--- product_id: 12610407 title: "A Spot of Bother" price: "€ 24.03" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/12610407-a-spot-of-bother store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # A Spot of Bother **Price:** € 24.03 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A Spot of Bother - **How much does it cost?** € 24.03 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/12610407-a-spot-of-bother) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A Spot of Bother is Mark Haddon’s unforgettable follow-up to the internationally beloved bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time . At sixty-one, George Hall is settling down to a comfortable retirement. When his tempestuous daughter, Katie, announces that she is getting married to the deeply inappropriate Ray, the Hall family is thrown into a tizzy. Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind. As parents and children fall apart and come together, Haddon paints a disturbing yet amusing portrait of a dignified man trying to go insane politely. A Washington Post Best Book of the Year Review: A Spot of Bother - come prepared for British humor - I had read this book a few years ago and recommended it to my book club. To be honest, not everyone liked it. Some really did NOT like it, finding the characters without any positive qualities. Those of us who scored it high, though, appreciated the human flaws in each of the characters, related to the imperfections in the family and relationships, and found humor in the misunderstandings and miscommunications that sometimes brought about the best things that could happen in the family. On the surface the book is about a man obsessed with the fear that a lesion he discovers on his leg is terminal cancer, in spite of his doctor's diagnosis of simple eczema. In the midst of his own fears and paranoia, however, he comes to understand and appreciate some things about his own family that he probably would not have otherwise. The future son-in-law that everyone thinks is a poor match for the outspoken and temperamental daughter turns out to be a hero of sorts, demonstrating far superior human relationship skills than most of the rest of the characters. In the course of the story, all three (four?) love relationships - George and his wife (and his wife and her lover), their gay son and his significant other, and their daughter and her fiance -- are dramatically challenged. Breakups occur, self-reflections kick in, and attempts to communicate and re-build relationships meet with varying success. But at daughter Kate and Ray's wedding, a perfect storm of dark comedy somehow brings everything together. I truly laughed aloud at parts of this book, but I understand why some of our book club members just couldn't appreciate it. Mark Haddon has a strange mind, but it is also a very observant one, perceptive of human frailty, idiosyncracy, and the need for love. If the reader comes prepared and in the right frame of mind, he'll find this an enjoyable, humorous, insightful, and memorable read. Review: Fabulous Read - What an amazing story of love, family resilience, written with humor but so realistic, you feel you are part of the family drama! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #945,644 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #304 in Contemporary British & Irish Literature #689 in British & Irish Humor & Satire #1,575 in Dark Humor | | Customer Reviews | 3.9 out of 5 stars 2,139 Reviews | ## Images ![A Spot of Bother - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71sanw3Ue+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Spot of Bother - come prepared for British humor *by S***S on April 2, 2013* I had read this book a few years ago and recommended it to my book club. To be honest, not everyone liked it. Some really did NOT like it, finding the characters without any positive qualities. Those of us who scored it high, though, appreciated the human flaws in each of the characters, related to the imperfections in the family and relationships, and found humor in the misunderstandings and miscommunications that sometimes brought about the best things that could happen in the family. On the surface the book is about a man obsessed with the fear that a lesion he discovers on his leg is terminal cancer, in spite of his doctor's diagnosis of simple eczema. In the midst of his own fears and paranoia, however, he comes to understand and appreciate some things about his own family that he probably would not have otherwise. The future son-in-law that everyone thinks is a poor match for the outspoken and temperamental daughter turns out to be a hero of sorts, demonstrating far superior human relationship skills than most of the rest of the characters. In the course of the story, all three (four?) love relationships - George and his wife (and his wife and her lover), their gay son and his significant other, and their daughter and her fiance -- are dramatically challenged. Breakups occur, self-reflections kick in, and attempts to communicate and re-build relationships meet with varying success. But at daughter Kate and Ray's wedding, a perfect storm of dark comedy somehow brings everything together. I truly laughed aloud at parts of this book, but I understand why some of our book club members just couldn't appreciate it. Mark Haddon has a strange mind, but it is also a very observant one, perceptive of human frailty, idiosyncracy, and the need for love. If the reader comes prepared and in the right frame of mind, he'll find this an enjoyable, humorous, insightful, and memorable read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fabulous Read *by A***R on June 16, 2026* What an amazing story of love, family resilience, written with humor but so realistic, you feel you are part of the family drama! ### ⭐⭐⭐ Underwhelming but well written *by M***S on March 6, 2007* It's taken me all of seven weeks to finish this novel. My interest in the book was sparked as a result of reading Haddon's first novel that featured an autistic kid we sets out to solve a murder mystery and learns a great deal about adulthood and independence in the process. "A Spot of Bother" features a highly neurotic family as they attempt to navigate through the father's retirement, the mother's affair, the daughter's second wedding and the son's sexuality. I found the story well written but slow. The characters are well drawn although there was more than one occasion when I hoped that Dad simply disappeared. I'm still not sure what that feeling was about but by the end of the novel I was more sympathetic to the father's issues. While this was a solid second novel I can't recommend that you run out and buy it. If you're looking for a little validation that your family is not the only highly neurotic, emotionally stunted crew in the world then this novel is defiantly a must read. Otherwise, I'd wait for Haddon's third novel, he may strike gold again as he did with his first. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/12610407-a-spot-of-bother](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/12610407-a-spot-of-bother) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-09-18*