I second that Un Lun Dun recommendation.

Jim Carrey played Count Olaf, the [dare i say… dastardly} uncle of the kids, Lemony Snicket is an unidentified narrator telling their story and is also the pen name for the author of the books.

Is that paraphased David Simon quote from Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets? I've heard the book is great, and that bit of inisht into why we think about police officers the way we do would definitely nudge further towards buying it.
Cheers