthy British publisher, is sent to Madrid to close the company's failing Spanish-language literary magazine, Librarte, and fire its staff of five women. The women, led by their redoubtable editor, Berta Quinones, are frantic with worry and desperate to save their jobs. They concoct a goofy plan to distract Atticus while they think up a way to change his mind. Atticus is clueless, gullible, and easily manipulated by Solea, the prettiest staffer, accompanying her to Granada with the promise of a hidden literary treasure, the unpublished poems of famed poet Garcia Lorca. His sudden disappearance alarms his father and draws the attention of Inspector Manchego, a Madrid police detective whose curiosity is only matched by his incompetence and his lust for Berta. Meanwhile, one of the five women hides a secret, the reason for the magazine's failure. Hilarious deceptions lead to slapstick fistfights, chases, errant gunshots, and passionate declarations of love. This is a tremendously entertaining read.
