Inspector Hobbes and the Curse

Unhuman #2

by Wilkie Martin

Set in the Cotswolds, this is the next instalment in the adventures of Inspector Hobbes, Mrs Goodfellow and Dregs, as narrated by the still disaster-prone Andy Caplet. It is a rip roaring, funny and moving tale of Andy's infatuation with a dangerously beautiful woman, starting off during investigations into sheep deaths and the mysterious disappearance of pheasants. These incidents appear to be connected to a rash of big cat sightings, and something horrible seems to be lurking in the woods.
Is Andy cursed to be always unsuccessful in love, or is the curse something much darker, something that will arouse his primeval terrors?
'Love may be on the horizon but, beware, something wicked this way comes.'

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Paranormal

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2013

About the author

Wilkie Martin sets his Unhuman series of novels in the Cotswolds, where he lives. He introduces readers to a close-knit, small-town community filled with quirky and occasionally dangerous inhabitants, and an ‘unhuman’ policeman who maintains law and order.
Read/listen to samples of his books with these Nielsen widgets:

Inspector Hobbes and the Blood - unhuman I - http://book2look.com/vBook.aspx?id=ZrFHGPVxgR

Inspector Hobbes and the Blood was shortlisted for the Impress Prize for New Writers 2012

Inspector Hobbes and the Blood audiobook narrated by Tim Campbell was nominee for Audiobook Reviewer Listener Awards 2018 Mystery, Fantasy, Humor

Inspector Hobbes and the Curse - unhuman II - http://book2look.com/book/NqlwpcMhNm

Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers - unhuman III - http://www.book2look.co.uk/vBook.aspx?id=o8I6rbXQPo

Inspector Hobbes and the Bones - unhuman IV
- http://www.book2look.com/book/6EJ4xgUg5Z

Inspector Hobbes and the Bones audiobook narrated by Tim Campbell won Independent Audiobook Fantasy 2019 and was a nominne for VoiceArts Award Fantasy 2019


Razor - https://b2l.bz/qPxBBc


Wilkie Martin Website
twitter @wilkiewrites

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, the puns! The puns! I haven’t read so many puns since reading Robert Asprin. Actually, methinks I doth protest too much; I’m well known with my swim friends for frequent puns-wars with one of the other swimmers, a pundit of amazing talents. There’s a particularly pun-ishing anecdote in which Hobbes tells Andy a story about a pair of lions in a small traveling circus:

“‘Both lions lay limp in their cage, as if dead. A juggler and a clown went in to check–the clown had nicked himself shaving and was bleeding. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the lions weren’t dead, they’d merely been sleeping and woke to find two men in their cage and the door wide open.’

‘Gosh,’ I said. That must have been scary, especially for the bleeding clown.’

‘Language, Andy. As it happens, the lions, ignoring the clown, went straight for the juggler.’”

Silence those groans–the puns are part of the fun. Inspector Hobbes and the Curse is the second book in a series about British Police Inspector Hobbes and his sidekick, the penniless, ex-journalist Andy. This book stands alone, enjoyable despite not reading the first. It’s a Holmesian spoof, with a hapless, feckless version of Watson, and a supernatural twist. Told from Andy’s point of view, it follows the attempts of the two to investigate a string of mysterious incidents in the area, beginning with night sightings of a giant feline. First stop–the local Wildlife Park, where we learn about Hobbes’ camel allergy and Andy literally falls at the feet of a gorgeous woman. Subsequent inquires take them to the local pub, various farmers, on a night surveillance or two and even to a local music festival. Matters become more serious when a man dies at Andy’s feet.

Characterization is well done, if somewhat troublesome for me. Hobbes is classic Holmes, only a little more feral. Still arrogant, with mental and physical capabilities to match. Side characters generally get enough attention to come into their own, including Mrs. Goodfellow the housekeeper, Dregs the dog and Featherlight Binks, local bar owner and frequent brawler.

Andy, however, was often my sticking point. He fulfills most of the tropes of the feckless sidekick: leaping to erroneous conclusions, cowardly, foolish, and repeatedly making one bad decision after another. In fact, he’s pretty much the Gilligan of the book. Amusing at times, but hard to root for as he hares off on one wild tangent after another. It’s clear he’s not the smartest of narrators from the start, when he’s taken to making dinner for himself and Hobbes because the housekeeper is out of town:
“Certainly, he ate his [salad] without fuss, seeming not to mind the big green caterpillar on the lettuce, and he even complimented me on its freshness. He did, however, point out that the potatoes in a potato salad are better when cooked.”
At times, the foolishness was extreme enough to be slapstick, so take tolerance for silliness into account when reading. That said, I enjoyed using Andy’s observations to try and interpret characters and situations for myself, a process that was complicated by Andy’s frank admittance that in Hobbes’ company, he had been encountered supernatural creatures.

A few notes about the writing: Martin may well be trying to channel Sir Arthur, but initially I found the writing style hard to follow. Perhaps it was my own recent reading of Eats Shoots and Leaves, but I think Ms. Truss ought to have no fear that semicolons and colons are going out of fashion. Or, at least, Martin’s doing his best to bring them back. Phrasing is occasionally awkward: “Fortunately, for my well-being, the ten-mile journey could only have lasted five minutes, since the more I got used to his driving, the more frightening it became.” Luckily, once into the story, those instances could be ignored as I focused on the plotting and the humor. It is also written with a number of British slang words, so I finally got a bit of practice with the Kindle dictionary link. “Dozy,” “conker,” “doddle,” “punters,” and “pong” all got a look-up.

Overall, it was an interesting mix of British detective comedy with shades of urban fantasy/supernatural mystery. I’d certainly check out others in the series. It made for a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Three and a half stars, rounding up.

[Michelle F · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect read for a brain that was only half able to focus – great escapism without a lot of work on my end.

The second book in the Unhuman series, we continue with our odd-couple team Andy and Inspector Hobbes. This time, the Urban Fantasy Detective is looking into odd animal activity in the Cotswolds. Our feckless narrator Andy stumbles along behind him, fascinated and terrified by all the strange secrets he's been learning from the Inspector. Things start looking up for Andy when a beautiful new arrival asks him to show her about town.

Nothing is close to perfect about this book, but that doesn't stop it from being great. The writing is a bit clunky at times, and Andy's portrayal as an idiot is way over the top. The plot is straightforward, though, brisk and light. The humour is good-natured and the puns are guffaw-levels of awesome. The setting is becoming its own character and many of the townspeople are familiar faces from the first installment. (Although one could probably read this on its own, a far better choice would be to start with the first book in the set.)

This was an undemanding delight that took me exactly where I was hoping to go. If you are looking for a silly escape, this series is quite charming.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

'...the adventures of Inspector Hobbes, Mrs Goodfellow and Dregs, as narrated by the still disaster-prone Andy Caplet.'

Right. Not really. I can see now that Andy was interesting in the first book. This one continues with his constant whining, moping and self-pity, over-the-top bad luck, laziness and still being a parasite.
Jumping every time Mrs Goodfellow suddenly appears may have been funny at first, but it is becoming tiresome. As for the bad luck, there's such thing as way too much in a book. The thing is, I don't mind jinxed characters, but the combination of this much of bad luck with all the other Andy's characteristics is not entertaining to me.

He is thirty eight and that titbit makes it all even worse. While reading you forget that because Andy sounds much younger in which case some of the things might have been forgiven. His behaviour around women is the worst. And pathetic. There's a moment in the book where he is trying to find a suitable restaurant for him and a lady. Hobbes tries to suggest a couple of good ones and Andy replies he wants something 'a little more sophisticated'. Really? The most important thing here to know is that the lady is paying.
But the main reason why I find him spineless moron is how quick he is to believe that Hobbes did something bad. The rest is just adding to my overall opinion of Andy Caplet.

Basically, the reason why I'm not hating this is Hobbes. That and everything else. I just dislike the narrator and you get a lot of him both in the book and here. Since I'm an optimist (in this case), I'll try to read the next one too because of all those other things.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love these books, urban fantasy British style, quirky, quaint, quality characters who keep us guessing about their histories.

Action, mystery, romance and laughs nicely written by this author.

[kartik narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the full review at my blog Digital Amrit

This, he’d stated, was neither a punishment, nor that my name had sprung to mind as a competent and reliable reporter. It was because no one else was available. Such remarks, typical of the man, made me question why I worked for him. I wouldn’t have, had I believed anyone else would employ me, and had I dared hand in my notice, for the Editorsaurus was a big, scary man, yet neither as big or scary as Hobbes, if rumours were to be believed … and I believed them..

Introduction
The Unhuman series , written by Wilkie Martin, consists of four books so far. These are ‘Inspector Hobbes and the Blood’, ‘Inspector Hobbes and the Curse’, ‘Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers’ and ‘Inspector Hobbes and the Bones’.

This series stars the eponymous Inspector Hobbes as well as Andy Caplet, the protagonist who is written in first-person. He is clumsy, unsure, dim-witted and possesses no redeeming qualities when we meet him. Inspector Hobbes on the other hand is the quintessential British Copper who is polite, smart, dynamic and not human. If Andy Caplet is best described as Bertie Wooster + Watson + Arthur Dent, then Hobbes is Jeeves + Holmes + Ford Prefect.

The stories revolve around solving mysteries in an outrageously punny way. These mysteries are set in the Cotswolds in the present world and are not too complex.

Read the full review at my blog Digital Amrit

[Alisi ☆ wants to read too many books ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this much better than book 1. Is Ms. G a vampire? Hmmmm! Anyway, great installments and the PUNS! LOL!

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andy Caplet is a rather pathetic excuse of an adult. He burned his own apartment down attempting to cook dinner and has been living with Inspector Hobbes (who saved him from the fire), ever since. He is out of work, having been an uninspired journalist who was let go by his editor. He wears the clothes provided by the inspector's housekeeper, Mrs. Goodfellow. (Her husband left her to "find himself" in Tahiti, so she has his old clothing stored away.) Andy's too timid to take the martial arts classes Mrs. Goodfellow teaches, he doesn't seem to have any skills to acquire another job, and has no money. It's a mystery why Hobbes keeps him around.

The good news is that Andy has written up memoirs of his adventures with Hobbes and this one has plenty of things to keep our interest. There are big cats, panthers perhaps, attacking people in the area around Sorenchester. There are also rumors of werewolf sightings. An elephant escapes from the trailer it is being transported in and demolishes a local cafe. The owner of a local pub is arrested for murder. A music festival is being held in a field on the edge of town. A well-known businessman is interested in developing some of the properties in town and has come to oversee things personally. Most shocking - his sister seems to like Andy and wants to date him. Add in some arson, blackmail, vandalism, and a bomb and you have an amusing read told from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't notice any of the important clues and bumbles from one crisis to the next, a bit like a civilian version of Inspector Clouseau.

If you enjoy humor generously mixed in with your mystery and being able to feel superior to the narrator (because you know what is going on and he doesn't ), then give Inspector Hobbes a try. This is his second adventure and another is on the way.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Wing Kee · Rating 3 out of 5]

More focused, more puns and more fun.

World: The world building strong, the supernatural does not really come into the story in the the tail end once again and when it does it’s very low key and nonchalant. There is not a lot of depth in that regard but the rest of the world is well constructed and the people are quirky and interesting. This book reminds of Hot Fuzz with it’s small town.

Story: The story is cozy and moves along well with many beats for humour and fun. The mystery is basic, the characters that inhabit them are over the top and there to be fun and this is what you have. This second book is much more focused and the cast of characters is much more manageable and tied to the story. The humour is once again insane with dry and puns and word play the order of the day. The supernatural angle they went with was nice and the character moments which were key to the story were solid.

Characters: Andy is still a wet blanket and this is just the way he is. I know it’s intentional to make the situations so much more interesting to this very uninteresting and uninspired character but it does grate on you to read about him. Hobbes is a force of nature and he’s there as a foil and is perfect for the role. The new character this time around were good, they were interesting, they did their job and the interaction between Andy and Violet was well done.

I like this second book a lot more than the first, I think the first was a bit bogged down by world building but this one is much more focused.

Onward to the next book!

[Troy Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed this work through another venue. I offered a negative review after reading a single chapter. The publisher sent a polite and classy response to my review--leaving me impressed and feeling like one of the vultures Alexander Pope so detested. Any author who can surround himself(herself) with this caliber of people deserves more than a casual perusal--so I dove back in. Thank You! Thank You!
While still not a huge fan of the writing style, the storyline entertains immensely. Just thinking of the characters puts a dorky grin on my face. The humor actually humors. Wilkie Martin crafts yarns reminiscent of Steven Erikson's novellas or Fritz Leiber Lankmar. Nift the Lean would thrive in this novel. Thank you, Dear Publisher, for winning over a backwater critic with tact and grace!

[Leann]

Excellent

I've really warmed to this series. Great characters, great setting, cracking pace. Hard to explain it though...cosy paranormal crime comedy? If you like Paul Magrs you'll like this. Give it a try.

[Viking Jam · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/04/24...




Publisher: The Witcherley Book Company
Publishing Date: October 2013
ISBN: 9780957635135
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.2/5

Publisher Description: This is the second in Wilkie Martin’s humorous mystery series unhuman. Set in the Cotswolds, this installment in the adventures of Inspector Hobbes, Mrs. Goodfellow and Dregs is narrated by the ever disaster-prone Andy Caplet. It can be read as a stand-alone novel and is suitable for a wide readership from teenage upwards. It will appeal to anyone with a quirky sense of humour. It is a rip roaring, funny and moving tale of Andy’s infatuation with a dangerously beautiful woman, starting off during investigations into sheep deaths and the mysterious disappearance of pheasants. These incidents appear to be connected to a rash of big cat sightings, and something horrible seems to be lurking in the woods. Is Andy cursed to be always unsuccessful in love, or is the curse something much darker, something that will arouse his primeval terrors?

Review: Cover art is kind of Scooby Doo-esque.

This was a light hearted fantasy novel with funny instances and observational humor of the dry kind. Andy is kind of a trusting/bumbling good hearted kid a little down on his luck. He lives with inspector Hobbes whose human tendencies are suspect. Like getting upset to the point where he eats raw cow tails, fur and all, on the living room floor. Mrs. Goodfellow (collector of human teeth) finds this a normal course of behavior which leaves you wondering if she is in on it, or not human either. At least they are self-directed in an honest capacity.

Two large panthers and some werewolves are prowling about town at the same time a few murders are uncovered. This is kind of the classic whodunit with a fantasy twist. The subsequent course of events leading up to an unresolved ending is fun and not to be taken too seriously.

The characters are lovable and/or interesting, hence fairly well developed. The scenes are well done and coupled nicely to a solid story-line. This novel makes no demands upon your psyche. All told I had fun relaxing with this novel, cigar in hand.

[Smaileh · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a mash-up this is! A British cozy mystery with a supernatural element and a lot of word play. I found it delightful, but I'll admit it won't necessarily appeal to every taste.

From the beginning, there is a definite call-back to the Sherlock Holmes template. You have your all-knowing yet unknowable detective, the biographer side-kick, and the incomparable housekeeper. In this case, the detective in Inspector Hobbes, a large man who is an excellent Inspector, incredibly long-lived (he fought in the First World War) and definitely unhuman, though we don't know exactly what he is. We do know that he's not a werewolf, however. The sidekick is Andy Caplet, a 30-something out-of-work journalist who was has been welcomed into Hobbes' household. Andy is terribly klutzy, socially awkward, and not always very sure of Hobbes. But he's got a good heart. And in the Mrs. Hudson role, we have Mrs. Goodfellow--an excellent cook who teaches karate and collects teeth as a hobby.

I missed the first book in this series, so I don't know if we learned anything more about Hobbes there. I suspect that there will be slow hints parceled out over the entire series, however long it lasts.

The peaceful village of Sorenchester is being threatened. The wealthy London businessman Felix King has his eye on certain properties and he doesn't take no for an answer. At the same time, people begin reporting two large cats--panthers, maybe--attacking livestock on the edges of town. The mystery is not that challenging, but this is the kind of mystery book where the mystery is not the most important thing--the characters and the humor is.


I quite enjoyed Inspector Hobbes and the Curse; it was just what I was in the mood for at the time. I read it as an e-ARC from NetGalley.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Amusing Unhuman Mystery

Inspector Hobbes and the Curse is an amusing fantasy take-off on Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Hobbes, the Sherlock of the pair, has enormous physical and mental capabilities that aren't quite human. His bumbling sidekick, Andy, is accident prone, particularly when he drinks too much, or is faced with a beautiful woman.

The novel is set in a charming village in the Cotswolds. The villagers are upset because Felix King, a billionaire developer, is trying to buy up local property. His sister and assistant, Viola, is a tempting target for Andy's attraction to beautiful women.

Panthers and werewolves are sighted in the area around the village and may be responsible for the sheep killings that initially involve Hobbes in the investigation. However, human murder is also on the agenda, and this book turns into a typical murder mystery.

I enjoyed the book. It's light-hearted reading appropriate for a rainy day, or any day you're eager for amusement. The characters are well drawn. They're not quite human, except for poor Andy, but that makes them more fun. The plot and setting are interesting and draw you in to the world of the novel.

Although this is the second novel in Wilkie Martin's mystery series, it can be read as a standalone tale with no reason to go back to the first story for background. I recommend it as a relaxing fantasy read.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Hobbes & the Curse This is a new author for me as I don't usually read paranormal. I found the print easy to see. The story moved along fast. The characters intrigued me and keep my interest throughout the book. I didn't want to put it down. Question in my mind about Inspector Hobbes; is human? Andy an unemployed journalist narrates the story in first person and by his own actions he is always in trouble. Mrs G is a delightful individual. Even Leads, the dogs adds to the story. The descriptions of the animals and the area is well down.
Pheasants are being found with their heads ripped off and sheep with their throats slashed. Reports of large blacks are circulating. Andy falls for a girl and is delighted that she asked him out to dinner. Inspector Hobbes is looking into the death of person who's throaty was slashed. What is in the forest and can it be stop before more deaths. I recommend this book highly.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had great trouble getting into this book. Perhaps if I had read the first book in the series it might have helped but I am not sure. Characters must grab me whether I am reading or watching a show. If they don't, I have a hard time caring about what happens to them. In books that is disasterous as I plod along trying to get hooked.
It had its moments. Some of the dialogue was right out of a Brit Com but beyond being neutral, I cannot recommend this one. Let's face it, we cannot love everything we read.

[Readsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the first few paragraphs, "Inspector Hobbes and the Curse" had me laughing so hard, I was in tears. I enjoyed this book as much as the first book in the series, "Inspector Hobbes and the Blood". I found it did settle a bit more seriously into the mystery after that. It was thoroughly entertaining and I will gladly recommend it to everyone. I will be watching for the third book in the series and look forward to reading it.

[Trevol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice story, though, some of the humor of the first was lacking. The humorous void took some of the farcical edge off the narrator's behavior and complaints. This made them more grating than before. The weird misunderstandings that plague him were often ones which might have been cleared up with a simple comment. His odd silences and failure to defend himself were inexplicable. It felt, I don't know, more contrived and less understandable.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Hobbs and the Curse is a light, fun, romp with good guys, bad guys and romance. Add in good wine, bad beer and great food and what more could you want. A rock concert, werewolves, werecats, you got them. Worth a read if you like this type of book.

[Todd Micoley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good easy reading.

[Rebee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andy is still a git. Hobbes is still a mystery but no surprising things were added to the mystery.

All in all the book was blah.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in this 2nd Unhuman novel. I had somewhat expected Andy to grow as a person under Hobbes' roof but he's still something of a twit and worse, towards the end of this book he actually denounces his friend Hobbes to try and win the heart of a cruel, evil woman. He literally denies his friendship with the person who has fed him, clothed him, provided for his medical care and kept a roof over his head after he burned his own down. "He's not my friend!" Hell, where do I sign up. Gourmet food, a warm bed, laundry, medical as well as friendship and compassion for free? Boot Andy out I'll call you friend anytime Hobbes!
On top of Andy souring my feelings we weren't a third of the way through when I was yelling out the answers to the puzzle confusing the great, over a hundred years old, unhuman, inspector Hobbes at my Kindle. It was frustrating because there wasn't even a "gotcha!" twist at the end. The solution was simple and it followed from realization to the end without a hitch. Maybe Andy isn't a fantasy & science fiction fan or he doesn't like urban fantasy but he's got a decided prejudice against the supernatural community, odd for living with one of them.
Still the story telling was done fairly well and the rest of the cast flesh out the book nicely. Not as good as the 1st but readable.

[Scott S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun book in the series. I don't care for the main character, as he seems like a lazy freeloader, but I am enjoying the series. There were a couple of great laughs hidden in this one as well.

Great narrator.

[Arnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/201...

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is narrated by Andy, jobless, broke and homeless he is taken in by Inspector Hobbes and his housekeeper Mrs Goodfellow. Both treat him somewhat like a small helpless child. After reading an article in the local paper about a sheep being killed then a large number of pheasants also go missing, Hobbes decides it’s time he started investigating these strange happenings. First stop is Bob Nibblet the local poacher. Bob, known to have a drink or two, tells them he saw a large black cat like a panther.
Their investigation now turns to whether the black cat sighting could possibly be true or is there something more sinister stalking the woods.
Follow Hobbes and Andy as they battle through unlikely suspects as another death occurs.

What a great, funny read! The competent laidback Inspector Hobbes and his bumbling sidekick Andy! Every good country cop needs a sidekick. Someone to bounce those laughable jokes off! Hobbes and Andy are an excellent duo. The prose is in a friendly relaxed style, like a friend telling a story. The reader really gets to know Andy in this story as he fills you in on little episodes from his past. If you think you’ve had a bad day, spend a day in Andy’s shoes. Had me chuckling non stop! The story was well thought out and it all pulled together at the end to finish well. I’d recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good crime novel with a lot of laughs. I also learnt a few new words ‘wolfifesting’ being by far my favourite.
Inspector Hobbes, himself, is intriguing and now I really need to go back and read Wilkie Martin’s first Inspector Hobbes novel to get a greater insight into this character.

[Colored Ink · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced comedy crime fantasy

Enjoyed this unique find! Won't go back and read the first book, as any needed details were summarized in this one, but will read the next.

An 'unhuman' Sherlock-and-Watson dynamic, where 'Sherlock" (i.e. Hobbes) has, instead of Sherlock's enormous mental capacities, supernatural mental and physical abilities..that are never fully explained. I'm guessing that more will be revealed in future volumes.

The mystery takes place in the English countryside, is narrated by the hapless 'Watson' sidekick, and populated by a host of colorful characters. Although the 'unhuman' element plays large, this is not strictly a vampire-werewolf-zombie-type story, and should appeal to readers who don't usually go for that genre.

Hard to tell the audience for whom this is meant: the cover looks like a YA book, as does the title (which really never made sense to me--I think there are better options); but there are a couple of scenes (an attractive young lady searching for car keys in the protagonist's pants pocket) that are NOT appropriate for YA. Full of double-entendres (I think I got most of them) and mostly clever word play.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Hobbes And The Curse by Wilkie Martin is a funny, quirky, entertaining read. There is a mystery to be solved and it is carried out throughout the entire book. There are many twists and turns that make it nearly impossible to solve the mystery on your own, and in my opinion, that’s a good thing.

The writing style flows easily and there is a lot of humor to be found within the pages of the book. The writing is very descriptive and really pulled me into the story. The dialogue is witty and humorous and adds quite a lot to the enjoyment of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a humorous mystery with good plotting and dialogue. I have not read anything by this author before but I plan on picking up more books in the Unhuman series.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Fine Book

As schlocky as the Inspector Hobbes series is thus far it is quite enjoyable. Andy, as annoying as the little bastard is, can be quite endearing and his continued discoveries that the world isn't what we think it is punctuated by his total incompetence make for a good foreground in which to set Hobbes' story. Mrs. Goodfellow is a hilarious character and even Dregs is more than window dressing. I've thoroughly enjoyed both books in this series and will be taking up the third immediately.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do feel like i can tell at least roughly where things are going, but enjoy the ride, more comedy / humour than mystery per se, i always want to get the next in the series as soon as i finish one, so i'm definitely hooked
puns.
puns of absolute steel.
i love puns.

these books do make me giggle so much

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy's still freeloading with Hobbes and the lass. Naturally, the supernatural ensues. Along with Martin's usual onslaught of punnish humor. The case isn't what I'd call intricate, but I'm becoming increasingly fond of the cast, which means I'll be looking for more of the series. Enjoyable paranormal caper.

[Craig Leimkuehler · Rating 2 out of 5]

The bad punning and the total ineptness of the lead character makes this almost unbearable reading.