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Hobson & Choi #1
The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf
"If we get 400 followers, John Hobson will solve that nasty wolf-murder case for free! Fight the thing himself if he has to! #HobsonVsWolf!"
Angelina Choi was only trying to drum up some Twitter followers and make a good impression on her first day interning at John Hobson's one-man detective agency.
But the campaign went viral and now they have a murder to solve, no money coming in, and an unwilling Hobson faced with battling some enormous beast.
With both follower and body counts rising, can they crack the case without offending everyone or being eaten by a huge dog?
The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf is the first case starring Hobson & Choi, a bickering, mismatched detective duo for 21st century London. This book collects the debut storyline of the hit darkly comic crime web serial, extensively rewritten and improved for this definitive edition.
Also included: book-exclusive bonus story The Left Hand Is Always Right, grim tale from a dark corner of Hobson & Choi's London - The Left Hand, budget pub of crime.
Angelina Choi was only trying to drum up some Twitter followers and make a good impression on her first day interning at John Hobson's one-man detective agency.
But the campaign went viral and now they have a murder to solve, no money coming in, and an unwilling Hobson faced with battling some enormous beast.
With both follower and body counts rising, can they crack the case without offending everyone or being eaten by a huge dog?
The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf is the first case starring Hobson & Choi, a bickering, mismatched detective duo for 21st century London. This book collects the debut storyline of the hit darkly comic crime web serial, extensively rewritten and improved for this definitive edition.
Also included: book-exclusive bonus story The Left Hand Is Always Right, grim tale from a dark corner of Hobson & Choi's London - The Left Hand, budget pub of crime.
215 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2014
59 people are currently reading
386 people want to read
About the author
Nick Bryan
13 books21 followersNick Bryan is a London-based writer of genre fiction, usually with some blackly comic twist. As well as the ongoing self-published detective saga Hobson & Choi, he is also working on a novel about the real implications of deals with the devil and has stories in several anthologies.
He can primarily be found on his own website at Nick Bryan Dot Com and on Twitter as @NickMB, both of which are updated with perfect and reasonable regularity.
When not reading or writing books, Nick Bryan enjoys racquet sports, comics and a nice white beer.
He can primarily be found on his own website at Nick Bryan Dot Com and on Twitter as @NickMB, both of which are updated with perfect and reasonable regularity.
When not reading or writing books, Nick Bryan enjoys racquet sports, comics and a nice white beer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 7, 2015
Surprisingly good!
I was quite looking forward to reading this because of the unique storyline; a combination of private detective and modern-day social media marketing, but I approached the book with no small amount of trepidation, mainly because of some of the review comments, ‘Packed full of wit,’ ‘Dark humour,’ ‘Darkly funny’ and so on.
I scribble a bit myself; I’m a humorist and raconteur, and because of that people are always getting in touch saying, “Your stories are hilarious. We have the same sense of humour. Why don’t you read some of my stories? I’m sure you’ll love them.” So because of this, the descriptive reviews such as “Packed full of wit” and “Dark humour” were a little off-putting, and I couldn’t help thinking, “Here we go again.”
Well, let me tell you that I absolutely loved this book and I am smitten – is that a bit of a girly word? I quite like it all the same – I was smitten by the writing style of Nick Bryan. I loved Hobson and Choi! What a combination! Hobson with his acerbic aphorisms and innocent Choi, who just wants to be everyone’s friend. Hobson is coarse, blunt and on target. 16-year-old Choi is unblemished by the world and far too audacious for her own good.
Hobson’s answer to most situations is to punch people in the nose, or at least to threaten to. Choi’s answer is to give them a little awkward wave. “It was the kind of twee hand-flutter Hobson hated, but it seemed to strike a chord with these bastards …..”
Choi is on work experience, by the way, and Hobson takes on the role of guardian with no small measure of earnestness whilst marching her through some of London’s seediest pubs – “You’re under the legal drinking age, so you’ll fit in better than me” – and when questioning potential murderers. Add to the mix Ellie, Hobson’s ex-wife and the police detective charged with solving the murders and you have a recipe for …. Well, a recipe for a bloody good read.
And something else I liked about this story. It flows. There’s no stops and starts like you find in some books. The pace is rapid, yet you really don’t know until the end just who exactly the murderer is.
I will absolutely recommend this book. Well done to Nick Bryan for creating two such likeable protagonists. And the short extra story at the end – which has absolutely nothing (or very little) to do with the main story – leads me to believe that this fellow can really write.
A top read!
I was quite looking forward to reading this because of the unique storyline; a combination of private detective and modern-day social media marketing, but I approached the book with no small amount of trepidation, mainly because of some of the review comments, ‘Packed full of wit,’ ‘Dark humour,’ ‘Darkly funny’ and so on.
I scribble a bit myself; I’m a humorist and raconteur, and because of that people are always getting in touch saying, “Your stories are hilarious. We have the same sense of humour. Why don’t you read some of my stories? I’m sure you’ll love them.” So because of this, the descriptive reviews such as “Packed full of wit” and “Dark humour” were a little off-putting, and I couldn’t help thinking, “Here we go again.”
Well, let me tell you that I absolutely loved this book and I am smitten – is that a bit of a girly word? I quite like it all the same – I was smitten by the writing style of Nick Bryan. I loved Hobson and Choi! What a combination! Hobson with his acerbic aphorisms and innocent Choi, who just wants to be everyone’s friend. Hobson is coarse, blunt and on target. 16-year-old Choi is unblemished by the world and far too audacious for her own good.
Hobson’s answer to most situations is to punch people in the nose, or at least to threaten to. Choi’s answer is to give them a little awkward wave. “It was the kind of twee hand-flutter Hobson hated, but it seemed to strike a chord with these bastards …..”
Choi is on work experience, by the way, and Hobson takes on the role of guardian with no small measure of earnestness whilst marching her through some of London’s seediest pubs – “You’re under the legal drinking age, so you’ll fit in better than me” – and when questioning potential murderers. Add to the mix Ellie, Hobson’s ex-wife and the police detective charged with solving the murders and you have a recipe for …. Well, a recipe for a bloody good read.
And something else I liked about this story. It flows. There’s no stops and starts like you find in some books. The pace is rapid, yet you really don’t know until the end just who exactly the murderer is.
I will absolutely recommend this book. Well done to Nick Bryan for creating two such likeable protagonists. And the short extra story at the end – which has absolutely nothing (or very little) to do with the main story – leads me to believe that this fellow can really write.
A top read!
November 20, 2015
4.5 stars
Well I really enjoyed that!! The humour, sweariness, everything was exactly how I like it!
A mystery with a massive bloke, a tiny teenage girl and blood. Does everyone really have a Twitter account!?
I enjoyed the bonus story too and the return of Micro. Sure I know some guys like him.
The reason it isn't 5 stars is simply because it wasn't longer, I wanted more of Hobson and Choi and I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for the next book.
Well I really enjoyed that!! The humour, sweariness, everything was exactly how I like it!
A mystery with a massive bloke, a tiny teenage girl and blood. Does everyone really have a Twitter account!?
I enjoyed the bonus story too and the return of Micro. Sure I know some guys like him.
The reason it isn't 5 stars is simply because it wasn't longer, I wanted more of Hobson and Choi and I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for the next book.
November 10, 2015
Private Investigator, John Hobson, wonders what he has let himself in for when his work experience/intern, Angelina Choi, tweets he'll solve a case for free if he gets over 400 followers - using the hashtag #HobsonvsWolf.
Choi's idea seemed a good idea at the time she created Hobson's Twitter account, but he soon points out the consequences of her social media exploits. Hobson agrees to investigate, partially to annoy his ex-wife who works in the local police force and because the case intrigues him.
This book is a murder mystery with a sense of humour. I really like Hobson's character and sarcastic wit. He gradually involves Choi in the investigation and although quite naive about some aspects of the case, she becomes more determined to be useful. They both annoy each other but seem to work well together.
This book is genuinely funny. Hobson had my sympathies many times through the story because of the situations 'social twitter internet media' got him into.
A brilliant black comedy that's a first in a series. I'll be reading Hobson's next case.
Choi's idea seemed a good idea at the time she created Hobson's Twitter account, but he soon points out the consequences of her social media exploits. Hobson agrees to investigate, partially to annoy his ex-wife who works in the local police force and because the case intrigues him.
This book is a murder mystery with a sense of humour. I really like Hobson's character and sarcastic wit. He gradually involves Choi in the investigation and although quite naive about some aspects of the case, she becomes more determined to be useful. They both annoy each other but seem to work well together.
This book is genuinely funny. Hobson had my sympathies many times through the story because of the situations 'social twitter internet media' got him into.
A brilliant black comedy that's a first in a series. I'll be reading Hobson's next case.
November 2, 2015
This is a book I shouldn't have liked. I bought it due to the great cover (designed by DesignforWriters who also created the covers for my books) and because the premise sounded interesting. However, after the first few pages I realised it was, while not exactly a cozy mystery, something along those lines, and I usually don't get along with this type of story.
But something strange happened. I read the book in two days, really enjoyed it and I'm not sure why.
The tone of the writing is YA but the subject matter (and the swearing) is a lot more adult, there were times when Choi came out with things that didn't ring true for a girl of her age, and the suspects had a distinct lack of empathy for the victims that bordered on the pathological, yet it was engagingly written, funny in places and I enjoyed the world Nick Bryan created.
If you're looking for an easy murder mystery with a modern twist and a unique pairing, I recommend this book.
But something strange happened. I read the book in two days, really enjoyed it and I'm not sure why.
The tone of the writing is YA but the subject matter (and the swearing) is a lot more adult, there were times when Choi came out with things that didn't ring true for a girl of her age, and the suspects had a distinct lack of empathy for the victims that bordered on the pathological, yet it was engagingly written, funny in places and I enjoyed the world Nick Bryan created.
If you're looking for an easy murder mystery with a modern twist and a unique pairing, I recommend this book.
December 18, 2025
dnf @ 22%
June 17, 2018
Main story:
The books started interesting and got me curious about the unusual main character combination (Hobbs a 30-something male detective and Choi a 16 year old female intern) told from the perspective of the girl. In the beginning I liked the combination of those two so very different 'cultures' but the story was taken over by Hobbs, which didn't really make sense to me since it was told from one point of view.
Another factor I really liked in this mystery was the inclusion of social media into the plot and their impact on our lives - tough I was hoping it will have a greater impact on the plot.
I struggled from the very beginning with the British English and realised most of the English books I read so far were written by American authors and so I'm used much more to this language. Another big issue for me was the extent of cussing in this book. From the description it appeared to me it's a YA-mystery series and so the constant swearing (mostly) by Hobbs isn't acceptable to me. The plot was so confusing and contained too many irrelevant or unfinished parts I started to think about abandoning the book. Since it was rather short (the actual story is about 170 pages) I struggled through it.
Bonus short story: The Left Hand Is Always Right - dnf at about 50% (of 30 pages)
I'm not sure if I'm just to old and not open enough to this kind of books of if objectively it wasn't the very best one but don't plan to read anything by this author - it's not my cup of tea.
The books started interesting and got me curious about the unusual main character combination (Hobbs a 30-something male detective and Choi a 16 year old female intern) told from the perspective of the girl. In the beginning I liked the combination of those two so very different 'cultures' but the story was taken over by Hobbs, which didn't really make sense to me since it was told from one point of view.
Another factor I really liked in this mystery was the inclusion of social media into the plot and their impact on our lives - tough I was hoping it will have a greater impact on the plot.
I struggled from the very beginning with the British English and realised most of the English books I read so far were written by American authors and so I'm used much more to this language. Another big issue for me was the extent of cussing in this book. From the description it appeared to me it's a YA-mystery series and so the constant swearing (mostly) by Hobbs isn't acceptable to me. The plot was so confusing and contained too many irrelevant or unfinished parts I started to think about abandoning the book. Since it was rather short (the actual story is about 170 pages) I struggled through it.
Bonus short story: The Left Hand Is Always Right - dnf at about 50% (of 30 pages)
I'm not sure if I'm just to old and not open enough to this kind of books of if objectively it wasn't the very best one but don't plan to read anything by this author - it's not my cup of tea.
April 3, 2017
I downloaded this when it was free on Kindle, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!
This was a fast paced, short mystery. I have been on a mystery/suspense kick, and this book fit that bill. It also has Hobson and Choi, two unlikely people working the case together. Hobson is a detective who owns his own agency, and Choi is a 16-year-old trying to get some on-the-job experience. While Hobson is a huge, intimidating middle-aged man, Asian teenage Choi is petite and looks like she's much younger than she is. The team is unlikely but it works. The characters also have some nice banter between them, which often made me laugh and added something nice to the book.
There are more in this series, and I think it'd be worth reading them. This was a quick, easy read that kept me turning pages and made me laugh out loud a few times. Definitely recommend!
This was a fast paced, short mystery. I have been on a mystery/suspense kick, and this book fit that bill. It also has Hobson and Choi, two unlikely people working the case together. Hobson is a detective who owns his own agency, and Choi is a 16-year-old trying to get some on-the-job experience. While Hobson is a huge, intimidating middle-aged man, Asian teenage Choi is petite and looks like she's much younger than she is. The team is unlikely but it works. The characters also have some nice banter between them, which often made me laugh and added something nice to the book.
There are more in this series, and I think it'd be worth reading them. This was a quick, easy read that kept me turning pages and made me laugh out loud a few times. Definitely recommend!
April 15, 2020
Well, okay. That was an unexpected delight. An easy-going fun read about a big tough private investigator who is trying to not be violent and his sixteen-year-old Asian intern. Together they try to solve a particularly bloody murder as a way of getting a twitter following. Good fun and a quick read.
I will lookout for the next one. Thank you Nick Bryan.
Very recommended.
I will lookout for the next one. Thank you Nick Bryan.
Very recommended.
July 20, 2016
This comedy crime caper with its absurd premise started well, but lost a lot of my affection over the course of the case as I stopped being able to suspend my disbelief in any of the characters and started to feel it played for laughs in the wrong ways. That said, I liked Angelina Choi enough to be mildly curious about how the series develop.
Full review
Full review
May 9, 2020
Whimsical story about a 16-year-old girl who joins a one-man detective agency in London as an unpaid intern and ends up solving a series of bloody murders involving a rabid hound.
Hobson, the divorced and disillusioned middle-aged detective, and Choi, the tech-savvy teenager, are an unlikely yet intriguing pair. The concept works well and makes for an interesting and humorous premise with heaps of potential.
Unfortunately, the author aims for laughs a bit too hard, and what the plot lacks in twist and motive is made up for with garish details. Didn't help that the Kindle version contained typos and was poorly edited (e.g. 'complimented' instead of 'complemented'). While I gave the complimentary short story a miss, I am open to seeing how both the series and writer develop.
Hobson, the divorced and disillusioned middle-aged detective, and Choi, the tech-savvy teenager, are an unlikely yet intriguing pair. The concept works well and makes for an interesting and humorous premise with heaps of potential.
Unfortunately, the author aims for laughs a bit too hard, and what the plot lacks in twist and motive is made up for with garish details. Didn't help that the Kindle version contained typos and was poorly edited (e.g. 'complimented' instead of 'complemented'). While I gave the complimentary short story a miss, I am open to seeing how both the series and writer develop.
August 7, 2017
This took me a while to get into (I had to read the start a few times to get it straight in my head - I blame nightshifts) but I ended up really loving this. The dynamic between Hobson and Choi is great and the mystery is good too. My only complaint was that it was over too soon - so the short story in the back was a total bonus. This is fairly gritty, but with enough of a sense of humour that I didn't find it too much for me. I'm definitely going to be looking out for more in the series.
October 26, 2018
Bryan writes with great wit about the seedier side of London, and I laughed out loud more than once. New girl Choi manages to trap her boss into a bizarre challenge on the first day of work... To have a male detective and a younger female sidekick may not strike people as enormously original. (However, this, the first book in the series, was written before 'Robert Galbraith' hit the bookshops.) Well worth the time.
April 18, 2022
30 something detective John Hobson & 16 year old work experience student Angelina Choi fall headlong into a serial murder case involving a "wolf". Angelina is initially brought in to give Hobson an online presence, but they win the case after a tweet goes viral
As the body count grows, can they solve the case before they fall victim?
Not much detecting in this, but certainly a lot of action and gore.
As the body count grows, can they solve the case before they fall victim?
Not much detecting in this, but certainly a lot of action and gore.
February 16, 2021
Liked the title and it was a cheap ebook. Too much cursing. Angelina has a hidden agenda.
June 25, 2023
The bits about social media were forgettable. The actual plot is not bad.
started-but-haven-t-finished
November 28, 2023DNF
June 27, 2020
I read this book as part of a reading challenge and, whilst the book description appealed to me, I was disappointed with the book. If it hadn’t been for all of the swearing (and that’s not a criticism, swearing in books does not bother me), I would have thought it was a YA novel because I found the writing style to be quite childish. It was numerous in parts, but the humour felt a bit juvenile.
It could be seen as a YA version of Robert Galbraith’s Cormorant series - grizzled PI and a new assistant, and this was a good premise. However, I found it to be a disappointment.
It could be seen as a YA version of Robert Galbraith’s Cormorant series - grizzled PI and a new assistant, and this was a good premise. However, I found it to be a disappointment.
October 31, 2015
This review was original posted on www.talesofyesterday.co.uk
Wow! I LOVED this book with a capital L! The girl who tweeted wolf is a fab introduction to the world of Hobson and Choi! I literally could not put this down. A great mix of adult crime, but with a crossover appeal to YA...just perfect.
The story is told from alternating perspectives by Hobson, the presentable clean shaven punctual detective with a slightly unpredictable fiery side and Choi, 16 year old intern on work experience for two weeks. On her first day of work experience in an office the size of a rich mans cupboard Hobson asks Choi to set up a twitter account for his detective business and get him followers. What Hobson doesn't bank on is Choi's imagination and marketing skills quickly gaining followers by marketing Hobson as a detective who will solve the current Wolf murders for free if he gets 400 followers and quickly establishing a twitter trend of #hobsonvswolf. With Hobsons followers going through the roof the hunt for the murderer begins!
I loved the characters in this book so much. The determination and willingness yet slightly frightened Choi. The head strong, twitter hating Hobson who loves a good old munch on a Subway (yummy) and once hit someone off a bike so that the bike kept going and knocked over a suspect. Some dead bodies and a brilliant range of suspects including the best suspect name ever an angry character called Violet Vole - love it!
I also loved the relationship between Hobson & Choi. As the book progresses Choi very often puts Hobson in his place although Hobson just ignores the advise and ploughs on anyway! It gives a kind of comic feel to the book and story. The work well together on the page and are both individual. One of my favourite parts of the book is when Choi is gently trying to question a sensitive suspect, but Hobson becomes inpatient and just goes for the jugular and says it as it is without thinking of the consequence. There are some touching scenes between Choi and her "over protective" mother with Choi often saying she won't be in danger d her mother disagreeing.
With murders to solve, subways to eat, a full English breakfast description to put you off greasy spoons for life, new buildings like the Inspiration Gestation Station building to explore and a guilty looking workers on the Social Awesome floor this first instalment in the Hobson and Choi series took me on a twisty turny crime adventure which kept me guessing till the very heart stopping end!
For more book reviews and more please visit www.talesofyesterday.co.uk
Wow! I LOVED this book with a capital L! The girl who tweeted wolf is a fab introduction to the world of Hobson and Choi! I literally could not put this down. A great mix of adult crime, but with a crossover appeal to YA...just perfect.
The story is told from alternating perspectives by Hobson, the presentable clean shaven punctual detective with a slightly unpredictable fiery side and Choi, 16 year old intern on work experience for two weeks. On her first day of work experience in an office the size of a rich mans cupboard Hobson asks Choi to set up a twitter account for his detective business and get him followers. What Hobson doesn't bank on is Choi's imagination and marketing skills quickly gaining followers by marketing Hobson as a detective who will solve the current Wolf murders for free if he gets 400 followers and quickly establishing a twitter trend of #hobsonvswolf. With Hobsons followers going through the roof the hunt for the murderer begins!
I loved the characters in this book so much. The determination and willingness yet slightly frightened Choi. The head strong, twitter hating Hobson who loves a good old munch on a Subway (yummy) and once hit someone off a bike so that the bike kept going and knocked over a suspect. Some dead bodies and a brilliant range of suspects including the best suspect name ever an angry character called Violet Vole - love it!
I also loved the relationship between Hobson & Choi. As the book progresses Choi very often puts Hobson in his place although Hobson just ignores the advise and ploughs on anyway! It gives a kind of comic feel to the book and story. The work well together on the page and are both individual. One of my favourite parts of the book is when Choi is gently trying to question a sensitive suspect, but Hobson becomes inpatient and just goes for the jugular and says it as it is without thinking of the consequence. There are some touching scenes between Choi and her "over protective" mother with Choi often saying she won't be in danger d her mother disagreeing.
With murders to solve, subways to eat, a full English breakfast description to put you off greasy spoons for life, new buildings like the Inspiration Gestation Station building to explore and a guilty looking workers on the Social Awesome floor this first instalment in the Hobson and Choi series took me on a twisty turny crime adventure which kept me guessing till the very heart stopping end!
For more book reviews and more please visit www.talesofyesterday.co.uk
April 4, 2015
16 year old, Angelina Choi is on her first day of a two week internship at Hobson's detective agency. Hobson is unsure what to do with her, so asks Choi to create a twitter account and to get him a few hundred followers.
Choi does a quick bit of reading about social media, and eventually tweets "If We get 400 followers, John Hobson will solve that nasty wolf-murder case for free! Fight the thing himself is he has to! #HobsonVsWolf"
Clearly it was a master stroke of social media management and it doesn't take long for the follower count to rise and when Hobson comes back he is shocked to find that he has to take on this murder case, when previously he had been dealing with missing people.
Despite it being arguable a tasteless piece of marketing Hobson along with Choi set out to solve this case, and solve it before the police can. The murders in question, appear to have been carried out by a wolf, or at least a large rabid animal, so a lot harder to solve than trying to work out motivation.
As Hobson and Choi progress with the case, there are more murders, and it starts to be a really interesting crime story.
Hobson and Choi could not be a more mis-matched pair if you tried. Hobson is older and set in his ways, and unsure about most modern technology. Choi is a teenager, tech savvy and very keen to learn.
The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf is a slightly humorous, very interesting first book in the Hobson & Choi series, and they are a detective team that I would like to know more about. Well paced story from a talented new writer.
There is also a bonus story included at the end featuring a location from The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf, which was an unexpected extra, but gave some useful back story. that I can't help may be useful to know in a future book.
Choi does a quick bit of reading about social media, and eventually tweets "If We get 400 followers, John Hobson will solve that nasty wolf-murder case for free! Fight the thing himself is he has to! #HobsonVsWolf"
Clearly it was a master stroke of social media management and it doesn't take long for the follower count to rise and when Hobson comes back he is shocked to find that he has to take on this murder case, when previously he had been dealing with missing people.
Despite it being arguable a tasteless piece of marketing Hobson along with Choi set out to solve this case, and solve it before the police can. The murders in question, appear to have been carried out by a wolf, or at least a large rabid animal, so a lot harder to solve than trying to work out motivation.
As Hobson and Choi progress with the case, there are more murders, and it starts to be a really interesting crime story.
Hobson and Choi could not be a more mis-matched pair if you tried. Hobson is older and set in his ways, and unsure about most modern technology. Choi is a teenager, tech savvy and very keen to learn.
The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf is a slightly humorous, very interesting first book in the Hobson & Choi series, and they are a detective team that I would like to know more about. Well paced story from a talented new writer.
There is also a bonus story included at the end featuring a location from The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf, which was an unexpected extra, but gave some useful back story. that I can't help may be useful to know in a future book.
January 22, 2015
I loved that the whole story kicked off with Choi doing the brash “I’m not a kid” teenage thing and messing up the twitter account. The social media aspect of this book could so easily have read as gimmicky, but Angelina’s eagerness to prove herself and be taken seriously makes complete sense, and because there are serious consequences to the slightly distasteful murder-solving twitter promises, the reader doesn’t feel cheated.
The mystery plot was well-paced and building up to a tense resolution, but to me, it was definitely the characters that made the story shine. Besides the obvious question of who had a motive for murdering someone with a crazed dog, there were so many interesting tidbits. Between Hobson’s ex-wife, the receptionist Choi likes, Hobson’s unsavoury mob contacts, Choi’s Mum, the other receptionist, etc…, there’s a huge range of nifty side characters, each with the promise of lots of conflict in future books.
Smaller things also pack a big emotional punch, like an argument between Choi and her concerned mother, which kind of made me want to call my Mum and apologised for the times I was a little shit as a teenager. But never mind that.
Nick’s writing is funny, touching and above all, relatable. It’s got a ring of truth to it that keeps the reader hooked throughout. You’ll read this and find yourself cringing with sympathy when Angelina internally berates herself about that thing she can’t believe she just actually said out loud, or sighing along with Hobson’s exasperation at those hipstery trendy kids that work at the Inspiration Gestation Station. No really, that’s what their offices are called.
The mystery plot was well-paced and building up to a tense resolution, but to me, it was definitely the characters that made the story shine. Besides the obvious question of who had a motive for murdering someone with a crazed dog, there were so many interesting tidbits. Between Hobson’s ex-wife, the receptionist Choi likes, Hobson’s unsavoury mob contacts, Choi’s Mum, the other receptionist, etc…, there’s a huge range of nifty side characters, each with the promise of lots of conflict in future books.
Smaller things also pack a big emotional punch, like an argument between Choi and her concerned mother, which kind of made me want to call my Mum and apologised for the times I was a little shit as a teenager. But never mind that.
Nick’s writing is funny, touching and above all, relatable. It’s got a ring of truth to it that keeps the reader hooked throughout. You’ll read this and find yourself cringing with sympathy when Angelina internally berates herself about that thing she can’t believe she just actually said out loud, or sighing along with Hobson’s exasperation at those hipstery trendy kids that work at the Inspiration Gestation Station. No really, that’s what their offices are called.
February 6, 2015
Adult/YA crossover but there's lots of swearing, especially the F word.
If you like your crime solving private eyes with a dash of humor, a lot of cynicism and one of the oddest parings in history then the Hobson & Choi books are definitely for you. John Hobson is a one man detective agency stuck firmly in the 20th century and really doesn't know how he's ended up with a sixteen year old intern for two weeks. It's not like he actually does much... Angelina Choi is is sixteen and wondering how she can use her her internship for Hobson and turn it into something for more permanent. In setting up a Twitter account for technophobe Hobson, she inadvertently gets them caught up in a murder case where the bodies are piling up quickly!
The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf sees the unusual duo solving murders that seem to involve some sort of giant hound. As Choi has just tweeted about Hobson fighting a wolf if their twitter account gets to 400 followers the timing all seems to be a little too handy for their first case together. What follows is the sort of crime caper you don't get to read very often, the story is more about the characters rather than the plot and I absolutely fell in love with them. The case almost takes second place to some of the funniest characters I've read in a long time and we're introduced to a lot of them - Choi's adoptive mother, Hobson's ex-wife who just happens to be a serving police officer and gets them out of more than one scrape, the hipster receptionist Will who Choi takes a shine to, Benny, the Pimp and the staff of the Inspiration Gestation Station (yes, really...)
If you like your crime solving private eyes with a dash of humor, a lot of cynicism and one of the oddest parings in history then the Hobson & Choi books are definitely for you. John Hobson is a one man detective agency stuck firmly in the 20th century and really doesn't know how he's ended up with a sixteen year old intern for two weeks. It's not like he actually does much... Angelina Choi is is sixteen and wondering how she can use her her internship for Hobson and turn it into something for more permanent. In setting up a Twitter account for technophobe Hobson, she inadvertently gets them caught up in a murder case where the bodies are piling up quickly!
The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf sees the unusual duo solving murders that seem to involve some sort of giant hound. As Choi has just tweeted about Hobson fighting a wolf if their twitter account gets to 400 followers the timing all seems to be a little too handy for their first case together. What follows is the sort of crime caper you don't get to read very often, the story is more about the characters rather than the plot and I absolutely fell in love with them. The case almost takes second place to some of the funniest characters I've read in a long time and we're introduced to a lot of them - Choi's adoptive mother, Hobson's ex-wife who just happens to be a serving police officer and gets them out of more than one scrape, the hipster receptionist Will who Choi takes a shine to, Benny, the Pimp and the staff of the Inspiration Gestation Station (yes, really...)
March 12, 2018
There is a lot to like about The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf so I felt compelled to write a review to explain my lower than average star rating, which is mostly to do with sloppy language and bad editing. This would be a far, far better read if an editor was let loose on it to curb some of the odder turns of phrase. As it stands I was constantly being jarred out of the text by its awkwardness. Yes, I understand that Hobson and Choi is self-published and I support self-publishing, but that doesn't excuse the failure to polish the text.
What I liked about it? I loved the overall concept, which is what attracted me to the title. The character of Choi is genuinely interesting and deserves more attention and development. I greatly enjoyed the juxtaposition of her character with Hobson's more world-weary stance, not a new idea in private detective books but well-executed here. Hobson and Choi make an interesting duo and they're one I'm keen to hear more about. The satire on startup culture and Shoreditch idiocy is actually spot on and some of the gags and observations would have been at home on Nathan Barley - I sense Nick B has spent some time among these people himself. It is well-plotted, flows nicely and is overall, a fun read that I don't regret. But I do value overall readability and that's where The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf comes up wanting, particularly when it's an easy problem to fix.
What I liked about it? I loved the overall concept, which is what attracted me to the title. The character of Choi is genuinely interesting and deserves more attention and development. I greatly enjoyed the juxtaposition of her character with Hobson's more world-weary stance, not a new idea in private detective books but well-executed here. Hobson and Choi make an interesting duo and they're one I'm keen to hear more about. The satire on startup culture and Shoreditch idiocy is actually spot on and some of the gags and observations would have been at home on Nathan Barley - I sense Nick B has spent some time among these people himself. It is well-plotted, flows nicely and is overall, a fun read that I don't regret. But I do value overall readability and that's where The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf comes up wanting, particularly when it's an easy problem to fix.
October 11, 2015
I enjoyed this. Tiny 16 year old girl on work experience with giant detective (now there's a good central premise) gets involved with solving what looks like murders committed by a wolf. It takes place (ostensibly) in London, but after a few sentences you know you're in some parallel universe where cause and effect are but loosely connected and behaviour can be surprisingly casual ('Oh! Another blood splattered corpse? Time for lunch but no tomato ketchup'*).
But it's fast paced and funny, sweeping you along with commendable speed. Four stars rather than five 'cause too many characters are introduced so quickly it's difficult to remember who they are, there's an excess of gory descriptions of blood and guts and it runs out of comic chops towards the end.
*My Kobo needs recharging, so I just made that up. It's sort of in the right spirit (I hope)
But it's fast paced and funny, sweeping you along with commendable speed. Four stars rather than five 'cause too many characters are introduced so quickly it's difficult to remember who they are, there's an excess of gory descriptions of blood and guts and it runs out of comic chops towards the end.
*My Kobo needs recharging, so I just made that up. It's sort of in the right spirit (I hope)
December 6, 2015
This is the first book in the Hobson and Choi series, a mismatched pair of detectives who find the weirdest cases.
It all starts when Choi shows up for her internship with Hobson. She's sixteen and her parents aren't exactly happy about her interning with a detective. Hobson figures a kid like Choi knows all about social media and gets her to start a twitter account.
By the time he gets back from a meeting, Choi has offered to solve a case for free, and promised that Hobson will fight a wolf. What's a hardened detective to do? Well, if you are Hobson, you jump in and show Choi what she's signed them up for.
This book has a weird charm about it. If you like British mysteries that aren't dark and broken but still gritty, you'll love this one. I have to say I'm buying the rest of the series and looking forward to reading them.
It all starts when Choi shows up for her internship with Hobson. She's sixteen and her parents aren't exactly happy about her interning with a detective. Hobson figures a kid like Choi knows all about social media and gets her to start a twitter account.
By the time he gets back from a meeting, Choi has offered to solve a case for free, and promised that Hobson will fight a wolf. What's a hardened detective to do? Well, if you are Hobson, you jump in and show Choi what she's signed them up for.
This book has a weird charm about it. If you like British mysteries that aren't dark and broken but still gritty, you'll love this one. I have to say I'm buying the rest of the series and looking forward to reading them.
July 30, 2014
Normally I don't read much in the way of grisly murder mysteries but the premise of an over-eager teenaged intern tweeting her boss onto a pro-bono murder case was too good to pass up. I didn't catch the installments posted in the serialized format, partly because I'm far too impatient to find out what happens next. I'm quite glad I waited because the book is a very fun read (which seems a bit odd to use as an adjective considering the grisly murders, but there you are) and I finished it in one sitting. It was fun trying to solve the case along with the unlikely pair of detectives, and we got just enough of a glimpse of their home lives to make me anxious to read more. Looking forward to picking up the sequel.
July 26, 2014
This book has a great concept (and an amazing cover):
A private investigator's intern "helps" with the company's social media presence -- the PI will solve a high-profile case for free if he gets 400 twitter followers. What follows is a detective story as PI + intern figure out who the serial killer is.
This novel was originally published as a serial, and this reader thinks it probably worked better in that format. Which accounts for a missing star. There were moments while reading that it felt like each chapter was a reset. (Why is this repeated? Wait, where did that murder victim come from?)
Still, it was generally fun. More so if you don't read it in one sitting.
A private investigator's intern "helps" with the company's social media presence -- the PI will solve a high-profile case for free if he gets 400 twitter followers. What follows is a detective story as PI + intern figure out who the serial killer is.
This novel was originally published as a serial, and this reader thinks it probably worked better in that format. Which accounts for a missing star. There were moments while reading that it felt like each chapter was a reset. (Why is this repeated? Wait, where did that murder victim come from?)
Still, it was generally fun. More so if you don't read it in one sitting.
August 16, 2015
Hobson is a curmudgeonly detective with anger management issues in need of an assistant who is tech savvy, but not annoying enough to want to punch.
Choi is a mature and tech savvy high school student in need of an internship that won't bore her to tears.
Together they form an unlikely partnership as they set off to solve an even less likely murder case.
Yet the two characters are likable, believable, and make you care about what happens to them and the mystery they find themselves grappling with.
Hobson and Choi's first case is a gripping read that will have you laughing, tearing up a bit, and unwilling to put it down.
Choi is a mature and tech savvy high school student in need of an internship that won't bore her to tears.
Together they form an unlikely partnership as they set off to solve an even less likely murder case.
Yet the two characters are likable, believable, and make you care about what happens to them and the mystery they find themselves grappling with.
Hobson and Choi's first case is a gripping read that will have you laughing, tearing up a bit, and unwilling to put it down.
April 22, 2016
This is a quirky book. The story of a 16 year old girl who is doing her; work study in detecting, with a PI. He assigns her to create a social media account and get him followers. So she tweets if they get 400 followers he will solve a mystery for free. The case is particularly bizarre as two men have been torn apart by a giant dog / wolf in London.
Angela Choi is clearly in over her head but she keeps on trying. Hobson is rude, bitter and cold. Yet they work well together even though her parents are terrified / horrified by the job she has chosen.
Angela Choi is clearly in over her head but she keeps on trying. Hobson is rude, bitter and cold. Yet they work well together even though her parents are terrified / horrified by the job she has chosen.
August 25, 2014
This was a great premise and a lot of fun to read. Loved the mismatched detective duo and it was done very well avoiding sterotypes and with a lot of affectionate humour. Also feel that the character development was very well done and lays the foundations for the future books to build on. Oh, and that breakfast scene will stay with me for a very long time.
December 20, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, the characters are portrayed brilliantly. I love the switch between voices and they suit both Hobson and Choi's age, gender etc. The story is interesting and comes to a satisfying climax with intense scenes and action. Well written and I can't wait to read the next installment!
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