Accidental Hero

George Ainslie is a reporter in small-town Panui, a fictitious village somewhere north of Auckland, New Zealand. The inhabitants are a varied bunch of individuals - some smart, some lucky - but sadly for George he seems to be neither of those. However, someone has faith in him, and guides him towards solving the case of some missing children. It leads to nationwide fame, but not quite in the way he would have preferred as his guardian angel has an odd sense of humour.
Other stories in the Panui series are The Falling of Shadows, Rusty & Slasher's Guide to Crime, and The Indigo Kid.