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Mystery Man #3
Dr. Yes
The hilarious new Mystery Man crime caper from the master of menace and mirth
You don't say no to Dr. Yes, the charismatic plastic surgeon on the fast track to fame and fortune. But when the wife of obscure and paranoid crime writer Augustine Wogan disappears shortly after entering his exclusive clinic, the Small Bookseller with No Name is persuaded to investigate. As fatherhood approaches, our intrepid hero is interested only in a quick buck and the chance to exploit a neglected writer, but he soon finds himself up to his neck in murder, make-up and madness - and face to face with the most gruesome serial killer since the last one.
You don't say no to Dr. Yes, the charismatic plastic surgeon on the fast track to fame and fortune. But when the wife of obscure and paranoid crime writer Augustine Wogan disappears shortly after entering his exclusive clinic, the Small Bookseller with No Name is persuaded to investigate. As fatherhood approaches, our intrepid hero is interested only in a quick buck and the chance to exploit a neglected writer, but he soon finds himself up to his neck in murder, make-up and madness - and face to face with the most gruesome serial killer since the last one.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
16 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Colin Bateman
77 books353 followersColin Bateman was a journalist in Northern Ireland before becoming a full-time writer. His first novel, Divorcing Jack, won the Betty Trask Prize, and all his novels have been critically acclaimed. He wrote the screenplays for the feature films of Divorcing Jack, Crossmaheart and Wild About Harry. He lives in Northern Ireland with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 1, 2020
The goofy doofus hypochondriac, man with no name returns in this third book in the series about his running of the No Alibis book shop, that is his mainstay until his next off beat criminal case comes along! This time it is a man who is concerned that his wife has disappeared post plastic surgery appointment with the well known ‘Dr Yes’. Shop assistant Jeff and mother of Mystery Man’s baby, Alison feature in this typical manic and often funny Belfast set murder mystery with a lot of difference. 6 out of 12
January 15, 2015
Dr. Yeschenkov is a mysterious plastic surgeon and You don't say no to Dr. Yes.
The book is hilarious.
Dr. Yes is the third of a series featuring Mystery Man, the owner of No Alibis, a mystery bookstore in Belfast Ireland. As a socially dysfunctional, cowardly hypochondriac, Bateman’s creation is the very antithesis of most modern crime protagonists.
Read it and laugh !
The book is hilarious.
Dr. Yes is the third of a series featuring Mystery Man, the owner of No Alibis, a mystery bookstore in Belfast Ireland. As a socially dysfunctional, cowardly hypochondriac, Bateman’s creation is the very antithesis of most modern crime protagonists.
Read it and laugh !
August 5, 2025
Can’t get enough of this guy 😂
October 11, 2010
If you love the tv series Black Books you have to immediately (after checking your meds and stopping at Starbucks) purchase all 3 of the mystery man titles and then retreat to your bedroom to devour them in rapid succession. Tell you loved ones you are temporarily indisposed!
This series is fun, clever and has left me babbling to strangers. Could I take the place of Stanley Green in Oxford Circus in my over the top enthusiasm?
I urge you to start with Mystery Man and see if you can stop after just one!
This series is fun, clever and has left me babbling to strangers. Could I take the place of Stanley Green in Oxford Circus in my over the top enthusiasm?
I urge you to start with Mystery Man and see if you can stop after just one!
August 7, 2014
The third in the Mystery Man series and the last one so far. Colin Bateman is very funny (and so's your face...) and he writes easily read books which maybe will only take you a day or so to read, but nevertheless his books are a must for me. Just plain very enjoyable! I chuckle out loud at Mr Bateman's writing and that puts him up there with Christopher Moore and Carl Hiaassen in my estimation - give him a whirl, plenty of second hand copies on Amazon.
September 24, 2014
A tiring read with a weak, self-absorbed protagonist. The interesting parts were the comments the author places in the protagonist's mouth--but which are obviously his own opinions--about the wider world of crime fiction. The rest is a dull Agatha Christie-type mystery.
January 2, 2022
Frivolous and fun. Try and find another ‘hero’ this pathetic & offensive to those near to him. Really easy to read - endlessly entertaining in every way.
May 12, 2022
Very funny
April 22, 2017
Laugh out loud funny, as usual.
The "hero" made me hate him, yet again, in the very last paragraph - it won't stop me reading the next one though :)
The "hero" made me hate him, yet again, in the very last paragraph - it won't stop me reading the next one though :)
October 3, 2014
I liked this one. So far it was the least confused of the Mystery Man books, with the most satisfying conclusion to a case. As funny as always.
I really do like the MM series, it's funny and suspenseful and quite dark as well. This particular installment doesn't suffer as much from a drawn out ending, like the last two. Yes, the revelation of who was behind it all does take a while, but it's within the realm of still being entertaining, rather than a chore to read.
There were only two things that bothered me.
1. The case of the dancing jews - that's the case from the first novel, is, in this book referred to as 'the case of the musical jew' which felt like quite a glaring mistake.
and 2. SPOILER ALERT I worked out the whacks/wax thing as soon as it was first mentioned that the guy 'whacked people'. Which didn't ruin the plot, but did spoil me a little, even though the idea that he was a killer was sustained long enough that I began to doubt myself.
Overall, enjoyable. Will be reading the next one.
I really do like the MM series, it's funny and suspenseful and quite dark as well. This particular installment doesn't suffer as much from a drawn out ending, like the last two. Yes, the revelation of who was behind it all does take a while, but it's within the realm of still being entertaining, rather than a chore to read.
There were only two things that bothered me.
1. The case of the dancing jews - that's the case from the first novel, is, in this book referred to as 'the case of the musical jew' which felt like quite a glaring mistake.
and 2. SPOILER ALERT I worked out the whacks/wax thing as soon as it was first mentioned that the guy 'whacked people'. Which didn't ruin the plot, but did spoil me a little, even though the idea that he was a killer was sustained long enough that I began to doubt myself.
Overall, enjoyable. Will be reading the next one.
March 7, 2012
This was the first book in Bateman's Mystery Man series that I have read, and I found it immensely enjoyable. Bateman's wit and humour are top notch in this book, and the story is solid. The main character - does the guy have a name? - is interesting, with all his "issues" and idiosyncracies, he is perfectly suited as an offbeat comic lead. I found the supporting characters to be just as entertaining and interesting in their own way.
Bateman continues to be one of the funniest, and fun, storytellers I have had the pleasure to read, and yet his books appear to remain, for the most part, unknown, at least where I live in North America. Every book of Bateman's I have read I have found funny and engaging, and I find it difficult to fathom that his books haven't been more widely acclaimed.
Nonetheless, I'll continue to enjoy his books and extol his virtues. I am looking forward to reading the first two books in the Mystery Man series.
Bateman continues to be one of the funniest, and fun, storytellers I have had the pleasure to read, and yet his books appear to remain, for the most part, unknown, at least where I live in North America. Every book of Bateman's I have read I have found funny and engaging, and I find it difficult to fathom that his books haven't been more widely acclaimed.
Nonetheless, I'll continue to enjoy his books and extol his virtues. I am looking forward to reading the first two books in the Mystery Man series.
August 30, 2014
Having spent two days avoiding picking this up I finally finished it. A certain charm but I don't share his humour, so final book for me.
March 1, 2022
Good story, easy read, quite quirky
June 14, 2019
'You don't say no to Dr. Yes', the charismatic plastic surgeon on the fast track to fame and fortune. But when the wife of obscure and paranoid crime writer Augustine Morrow disappears shortly after entering his exclusive clinic, the small bookseller with no name is persuaded to investigate.
Very funny in bits like all his "illnesses" and the banter between him and Alison and Jeff is really funny although they need to to kick him up the a*** and tell him there is nothing wrong with him although the way he works through everything maybe on the Autistic spectrum. I loved the way the person in the home his mum is in was shocked about her sh****ng in the living room Looking forward to the next book in the series to see how he copes with her going into labour and actually having a baby.
Very funny in bits like all his "illnesses" and the banter between him and Alison and Jeff is really funny although they need to to kick him up the a*** and tell him there is nothing wrong with him although the way he works through everything maybe on the Autistic spectrum. I loved the way the person in the home his mum is in was shocked about her sh****ng in the living room Looking forward to the next book in the series to see how he copes with her going into labour and actually having a baby.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2019
The adventures of the Mystery Man continue in this potty Belfast murder caper. The premise is that the owner of a bookshop specialising in crime fiction solves crime but all his knowledge comes from books. I got into the series because I have a degree from Queen's, Belfast and Botanic Avenue is close to the university so I remember it well. I don't think the No Alibis bookshop was there then but the books do make me feel nostalgic.
February 3, 2019
I absolutely love the Mystery Man novels. Whilst the plots are always good the little one liners including the sub plots often make me laugh out loud.
In this case his health is still failing, mother is still a nightmare and he's still accused of fathering his girlfriend's baby. All going on whilst there's a murder to solve. As always very funny and brilliantly written. Roll on the next on.
In this case his health is still failing, mother is still a nightmare and he's still accused of fathering his girlfriend's baby. All going on whilst there's a murder to solve. As always very funny and brilliantly written. Roll on the next on.
July 14, 2018
Maybe I listened to this book to soon after Day of the Jack Russell, but I find the style of humour was starting to bore me a little. This wasn't as strong a story as the last book and to be honest I think maybe the book seller with no name should stick to just selling books from now on.
July 10, 2019
Drak humour. So funny.
February 11, 2021
best yet.
many laugh out loud moments
many laugh out loud moments
April 6, 2021
Listened through audio .. really funny .. dark deep and just so amusing
April 24, 2021
Easy, funny, peculiar. Most of all, funny.
January 10, 2022
Brilliant!
August 17, 2024
A good thiller / yarn.
January 24, 2025
After finishing a rather gripping thriller, I decided I need a bit of light relief. So here I am, reading #3 in the Mystery Man series. Set in my favourite bookshop, No Alibis in Belfast (the true owner of which, I hasten to say, bears no resemblance to our protagonist). Some of the jokes are local to Northern Ireland, some of the puns are dreadful. But this book made me laugh out loud several times.
April 19, 2025
Murder mystery for when you just want a goofy, truly implausible time. I love the main character in this series as he’s a horrible little weirdo and who can’t relate to that
August 23, 2025
Good holiday read, plenty of chuckles.
November 7, 2011
Yes, Mystery Man is back! It has been another six weeks since The Case of the Cock Headed Man has been solved and life has retreated back to a dull tone for Mystery Man. Except for the fact that his on/off girlfriend is allegly three months pregnant with his child (as if she has any proof that he is!). One day, Mystery Man spots paranoid crime writer Augustine Wogan walking past No Alibis, this becomes the catalyst of his most dangerous case yet, The Case of the Pearl Necklace. Wogan's wife disappeared shortly after entering the clinic of the plastic surgeon Dr Yeschenchov (aka Dr Yes) and he is convinced she is dead and Mystery Man wants to solve it. But when Wogan is found dead, it becomes deadly and dangerous for Mystery Man's girlfriend, their unborn baby, his assistant, Jeff and most importantly, himself.
When I said in my review of "Mystery Man" that MM was Bateman's best book since "Divorcing Jack", that still stands but I think that Dr Yes is possibly the best in the MM series so far. Unlike the other two, there is a large element of danger for our heroes (and heroine) whilst the other were quite tame on that part. The whole book is a rollercoaster which brings you the feel of a Poirot case: wondering who did it until the very end. MM is like Poirot looking at each possible suspect and working it all out until the only solution is the one that makes sense. I got a feel of "Evil Under the Sun" whilst reading this (for some reason!!) and well, the last few chapaters are brilliant and the last page is pure Bateman. It felt like a Dan Starkey moment and if you are a sTarkey fan, watch out for the references. I don't know about anyone else but they made me smile...and feel a bit nerdish.....
When I said in my review of "Mystery Man" that MM was Bateman's best book since "Divorcing Jack", that still stands but I think that Dr Yes is possibly the best in the MM series so far. Unlike the other two, there is a large element of danger for our heroes (and heroine) whilst the other were quite tame on that part. The whole book is a rollercoaster which brings you the feel of a Poirot case: wondering who did it until the very end. MM is like Poirot looking at each possible suspect and working it all out until the only solution is the one that makes sense. I got a feel of "Evil Under the Sun" whilst reading this (for some reason!!) and well, the last few chapaters are brilliant and the last page is pure Bateman. It felt like a Dan Starkey moment and if you are a sTarkey fan, watch out for the references. I don't know about anyone else but they made me smile...and feel a bit nerdish.....
July 9, 2015
Okay, this is the second time I have to write a review of this book because my shitty internet connection starts acting up while I was just saving my review. So with a much heaved sigh, I'll just write a summary about my supposed review.
Our protagonist, the Mystery Man still hasn't revealed his name albeit he is now officially a father (though he still doubts it's his).
He is still very much the anti-hero, the breaker of the gentlemen's code and everything honourable.
We share the same allergies on multiple things but mine isn't as chronic as his. At least, my bones aren't brittle.
I think he's sexually confused, he knew a port where the happy people meet secretly that not most locals know of and he has a history of being molested at an early age by one of his mother's fling. So yeah, that's the base of my conviction.
I have the same feeling as him about Alison; I think she sleeps around.
It's very much refreshing to know about our protagonist using hints and clues he always left us, making this book a little puzzle for everyone to enjoy.
Last but not least, this book is horrifyingly funny.
And so's your face.
#Challenge 18 completed: A Funny Book
Our protagonist, the Mystery Man still hasn't revealed his name albeit he is now officially a father (though he still doubts it's his).
He is still very much the anti-hero, the breaker of the gentlemen's code and everything honourable.
We share the same allergies on multiple things but mine isn't as chronic as his. At least, my bones aren't brittle.
I think he's sexually confused, he knew a port where the happy people meet secretly that not most locals know of and he has a history of being molested at an early age by one of his mother's fling. So yeah, that's the base of my conviction.
I have the same feeling as him about Alison; I think she sleeps around.
It's very much refreshing to know about our protagonist using hints and clues he always left us, making this book a little puzzle for everyone to enjoy.
Last but not least, this book is horrifyingly funny.
And so's your face.
#Challenge 18 completed: A Funny Book
August 24, 2011
I've been reading Colin Bateman ever since the wonderful 'Divorcing Jack' but fell out of love with his style and gradually stopped looking for his books. I picked up Dr. Yes in an airport not knowing it's the 3rd in a series which started with 'Mystery Man'. Even though the characters were not familiar to me I found the book to be a very funny , enjoyable read. I don't think Bateman has changed style at all, maybe for me it is just a case of absence making the heart grow fonder. He is still a laugh out loud funny writer with a dark edge. Highly recommended for anyone who likes this style and I'm definitely going to read the first 2 books in the series.
March 20, 2013
fast zu schade dass ich mit Vollnarkose (so der deutsche titel) angefangen habe - den es ist der dritte teil in einer reihe..
Ich kann nur sagen: einfach urkomisch .. allein schon das erste Kapitel in dem diskutiert wird wie man am besten einen pädophilen Straftäter beseitgt (geht natürlich nur mit kackfleisch einem hai und atlantis) ist einfach zum kreischen.
Habe sehr viel gelacht über diesen wunderbar verrückten Buchhändler der wirklicha alles an Krankheiten und Neurosen hat.
Die nächsten teile werde ich mir dann mit dem schönen irischen Dialekt als Hörbuch anhören.
Empfehlenswert für alle die was zu Lachen wollen
Ich kann nur sagen: einfach urkomisch .. allein schon das erste Kapitel in dem diskutiert wird wie man am besten einen pädophilen Straftäter beseitgt (geht natürlich nur mit kackfleisch einem hai und atlantis) ist einfach zum kreischen.
Habe sehr viel gelacht über diesen wunderbar verrückten Buchhändler der wirklicha alles an Krankheiten und Neurosen hat.
Die nächsten teile werde ich mir dann mit dem schönen irischen Dialekt als Hörbuch anhören.
Empfehlenswert für alle die was zu Lachen wollen
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews