The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman by Mamen Sánchez

Blurb: Atticus Craftsman never travels without a supply of Earl Grey and his five favourite books – so he makes sure he has packed both after his father, distinguished publisher of Craftsman & Co., sends him to Madrid to shut down a failing literary magazine, Librarte.

When nobody has heard from him in three months, his father knows something must be very wrong.

Do not fear, Inspector Manchego is on the case. No, not the cheese. Manchego, as in the most valiant Don Quijote de la Mancha. Lacking a horse but with hapless derring-do, Manchego gets to work unravelling the mystery of the quintessential Englishman’s disappearance.

But there to block him at every turn are the five fiery and closeknit Spanish women who run Librarte, and who’ll do anything to keep their jobs – even if it involves subterfuge, the long-lost poems of Federico García Lorca and a journey to the gypsy heart of Andalucía...

Review: The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman is one of those crazy stories that makes you laugh out loud with the absurdity of the situations. Being from Barcelona, I was curious to see how the translation of a Spanish book read in English. I applaud the translator as the story flowed naturally and in no moment was it confusing. I have to say that I have never been to the south of Spain but I could perfectly picture the white house bathed by the unforgiving sun where a whole gypsy clan gathers to sing and dance flamenco. 

The story revolves around books, as Atticus works for his father's publishing house and goes to Spain to check on their Spanish office. There, 5 very different but united women create the Librarte magazine every month. Each one of them has their own story to tell, but my favourites were Solea, the ambitious and beautiful blonde gypsy, and Berta, the caring boss who has always relied on books for company. They all have one thing in common though, they don't want to lose their job so when Atticus arrives they send him away to search some undiscovered famous poems. 

When Atticus doesn't come back after three months though, a new bunch of characters enter the story. Inspector Manchego is in charge of finding him and with the help of his friends, he is determined to find him even if he has no idea of what he is doing. And although I didn't like him at the beginning, I ended up warming to him. Atticus' parents also enter this mix and make a very English appearance in the heart of Spain. And even a certain pirate, makes everything more complicated.

The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman is a story full of literary references, adventures, flamenco, laughs and stereotypes that I am sure will make you laugh more than once. It will appeal to book lovers looking for a light read to take their minds off things. And let me add that the cover fits perfectly with the story, quirky characters in a crazy adventure.