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Unhuman #1
Inspector Hobbes and the Blood
As a crime wave breaks in the quiet Cotswold streets, Andy Caplet, a failed reporter, is reluctantly immersed in Inspector Hobbes's investigation. Allergic to danger and exercise, Andy is thrown into grave confusion as he discovers not everyone is human. Not only must he come to terms with Hobbes's extreme oddness, and the tooth-collection of Hobbes's housekeeper, the indomitable Mrs Goodfellow, but he must work out if a suicide, a murder, and several robberies are connected? And what is the connection? Hobbes goes missing. The cops decide he's big and bad enough to look after himself, but Andy, striving against deep-rooted incompetence and clumsiness, sets out to find him. With a big bad dog to assist, armed only with a leg of lamb, and despite losing his trousers, he discovers the key to the mystery is in the blood. But whose blood? Where is Hobbes? And can he catch vampirism off false teeth? This is the first in Wilkie Martin's unhuman series of fast-paced, comic fantasy crime adventures, with lashings of great food. 'Odd, inventive, and genuinely very funny indeed' Cotswold Life
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2013
727 people are currently reading
2402 people want to read
About the author
Wilkie Martin
12 books286 followersWilkie 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
September 21, 2018
Three and a half stars--don't kid yourself; from me, that's praise. That's above "I liked it."
An enjoyable read, a pulpy fun mystery with supernatural elements.
Don’t you have those days when your brain just needs a break? I’ve been swamped this summer by the seriously un-fun Understanding Pathophysiology. After reading four or five chapters a week, there’s times when my brain craves a bit of shut-off, but my body isn’t ready to sleep. That’s what television is for, right? And sports? But honestly, I’d rather read about silly people and needless danger than watch it, and that’s where Martin’s Unhuman series with Inspector Hobbes fits in. Well, Inspector Hobbes isn’t senseless so much as Andy Caplet is, the diffident reporter assigned to follow Hobbes. Think Sherlock Holmes with slightly more bestial tendencies and Lou Costello as Watson. Think modern English town with supernatural beings just trying to live their lives without harassment, whether its chomping on old bones or standing in a field thinking trollish thoughts. Think–dare I say it–puns.
Andy Caplet is a struggling reporter unexpectedly assigned to follow Inspector Hobbes, one of the fearsome successes of the local police force. The assignment is surprising as Andy’s most notable story to date was his unsuccessful attempt to do a piece on a show-winning hamster, resulting in nasty bite and an unflattering bit of press. Hobbes is focused an unlikely series of events relating to Mr. Roman, whose house was burgled, a violin stolen, and Mr. Roman subsequently found dead, apparently a suicide. When Andy follows Hobbes to the cemetery where Mr. Roman was found, he discovers a newly-opened grave and is almost victim to a ghoulish cover-up. It is the beginning of Andy’s introduction to the unhumans around him, and he decides to stick with Hobbes in hopes of an award-winning story. Perhaps even a book!
The basic premise of Inspector Hobbes is done well. The unfortunate Andy contrasts nicely to the enigmatic, powerful and intelligent Hobbes. Plotting moves quickly from event to event, establishing interesting characters along the way. Particularly entertaining was Mrs. Goodfellow, Hobbes’ live-in cook, housekeeper and friend, with her dental obsession and her tendency to tread quietly. I appreciated the the way Martin hints to the reader and Andy that something about certain characters may not be quite human, a much more enjoyable type of character development than the long-winded info-dump. Hobbes, of course, is the biggest mystery of all–what is he, exactly? And does it matter?
“In truth, and in his own way, he’d looked after me. He was an enigma. He was a monster. He was a policeman. He was someone I out to be writing about.”
Andy, being more of the anti-hero type, frequently leaps to the wrong conclusion, misleading himself and the reader. Although bumbling, he isn’t quite incompetent, and is sincere, so I found him more tolerable than in the second book, Inspector Hobbes and the Curse.
One of the few problems I had with the writing was what appears to me as a tendency to run-on sentences and excessive commas. It could just be my personal fondness for semi-colons and colons showing, but I did find it initially distracting. I think as the action picks up, the commas diminish–or else my mental filter blotted them out. An early example:
“As I landed and turned around, the magazine fluttering to the carpet like a dying pigeon, the blood pounding through my skull, my shin bruised from a sharp encounter with the table, the old lady, standing by the sofa, gave me a gummy smile. Though I coulgh have sworn she did not have a single tooth left in her head, I thought a positive response was appropriate.”
As a side note, although I love paper books, this might be one to read on e-reader. Martin has a tendency to sprinkle a number of English idioms–and by English, I mean country-cultural specific words. And, speaking of abuse of the English language, there’s a story about Hobbes’ stuffed grizzly bear:
“The bus knocked him into a music shop, where his muzzle became entangled in an antique stringed instrument that suffocated him. And so my sad tale ends, with a bear-faced lyre.”
It was fun and entertaining–and didn’t mention molecular biology once. A perfect beach read, if you should be so lucky as to have time at the beach.
Thanks to Julia at The Witcherly Book Company for providing me a copy to review. Which was, of course, provided without a request to actually review it. Thanks!
*******************************************
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/...
An enjoyable read, a pulpy fun mystery with supernatural elements.
Don’t you have those days when your brain just needs a break? I’ve been swamped this summer by the seriously un-fun Understanding Pathophysiology. After reading four or five chapters a week, there’s times when my brain craves a bit of shut-off, but my body isn’t ready to sleep. That’s what television is for, right? And sports? But honestly, I’d rather read about silly people and needless danger than watch it, and that’s where Martin’s Unhuman series with Inspector Hobbes fits in. Well, Inspector Hobbes isn’t senseless so much as Andy Caplet is, the diffident reporter assigned to follow Hobbes. Think Sherlock Holmes with slightly more bestial tendencies and Lou Costello as Watson. Think modern English town with supernatural beings just trying to live their lives without harassment, whether its chomping on old bones or standing in a field thinking trollish thoughts. Think–dare I say it–puns.
Andy Caplet is a struggling reporter unexpectedly assigned to follow Inspector Hobbes, one of the fearsome successes of the local police force. The assignment is surprising as Andy’s most notable story to date was his unsuccessful attempt to do a piece on a show-winning hamster, resulting in nasty bite and an unflattering bit of press. Hobbes is focused an unlikely series of events relating to Mr. Roman, whose house was burgled, a violin stolen, and Mr. Roman subsequently found dead, apparently a suicide. When Andy follows Hobbes to the cemetery where Mr. Roman was found, he discovers a newly-opened grave and is almost victim to a ghoulish cover-up. It is the beginning of Andy’s introduction to the unhumans around him, and he decides to stick with Hobbes in hopes of an award-winning story. Perhaps even a book!
The basic premise of Inspector Hobbes is done well. The unfortunate Andy contrasts nicely to the enigmatic, powerful and intelligent Hobbes. Plotting moves quickly from event to event, establishing interesting characters along the way. Particularly entertaining was Mrs. Goodfellow, Hobbes’ live-in cook, housekeeper and friend, with her dental obsession and her tendency to tread quietly. I appreciated the the way Martin hints to the reader and Andy that something about certain characters may not be quite human, a much more enjoyable type of character development than the long-winded info-dump. Hobbes, of course, is the biggest mystery of all–what is he, exactly? And does it matter?
“In truth, and in his own way, he’d looked after me. He was an enigma. He was a monster. He was a policeman. He was someone I out to be writing about.”
Andy, being more of the anti-hero type, frequently leaps to the wrong conclusion, misleading himself and the reader. Although bumbling, he isn’t quite incompetent, and is sincere, so I found him more tolerable than in the second book, Inspector Hobbes and the Curse.
One of the few problems I had with the writing was what appears to me as a tendency to run-on sentences and excessive commas. It could just be my personal fondness for semi-colons and colons showing, but I did find it initially distracting. I think as the action picks up, the commas diminish–or else my mental filter blotted them out. An early example:
“As I landed and turned around, the magazine fluttering to the carpet like a dying pigeon, the blood pounding through my skull, my shin bruised from a sharp encounter with the table, the old lady, standing by the sofa, gave me a gummy smile. Though I coulgh have sworn she did not have a single tooth left in her head, I thought a positive response was appropriate.”
As a side note, although I love paper books, this might be one to read on e-reader. Martin has a tendency to sprinkle a number of English idioms–and by English, I mean country-cultural specific words. And, speaking of abuse of the English language, there’s a story about Hobbes’ stuffed grizzly bear:
“The bus knocked him into a music shop, where his muzzle became entangled in an antique stringed instrument that suffocated him. And so my sad tale ends, with a bear-faced lyre.”
It was fun and entertaining–and didn’t mention molecular biology once. A perfect beach read, if you should be so lucky as to have time at the beach.
Thanks to Julia at The Witcherly Book Company for providing me a copy to review. Which was, of course, provided without a request to actually review it. Thanks!
*******************************************
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/...
July 2, 2023
It was alright audiobook, nor very eager to continue with the series but might try one more books more to see if I get more invested in the story. Had some interesting bits with the characters.
January 2, 2018
3.5
I don't think I've ever read a book with a protagonist this annoying, this unlikeable, this selfish and self-pitying and this incompetent. Andy Caplet is not just a failed reporter as the blurb lead you to believe. He spends two thirds of the book showing that he is failed everything - from his job to his personal and social life. Fortunately, he gets a bit better later, though.
Even though the story is told from Andy's point of view, the most prominent thing in this book is Inspector Hobbes himself. I loved him! There is something seriously weird about him and his housekeeper, Mrs. Goodfellow and from the moment he is assigned to the inspector, Andy Caplet would realise that his peaceful, boring town is neither peaceful nor boring. The reader is constantly kept on the verge between reality and fantasy.
Overall, even though I really disliked Andy (as I said, two thirds of the book), there are so many things to love here, not just Hobbes. Plus, Andy's character changes too throughout the story.
December 1, 2022
I listened to this book. The narrator, Tim Cahill is excellent - he did a great job on the various voices. This is a quirky book and the main character, Andy is a bit of a klutz and makes bad choices and seems to get into more trouble than seems possible. But I think he's a nice balance to Inspector Hobbes, who is not quite human, but the readers are never told exactly what he is, but there are plenty of hints The balance is because Hobbes is so competent and smart.
November 10, 2021
An odd but enjoyable story.
Definitely not 'fast-paced.' It is a meandering, episodic tale that seems to frequently lose track of its own plot, but in a friendly and endearing manner.
I put this book down three different times to look for something more exciting....but ended up picked it back up every time because I missed the characters. (Weird, huh?)
If you are a fan of Discworld and ever wondered what it would be like if someone took Rincewind and Carrot and threw them into an almost real-world buddy cop comedy, this story might have a few answers for you.
Definitely not 'fast-paced.' It is a meandering, episodic tale that seems to frequently lose track of its own plot, but in a friendly and endearing manner.
I put this book down three different times to look for something more exciting....but ended up picked it back up every time because I missed the characters. (Weird, huh?)
If you are a fan of Discworld and ever wondered what it would be like if someone took Rincewind and Carrot and threw them into an almost real-world buddy cop comedy, this story might have a few answers for you.
January 30, 2020
Perfectly good fun.
An urban fantasy odd-couple mystery. For the first perhaps quarter of the book it teetered on the edge of being awkwardly unremarkable, but as I got used to it, and maybe as it got used to itself, it righted onto the side of pleasantly good.
Set a world where the fantastic hovers around the edges of everyday perception, Andy Caplet is a reporter on the verge of being sacked. He's lazy and selfish and also quite hapless. On his final assignment he's sent to get information from Inspector Hobbes on a recent crime. Hobbes has a reputation for getting the job done and keeping his beat safe, but Andy also quickly begins to suspect that there is something somewhat strange about the good Inspector.
It's a light read, once you get used to the writing style. And it is funny, in the most silly, groan-inducing sort of way...this happens to be right up my alley, so I chuckled a fair bit.
Nothing earth shattering here, but it's good fun. I look forward to the next book in the series, but I'm not in a huge rush to get to it.
An urban fantasy odd-couple mystery. For the first perhaps quarter of the book it teetered on the edge of being awkwardly unremarkable, but as I got used to it, and maybe as it got used to itself, it righted onto the side of pleasantly good.
Set a world where the fantastic hovers around the edges of everyday perception, Andy Caplet is a reporter on the verge of being sacked. He's lazy and selfish and also quite hapless. On his final assignment he's sent to get information from Inspector Hobbes on a recent crime. Hobbes has a reputation for getting the job done and keeping his beat safe, but Andy also quickly begins to suspect that there is something somewhat strange about the good Inspector.
It's a light read, once you get used to the writing style. And it is funny, in the most silly, groan-inducing sort of way...this happens to be right up my alley, so I chuckled a fair bit.
Nothing earth shattering here, but it's good fun. I look forward to the next book in the series, but I'm not in a huge rush to get to it.
January 4, 2018
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
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
June 23, 2018
If you're a fan of urban fantasy novels AND a fan of P.G. Wodehouse novels (Jeeves and Wooster) then this book might have an odd appeal for you. Andy Caplet is a mostly good natured, but fatuous and feckless fellow who is sent by his employer to write a story about Inspector Hobbes. As Andy rides along with Hobbes, he stalwartly humiliates himself through pratfalls and myopic behavior, while Hobbes shows himself to be Andy's opposite: competent, generous, absurdly strong, and well respected. But Hobbes is also potently strange. He sniffs for clues, gnaws on bones, and seems to be on friendly terms with the supernatural.
It's a fun romp with a cast of wacky characters, with a mystery thrown in. As I said at the top of the review, if you have an appreciation for the absurd characters of a Jeeves and Wooster novel and enjoy the urban fantasy genre, this book series might fill a curious entertainment niche for you.
It's a fun romp with a cast of wacky characters, with a mystery thrown in. As I said at the top of the review, if you have an appreciation for the absurd characters of a Jeeves and Wooster novel and enjoy the urban fantasy genre, this book series might fill a curious entertainment niche for you.
January 21, 2019
Nope! Not for me this one. I rather like the idea and the characters were instantly likable, but...
Although the general style improved slightly after the first chapter, it still remained rather 'desperate to please'. The puns were terrible and somewhat predictable.
Not for me.
Although the general style improved slightly after the first chapter, it still remained rather 'desperate to please'. The puns were terrible and somewhat predictable.
Not for me.
January 9, 2022
Very disappointing.
September 14, 2023
Silliness Inc.
This may be the very silliest book I have ever read. I needed escape from reality and this book provided me with one. Madcap adventures!
This may be the very silliest book I have ever read. I needed escape from reality and this book provided me with one. Madcap adventures!
October 18, 2018
A book of moments.
World: The world building is choppy, it’s not really well defined the supernatural parts of the book and they do come in in spurts and starts and the sense of humor of the book really doesn’t help readers get a grasp of the world. What do I mean? Well Hobbes is constantly messing with Andy with what real and not in the world that it also confuses the readers. Readers don’t get a real consistent glimpse of the world so that they can orient themselves to the book, the places and the people. Therefore when I was reading it I felt I was standing on wet clay and because I was trying to focus on that the book lost my interesting quite a bit.
Story: I like cozy mysteries and supernatural urban fantasy book so when I found this book I was hoping it would be River of London but more cheeky and humorous and for the most part it is. The mystery is very cozy and the humor is there and at time a bit too much for it’s own good. Wilkie loves puns and this is a puns stampede, if you like this type of humor and this style of writing where puns constantly show up you’ll enjoy it. I kinda do so I smirked. But add to that the continual nature of Hobbes and everyone else to simply fuck with Andy and you have a messy humorous book that also continually messes with the reader and that is the opposite of cozy. it’s these two forces fighting each other that hurt my enjoyment of the book and the world building. The plot is interesting and expected of the genre: a murder, an investigation, supernatural elements, it’s all here. The plot is paced well and the structure of the main mystery is good and the end is satisfying but as I said the sense of satisfaction is not as great as I would have wanted it cause I wanted the world more defined. There is a lot of humourous scenes sewn together, a lot of pun heavy banter, but forward momentum for this book is slow and most of the time it’s about Wilkie showing how ignorant and stupid Andy is and how much he’s not in the known (we know!!!!). In the end it was a fun read but it was not a good read.
Character: Andy is okay for a point of view characters. I’ve read incompetent characters before, I’ve read selfish and self serving and kinda jerk characters before and this is Andy and seeing the world through him is interesting as he serves as a fish out of water and new perspective in the world. That being said, Andy being the butt of a lot of the joke also didn’t help with readers and Andy getting a good sense of the world around him. Hobbes is interesting, he’s a mystery and that’s a good thing for another character, especially when viewed by Andy and for the most part I like Hobbes and what he is in the book. I wanna see more of his past in the subsequent books. The rest of the characters were just as odd and interesting and reminded me of Terry Practchett and Douglas Adams (which is a great thing). In the end though I didn’t connect with any of the characters as much as I’d like because of the sense of humor and wet clay nature of the world building as I’ve said above.
I wanted to love this series as much as I love the RIvers of London series, I wanted to love it as much as I like Hiaasen and Christopher Moore but in the end the writing style, while humorous, didn’t leave me feeling I was in safe hands but rather in untrustworthy hands which would mess with me constantly.
Onward to the next book!
World: The world building is choppy, it’s not really well defined the supernatural parts of the book and they do come in in spurts and starts and the sense of humor of the book really doesn’t help readers get a grasp of the world. What do I mean? Well Hobbes is constantly messing with Andy with what real and not in the world that it also confuses the readers. Readers don’t get a real consistent glimpse of the world so that they can orient themselves to the book, the places and the people. Therefore when I was reading it I felt I was standing on wet clay and because I was trying to focus on that the book lost my interesting quite a bit.
Story: I like cozy mysteries and supernatural urban fantasy book so when I found this book I was hoping it would be River of London but more cheeky and humorous and for the most part it is. The mystery is very cozy and the humor is there and at time a bit too much for it’s own good. Wilkie loves puns and this is a puns stampede, if you like this type of humor and this style of writing where puns constantly show up you’ll enjoy it. I kinda do so I smirked. But add to that the continual nature of Hobbes and everyone else to simply fuck with Andy and you have a messy humorous book that also continually messes with the reader and that is the opposite of cozy. it’s these two forces fighting each other that hurt my enjoyment of the book and the world building. The plot is interesting and expected of the genre: a murder, an investigation, supernatural elements, it’s all here. The plot is paced well and the structure of the main mystery is good and the end is satisfying but as I said the sense of satisfaction is not as great as I would have wanted it cause I wanted the world more defined. There is a lot of humourous scenes sewn together, a lot of pun heavy banter, but forward momentum for this book is slow and most of the time it’s about Wilkie showing how ignorant and stupid Andy is and how much he’s not in the known (we know!!!!). In the end it was a fun read but it was not a good read.
Character: Andy is okay for a point of view characters. I’ve read incompetent characters before, I’ve read selfish and self serving and kinda jerk characters before and this is Andy and seeing the world through him is interesting as he serves as a fish out of water and new perspective in the world. That being said, Andy being the butt of a lot of the joke also didn’t help with readers and Andy getting a good sense of the world around him. Hobbes is interesting, he’s a mystery and that’s a good thing for another character, especially when viewed by Andy and for the most part I like Hobbes and what he is in the book. I wanna see more of his past in the subsequent books. The rest of the characters were just as odd and interesting and reminded me of Terry Practchett and Douglas Adams (which is a great thing). In the end though I didn’t connect with any of the characters as much as I’d like because of the sense of humor and wet clay nature of the world building as I’ve said above.
I wanted to love this series as much as I love the RIvers of London series, I wanted to love it as much as I like Hiaasen and Christopher Moore but in the end the writing style, while humorous, didn’t leave me feeling I was in safe hands but rather in untrustworthy hands which would mess with me constantly.
Onward to the next book!
May 10, 2016
Intelligently witty HOOT!
First I must stress this book is not geared towards children, contrary to what the cute cover may imply. That's not to say there is profanity or sexual situations, for there are not. Most of the dialog might go over their young little heads. But if this were to be made into a movie, and it certainly should. Oh it's that good! I believe all the action, and fun creature like characters would delight and entertain children of all ages, while their parents enjoyed the banter. Now, movie aside, this was a fun, delightfully fun book. Despite the title, there wasn't any blood and gore. I'm not a fan of Vampires. I'm prone to nightmares, so was rather leery of the whole "blood" thing. But thanks to the other reviews, I took a chance and am so happy I did. This is a wonderful book. Wilkie Martin is very talented indeed, great job Sir! Am looking forward Inspector Hobbes next adventure. Loved, loved your book!!
First I must stress this book is not geared towards children, contrary to what the cute cover may imply. That's not to say there is profanity or sexual situations, for there are not. Most of the dialog might go over their young little heads. But if this were to be made into a movie, and it certainly should. Oh it's that good! I believe all the action, and fun creature like characters would delight and entertain children of all ages, while their parents enjoyed the banter. Now, movie aside, this was a fun, delightfully fun book. Despite the title, there wasn't any blood and gore. I'm not a fan of Vampires. I'm prone to nightmares, so was rather leery of the whole "blood" thing. But thanks to the other reviews, I took a chance and am so happy I did. This is a wonderful book. Wilkie Martin is very talented indeed, great job Sir! Am looking forward Inspector Hobbes next adventure. Loved, loved your book!!
October 26, 2013
Humorous mystery!
As I read this story of murder, lies and mystery, I also had a few laughs. Very witty and intelligent writing went into this story and the characters.
I love Hobbes!!
He's so cool, full-of-wonder and unique, that I could read tons of books about him and the cases he works to solve. Throw in a dash of fantasy, you can't help but be lured in.
The only downside for me was the amount of words that I had to look up. Made me feel unintelligent at times with me looking up so many definitions. I could have done without so many wondrous words, but on the flip side, I am grateful for lengthening my vocabulary.
Definitely recommending this to mystery fans!
3.5/5
As I read this story of murder, lies and mystery, I also had a few laughs. Very witty and intelligent writing went into this story and the characters.
I love Hobbes!!
He's so cool, full-of-wonder and unique, that I could read tons of books about him and the cases he works to solve. Throw in a dash of fantasy, you can't help but be lured in.
The only downside for me was the amount of words that I had to look up. Made me feel unintelligent at times with me looking up so many definitions. I could have done without so many wondrous words, but on the flip side, I am grateful for lengthening my vocabulary.
Definitely recommending this to mystery fans!
3.5/5
December 1, 2016
While this sounded like it would be exactly my kind of thing (magical crime with humour, like Peter Grant, is one of my favourite genres), I sadly didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. It's too wordy, and the jokes too self-conscious. Moreover, the only female characters are the housekeeper (whose role is mostly to feed them), plus the focus of Andy's entirely misplaced affection (she doesn't feel the same and he's a dudebro about it for most of the book), and one other character (spoilers). It's just... I don't know, kind of frustrating. I felt the whole book came close to being enjoyable, but slid past without hitting the target, which was rather a disappointment.
September 24, 2013
Thank goodness it's over. It's an interesting premise, and no doubt the author writes well - but personally, I couldn't hack his style. It drove me completely crazy. I also couldn't relate to the anti-hero protagonist. I'm sure others will enjoy this novel far more than I did - hence the prizes it's won.
December 5, 2017
My original Inspector Hobbes and the Blood audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Andy Caplet is a struggling reporter who is socially awkward and easily frightened. Only because the normal reporter for the crime beat was injured by being thrown from a speeding car (implied that he had been gambling or a mafia encounter …) Andy is given the assignment to work with Inspector Hobbes. From that moment onward, Andy is caught in a whirlwind of mystery and intrigue. Of course, it does not help that Andy’s imagination runs away with him – he’s seeing trolls, ghouls, witches, and vampires at every turn. Then again, considering he finds himself in a freshly dug grave conversing with two ghouls and the inspector enjoys raw meat and bones, and then there is the housekeeper that collects teeth … perhaps his imagination is NOT running wild… and it seems that perhaps Inspector Hobbes has a secret of some sort.
They have to work together to solve the mysteries and unusual circumstances surrounding the robberies and a murder that are occurring throughout the town.
Wilkie Martin writes a clever crime mystery with comedy and a good deal of fantasy mixed in. One cannot help but laugh out loud at some of the antics Andy finds himself in! This is the perfect pair of crime solvers and partners in law! One cannot help but be charmed by the story and the characters.
Martin develops his characters fully, with a depth that enables the listeners to connect with them. Martin is also vivid in his descriptions placing the listener into the book.
Tim Campbell, the narrator, was equally awesome in his talented reading. Campbell became immersed in the book to the point that it was difficult to tell where he left off and the characters began. His ability to give the appropriate voice and personality to the characters was spot on; I loved hearing how his voice would become squeaky whenever Andy found himself in hot water and how confident Hobbes sounded.
If you enjoy mystery and some fantasy characters, then this is the book for you.
I encountered no audio issues and the production of this audiobook was smooth.
Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.
Andy Caplet is a struggling reporter who is socially awkward and easily frightened. Only because the normal reporter for the crime beat was injured by being thrown from a speeding car (implied that he had been gambling or a mafia encounter …) Andy is given the assignment to work with Inspector Hobbes. From that moment onward, Andy is caught in a whirlwind of mystery and intrigue. Of course, it does not help that Andy’s imagination runs away with him – he’s seeing trolls, ghouls, witches, and vampires at every turn. Then again, considering he finds himself in a freshly dug grave conversing with two ghouls and the inspector enjoys raw meat and bones, and then there is the housekeeper that collects teeth … perhaps his imagination is NOT running wild… and it seems that perhaps Inspector Hobbes has a secret of some sort.
They have to work together to solve the mysteries and unusual circumstances surrounding the robberies and a murder that are occurring throughout the town.
Wilkie Martin writes a clever crime mystery with comedy and a good deal of fantasy mixed in. One cannot help but laugh out loud at some of the antics Andy finds himself in! This is the perfect pair of crime solvers and partners in law! One cannot help but be charmed by the story and the characters.
Martin develops his characters fully, with a depth that enables the listeners to connect with them. Martin is also vivid in his descriptions placing the listener into the book.
Tim Campbell, the narrator, was equally awesome in his talented reading. Campbell became immersed in the book to the point that it was difficult to tell where he left off and the characters began. His ability to give the appropriate voice and personality to the characters was spot on; I loved hearing how his voice would become squeaky whenever Andy found himself in hot water and how confident Hobbes sounded.
If you enjoy mystery and some fantasy characters, then this is the book for you.
I encountered no audio issues and the production of this audiobook was smooth.
Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.
April 15, 2019
Inspector Hobbes and the Blood is a very entertaining book. The book revolves around the main character Andy, who is a journalist. At the start of the story, Andy is a bit self-centred and a coward. Then he is sent to do a story on Inspector Hobbes, a police detective who is a bit odd and has a reputation. Hilarity ensues as Andy tags along on the Inspector's latest case. All manner of things happen to Andy and his inner dialogue is very funny.
Inspector Hobbes and his housekeeper, Mrs Goodfellow are great characters and all three of these characters bounced off each other in a comical manner.
When catastrophe makes Andy homeless, he moves in with Hobbes as he has nowhere else to go. As the story progresses, his character develops and becomes much more likeable.
The book is a mixture of humour, paranormal and mystery and it all works together to make a great story. I also think the narrator did a fantastic job with the story and characters. The voices suited each person very well.
I am looking forward to listening to the second audiobook in this series.
Inspector Hobbes and his housekeeper, Mrs Goodfellow are great characters and all three of these characters bounced off each other in a comical manner.
When catastrophe makes Andy homeless, he moves in with Hobbes as he has nowhere else to go. As the story progresses, his character develops and becomes much more likeable.
The book is a mixture of humour, paranormal and mystery and it all works together to make a great story. I also think the narrator did a fantastic job with the story and characters. The voices suited each person very well.
I am looking forward to listening to the second audiobook in this series.
August 18, 2017
I really wanted to like this - it was recommended based on my adoration of the Peter Grant books, as another series about English cops of the supernatural (is this a whole sub-genre now?) - but I just did not. It wasn't particularly funny or clever, and while the titular Inspector Hobbes was a decent character, the narrator/protagonist was SO INCREDIBLY ANNOYING. I think you're supposed to sympathize and identify with him because he's such an unmitigated bumbling loser, but I for one just wanted to smack him. Sometimes having your main character be a bozo doesn't make him Everyman, it just makes him a bozo.
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November 23, 2020While this book sounded like it would be right up my alley, i just couldn't get through it. While the gags are there, the story just never really begins. I also found the author's writing style painful to read. Sentences ran on and on, wild and free with only a minefield of commas to get in the words' way.
November 1, 2021
Brilliant, funny and fabulously well characterised. An absolute joy!
October 9, 2018
Just the right mix of humor and mystery. My mother and I took this series on audiobook with us driving through three states to a wedding and I don’t think we could have asked for more. It was light and different, keeping us laughing, but still offering a good story so we never got bored.
March 13, 2025
Yeah.. weird book
April 30, 2018
3.5 stars.
Cute. I didn't find it really laugh out loud funny (except the driving parts) but it was overall very enjoyable.
Cute. I didn't find it really laugh out loud funny (except the driving parts) but it was overall very enjoyable.
June 29, 2019
A most enjoyable dark mystery read.
The first book in Wilkie Martin’s ‘Inspector Hobbes’ mystery series, this is a highly original contribution to the genre. It is at different times suspenseful, macabre, darkly humorous, and quirky, while maintaining a well-developed and interesting mystery storyline.
The cast of characters is delightful, made up of mismatched and very different personalities that one might not expect to get along with one another at all, and yet they are oddly complementary. In that sense, there is much in this book that challenges the ways in which people often perceive others based on looks, occupation or social status. Inspector Hobbes is an enigma: beneath the intimidating exterior and generally gruff presentation lies a good heart and a very literal sense of humour. Still, he is clearly not your everyday local police inspector, and the questions about his past and his otherworldly nature are both puzzling and captivating. That many of these questions remain unanswered is a point of continued intrigue that holds strong appeal for the natural curiosity that is common among readers of mystery novels.
Similarly, Mrs Goodfellow is both kind and terrifying at the same time, providing yet another contrast to Andy, whose trademark quality is his mediocrity: he wants to be ‘more' than he is but never quite manages it. It is his profound sense of disappointment in his unrealised dreams and his helplessness when the events of life conspire against him that make him relatable to readers and have them silently hoping for better things for him. When he falls in with Hobbes and discovers life beyond his less-than-stellar career in journalism, the unlikely friendship between the two provides a frequent source of both amusement and fascination.
The oddities of the characters and the macabre elements of the story add further layers of mystery and curiosity to the story, which is well-developed and proceeds at a good pace. Unlike some other mysteries, there is nothing predictable or formulaic about this book.
This is indeed a most enjoyable dark mystery story.
The first book in Wilkie Martin’s ‘Inspector Hobbes’ mystery series, this is a highly original contribution to the genre. It is at different times suspenseful, macabre, darkly humorous, and quirky, while maintaining a well-developed and interesting mystery storyline.
The cast of characters is delightful, made up of mismatched and very different personalities that one might not expect to get along with one another at all, and yet they are oddly complementary. In that sense, there is much in this book that challenges the ways in which people often perceive others based on looks, occupation or social status. Inspector Hobbes is an enigma: beneath the intimidating exterior and generally gruff presentation lies a good heart and a very literal sense of humour. Still, he is clearly not your everyday local police inspector, and the questions about his past and his otherworldly nature are both puzzling and captivating. That many of these questions remain unanswered is a point of continued intrigue that holds strong appeal for the natural curiosity that is common among readers of mystery novels.
Similarly, Mrs Goodfellow is both kind and terrifying at the same time, providing yet another contrast to Andy, whose trademark quality is his mediocrity: he wants to be ‘more' than he is but never quite manages it. It is his profound sense of disappointment in his unrealised dreams and his helplessness when the events of life conspire against him that make him relatable to readers and have them silently hoping for better things for him. When he falls in with Hobbes and discovers life beyond his less-than-stellar career in journalism, the unlikely friendship between the two provides a frequent source of both amusement and fascination.
The oddities of the characters and the macabre elements of the story add further layers of mystery and curiosity to the story, which is well-developed and proceeds at a good pace. Unlike some other mysteries, there is nothing predictable or formulaic about this book.
This is indeed a most enjoyable dark mystery story.
July 7, 2021
*I have to add one more thing about this, having seen how many people complain about Andy and how insufferable he is. I agree with their assessment, but Andy is on a journey and with the help of Inspector Hobbes he realizes all his character flaws and gets a chance of redeeming himself. Hopefully, this will help you to get past Andy's idiocy until later on in the book where he makes better choices and owns up to his mistakes.
I am so glad that my current readathon led me to re-listen to this book. I love Inspector Hobbes, Andy, and the Lass. This series is honestly so underrated. You have to be able to get on with British humor, but trust me, you won't regret delving into this world.
I am so glad that my current readathon led me to re-listen to this book. I love Inspector Hobbes, Andy, and the Lass. This series is honestly so underrated. You have to be able to get on with British humor, but trust me, you won't regret delving into this world.
February 4, 2018
This book was a bit of a slow starter and you do need to have a little patience when you start, but it does start to pay off as the plot picks up.
The plot is quite silly but fun. Inspector Hobbes is described in ambiguous tones and you will find yourself thinking of him as something other than human and the author plays on this by not defining Hobbes too carefully.
I don't think this will ever be considered as the height of literature, but it is fun and the story - once it warms up - will fly by. I will certainly be reading the others in this series.
The plot is quite silly but fun. Inspector Hobbes is described in ambiguous tones and you will find yourself thinking of him as something other than human and the author plays on this by not defining Hobbes too carefully.
I don't think this will ever be considered as the height of literature, but it is fun and the story - once it warms up - will fly by. I will certainly be reading the others in this series.
July 30, 2018
Sherlock Holmes meets pulp fiction meets supernatural (kindda)
Like Sherlock the perspective of the tales is that of Watson. If Watson was an unlikable wuss that enjoyed lying to himself.
And if Sherlock was a male Mary sue... which I guess he was but here it's more brutish and played up for the comedic effect.
This book is fun but at times the story and dialogue are sacrificed for the sake of a throw away joke or pun which was painfully set up.
Past that however it's a solid light read to pass away the afternoon.
Like Sherlock the perspective of the tales is that of Watson. If Watson was an unlikable wuss that enjoyed lying to himself.
And if Sherlock was a male Mary sue... which I guess he was but here it's more brutish and played up for the comedic effect.
This book is fun but at times the story and dialogue are sacrificed for the sake of a throw away joke or pun which was painfully set up.
Past that however it's a solid light read to pass away the afternoon.
August 5, 2018
Oh. My. Gawd! I so needed this read. So many welcomed and inviting laughs came out of me! That bear story had me on the floor, rolling! This is my kind of humor.
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