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DI Adams #1
All Out of Leeds
Walk softly, and carry a very big stick …
DI Adams fled London to escape bridge-dwelling monsters and magical toasties – a one-time experience she's in no hurry to repeat. She’s police, not some cryptid hunter.
Leeds has other plans, though.
Tasked with the seemingly mundane case of a missing necklace, Adams soon realises she’s stumbled into something inexplicable. The trinket is dangerous, and she’s the only one who recognises it for what it is – a weapon that could tear the north apart.
Juggling unhelpful colleagues, amnesiac witnesses, and problematic women of a certain age, Adams plunges into the treacherous, magic-soaked streets of Leeds. She may not have backup, but at least she has the invisible, caffeine-addicted dog by her side.
Plus a duck. And a very big stick.
She’s got this. She has to.
Because there’s no one else who can …
###
This is book one in the DI Adams Mysteries, but you may want to check out the prequel, What Happened in London, to discover the significance of that duck. The DI Adams Mysteries contain no graphic violence, scenes of a sexual nature, or strong language, but they do contain some blasphemy, as well as a truly disturbing level of caffeine consumption.
DI Adams fled London to escape bridge-dwelling monsters and magical toasties – a one-time experience she's in no hurry to repeat. She’s police, not some cryptid hunter.
Leeds has other plans, though.
Tasked with the seemingly mundane case of a missing necklace, Adams soon realises she’s stumbled into something inexplicable. The trinket is dangerous, and she’s the only one who recognises it for what it is – a weapon that could tear the north apart.
Juggling unhelpful colleagues, amnesiac witnesses, and problematic women of a certain age, Adams plunges into the treacherous, magic-soaked streets of Leeds. She may not have backup, but at least she has the invisible, caffeine-addicted dog by her side.
Plus a duck. And a very big stick.
She’s got this. She has to.
Because there’s no one else who can …
###
This is book one in the DI Adams Mysteries, but you may want to check out the prequel, What Happened in London, to discover the significance of that duck. The DI Adams Mysteries contain no graphic violence, scenes of a sexual nature, or strong language, but they do contain some blasphemy, as well as a truly disturbing level of caffeine consumption.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2024
144 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Kim M. Watt
42 books336 followersHello lovely people!
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.
Come join me!
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.
Come join me!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
November 11, 2024
IN A NUTSHELL
That was my favourite Kim Watt book so far. It was fun but it also had a serious layer beneath it that reminded me of Pratchett's Vimes or Witches stories.
I loved that the plot kept tugging at my curiosity and that the people kept surprising me but most of all, I loved how Adams is developing into someone stronger and more interesting while staying flawed and a little out of step with both the human and the magical worlds.
I want more! I've already downloaded the third book, 'Trouble Brewing In Harrowgate'.
I stumbled on Kin Watt's books this year and I've been binging on them ever since. Her latest series, featuring DI Adams outside the world of the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute and the Cloverly Dragons is my favourite. It has a harder, sharper edge than the Gobbelino or Dragon books. All the series share the same world, one in which most humans look away from the things that shouldn't be there and so fail or refuse to see the magical Folk who live among them. What makes the DI Adams books distinctive is how she sees that world. It doesn't trigger a sense of wonder in her. She can't bring herself to accept it as 'normal' even though she's sure it's real. She senses threat and wrongness and she's angry that it makes her feel a little powerless, a little out of her depth.
She left the Met after 'What Happened In London' opened her eyes to the weird and predatory that others wouldn't see. 'All Out Of Leeds' is the first book where I got to see her doing her job as a Detective Inspector in Leeds, without the involvement of the various residents of the small Yorkshire villlage of Toot Hansell. This time, she and her 'posh boy' DC have been assigned to figure out what happened to a unique and valuable necklace that has gone missing from the jeweler's where it was supposed to be being repaired. What starts as a mundane case with some oddly malfunctioning CCTV, soon spirals into something involving fraud and abductions which, Adams is disappointed to find, seem to carry the taint of magic and perhaps even police corruption.
The story works reasonably well as a police procedural albeit one laced with humour and magic. Each step of the investigation mires Adams more deeply in the world of magical Folk that she'd hoped to leave behind her in London. Her life is complicated by trying to prevent her eager and competent DC from seeing the magical world and by accommodating the large invisble-to-everyone-but-her black dog, Dandy, who adopted her in 'Manor Of Life Or Death'.
The story is brightened by eccentric, larger-than-life characters, most of whom are human and softened by humour and unexpected kindnesses that prevent Adams' view of the world becoming irredeamably bleak.
Adams' reluctance to see the strange things in the world that her encounter in London exposed her to not only makes for a better story but it's the part of her character that means that she didn't/couldn't look away from the things she's not meant to see and that drives her to stand up to them to protect others. Adams needs to enforce order, even on the unfeasible reality-stretching realms of magic. In this book, it's starting to become clear to her that to do that, she'll need to learn a lot more about how the magical world works. I'm looking forward to finding out with her.
That was my favourite Kim Watt book so far. It was fun but it also had a serious layer beneath it that reminded me of Pratchett's Vimes or Witches stories.
I loved that the plot kept tugging at my curiosity and that the people kept surprising me but most of all, I loved how Adams is developing into someone stronger and more interesting while staying flawed and a little out of step with both the human and the magical worlds.
I want more! I've already downloaded the third book, 'Trouble Brewing In Harrowgate'.
I stumbled on Kin Watt's books this year and I've been binging on them ever since. Her latest series, featuring DI Adams outside the world of the Toot Hansell Women’s Institute and the Cloverly Dragons is my favourite. It has a harder, sharper edge than the Gobbelino or Dragon books. All the series share the same world, one in which most humans look away from the things that shouldn't be there and so fail or refuse to see the magical Folk who live among them. What makes the DI Adams books distinctive is how she sees that world. It doesn't trigger a sense of wonder in her. She can't bring herself to accept it as 'normal' even though she's sure it's real. She senses threat and wrongness and she's angry that it makes her feel a little powerless, a little out of her depth.
She left the Met after 'What Happened In London' opened her eyes to the weird and predatory that others wouldn't see. 'All Out Of Leeds' is the first book where I got to see her doing her job as a Detective Inspector in Leeds, without the involvement of the various residents of the small Yorkshire villlage of Toot Hansell. This time, she and her 'posh boy' DC have been assigned to figure out what happened to a unique and valuable necklace that has gone missing from the jeweler's where it was supposed to be being repaired. What starts as a mundane case with some oddly malfunctioning CCTV, soon spirals into something involving fraud and abductions which, Adams is disappointed to find, seem to carry the taint of magic and perhaps even police corruption.
The story works reasonably well as a police procedural albeit one laced with humour and magic. Each step of the investigation mires Adams more deeply in the world of magical Folk that she'd hoped to leave behind her in London. Her life is complicated by trying to prevent her eager and competent DC from seeing the magical world and by accommodating the large invisble-to-everyone-but-her black dog, Dandy, who adopted her in 'Manor Of Life Or Death'.
The story is brightened by eccentric, larger-than-life characters, most of whom are human and softened by humour and unexpected kindnesses that prevent Adams' view of the world becoming irredeamably bleak.
Adams' reluctance to see the strange things in the world that her encounter in London exposed her to not only makes for a better story but it's the part of her character that means that she didn't/couldn't look away from the things she's not meant to see and that drives her to stand up to them to protect others. Adams needs to enforce order, even on the unfeasible reality-stretching realms of magic. In this book, it's starting to become clear to her that to do that, she'll need to learn a lot more about how the magical world works. I'm looking forward to finding out with her.
April 27, 2024
What a great sequel to DI Adams's lovely "What Happened in London", and such a seamless insertion into the Cloverly dragons series. If you're a fan of Ms. Watt's cozy fantasy books, you're going to love this one. It's darker in tone but no less compelling, gripping, and beautifully written. It can be read separately from the other series but I do recommend reading them in order. Can't wait for the next one.
November 2, 2024
A mildly entertaining urban fantasy that is marred by a overly drawn out story and thin plot. The whole thing just dragged. The narrator was the same as the prequel (What Happened in London) and didn't really appeal to me.
May 24, 2024
Kim Watt having more fun with DI (Detective Inspector) Adams who has one foot in the world of humans and the other foot in the world of "Folk." Folk categories are fey, troll, mystical, zany, and any other one's imagination can conjure up. An old fashion Agatha Christie romp in the world of fantasy. Can you solve the mystery?
If you didn't know, Leeds is in West Yorkshire, England. A good bit north of London. A British spin to the tales of DI Adams. Enjoyable.
If you didn't know, Leeds is in West Yorkshire, England. A good bit north of London. A British spin to the tales of DI Adams. Enjoyable.
June 12, 2024
I was a little confused by the blurb mentioning that I might want to read the prequel first but I am kind of glad I decided not to. You have a real choice of how you want to experience this story in this regard. The MC is really tight-lipped about what happened in London (in the prequel). Partially because she cannot remember, partially because she doesn't want to remember, and partially because the MC just doesn't reveal very much to the reader. But this actually worked very well for me because I hate being in a position as a reader where I know more about the situation than the characters do. I hate seeing characters make decisions based on incomplete knowledge or understanding which I, as the reader, can obviously recognize as stupid. I know a lot of what we call drama is built on this concept but it always felt cheap and even lazy to me as a literary device. There is just no finesse to it. The nice thing here is, that because you can decide if you want to read the prequel first or not, you can decide for yourself how you want to experience the story; if you want to know beforehand about the background or if you'd rather discover and learn from bits and pieces throughout the story.
Let's now get to the actual book. The start felt a little bit clunky because the book didn't really make an effort to set my expectations as a reader. This might be partially due to me not knowing the prequel but it's also a problem with this book itself. For some time I didn't really understand what to expect. It seemed to go for a kind of silly humor that doesn't really take itself very seriously but at the same time the book made the impression that it actually tried to describe a real police investigation with tension and real stakes as well.
After this initial slowly paced introduction, the story starts to pick up speed and actually managed to build some real tension and mystery. I really enjoyed the middle part up until the climax of the story. The blurb already kind of set the expectations explicitly in that there wasn't going to be graphic violence and all that but it still managed to build a properly tense atmosphere as things come to a head.
I was honestly really glad that there was no unnecessary stupid romance story going on in here as there is in 99% of books nowadays. It seems like authors believe this is a necessary requirement to write any sort of successful book for some reason even though it ends up just weakening the story while itself being shallow and uninteresting. The author had the guts to actually leave out any and all romance entirely. There really wasn't a place for a romance in this story and I think it benefited from this decision.
You might be asking yourself, so why only 3 stars? Well, because of the antagonist and the ending. Towards the end it becomes increasingly clear that the antagonist's actions make no sense. There is no reason for most of the things that are happening at all and all the antagonist does is to facilitate the plot development for it to look interesting from the MC's perspective. But as soon as you start to figure out how these puzzle pieces fit together, you also necessarily realize that they really don't fit together at all when viewed through the lens of logic and common sense. As you might imagine this was quite the disappointment as I was quite invested at that point already.
And then followed a comedic nightmare of a climax that was clearly not meant to be taken seriously at all. The entire climax was the kind of joke that just went on for way too long so it stopped being funny halfway through and the rest was just painful to read. It tried to be somewhat serious at times but there was just so much silly comedic relief it made it impossible for me to take anything seriously anymore. Maybe that is just a me problem.
Then the story closes out with some pompous and wannabe-wise bullshit about having responsibility as a protector for everyone, . It's the kind of mistake a lot of books make where they don't trust their audience to pick up on the implication and feel the need to explicitly express it which is exactly the wrong thing to do. If the reader didn't get it in the first place then explaining it to them doesn't make it any better. It's kind of like explaining a joke makes it not funny anymore. I would have been annoyed by this either way but right after the author decided to make a joke out of the story throughout the climax already, this was particularly painful and felt just tone-deaf.
In the middle of the book I was really stoked to read the prequel to finally get the answers to many of the questions I had. But now I feel kind of ambiguous. I am not sure if I will read the prequel or any other book in the series.
Let's now get to the actual book. The start felt a little bit clunky because the book didn't really make an effort to set my expectations as a reader. This might be partially due to me not knowing the prequel but it's also a problem with this book itself. For some time I didn't really understand what to expect. It seemed to go for a kind of silly humor that doesn't really take itself very seriously but at the same time the book made the impression that it actually tried to describe a real police investigation with tension and real stakes as well.
After this initial slowly paced introduction, the story starts to pick up speed and actually managed to build some real tension and mystery. I really enjoyed the middle part up until the climax of the story. The blurb already kind of set the expectations explicitly in that there wasn't going to be graphic violence and all that but it still managed to build a properly tense atmosphere as things come to a head.
I was honestly really glad that there was no unnecessary stupid romance story going on in here as there is in 99% of books nowadays. It seems like authors believe this is a necessary requirement to write any sort of successful book for some reason even though it ends up just weakening the story while itself being shallow and uninteresting. The author had the guts to actually leave out any and all romance entirely. There really wasn't a place for a romance in this story and I think it benefited from this decision.
You might be asking yourself, so why only 3 stars? Well, because of the antagonist and the ending. Towards the end it becomes increasingly clear that the antagonist's actions make no sense. There is no reason for most of the things that are happening at all and all the antagonist does is to facilitate the plot development for it to look interesting from the MC's perspective. But as soon as you start to figure out how these puzzle pieces fit together, you also necessarily realize that they really don't fit together at all when viewed through the lens of logic and common sense. As you might imagine this was quite the disappointment as I was quite invested at that point already.
And then followed a comedic nightmare of a climax that was clearly not meant to be taken seriously at all. The entire climax was the kind of joke that just went on for way too long so it stopped being funny halfway through and the rest was just painful to read. It tried to be somewhat serious at times but there was just so much silly comedic relief it made it impossible for me to take anything seriously anymore. Maybe that is just a me problem.
Then the story closes out with some pompous and wannabe-wise bullshit about having responsibility as a protector for everyone, . It's the kind of mistake a lot of books make where they don't trust their audience to pick up on the implication and feel the need to explicitly express it which is exactly the wrong thing to do. If the reader didn't get it in the first place then explaining it to them doesn't make it any better. It's kind of like explaining a joke makes it not funny anymore. I would have been annoyed by this either way but right after the author decided to make a joke out of the story throughout the climax already, this was particularly painful and felt just tone-deaf.
In the middle of the book I was really stoked to read the prequel to finally get the answers to many of the questions I had. But now I feel kind of ambiguous. I am not sure if I will read the prequel or any other book in the series.
April 26, 2024
This the second book featuring DI Adams as the central character, and it is even better than the first! All the characters are great, and I love the growing bond between Adams and her invisible coffee loving dog! I couldn't stop reading once I'd started and stayed up late to finish it. Thoroughly recommend. (I had an advance reader copy of the book. )
April 20, 2024
I love Adams and Dandy! All Out of Leeds: A DI Adams mystery - magic, menace, & snark in a Yorkshire urban fantasy is not to be missed.
May 5, 2024
All Out of Leeds (what a great title!) follows on from the first DI Adams book, What Happened in London. You don't have to have read that to enjoy AOOL but I'd say you'll get more of the references if you do. Plus, it is a brilliant and wonderfully twisty book. If you're coming to the DI Adams books from the Beaufort Scales series (also highly recommended), these are slightly darker, deliciously so, and weirder. They're more akin to the Gobbelino London series. But I love them all, so it's always a gift when the lovely Ms Watt releases another story.
DI Adams has a history with the ladies of the Toot Hansell WI (from Beaufort Scales) and has been dragged into some weirdness there, including working with dragons only visible to Those Who Believe, or are slightly otherworldly themselves, as Adams herself is. It is one of those adventures (to Adams, nightmares) that she finds herself being adopted by an invisible dog, the Dandy, who can change his size according to his need and mood, and who adores coffee grounds, all the better if they are stolen. In WHIL and AOOL, we find out her back story, how she became embroiled in a different reality than most people experience, and where that takes her in future investigations.
I find the concepts in Watt's books quite fascinating. For those of us who feel that we are outside of what is considered 'normal', who struggle to fit in and feel that there is more to the world than what we can see, a lot of the versions of the world she creates are strangely plausible. I suspect that she has a lot of neuro-divergent readers amongst her fan base.
Watt is an accomplished writer, plots are well-conceived and executed, well-paced and characters are engaging. I think that All Out of Leeds is her best book to date; she really does keep getting better and better. Go and read the Beaufort Scales series (it's excellent reading), you'll see what I mean as you see the development of a master of her craft.
DI Adams has a history with the ladies of the Toot Hansell WI (from Beaufort Scales) and has been dragged into some weirdness there, including working with dragons only visible to Those Who Believe, or are slightly otherworldly themselves, as Adams herself is. It is one of those adventures (to Adams, nightmares) that she finds herself being adopted by an invisible dog, the Dandy, who can change his size according to his need and mood, and who adores coffee grounds, all the better if they are stolen. In WHIL and AOOL, we find out her back story, how she became embroiled in a different reality than most people experience, and where that takes her in future investigations.
I find the concepts in Watt's books quite fascinating. For those of us who feel that we are outside of what is considered 'normal', who struggle to fit in and feel that there is more to the world than what we can see, a lot of the versions of the world she creates are strangely plausible. I suspect that she has a lot of neuro-divergent readers amongst her fan base.
Watt is an accomplished writer, plots are well-conceived and executed, well-paced and characters are engaging. I think that All Out of Leeds is her best book to date; she really does keep getting better and better. Go and read the Beaufort Scales series (it's excellent reading), you'll see what I mean as you see the development of a master of her craft.
April 21, 2024
Oh!
Whether you consider this DI Adams’ first adventure or slotted in amongst her many Toot Hansell mysteries, you’re in for a real treat.
It starts, of course, with what ought to be a simple theft. However, Adams’ boss thinks it’s something the “soft southerner” ought to be able to wrap up in mere hours so already you know it’s maybe not quite a simple as all that. And then Adams meets the self-styled hippie whose necklace has vanished and even she realises that it’s not going to be that simple. When older ladies are part of her investigation, things never are.
Before you know it, Adams is off and running (physically as well as figuratively) chasing down leads across multiple possibilities all the while learning more than she ever wanted to about what lurks just beyond the edges.
With Isha, the only other human we meet that can give Adams caffeine addiction a run for its money (and definitely seems to be able to consume baked goods like a dragon, so maybe there’s something we don’t know), prepared to lend a hand (muffins and iced coffee is such a hard bargain!) and James, Adams faithful if a little posh partner, Adams tracks the necklace on a rollicking ride across hill and dale perhaps meeting her match in more than just office politics.
And she finds herself a stick. A very big stick. Because all heroes need something more than just a tiny duck and a bar of Yorkie and whatever you might think, swinging a stick is far more satisfying than waving a Yorkie in the face of danger.
I do hope we get to see more of Isha and James. They’re wonderful characters and add so much to the story if only to try and tempt Adams to try new things like friendships, following rules and new ways to take her coffee (ok, that last one is pushing it a bit…)
So go order the book, buy the book, borrow a copy of the book. It’s worth every minute of reading it. So much so, you’ll want to read it again when you’re done.
Whether you consider this DI Adams’ first adventure or slotted in amongst her many Toot Hansell mysteries, you’re in for a real treat.
It starts, of course, with what ought to be a simple theft. However, Adams’ boss thinks it’s something the “soft southerner” ought to be able to wrap up in mere hours so already you know it’s maybe not quite a simple as all that. And then Adams meets the self-styled hippie whose necklace has vanished and even she realises that it’s not going to be that simple. When older ladies are part of her investigation, things never are.
Before you know it, Adams is off and running (physically as well as figuratively) chasing down leads across multiple possibilities all the while learning more than she ever wanted to about what lurks just beyond the edges.
With Isha, the only other human we meet that can give Adams caffeine addiction a run for its money (and definitely seems to be able to consume baked goods like a dragon, so maybe there’s something we don’t know), prepared to lend a hand (muffins and iced coffee is such a hard bargain!) and James, Adams faithful if a little posh partner, Adams tracks the necklace on a rollicking ride across hill and dale perhaps meeting her match in more than just office politics.
And she finds herself a stick. A very big stick. Because all heroes need something more than just a tiny duck and a bar of Yorkie and whatever you might think, swinging a stick is far more satisfying than waving a Yorkie in the face of danger.
I do hope we get to see more of Isha and James. They’re wonderful characters and add so much to the story if only to try and tempt Adams to try new things like friendships, following rules and new ways to take her coffee (ok, that last one is pushing it a bit…)
So go order the book, buy the book, borrow a copy of the book. It’s worth every minute of reading it. So much so, you’ll want to read it again when you’re done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2025
Loved this book! I was a bit worried after reading the first DI Adams book, spin off from the beaufort scales series, but the author redeemed herself completely in this sequel! DI Adams has now moved to Leeds, after leaving London and all it’s not so human horror. She thinks things will be better in Leeds, no more magic, just human criminals and cases. Well she couldn’t have been more wrong!
This book was cozy and warm, yet very thrilling and exciting, just like all the other Beaufort scales books. I could not stop reading/listening. I think this was the most thrilling book in the series yet. I must say that I do miss the amount of tea & cake we used to get in the other books though.
This time there was just one lady of a certain age, no WI, but I must say that she was also badass and brought as much trouble and headaches along with her as the WI did all together.
I also love that Dandee is in this book. Gotta love Dandee!
The narrator had improved as well: the pacing was alright and a little less awkward pauses. Still some weird accentuation though.
Can’t wait to read what DI Adams will experience next!
This book was cozy and warm, yet very thrilling and exciting, just like all the other Beaufort scales books. I could not stop reading/listening. I think this was the most thrilling book in the series yet. I must say that I do miss the amount of tea & cake we used to get in the other books though.
This time there was just one lady of a certain age, no WI, but I must say that she was also badass and brought as much trouble and headaches along with her as the WI did all together.
I also love that Dandee is in this book. Gotta love Dandee!
The narrator had improved as well: the pacing was alright and a little less awkward pauses. Still some weird accentuation though.
Can’t wait to read what DI Adams will experience next!
September 10, 2025
Absolutely 5 out of 5 stars! Final battle is the best i've ever read! Epic, not too tense, but enormously funny and hilarious. Will definitely read it again, and again, mb even outloud.
Heartwarming story, DI Adams meets new folk, new kinds of magic (which she hates ofcourse) and a witch! Also got herself a magical stuff, and calls it "very big stick" LOL. I'm falling for DI Adams more and more. I guess soon I will have to plan our first date, so I guess fanfic is coming.
Enjoyed this book a lot, looking forward to read next one.
Heartwarming story, DI Adams meets new folk, new kinds of magic (which she hates ofcourse) and a witch! Also got herself a magical stuff, and calls it "very big stick" LOL. I'm falling for DI Adams more and more. I guess soon I will have to plan our first date, so I guess fanfic is coming.
Enjoyed this book a lot, looking forward to read next one.
April 30, 2024
Kim Watt is such an amazing storyteller! Her clever use of lulling the reader into a false sense of security through her vivid descriptions of the countryside and its Folk inhabitants renders the reader with an inability to prepare for the surprises that follow. The character of DI Adams is well-crafted and totally believable, which contrasts wonderfully with the myriad of Folk who inevitably cross her path. You will want to read the prequel, “What Happened in London,” before this book, and then hold on to your hat for a great read that will truly leave you waiting for the next installment.
July 12, 2025
This is technically the first book in the series but it reads like a sequel, so I'd encourage y'all to read What Happened in London first if you are interested.
June 10, 2025
All D.I. Adams wants to do is her job and forget her strange experience in London. She's tasked with untangling the mystery of a missing necklace that a woman of a certain age claims she didn't receive back from the jewelry store; however, the jeweler claims they gave it back.
Before she knows it, she is involved with CCTV cameras that blink out at crucial junctures, strange magic, and the dangerous necklace that humans and nonhumans are desperate to possess. Trying to ignore the "folk" doesn't work despite her best efforts. She also has to grapple with office politics and a traitor in its ranks.
Trailing along with D.I Adams is her faithful invisible dog Dandy who is constantly stealing items and inhaling gallons of coffee. He provides much humor as she tries to act normal while he pulls his antics.
Wonderfully written and hard to put down. I always look forward to each new edition to the addictive series Ms. Watt writes.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author. This in no way impacted my review.
Before she knows it, she is involved with CCTV cameras that blink out at crucial junctures, strange magic, and the dangerous necklace that humans and nonhumans are desperate to possess. Trying to ignore the "folk" doesn't work despite her best efforts. She also has to grapple with office politics and a traitor in its ranks.
Trailing along with D.I Adams is her faithful invisible dog Dandy who is constantly stealing items and inhaling gallons of coffee. He provides much humor as she tries to act normal while he pulls his antics.
Wonderfully written and hard to put down. I always look forward to each new edition to the addictive series Ms. Watt writes.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author. This in no way impacted my review.
April 26, 2024
I received an ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not received any payment.
DI Adams is a formidable woman. She has moved to Leeds because of experiences in London that forced an awareness of parts of the world most of us just don’t see, ignore or allow our minds to re-write: people who are not quite human (or definitely not human), places and things that have a personality, food that can reprogram you not to notice mysterious happenings…magic. She hoped a new start would mean no more of that nonsense, but sadly, some things once experienced make it impossible to overlook more of the same. If that isn’t enough, she is having to deal with office politics and people who want to be friendly – never her strongest suits. She is assigned a Detective Constable to work with her, but as the case becomes noticeably more magic-adjacent, she does her best to keep him away; once you see the world differently you can never go back. The story rollicks along with interesting characters, extra comedy gold coming from her invisible dog, Dandy, who previously attached himself to her (see “A Manor of Life and Death”). It’s hard not to appear odd when you are hissing quietly to an invisible dog to put back those pork chops, leave that plant alone and to get his nose out of your coffee, and it’s difficult to explain why your car smells of wet dog when you apparently don’t have one, wet or otherwise. As is frequently the case with Ms Watt’s work the humour is at its best when the stakes are highest.
This is the first of DI Adams own mystery stories which will be set in and around Leeds. Those familiar with Ms Watt’s “Beaufort Scales/Toot Hansell” cosy mysteries will already have encountered DI Adams as she struggles with unstoppable women of a certain age and equally unstoppable creatures of myth and legend as they upset her investigations, cause mischief and get into trouble trying to beat her to the punch (sometimes literally). This is almost Adams’ first solo book, but there is a prequel out there – “What Happened in London” to send her to Yorkshire in the first place, and there are references to those happenings, just as there are in the Toot Hansell books; you don’t need to have read the prequel to enjoy this book, but I suspect having the background adds a little extra something.
Another novel of the “hard to put down till you’ve finished” type I’ve come to expect and thoroughly enjoy from Ms Watt.
DI Adams is a formidable woman. She has moved to Leeds because of experiences in London that forced an awareness of parts of the world most of us just don’t see, ignore or allow our minds to re-write: people who are not quite human (or definitely not human), places and things that have a personality, food that can reprogram you not to notice mysterious happenings…magic. She hoped a new start would mean no more of that nonsense, but sadly, some things once experienced make it impossible to overlook more of the same. If that isn’t enough, she is having to deal with office politics and people who want to be friendly – never her strongest suits. She is assigned a Detective Constable to work with her, but as the case becomes noticeably more magic-adjacent, she does her best to keep him away; once you see the world differently you can never go back. The story rollicks along with interesting characters, extra comedy gold coming from her invisible dog, Dandy, who previously attached himself to her (see “A Manor of Life and Death”). It’s hard not to appear odd when you are hissing quietly to an invisible dog to put back those pork chops, leave that plant alone and to get his nose out of your coffee, and it’s difficult to explain why your car smells of wet dog when you apparently don’t have one, wet or otherwise. As is frequently the case with Ms Watt’s work the humour is at its best when the stakes are highest.
This is the first of DI Adams own mystery stories which will be set in and around Leeds. Those familiar with Ms Watt’s “Beaufort Scales/Toot Hansell” cosy mysteries will already have encountered DI Adams as she struggles with unstoppable women of a certain age and equally unstoppable creatures of myth and legend as they upset her investigations, cause mischief and get into trouble trying to beat her to the punch (sometimes literally). This is almost Adams’ first solo book, but there is a prequel out there – “What Happened in London” to send her to Yorkshire in the first place, and there are references to those happenings, just as there are in the Toot Hansell books; you don’t need to have read the prequel to enjoy this book, but I suspect having the background adds a little extra something.
Another novel of the “hard to put down till you’ve finished” type I’ve come to expect and thoroughly enjoy from Ms Watt.
May 4, 2024
Having "known" DI Adams from the fantastic Beaufort Scales series and gotten a little more background information about her in What happened in London I was thrilled about the new series with her as main character.
As always with Kim M. Watt's books this one as well is filled with tension, really good description of people, folk and scenery, a good sense of humor - which is needed to take down the tension a bit, if your imagination is as lively as mine - the knowledge of the importance of coffee, yes coffee, for tea check Beaufort Scales, and with awesome beings you are grateful to read about.
As always no spoilers in my reviews, just this:
It is set after the London Prequel and mid in between the Beaufort Scales series plus: Totally unexpected it even touches the Gobbelino London series, which was great as I really loved that one as well and because it is always great to "meet" Characters again you care for.
Yes care, because Kim M. Watt is really a great writer, who manages to write crime series that are filled with beings that are unique and at first sight perhaps a little weird, or you would think so in real live, but then you get to know them more and more, step by step like real friends and thus care for them and get excited when they turn up unexpectedly.
Great book, highly recommended, though for newbies my personal recommendation would be as follows:
Start with the Beaufort Scales series 1 & 2,
go over to 'What happened in London',
return to Beaufort Scales 'A Manor of Life and Death' and then read this one before you return to the Beaufort Scales series.
If you want to read about Gobbelino London as well, it was fun to meet the known characters, but I don't think that it is important to read those books at a certain point => mostly between the 3rd Beaufort and this one.
Personally I love and care for the Beaufort Scales series most. The Gobbelino London series is so full of tension and again incredibly good written, dragging you into the story, that it almost is a 'have to read'.
It was great to get to know DI Adams better through the Prequel. This one was not as smoothly read as the others, through the many thoughts of London and the Toot Hansell W.I., but: Considering storytelling and developing more in deep knowledge for the reader I understand why it is written this way. Aren't we self often overthinking when we really struggle with a reality we don't want to face?!
=> 5 stars
Happy reading!
As always with Kim M. Watt's books this one as well is filled with tension, really good description of people, folk and scenery, a good sense of humor - which is needed to take down the tension a bit, if your imagination is as lively as mine - the knowledge of the importance of coffee, yes coffee, for tea check Beaufort Scales, and with awesome beings you are grateful to read about.
As always no spoilers in my reviews, just this:
It is set after the London Prequel and mid in between the Beaufort Scales series plus: Totally unexpected it even touches the Gobbelino London series, which was great as I really loved that one as well and because it is always great to "meet" Characters again you care for.
Yes care, because Kim M. Watt is really a great writer, who manages to write crime series that are filled with beings that are unique and at first sight perhaps a little weird, or you would think so in real live, but then you get to know them more and more, step by step like real friends and thus care for them and get excited when they turn up unexpectedly.
Great book, highly recommended, though for newbies my personal recommendation would be as follows:
Start with the Beaufort Scales series 1 & 2,
go over to 'What happened in London',
return to Beaufort Scales 'A Manor of Life and Death' and then read this one before you return to the Beaufort Scales series.
If you want to read about Gobbelino London as well, it was fun to meet the known characters, but I don't think that it is important to read those books at a certain point => mostly between the 3rd Beaufort and this one.
Personally I love and care for the Beaufort Scales series most. The Gobbelino London series is so full of tension and again incredibly good written, dragging you into the story, that it almost is a 'have to read'.
It was great to get to know DI Adams better through the Prequel. This one was not as smoothly read as the others, through the many thoughts of London and the Toot Hansell W.I., but: Considering storytelling and developing more in deep knowledge for the reader I understand why it is written this way. Aren't we self often overthinking when we really struggle with a reality we don't want to face?!
=> 5 stars
Happy reading!
April 26, 2024
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.
I really loved this book, it’s quirky, funny and exciting and I highly recommend it.
DI Adams has relocated to Leeds following an incident under a bridge in London. Since relocating she has become acquainted with the ladies of the Toot Hansel WI, various assorted dragons, Goblins, sprites and sundry other strange “folk”.
She has been accompanied and aided on her adventures by an invisible coffee loving dog, Dandy.
The police have been contacted by a jeweller. the jeweller was asked to repair a necklace, the jeweller says the necklace was subsequently picked up by the owner following the repair, but the owner claims she did not pick it up. What has happened to the necklace? and why are strange thefts happening and what does the necklace have to do with it.
Adams and her assistant DC James AKA “posh boy” and Isha in IT go on the hunt.
It seems that “folk” may be involved in the thefts but Adams has to try and prevent her assistant from learning of their existence, however this is increasingly difficult to do as people start disappearing and the situation becomes more serious and somebody within the police force is interfering in the case.
However Adams is on the case, she has a box of Yorkies, her duck and a big stick and an invisible dog, nobody better get in her way.
This is a stand alone book involving DI Adams and Dandy, where she becomes ever more aware of the strange “folk” inhabiting the Leeds area who she thought she’d left behind in London. I really enjoyed this book, it’s funny and quirky and exciting. Adams now realises that there is a parallel world involving all sorts of supposedly mythical creatures which somebody has to police and it seems that this is now her responsibility, so she needs to understand this new world she’s involved in and do it quickly.
I really like DI Adams and I’m really looking forward to her next adventure.
I really loved this book, it’s quirky, funny and exciting and I highly recommend it.
DI Adams has relocated to Leeds following an incident under a bridge in London. Since relocating she has become acquainted with the ladies of the Toot Hansel WI, various assorted dragons, Goblins, sprites and sundry other strange “folk”.
She has been accompanied and aided on her adventures by an invisible coffee loving dog, Dandy.
The police have been contacted by a jeweller. the jeweller was asked to repair a necklace, the jeweller says the necklace was subsequently picked up by the owner following the repair, but the owner claims she did not pick it up. What has happened to the necklace? and why are strange thefts happening and what does the necklace have to do with it.
Adams and her assistant DC James AKA “posh boy” and Isha in IT go on the hunt.
It seems that “folk” may be involved in the thefts but Adams has to try and prevent her assistant from learning of their existence, however this is increasingly difficult to do as people start disappearing and the situation becomes more serious and somebody within the police force is interfering in the case.
However Adams is on the case, she has a box of Yorkies, her duck and a big stick and an invisible dog, nobody better get in her way.
This is a stand alone book involving DI Adams and Dandy, where she becomes ever more aware of the strange “folk” inhabiting the Leeds area who she thought she’d left behind in London. I really enjoyed this book, it’s funny and quirky and exciting. Adams now realises that there is a parallel world involving all sorts of supposedly mythical creatures which somebody has to police and it seems that this is now her responsibility, so she needs to understand this new world she’s involved in and do it quickly.
I really like DI Adams and I’m really looking forward to her next adventure.
June 21, 2025
Rating: 3.5 stars
All Out of Leeds is the first book in the DI Adams series by Kim M. Watt. According to the author's note at the start of the book, events in this story happen directly after book 3 of Beaufort Scales. While technically you could read this book without reading either Beaufort or the London prequel, as the novel is self contained, both are referenced and it was fun recognizing tie backs to each (plus a nod to Gobbelino) along with one character cameo. It's a "choose your own adventure" when it comes to experiencing the world Watt's has created. Now, on to the review!
Detective Inspector Adams is settling in to her new job in Leeds, figuring out workplace politics and attempting to live a relatively normal life, when her boss tasks her with a case of a missing necklace. She soon discovers that there is a lot more to the case than it appears. Sometimes a necklace isn't just a necklace. It's a good thing Adams keeps her duck close.
Adams' first case with the Leeds PD was an interesting one. It reminded me a lot of Gobbelino's first book with the artifact involved, though goes very differently otherwise. It was great to see Adams bonding with Dandy both over coffee and in solving the case. I feel bad for her partner James, who is still very much of a normie, though possibly not for very long. The case is interesting and we're given enough clues that I was able to identify who the suspect was about mid-way through. The ending was not quite the organized chaos that I love from Gobbelino but the resolution was satisfying enough.
Adams is absolutely at a crossroads in her career in this book and it bugged me with how long she . I'm glad Adams has made her choice. This should make the future books in this series very exciting.
All Out of Leeds is the first book in the DI Adams series by Kim M. Watt. According to the author's note at the start of the book, events in this story happen directly after book 3 of Beaufort Scales. While technically you could read this book without reading either Beaufort or the London prequel, as the novel is self contained, both are referenced and it was fun recognizing tie backs to each (plus a nod to Gobbelino) along with one character cameo. It's a "choose your own adventure" when it comes to experiencing the world Watt's has created. Now, on to the review!
Detective Inspector Adams is settling in to her new job in Leeds, figuring out workplace politics and attempting to live a relatively normal life, when her boss tasks her with a case of a missing necklace. She soon discovers that there is a lot more to the case than it appears. Sometimes a necklace isn't just a necklace. It's a good thing Adams keeps her duck close.
Adams' first case with the Leeds PD was an interesting one. It reminded me a lot of Gobbelino's first book with the artifact involved, though goes very differently otherwise. It was great to see Adams bonding with Dandy both over coffee and in solving the case. I feel bad for her partner James, who is still very much of a normie, though possibly not for very long. The case is interesting and we're given enough clues that I was able to identify who the suspect was about mid-way through. The ending was not quite the organized chaos that I love from Gobbelino but the resolution was satisfying enough.
Adams is absolutely at a crossroads in her career in this book and it bugged me with how long she . I'm glad Adams has made her choice. This should make the future books in this series very exciting.
April 30, 2024
I did actually think when I first started reading Kim’s new book that I would miss the crazy antics of the Toot Hansell ladies of a certain age, and the wonderful quirky dragons. But as the story unfolded I realised the book was holding its own and was still great without them.
DI Adams, Dandy the invisible dog, and James (even though he came unstuck for a bit), were a great little team and the story was wonderfully addictive and drew me in very quickly.
The presence of such magic, and the mind altering necklace was exciting and I loved the tales behind it. I don’t want to give too much away here, but the magical necklace worked like a charm literally, and DI Adams did a great job of getting it away from people with serious control issues amongst others.
The action built as the book progressed, and got me routing for the good guys all the way, even the dodgy ‘folk’ towards the end, came on side and I loved the descriptions of them. I could see them all clearly in my mind.
I enjoyed the new characters, Gladys particularly was great fun, and so quirky! Scott became quite the hero in the end too.
I now have a distinct feeling that DI Adams has finally accepted the idea that she has become protector of two parallel worlds, working amongst them and secretly loves it!
It was a nice surprise to bring Beaufort in at the end, doing his bit to help as ever. It was a very satisfying end to a great book and I love the way Kim always wraps up her books with a thought provoking ending, making me adore this wonderful world of fantasy even more.
For anybody that loves a good yarn, great characters and a land of exciting dreams, liberaly sprinkled with fantasy characters, you have found the perfect read.
DI Adams, Dandy the invisible dog, and James (even though he came unstuck for a bit), were a great little team and the story was wonderfully addictive and drew me in very quickly.
The presence of such magic, and the mind altering necklace was exciting and I loved the tales behind it. I don’t want to give too much away here, but the magical necklace worked like a charm literally, and DI Adams did a great job of getting it away from people with serious control issues amongst others.
The action built as the book progressed, and got me routing for the good guys all the way, even the dodgy ‘folk’ towards the end, came on side and I loved the descriptions of them. I could see them all clearly in my mind.
I enjoyed the new characters, Gladys particularly was great fun, and so quirky! Scott became quite the hero in the end too.
I now have a distinct feeling that DI Adams has finally accepted the idea that she has become protector of two parallel worlds, working amongst them and secretly loves it!
It was a nice surprise to bring Beaufort in at the end, doing his bit to help as ever. It was a very satisfying end to a great book and I love the way Kim always wraps up her books with a thought provoking ending, making me adore this wonderful world of fantasy even more.
For anybody that loves a good yarn, great characters and a land of exciting dreams, liberaly sprinkled with fantasy characters, you have found the perfect read.
May 22, 2024
An intriguing crime, a cast of believable characters, and a trouble-making invisible dog! With a start like this, this series is bound to be amazing!
The basic premise for this start to the DI Adams series is that DI Adams has been asked to look into a rather mundane problem with a jeweler saying he's being harassed by a customer over a lost necklace (that the jeweler insists his customer picked up herself). What follows is DI Adams discovering there's way more (and "fae" more) to this bit of confusion than meets the eye. And whether she likes it or not, discovers herself pulled into a heap of paranormal-based trouble.
First off, while DI Adams is a spin-off from Watt's Beaufort Scales series, you do not need to have read those books to understand what's going on (although some character references will make more sense if you have). However, I do recommend reading the prequel What Happened in London, just to get a feel for what Di Adams is all about.
That said, Watt has created a very believable character in DI Adams, and I loved watching her squirm her way around trying to hide the paranormal aspect from her partner, while also trying to deny to herself that anything otherworld is going on in Leeds. And while the book had a more languid pace than I expected, the final chapters are rip-roaringly fun and let me eager for more!
The basic premise for this start to the DI Adams series is that DI Adams has been asked to look into a rather mundane problem with a jeweler saying he's being harassed by a customer over a lost necklace (that the jeweler insists his customer picked up herself). What follows is DI Adams discovering there's way more (and "fae" more) to this bit of confusion than meets the eye. And whether she likes it or not, discovers herself pulled into a heap of paranormal-based trouble.
First off, while DI Adams is a spin-off from Watt's Beaufort Scales series, you do not need to have read those books to understand what's going on (although some character references will make more sense if you have). However, I do recommend reading the prequel What Happened in London, just to get a feel for what Di Adams is all about.
That said, Watt has created a very believable character in DI Adams, and I loved watching her squirm her way around trying to hide the paranormal aspect from her partner, while also trying to deny to herself that anything otherworld is going on in Leeds. And while the book had a more languid pace than I expected, the final chapters are rip-roaringly fun and let me eager for more!
October 4, 2025
★★★★★
I’m not sure who from my online book group first recommended Kim M. Watt’s books but thank you! This was fabulous.
This is the first installment in the DI Adams series and while she appears in other Watt books, you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this one. There are references to the other books as part of learning a bit about DI Adams backstory but again, it isn’t necessary to have read those stories. Adams, as she prefers to be called, has moved up to Leeds from London after learning that there is more to the world than meets the eye - and she can see them.
Hoping for a fresh start - and no more ‘other’ - Adams hopes that the theft of a necklace is nothing more than your bog standard robbery. Of course, there wouldn’t be a book if that was the case. I like that Adams takes her job as Detective Inspector seriously and truly wants to protect good people from bad people, even if those ‘people’ happen to be different.
As a side note, it appears that this is self-published? I read this with my eyeballs and my copy seems to be self-published. I will have to do a bit of research to find out unless someone here knows. Not that it matters but I think it’s interesting. I really enjoyed this and will definitely be picking up the next in this series.
I read this for the URBAN DECAY square on my 2025 Halloween Bingo card.
I’m not sure who from my online book group first recommended Kim M. Watt’s books but thank you! This was fabulous.
This is the first installment in the DI Adams series and while she appears in other Watt books, you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this one. There are references to the other books as part of learning a bit about DI Adams backstory but again, it isn’t necessary to have read those stories. Adams, as she prefers to be called, has moved up to Leeds from London after learning that there is more to the world than meets the eye - and she can see them.
Hoping for a fresh start - and no more ‘other’ - Adams hopes that the theft of a necklace is nothing more than your bog standard robbery. Of course, there wouldn’t be a book if that was the case. I like that Adams takes her job as Detective Inspector seriously and truly wants to protect good people from bad people, even if those ‘people’ happen to be different.
As a side note, it appears that this is self-published? I read this with my eyeballs and my copy seems to be self-published. I will have to do a bit of research to find out unless someone here knows. Not that it matters but I think it’s interesting. I really enjoyed this and will definitely be picking up the next in this series.
I read this for the URBAN DECAY square on my 2025 Halloween Bingo card.
May 2, 2024
DI Adams is the sort of police inspector I would like to see - determined, intelligent and ready for any quirks (well, you have to be with an invisible devil dog who keeps stealing the coffee). This book follows Adams's departure from London where she discovered there are more strange beings among the human race and that carrying a duck in some form is essential. She has had some encounters with ladies of the W.I.. talking cats and dragons so is fully aware of any magic in the vicinity even when it is much more malevolent. The story is gripping, a little frightening and funny too and the characters come alive on the page.
Kim's descriptions are really enticing too, like that of a house which "held itself in a cocoon, turning its back on the world outside and creating its own pocket in reality". She also warns us to "never underestimate ladies of a certain age"; advice I approve of.
The book teaches us that Adams has a duty to protect Folk and humans equally from others and otherness and that High Lord Beaufort holds her in high esteem.
I loved this story and couldn't put it down. This is a winner. I also learned that it is best to "be fast, be sure and carry a very big stick" (and a small duck object in your pocket).
Kim's descriptions are really enticing too, like that of a house which "held itself in a cocoon, turning its back on the world outside and creating its own pocket in reality". She also warns us to "never underestimate ladies of a certain age"; advice I approve of.
The book teaches us that Adams has a duty to protect Folk and humans equally from others and otherness and that High Lord Beaufort holds her in high esteem.
I loved this story and couldn't put it down. This is a winner. I also learned that it is best to "be fast, be sure and carry a very big stick" (and a small duck object in your pocket).
May 4, 2024
Honestly if you haven't read "What Happened in London" you really should before you read "What Happened in Leeds". There are a lot of references and prior situations that will make a lot more sense if you do!
DI Adams is back! Leeds was supposed to be somewhat of a respite for Adams after the trauma of London, but it's turning out to be every bit as problematic. It isn't long before Adams (with the redoubtable Dandy in tow) brushes up against the world of the Folk that Adams has the ability to see and sense. A world that most of us are blissfully unaware of. She also seems to have the ability to find the women of a certain age who are also part of or connected in some way to that world.
Suffice it to say that the adventure that follows is as magical and crazy as London (if not worse) and only tons of caffeine and a red eyed dog help her survive it!
There's mystery and mayhem and caffeine in store for you in another fantastic read from Kim Watt!!
I can't wait for the next adventure!
Just a note that the DI Adams books are, like the Gobbelino London books a little on the darker side than the Beaufort Scales series. Not terribly so but like all of the books set in the world of the possibility of Folk not all magic is flash and dazzle. Some is also dark and dangerous.
DI Adams is back! Leeds was supposed to be somewhat of a respite for Adams after the trauma of London, but it's turning out to be every bit as problematic. It isn't long before Adams (with the redoubtable Dandy in tow) brushes up against the world of the Folk that Adams has the ability to see and sense. A world that most of us are blissfully unaware of. She also seems to have the ability to find the women of a certain age who are also part of or connected in some way to that world.
Suffice it to say that the adventure that follows is as magical and crazy as London (if not worse) and only tons of caffeine and a red eyed dog help her survive it!
There's mystery and mayhem and caffeine in store for you in another fantastic read from Kim Watt!!
I can't wait for the next adventure!
Just a note that the DI Adams books are, like the Gobbelino London books a little on the darker side than the Beaufort Scales series. Not terribly so but like all of the books set in the world of the possibility of Folk not all magic is flash and dazzle. Some is also dark and dangerous.
April 28, 2024
As one of the ARC readers, it's exciting to receive the as yet unseen novel. To drop everything and curl up in a corner, preferably with cake or chocolate, and ignore the household clamour for a while.
Still trying to ignore everything magical as best she can, DI Adams leaps, literally into action again, (4 points for the landing) accompanied, on occasion, by her invisible possibly-dog and DC James Hamilton, when she can't avoid him. Sent to investigate a missing (depending on the point of view) piece of jewellery, the pair/trio embark on a puzzling case to find and return it to hopefully the right owner.
There is a good balance of characters, humour and detective work in the book, as we've come to expect. A little less cake, but much more caffeine, a whole heap of action and a couple of downright unpleasant folk working against DI Adams. But, she still has her duck, thankfully.
All Out of Leeds is well worth reading, as a stand alone or part of the growing collection of writings by Kim M Watt, all of which I can heartily recommend, and have thoroughly enjoyed! And thanks to the author for bringing humour, excitement, fun and refreshments into readers lives!
Still trying to ignore everything magical as best she can, DI Adams leaps, literally into action again, (4 points for the landing) accompanied, on occasion, by her invisible possibly-dog and DC James Hamilton, when she can't avoid him. Sent to investigate a missing (depending on the point of view) piece of jewellery, the pair/trio embark on a puzzling case to find and return it to hopefully the right owner.
There is a good balance of characters, humour and detective work in the book, as we've come to expect. A little less cake, but much more caffeine, a whole heap of action and a couple of downright unpleasant folk working against DI Adams. But, she still has her duck, thankfully.
All Out of Leeds is well worth reading, as a stand alone or part of the growing collection of writings by Kim M Watt, all of which I can heartily recommend, and have thoroughly enjoyed! And thanks to the author for bringing humour, excitement, fun and refreshments into readers lives!
April 29, 2024
I received an ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not received any payment.
I started with Ms. Watt's Gobbelino London series, but have read everything she's published. I love the humor in her books, as well as the great story lines. All of her novels are stand alone, but there are snippets in each that make sense if you've read her earlier works. And I DO recommend you read the earlier ones. And the short stories. And then maybe read them again in case you missed something, because there is a LOT going on in all of them.
DS Adams has been one of my favorite characters since she first showed up in the Toot Hansell series. She's no nonsense, but she does have a good heart and I just love her! This second installment was even better than the first one (a tough thing to do since I LOVED the first one!) She's more rounded in this book, and we get a lot more of her past as well as possible insights into what may be coming down the road.
I tried to pace myself since there won't be another to read for a while, but about half way thru I had to give up and just finish it in one go!
I started with Ms. Watt's Gobbelino London series, but have read everything she's published. I love the humor in her books, as well as the great story lines. All of her novels are stand alone, but there are snippets in each that make sense if you've read her earlier works. And I DO recommend you read the earlier ones. And the short stories. And then maybe read them again in case you missed something, because there is a LOT going on in all of them.
DS Adams has been one of my favorite characters since she first showed up in the Toot Hansell series. She's no nonsense, but she does have a good heart and I just love her! This second installment was even better than the first one (a tough thing to do since I LOVED the first one!) She's more rounded in this book, and we get a lot more of her past as well as possible insights into what may be coming down the road.
I tried to pace myself since there won't be another to read for a while, but about half way thru I had to give up and just finish it in one go!
May 3, 2024
I first got hooked on Kim M. Watt’s books by a talking cat. It led me to dragons and all sorts of magical mischief. Their latest book, All Out of Leeds, is much better than the pun would indicate. It features one of my favorite characters of theirs, DI Adams, who is mostly human and a very competent detective inspector besides. Adams (no first name) has recently been transferred to Leeds and is tasked with recovering a necklace, which leads them into all sorts of interesting byways, both human and other. While Adams has been in the Toot Hansell books, now they are the star of the story. It is not hard to figure out who is the main villain, but capturing them is another story. A few times I thought Adams had solved the case, just for it to take a turn and head in another direction. As with all of Watt’s books, the location plays an important role in the story. It was fun to watch Adams become more familiar with their new location in Leeds and how it compared to London. Knowing more about Adams and their background, I am tempted to go back and reread the Toot Hansell books with this information. I received a free copy of the book and am reviewing it voluntarily.
October 13, 2024
I was bought this as a gift because it seemed like my sort of thing! Having read it, I still can't decide if that's true. All Out of Leeds is set, unsurprisingly, in Leeds. DI Adams has relocated from London because of Something Bad that happened in London, involving magical creatures and the Thames and something that dwelled under a bridge. She has a mischievous, unreliable but often helpful invisible dog-type beast that only she can see but seems to be able to interact with the normal world when convenient. DI Adams can see the Folk, even though she does't really want to be part of that world.
Adams and her young sidekick, a fresh-faced PC, are allocated a case which involves and elderly lady who insists that her necklace was stolen by the shop which she took it to for repair. But there's mysterious shenanigans going on.
I wanted to like this, but I found the repeated references to events in other books really started to grate quite early on. And what's with the Yorkie advert?
The ending? Not really sure what happened. It didn't make sense to me in terms of character behaviour.
And finally: if your book is set in the UK then we have pavements, not sidewalks.
Adams and her young sidekick, a fresh-faced PC, are allocated a case which involves and elderly lady who insists that her necklace was stolen by the shop which she took it to for repair. But there's mysterious shenanigans going on.
I wanted to like this, but I found the repeated references to events in other books really started to grate quite early on. And what's with the Yorkie advert?
The ending? Not really sure what happened. It didn't make sense to me in terms of character behaviour.
And finally: if your book is set in the UK then we have pavements, not sidewalks.
April 29, 2024
Chocolate, duck, coffee, coffee, coffee, check! Magic, nooooo! DI Adams moved to Leeds to avoid magic, but she can’t deny that things on the edges of her vision are not quite human. She tries not to see, but we know how well that worked in London!
It should be a simple case of a missing necklace, but no amount of coffee is helping to explain the other strange thefts in Leeds. Adams is struggling to keep her boss from knowing what is really happening while also protecting her young partner, DC James Hamilton from seeing the magic.
Loved the characters in this latest DI Adams mystery. They are slightly quirky, always interesting, and wonderfully entertaining. I especially loved Dandy, the dreadlocked invisible dog, who magically disappears and re-appears (thankfully) when Adams needs him most. Kim M. Watt has written another winner in this urban fantasy series. Go ahead and read it! I dare you! But keep your chocolate and coffee close to hand.
Thank you to the author for access to a digital ARC!
It should be a simple case of a missing necklace, but no amount of coffee is helping to explain the other strange thefts in Leeds. Adams is struggling to keep her boss from knowing what is really happening while also protecting her young partner, DC James Hamilton from seeing the magic.
Loved the characters in this latest DI Adams mystery. They are slightly quirky, always interesting, and wonderfully entertaining. I especially loved Dandy, the dreadlocked invisible dog, who magically disappears and re-appears (thankfully) when Adams needs him most. Kim M. Watt has written another winner in this urban fantasy series. Go ahead and read it! I dare you! But keep your chocolate and coffee close to hand.
Thank you to the author for access to a digital ARC!
May 2, 2024
The first of a hopefully long series, DI Adams has her own story here. I suggest you read the prequel, ‘What Happened in London’ to understand some of the references. Regardless, you can happily read this standalone. DI Adams is assigned to find a necklace the quirky owner swears was stolen by the local jewellry shop. Adams is not happy with this low-level assignment. Reluctantly interviewing said owner, something doesn’t add up. Claims she brought the necklace in for a clasp repair and it was not returned. Seeing a picture of the necklace gives Adams goosebumps.The store employee shows the receipt but had a horrible migraine and doesn’t remember much. Something weird is going on. Bad enough Adams has an invisible Dandy (maybe a dog?) and ‘sees’ more of the Otherworld than she wants. When more odd robberies happen, Adams must track down the powerful necklace while keeping the magic she doesn’t want to believe is real. Fast-paced, full of magic and adventures, Adams and her dog(?) finds strange magic is not confined to London.
May 4, 2024
This is shaping up to be a great series. DI Adams doesn't want to police the folk as well as humans, but we don't always get what we want. And that turns out to be a good thing for the rest of us.
The story, action and characters are all up to Kim's usual standard, but what really shines is DI Adams struggle with accepting her role in this brave New World. She really puts the 'reluctant' into Reluctant Hero. It's interesting to see the other side, of someone who doesn't want magic and the messiness and disorder it will bring to her life. She not only fights to keep herself out of becoming involved in this reality, but her action to keep her partner James safely in the dark is very telling about her personality. She truly is a Guardian. Very much looking forward to watching her struggle with and grow into this role....with the help of coffee, chocolate, Dandy, her duck, and of course a big stick.
Full disclosure, I was provided an arc for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinions.
The story, action and characters are all up to Kim's usual standard, but what really shines is DI Adams struggle with accepting her role in this brave New World. She really puts the 'reluctant' into Reluctant Hero. It's interesting to see the other side, of someone who doesn't want magic and the messiness and disorder it will bring to her life. She not only fights to keep herself out of becoming involved in this reality, but her action to keep her partner James safely in the dark is very telling about her personality. She truly is a Guardian. Very much looking forward to watching her struggle with and grow into this role....with the help of coffee, chocolate, Dandy, her duck, and of course a big stick.
Full disclosure, I was provided an arc for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinions.
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