"I was expecting a throne made from the skulls of your enemies." "It can be arranged."
I'm not saying the entire magical population of North Yorkshire want us dead. Just the majority of them. Which is why we fled Leeds and have found ourselves working for a one-eyed pirate captain in Whitby.
But when one of our few remaining friends is taken by the sea, we can't just ignore it. We've got to get her back. Especially as her partner is a reaper with a scythe that can slice through reality, and the whole situation might be a teeny, tiny bit our fault ...
So, along with our pirate captain, a bloodthirsty parrot, and a deeply dodgy mermaid, we're going after Emma, and not even the storm of the century can stop us. The Black Dogs, the kraken cult, and the Sea Witch are certainly going to try, though.
Leeds is looking better by the moment …
This is the sixth book in the Gobbelino London, PI urban fantasy series, centred around the adventures of a mercenary feline PI and his human sidekick. It contains snarky cats and other gods, many bad jokes and terrible puns, plus a large serving of mythological and real creatures behaving badly. It will appeal to anyone who likes their fantasy funny, modern, and filled with friendship rather than romance - and also to those who suspect their cat may be living a great and secret life when they're not looking.
A Menace of Mermaids contains some violence, particularly involving mermaids with a grudge and threatening kraken, but none of it is graphic. It contains no sex and only mild language. It does, however, contain blasphemy.
I’m Kim (as you may have guessed, given that you're on the author page for Kim). I write funny fantasies and off-beat cosy (or cozy, depending where you're from) mysteries set in a world not so dissimilar to ours - and in fact sharing many locations.
And in this not-dissimilar world you'll find mystery-solving dragons with a strong affection for barbecues and scones, and snarky feline PIs with human sidekicks. You'll run across baking-obsessed reapers running petting cafes stocked with baby ghouls, Apocalyptic riders on Vespas, and women of a certain age Getting Things Done. There may even be the odd born-again troll redefining troll-ness for the modern age about the place.
You'll find myth and reality clashing in small and spectacular ways, and discover the healing magic of tea and a really good lemon drizzle cake.
But, most of all, there will be friendship, and loyalty, and people of all species looking out for one another. Because these, above all things, are magic.
And you can find me rambling on about all this (and more) over on my website, or join me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for bad puns and many, many cat memes. Many.
The more bizarre Kim M. Watt gets, the more normal it seems.
We take to the sea in this sixth installment of Private Investigator Gobbelino, the cat, and his human, who by now we know is part "folk." Folk being the population most humans cannot see, because they do not believe. Fauns, fey, trolls, goblins and now mer-maids/men, kraken and the like.
More than ever, Watt's almost stand alone books in this series have taken a turn towards a true series. Her characters from book to book roll over from one to the next. Kim M. builds quite a large menagerie of folk. Most becoming helpful in deterring the threat. The threat? What indeed is the threat? 'Gob' and his human, Callum, are to finally uncover the mystery in book seven.
One liners and humor are Watt's trademark. Within this text there is a follow up short story, "An Act of Piracy." A free download to fill a gap. Watt's characters insist on writing their own parts sometimes. Green snake, not withstanding.
I find Watt's books to be pleasant interludes between more serious reads. Have fun.
Oh, Gobs! I wish my cat was like you! The conversations we would have. My swearing vocabulairy would grow so much...
This the last but one in the Gobbelino London, PI - series and I linger to begin the last one. It would feel like a goodbye from 2 hilarious and best friends. There is always the possibility to reread the series, but still... Our duo goes in hiding in Whitby, but being Whitby, not everything seems what it is...They embark the party pirate ship, but soon got invold with the Sea Witch Enid, Murty the mermaid (or merman?), the rats that are member of the Kraken Cult, the Kraken Keith (what's in a name, but he's not that bad at all...) and the return of Gertrude the Reaper and Emma (how I love them). And hooray for Green Snake! At his first appearance he seemed to be having a side role, but now his role will be more bigger and important. Allthough he doesn't talk, his actions and behaviour makes it up more than enough. Gobs doesn't have sea legs, but he does his best: the sea water does love him a bit too much, he gets tons of herring and not mentioning the evil seagulls...A pirate life is seems not to be for Gobs and Callum, but they don't have a choice: the necromancers are still out there, there's the confrontation with the Watch cats and on top of that you've got the Black Dogs. They seem a bit scarier than the Watch, but not everything is what it seems. Since the first book, Callum and Gobs keep on growing as characters and there's been a lift of the tip of the veil around the mystery of Callum: we know now that he's part Folk, but what can't Gobs remember about his past? Be prepared: you will laugh, your heart will almost break, but you'll enjoy this! I'm dreading to start the last book and say goodbye to Gobs and Callum...
I also really like this series of Kim M Watt! All her book series tend to build up, expand and create more depth throughout the story line. It’s the same with this one. I feel like each book gives you a better understanding of the main characters, new types of Folk and beasts and some new characters. And Gobs and Green Snake of course, they are lovely. What I liked specifically about this book is that it was about the sea and pirates. I do however find that the main story is being dragged on a bit too long now. Every book has new adventures and they are great but I feel like the main plot is being smeared out way too much. It’s been 6 books and we are still no further in knowing who is behind all of these events that keep happening throughout the books. And the people/Folk that have been missing, just stay missing for 3 books straight now. It’s too long.
I must admit that I don't like this series as much as the one that features dragons. I cannot seem to get into the supposed humor nor connect with the main characters. However, that said, I did like the menagerie of fey, trolls, and other unusual "folk." The plot was fast paced, the story wonderfully written, and the descriptions transported me to the land of pirates.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author. This in no way impacted my review.
Gobs, Callum and Green Snake are trying to hide out (poorly, it seems) from the mess in Leeds. Sorcerers, magicians, Watch, irritable pirates, opinionated parrots, Black Dogs, reapers, mermaids, a kraken, a Sea Witch and their own murky pasts have them flailing about in the briny deep. Is there a connection to the necromancers? Are they being kept safe in Whitby or just trapped? Should you give sugar to parrots?
It is advisable, but not necessary to have read the other Gobbelino novels and the short story "Coffee, Cake and Ghoulets" from the collection 'Oddly Enough' in order to fully appreciate the characters, particularly Gertrude.
Gobs and Callum have found themselves in Whitby, where they are not hiding from whatever it is that is chasing them. Some North and Watch stuff, they suppose, although what North and Watch stuff exactly, they're not sure. They landed a job working on a pirate party ship (although, Gobs isnt much of a ships cat) under Hilda (who might as well be a proper pirate) and her parrot Polly (who is a they and will always take time to correct you with some choice words). But no matter what they do, it seems Gobs and Callum can't outrun the weird, for it finds them in the form of mermaids/men, missing reapers, including our lovely Gertrude (who turns up in Whitby with Emma on a "mini-break"), and kraken cult rats, who actually manage to summon a kraken (because of course they do). Oh, and lets not forget the multiple almost drownings, and the big Black Dogs.
Oh how I have missed this duo with their witty banter. I have been on the look out for this book since I finished A Worry of Weres, and here it is! Also much to my delight, not the final one in the series (although, the next one will be...) It wasn't the amazing coming together ending I thought this book was going to be at the end of the previous, but I'm glad for any more time I get to spend with this amazing caste of characters. Although, by the sounds of it, this culmination of plot threads is only around the corner in the final installment.
This book had it's usual laughs and great moments provided by Gobs' naration, and the "side" characters, as always, were fantastic editions. But it also had a couple of its heart-in-mouth scary moments, which Kim manages to slot in there so well. You can sense everything slowly coming together as the over-arching plot is starting to make an appearence; all these things can't be coincedences. Overall, it was another fantastic edition to this series and a thoroughly enjoyable read. I really can't wait for the next installment to see how Kim is going to wrap all of this together. Why is the Watch after Gobs, and determined to end all his lives? What is Callum and why can't he escape being a North? And the Necromancers, are they really back? Questions, questions, and more questions! Kim, I want answers! Even if the answers mean the end to this fantastic series...
I love love love this author. Kim M. Watt is just brilliant at bringing her characters to life, making the reader care deeply about what happens to them, and at giving such clear, vibrant descriptions of places you can almost smell them. Which may or not may not be a good thing, given that A Menace of Mermaids takes place in Whitby, sometimes on the fish-laden docks *wink*. Watt also has a talent for giving characters the perfect names. Here, the Sea Witch and Kraken are perfect examples.
The mystery and intrigue around both Gobbelino's and Callum's histories unfold further in AMOM, including hints of why neither can outrun their past. A hint about the fantastic and wonderful Green Snake's past is also quite titillating. He is my absolute favourite character, quite the achievement for one who was initially supposed to be incidental. Increasingly, he is becoming the brains and hero of the operation, and I LOVE IT!
Green Snake is joined by a brainiac parrot who identifies as 'they' but deigns to respond to the name Polly. They are instrumental in saving the dim-witted humans a number of times, without much by way of thanks. I would love a Polly in my life. It would run so much more smoothly.
I would recommend reading AMOM as part of the series, which I have rated 5* throughout.
And don't forget to vote Green (Snake) in the next election! ;)
My favorite PI team is back! Callum of the soft heart who can't help risking everything for others in trouble time and again, even to save his own life. And Gobbelino the harder headed part of the duo whose heart is bigger than he would have anyone know. Oh yes and snark, lots of snark. Because, well, cat!
Also, sea shanties and pirates and mermaids and foul mouthed parrots and more 😀
Having escaped the danger in Leeds that they couldn't even explain much less understand, they've settled in Whitby only to fall into more trouble almost as inexplicable.
Some things that have been muddled and confused are coming more to the fore and the hope of finally finding out what happened to Gobbelino in his previous life and just why Callum being a "North" makes life so dangerous looms large.
And no I'm not saying what happened! Buy the book and find out for yourself. In fact buy the series😉
These books are full of humor and heart and mystery and magic. If you crave a read without graphic sex, gore, and excessive foul language. If you think the world could do with a little more magic, (and really, the In-Between explains so much about cats). Then you really need this series! Excuse me now, I must read it again!
Gobbelino London is different to most PI’s. He has a good line in wise cracks and a side kick, but he is not hard hitting or womanising. And he is a cat. That's right, he is a furry ball with legs and a tail, and four lives. He started with the usual 9 but has lost 3 so far. And he would rather not loose any more thank you very much. Unfortunately there are rather a lot of people who appear to want him to loose all his remaining lives. So a nice peaceful time in Whitby working for a one-eyed pirate captain is called for. Unfortunately for Gobs, Whitby has mermaids, Black Dogs, a parrot, a Sea Witch and a Kraken, with its very own kraken cult. Oh and a displeased reaper who starting to become somewhat miffed, and no one wants that. So that’s the end of their quite and restful time.
Kim M. Watt’s writing is wonderfully descriptive. I found that the very first paragraph of A Menace of Mermaids took me right back to when I used be a sailor. I could feel the desk gently rolling under my feet and the smell the sea. I even felt the wind and spray on my face. OK that last one may have been because I was outside at the time. The characters are all well crafted with distinct personalities and, mostly, likeable. Although the kraken cult members were a bit of a pain.
This book has it all, humour, danger, last minute escapes, pirates, parrots, grog and, of course, cats. The only thing this book does not have is dragons and if you want them then you need the Beaufort Scales books also by Kim M. Watt
Wow. If you are reading these reviews and trying to decide whether to read this series, JUST DO IT. They are superbly written and have fabulous characters in them.
Every time I read one of Ms. Watt's books, I am more of a fan. They just keep getting better!! This one was such fun I read it in 2 days. (Would have been one day, but I really cannot read while driving on freeways!)
I was hooked from the first page - I mean, who doesn't love a good pirate story? And trouble doesn't take long in finding our PI friends.
I love how she comes up with twists on the "normal" expectations of fantasy creatures. These are NOT your grandmother's mermaids, and the sea witch was not at all what I was expecting. I absolutely LOVED Polly the parrot, and thank you for them!
I will have to go back and reread this one - as soon as I have finished the whole series again.
Great addition to the GL series. Of course we get our dosage of quirky, funny, and memorable characters, beautifully descriptive, feel-as-if-you're there settings, and witty, snarky banter. This is a stand alone book in the series,but if you've read the previous books this story provided some great backstory of Gobbs and Callum. It's sad the next book will end the series, but you know it's going to be a super satisfying conclusion as Kim wonderfully weaves past story bit threads into a new tapestry.
Another wild and magical tale that sees our hapless PI's tackling the worst the North Sea and Whitby has to offer. I'm in awe of Kim's descriptive powers and imagination! Brilliant stuff.
I was surprised that we jumped right in to pirates and mermaids from the start, but it made for a raucous ride. The book startled a lot of laughs out of me, but the stakes also felt higher.
Excellent tail...sorry, tale!! Well written, possibility the best so far by Kim Watt, certainly the one I enjoyed the most! A whirlwind of a story, yet par for the course for Gobs and his sidekicks, although some may say Gobbellino was the sidekick, but definitely not within hearing range. It was extremely difficult to put down the book to sleep, only when I actually nodded off, and jerked awake again still holding my kindle, did I admit it was time to continue this later. In short, I loved the story, coming from Yorkshire made it seem more relevant to me...but...alas, disaster has struck..stricken...hit? This is the LAST in this wonderful series! Don't get me wrong, the Dragons, police and assorted Ladies of the 'other's series are fine, but I shall not look forward as eagerly to the next release as I have done for the indomitable duo, sorry Green Snake, trio of PIs from Leeds! I used to live 10 miles from there, although I never visited Dimly...probably. Anyway, a thoroughly enjoyable experience which I shall return to once I've started at the beginning of the series again! Thank you Kim Watt, and probably fictional friends.
Merged review:
Excellent tail...sorry, tale!! Well written, possibility the best so far by Kim Watt, certainly the one I enjoyed the most! A whirlwind of a story, yet par for the course for Gobs and his sidekicks, although some may say Gobbelino was the sidekick, but definitely not within hearing range. It was extremely difficult to put down the book to sleep, only when I actually nodded off, and jerked awake again still holding my kindle, did I admit it was time to continue this later. In short, I loved the story, coming from Yorkshire made it seem more relevant to me...but...alas, disaster has struck..stricken...hit? This is the LAST in this wonderful series! Don't get me wrong, the Dragons, police and assorted Ladies of the 'other's series are fine, but I shall not look forward as eagerly to the next release as I have done for the indomitable duo, sorry Green Snake, trio of PIs from Leeds! I used to live 10 miles from there, although I never visited Dimly...probably. Anyway, a thoroughly enjoyable experience which I shall return to once I've started at the beginning of the series again! Thank you Kim Watt, and probably fictional friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Gobbelino and Callum seek safety in salty Whitby and are then caught up in an array of shenanigans with a pirate, mermaids - seen and unseen, not-so-grim reapers and friends trying to unravel a mystery and rescue a friend while hampered by kraken worshipping rats and a misguided though ecologically conscious sea witch. Confused? You won’t be. Whitby is instantly recognisable, the sea is very wet and salty and the weather contributes its three ha’p’orth to the story, the North Yorkshire off-season coast to a ‘t’. Polly the parrot is a leading player and Green Snake plays a silent but significant role accompanying Gobbelino and Callum as they lurch from one disaster to another. A story with humour, friendship and fantasy. Such an an absorbing and delightfully feel-good read. I galloped through it with undiluted pleasure.
The Gobbelino London series is a mostly a lot of fun. Our supernatural investigating team (consisting of one extremely kind human (Calum), one mouthy cat (Gobbelino), and a small green snake (Green Snake) who turned up on a previous adventure and won't leave) have taken on many mystical menaces over the previous five books. Out of these terrifying tribulations a complex conspiracy is slowly seeping into view and they have had to flee their home in Leeds and take up residence in Whitby which is where this book opens.
Whitby is peopled by weird and wonderful characters from Hilda the Pirate Captain, the angry bar-faun, the mermaids and a sea witch whose deal-making would make an oil & gas industry corporate lawyer green with envy, a kraken, talking rats, black dogs, a coven of rather argumentative witches, killer whales, members of the public. Oh, and two friends from Leeds, on a mini-break. Against a background of Whitby in winter, north sea storms with bitter winds, our heroes work on a fake pirate ship pro bono, struggle to keep their friends alive, fight to free themselves from the Whitby one way system, whilst snarking and grousing and trying to make sense of the mysterious happenings and complex motivations surrounding them.
Counterbalancing the humour, this book is pervaded with the icy cold, the damp, the confusion of our heroes being out of place, disoriented, almost lost. This is probably the most grim of Ms Watt's Gobbelino London books. I recommend this book if you have read the others. I suggest that if you haven't, then you would benefit from reading the others first. There is a lot of backstory which is referenced with brief explanations making it accessible to new readers but you would lose the nuances; although not spoiling the story, this lack of backstory knowledge means there is a dimension of the story that you are missing, which would be a shame.
Can't wait to read the final book in this series and see all those loose ends tied up in one big satisfying (and/or terrifying) conclusion.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As always, I was really looking forward to this book, curious what twists and character the mermaids in these books will get. And I love it! The story is very lovely and engaging and I couldn’t stop reading! The end is a little easy, but then, the big finale will probably come in the next book, as teasered in the end of this one.
I loved Gobs with his usual snark and insults and loved that he got a vainest companion who was just as snarky and insulting at times. Polly really made the whole book better and I kinda hope we’ll see them again. Green snake gets a somewhat bigger role here and I love it! The nee characters are wonderful, especially none being ever simply bad or evil, and having their motives and ideals. Also yay! Gertrude!
The setting on a “rent a pirate ship”-ship was hilarious and something different and I liked the sea, the beach and Whitby in general. also loved the bit of mermaid magic that we saw.
The best thing of course is Gobs’ narration, his snark and insults and how he totally doesn’t care about his people, only, he really, really does. The way the sea is described, the atmosphere in Whitby, the dogs and the Abbey. I really enjoyed it, since it really let you immerse in the book.
All in all it’s a really enjoyable mystery with an insulting parrot, a fake pirate and a mermaid, all trying to varying degrees to solve a kidnapping.
The penultimate Gobbelino London book moves the action from Leeds to Whitby, to which Gobs and Callum flee after the events of the previous book, where Gobs was nearly sucked into the Inbetween by something in their flat. The sea air hasn't been as relaxing as they'd hoped though. Despite getting employment on a pirate themed cruise ship popular with hen and stag parties, they can't keep out of things. They run into their friend Emma who tells them that Gertrude (aka Reaper Leeds) has disappeared. Things escalate from there, to include Black Dogs, Kraken-worshipping rats, merfolk (although they're always referred to as mermaids, even the male ones), non-binary parrots, and sea witches.
The Watch reappear and once again makes an attempt on Gobs' life. Honestly, it makes me wonder if pre-emptively drowning all cats, just to make sure that we can get rid of the Watch, is such a bad idea. This organisation is thoroughly rotten to the core, and we still have no idea why they're harassing Gobs so much, having ended each of his previous lives.
The books are starting to feel quite serious now, and the whimsical touches from the past sits somewhat uncomfortably with that. Doily-loving grim reapers, cross-dressing trolls, and theatrical pirate captains feel at odds with apocalypses, drug-running, and extra-judicial attempted killings. I've enjoyed this whole series, this book being no exception, and I really hope that Watt can stick the landing in the final book.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.
I’ve just finished this book and I absolutely loved it.
Gobbelino, Calum and green snake have had to leave Leeds for pastures new. Leeds has become too dangerous for them and so has Dimley, Gerry the troll Mayor of Dimley has sent them to Whitby to lie low for a while.
Whitby is an odd town full of vampire hunters, Goths and other strange creatures so they will fit right in.
Calum has a job as a deck hand on the Pirate ship ‘the Savage Squid’. Gobbelino is the ships cat. In reality the ship is a party ship and only does short cruises round the harbour, that is until they rescue a mermaid from some ‘Panda fish’. It’s all down hill from there.
On shore they meet Emma their friend who is the cafe owner from Leeds, her partner Gertrude who is a Reaper has gone missing and she asks Calum and Genbelino to help find her.
This is a fun and exciting read full of strange creatures ranging from the pirate captain Hilda who has the traditional one eye and one leg plus a very strange and erudite parrot. There are mermaids, Orcas (Panda fish) black dogs, watch cats, grim reapers, a sea witch and did somebody say “unleash the Kraken?
I really loved the book, I love snarky Gobbelino and Calum and I’m very pleased to say green snake has quite a lot to do in this book.
I was given an ARC and in return give an honest review.
In this penultimate installment in Gobbelino's and Callum's adventures the duo have relocated to the coastal town of Whitby in the hopes things in Leeds will settle down in their absence. The only problem is Whitby proves just as perilous and neither Gobs nor Callum are very good at going unnoticed and avoiding trouble.
When they run into an old friend in distress, there is no way they're not going to help (well, there's no way Callum isn't going to help and Gobs isn't going to let him do something foolish alone). Soon they are in over their heads dealing with mermaids, black dogs, kraken, watch cats, pirates, sea witches and one gender neutral parrot with a smart mouth. Naturally, things just get worse from there in the most chaotic and unliekly ways possible.
There is snark, gentle humour, powerful friendship, magic, mystery and mayhem. Green Snake still doesn't get the credit he deserves despite saving the day by intervening with Keith (and no, I'm not telling who Keith is, it'll ruin it for you). A few hints, but no real revelations about who/what is behind the trouble that forced the duo to duck out of Leeds so I guess we have to wait for the next (and sadly final) book for answers.
A tormented hero and his human; the Watch; a mermaid man; pirates; Black Dogs; a Grim Reaper; a kraken! And seagulls, but nobody's perfect. Gobbelino London and his human Callum North are hiding out in the seaside town of Whitby when an old friend Emma asks for their help--her girlfriend Gertrude has disappeared. Which is odd, really, because Gertrude is a Reaper, and not normally subject to interference from, well, anybody. Nonetheless, Callum, driven by a not-very-well-disguised streak of chivalry, agrees to help out. He and Gobs have to take time out from their job on a pirate cruise ship (it's the off season, after all, but there's no accounting for tourists) to follow the trail, discover why more than one Reaper has gone missing, deal with a misguided Sea Witch, and placate Hilda, their pirate captain (who may have been a real Pirate Captain at one time or another, with the peg leg to prove it), all while dodging the cats of the Watch and whoever it is who drove them away from their home in Leeds to begin with. I love these books. I want them to go on forever. I will feed Gobbelino chicken. That's a hint, Ms. Watt!
Everyone's favourite cat PI returns in an adventure set not in Gobs and Callum's home patch of Leeds, but out on the coast in Whitby. They are hiding out. From ... well, everybody. Mysterious and nefarious cabals seem to want our heroes dead, for reasons that remain unclear. So on the advice that Whitby is so weird anyway they'll hardly be noticed, they retreat to the seaside.
Buckets and spades are not in order, however. For one thing, it's winter. And more importantly, Gobs' and Callum's troubles do not cease with a change of locale. Far from it. In fact they get a whole new set of problems, including but not limited to pirates, mermaids, crazed rats, stroppy parrots, a sea witch ... and Keith. Oh, yes, and a reaper has gone missing. Quite enough to keep them busy.
This instalment is as fun and fast paced as ever, and things (and Gobs' swearies) take a distinctly nautical turn. Gobs does not regard this as a vast improvement, but for us landlubbers the whole escapade is hugely enjoyable. Arr.
ARC copy recieved in exchange for fish an honest review.
I reckon this is the best Gobbelino adventure yet. Naturally, it features the sort-of supernatural PI cat Gobbelino together with the human he cares for. For this tale, Ms Watt has whisked the heroes out of Leeds to the charming coastal resort of Whitby. It is a good move. The yarn unfolds at a good pace and features a bundle of intriguing, eccentric characters, as you might expect with a story starting on a “pirate” pleasure boat catering mainly for hen-knights. There's a female pirate captain with her stroppy parrot. There's a fearsome, yet understanding, kraken. There's obviously, given the title, a mermaid, well, more of a mer-bloke really. They are all involved is a quite bonkers plot which is as ever most entertaining. The seagoing bit of the story are really very well done. I believe Ms Watt spent a good time on some serious yachts in the past and her experience works brilliantly here. You really feel the thrill and terror of having to deal with a violent cross-current driving a small RIB. A jolly good read!
"Best magical PI firm (in Leeds)" sees the return of Gobbelino and Callum, his sort-of human colleague, hiding in Whitby to escape the terrible surge of magic in their flat. They are plunged into action taking a job on a pirate party ship with captain Hilda and a parrot and rats. Meeting a mermaid who seems to be very male just adds to the confusion. From then on we are treated to terrifying sea creatures, witches and a kraken while they are teamed up with Gertrude the reaper and her companion, Emma. On top of all that we get lots from Green Snake who is a true hero.
Kim has a wonderful gift of description of weather and landscape, for example "Wind ran hard fingers across my fur." Her writing is exciting and fun in equal doses and we need more.
This is an all-action and frankly frightening tale albeit with wry humour and snarkiness which ends leading us to more adventures to come. I may not go to Whitby now.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC so I didn't have to wait for the official release day... but it is worth waiting for!This book continues the weird wacky and wonderful adventures of my favourite PI firm, comprised of a soft hearted human (mostly), a snarky cat with (c)attitude and a green snake who doesn't say much but is an essential component of the team. No client this time but lots of adventures and strange new characters, at various times - a sea witch, a kraken, a one eyed pirate and her parrot, black dogs, and they run into old friends who need help! The location of Whitby also plays a central role in the story. All told this is a great continuation of the series, full of quirky humour and oddities that you can't help enjoying spending time with. I find myself re-reading this series, actually any of this author's stories whenever I need a feel good story to lift my spirits.... although I was sad to read that there's only one more book in the series.
Gobbelino, Callum and Green Snake had to get out of Dodge/Leeds after the events in Book 5. They're holed up in a bizarre little town and they're surrounded by some strange people and critters. The pair work for a shady one-eyed pirate aboard a crappy tourist-y pirate ship. Before long they're asked to help locate the missing Gertrude the Reaper. Then the plot thickens.
I loved being back with these three- they're so much fun! There are some interesting new characters as well. The bloodthirsty budgie, the creepy rat Merv, the smarmy leisuresuit-wearing mermaid, Keith... they attract some really weird characters. Some elements of the plot pick at dangling threads from the previous five books, too. For such a lighthearted series there are still some serious, and as-yet-unresolved, undertones.
The last book in this series will be out later this year, which is both good news and bad, since it's going to be finished!
Another great Gobbelino novel, this time with a change of scene to Whitby. Such opportunity for fun - pirates, mermaids, krakens, mad rats - with a backdrop of stormy seas and the wild coast.
As always Kim manages to combine many elements into the perfect mix. The underlying story is pretty dark, the world is a dangerous place, and quite nasty things happen to nice people (and cats). But all this is leavened with a wry humour, gloriously fantastical incidents and fascinating characters.
M of M is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. It can be pretty intense, because you really don't know what might happen to these characters you've come to care about. There are surprises (not all of them bad ones), excitement and tension and even some tears. I loved it and can't wait for the next book, though I'll be desolated when the series finishes.
Gobbelino London & a Menace of Mermaids was a fun read. It was entertaining to see how much trouble Gobbelino and his human sidekick, Callum, could get into at the seaside. It was a surprisingly large amount. The book introduced a one-eyed pirate captain who I hope does not encounter a bad end in the next book. There was a significant twist that I did not see coming and it totally changed my view on some important secondary characters.There are still a lot of issues to be resolved in the last book of the series. I will be sad to see the end of Gobbelino. As an ailurophile I especially enjoy the eponymous cat in the series. They made me LOL when they said it was all I could do not to paw her robes like some pathetic begging dog. I received an ARC of the book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nice little side quest. But I’m ready for the meat of the mystery that was started with the weres. What’s the mystery of the Norths? Exactly how bad is Ifan? Is the dentist okay? What about Muscles? Okay, I’ll admit I want to see what Murty does in the grand scheme as well. Something tells me a mermaid never forgets being owed a debt.
And definitely make sure you read An Act of Piracy, mentioned at the end. It’s both a post-logged and a prelogue. It covers Hilda after our valiant (?) heroes leave town and give some of her villain(😉) origin story too. Then you learn more about Bob’s fine hotel and staff covering Gobs and Callum and Green Snake’s arrival at the sunny seaside 😜.
If you add this lovely addendum and prequel, it bumps the score up to a solid four stars. So make sure you get the free book when you’re finished.