Raz Frewer is dead. However, that's the only part of the plan that went right.
The memories of his past life have been wiped out. Who he was. The people he loved. However, one tiny scrap does A compulsion to " do good.'
He has no idea why.
Raz is now a ghost named Painter Mann, trapped in an unnatural realm between living and dead called the InBetween. With this "do good" mantra Painter's only directive, he's now helping other ghosts move on to whatever's next.
That requires finding out the identity of the murder who killed the person he's trying to help. So he gets a job.
Painter Mann is the world's only dead private detective.
He's helping desperate souls, freeing them from the InBetween. He's doing good!
So why is he being hunted by a supernatural serial killer?
Readers of Jim Butcher, Richard Kadrey, Douglas Adams, and Christopher Moore will love this series..
"A totally original and amazing supernatural thriller. Edgy and fast-paced, The InBetween is a hell of an idea. What a great read!" -- Brad Meltzer, New York Times Bestselling Author
What Amazon Readers are
★★★★★ "I'm a fan of Jim Butcher, Dean Koontz, Charlaine Harris, B.C.Johnson. Dick Wybrow deserves to be in that group of my favorites in that genre."
★★★★★ "I was cackling to myself all through this book, and pre-ordered the second. I never do that! Well, I can count on one finger how many times I have actually done it."
★★★★★ "Christopher Moore meets Stephen King."
★★★★★ "It takes a genius (or a madman) to think this stuff up. Believe me, you will love this book."
★★★★★ "One part Ghost story, 2 parts wise cracking detective, add mystery, murder , humor and action!"
★★★★★ "This is the most original story I've read in a long time!"
★★★★★ "Smart and snarky writing, just like I like it."
★★★★★ "Well written, pacey and very entertaining. Like nothing I have read before.
Dick Wybrow is a Canadian author. His novels are mainly set in the US, where he grew up. A former stand-up comedian, Wybrow is a humor writer who crafts thrillers that incorporate elements of suspense, horror, mystery, science fiction and fantasy.
At the age of six, Dick was given his first book by his father. It was Wind in the Willows. Naturally, that put Dick off reading for several years.
After discovering Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the love of reading returned. And with it came the compulsion to get lost worlds like Douglas had created.
Dick lives in Auckland, New Zealand with one wife and two cats.
The InBetween by Dick Wybrow is a humorous thriller that follows Painter Mann, the worlds only dead Private Investigator, as he tries to solve a series of murders and prevent a threat to both the living and the dead, with the help of his ‘Temps’, people who are close to death.
I don’t usually go for the thriller genre but something in the synopsis drew me in and I found myself enjoying this book, a lot.
The main character, Painter, is very likeable and I enjoyed the way his parts were written. The use of the older, supporting characters, in what I felt was a unique way, was fun and the concepts, ideas, and story, although not complex, were well done.
Unfortunately, I did feel that the story was let down in parts when there were multiple characters in conversation as it was sometimes difficult to understand who was saying which lines, which did cause me some confusion. Whilst the plot itself was good throughout it did lack a twist or revealing ending that I was expecting from a novel like this.
However, a sequel has definitely been set up and I would happily read it.
The InBetween Dick Wybrow This is book four in the series although it has different characters, it is related to the other books. It took me most of the book to realize that the main character in the other books is the main character here, but dead and trapped in the inbetween. It's an unpredictable and fascinating world with the most unique characters! I really love Gary! What a hoot! It certainly was never boring! I have the next book so I will start that soon!
I'm tired of forcing myself to read this. The premise was interesting but as always, my problem is with the execution. The first 100 pages were soooo boring and cringey that I almost dropped it, but stubborn as I am, I waited. But no more, I'm hating every moment I force myself to read this.
I really hate it when authors write their books as if I'm watching a movie. Like why? I want to read it, not be shown a movie in text.
What I hate even more is when they try to make it quirky or funny. This writing style was like watching the Naked Gun but less funny. Waaay less funny. Telling the same unfunny joke in different words after each other will never make it funny, ever.
The writing style didn't help either because it kept jumping with the POV, sometimes it goes 1st to 2nd in the same paragraphs. As I mentioned, writing the book as if I'm watching a movie. There are some moments when the 3rd POVs were mashed in consecutive paragraphs, I got so lost I stopped caring who's thinking and doing what.
So much over explanation about extra stuff without ever getting to the point. Too many unnecessary details. 80% of what I read is just explanation of how the room looked whenever the characters entered one or the place they were in. So much cringey slangs and shortened words too.
I'm giving it 1.5 stars because it seemed that it was getting better since the characters were getting less cringey but I'm honestly tired of reading the same routine of descriptions. The mystery of the Ghost Mob was interesting but the murderer was already revealed 100 pages in and it's so simple to solve the whole thing but the author just wanted to make more drama and lengthen the whole book.
Overall, I refuse to force myself any longer and this will be the first book I ever DNF ever since I started reading seriously and writing reviews.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.
I’ve never read this author before, but the blurb sounded intriguing so I went for it. After a little bit of a slow and slightly confusing beginning, I settled in to enjoy the ride. This book was a very interesting concept with Painter being the only ghost PI, and he helps other ghosts who have been murdered move on to the next phase of ghosthood. I found the plot interesting, and I really liked the villain. I did, however, at times felt a little removed from the characters and the plot. After a bit when it happened (or I reread a little), it did get better. I also admit that at times I felt Painter looked down on his clients a little too much. He should sympathize knowing his own history (of course!). However, I did like this book and am looking forward to reading more in this unique world. Recommend this book, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
The InBetween is the first book in a new series by Dick Wybrow. Released 1st July 2019, it's 527 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I loved the cover and the blurb drew me in. I enjoy about 90% of murder mysteries which range from series with a deep dark semi-horror element with a paranormal twist to the sort of cat-library-knitting cozy mysteries which have pink covers, punning titles, and a recipe for 'Aunt Jenny's strawberry tart' in the back. This book falls far to the horror/paranormal-with-violence end of the spectrum. There are no recipes. That being said, Mr. Wybrow writes very capably.
There is a lot of sarcastic humor here. It will definitely appeal to devotees of Butcher, Hearne, Kadrey and others in that vein. Readers should be aware that this the protagonist is a private investigator whose purpose is to help victims of violent death move on to 'The Next' stage from the 'InBetween'. As such, his clientele is made up of people who died violently. There's quite a lot of graphic violence in this book. The language is rough, as expected.
The plotting and pacing are slow to develop and revealed slowly over several hundred pages to a crashing and satisfying denouement which left open the possibility for future stories and left me wanting more. The characters are three dimensional and stay true to their internal motivations; I never found myself scratching my head and saying "Wait, what"?! The dialogue is well written, if absolutely drowned in sarcasm. The author has a tendency to go for the cheap laugh. (Like Kadrey, Hearne, Butcher, Elliott James, et al.).
Well done. A long and fun read. I'm quite looking forward to the next installments.
Four and a half stars for fans of the genre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
I enjoyed this book immensely - it is well written, pacy and very entertaining. He's sworn to help the murder victims stuck in The InBetween by revealing their killers so they can move on Painter Mann, the best P.I in the InBetween, goes around looking for clients who need his help.The telling of separate stories, that would later become linked together, was a good idea.
This book is very unusual novel. That being said, I enjoyed it and yet at the same time I didn't.
Painter Mann is is in a unique position. As the only dead (yes, dead), private investigator (that he knows of anyway), he claims the title of being the “world's best private investigator.” It is his place in life – or rather death – to investigate persons' murders and uncover the perpetrator so that the murdered person may move on.
In this book the reader meets several of Painter's clients. Here the book gets graphic regarding some of the killings. I was a little uncomfortable with these descriptions.
This book is fairly well written and plotted. I say that because while the book is written in linear fashion, I got a little lost and confused at times. The story seemed disjointed in places and I would have to go back and re-read some passages. I really enjoyed Painter's understated and humorous observations. I didn't enjoy his smart-alecky comments/observations about new/prospective clients. So I liked him and I didn't.
I want to thank NetGalley and Dee Dub Publishing/IBPA Members' Titles for forwarding to me a copy of this interesting book for me to read, enjoy and review.
I enjoyed this book immensely - it is well written, pacy and very entertaining. Nothing like anything I have read before, the premise is that if you die violently, your spirit stays 'in between' worlds until the cosmic scales are righted and your murderer is brought to justice. Painter Mann is there to help as many spirits as possible to achieve this and move on, by discovering who has murdered them. He uses his team of 'Temps', people with terminal illness who can see ghosts, to achieve this.
The characters are entertaining and likeable (apart from the evil ones, of course). When a serial 'killer' appears to be stalking both living and dead, Painter's world changes forever as he battles to overcome events even he cannot believe at first.
A very good book, and I shall be looking out for more in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dee Dub Publishing for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I actually enjoyed this little supernatural murder mystery book that should be the first in a series of like stories. It begins with a man named Painter that is a private investigator, the best, because he's dead, a ghost, suck in limbo and oh, the only one he knows of, so, then that makes him the worst too. he has decided to take on the job of getting it out to the material world who caused the demise of wayward ghost so they can go on to the next plane of their existence, for whatever that means because he doesn't know. utilizing live people that can see or hear him, mostl real close to the veil of death to do so, he will tell them the name of vic and murderer thus sending said victim on. He is now stuck into the case of his life or death oor afterlife however you wish to look at it] to solve a string of serial killer customers and maybe even himself so someone else can take up the mantle and thankless job.
Painter Mann, the best (and only) dead private investigator, solves the murders of people that are stuck in the ‘in between’ that exists after life, but before The actual afterlife, so that they can move on. I liked the concept for this book and enjoyed the moments of dark humour within the story telling. The telling of separate stories, that would later become linked together, was a good idea. But I did feel that at times it was a little too disconnected and I found myself having to read sections again to work out which story the author had jumped back to. Aside from a few grammatical errors and the use of ‘you’re’ rather than ‘your’ on the page 77% through, I overall enjoyed the book and the characters. The end leaves you primed for the next book and I look forward to reading it. #TheInbetween #NetGalley
Painter Mann, the best P.I in the InBetween, goes around looking for clients who need his help. With the help of newly-dead reporter Brenda, he's about to solve the biggest case of her career. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I could easily relate to Painter's scattered thinking. I only felt the ending came quite suddenly, although it opens the door for the next story in the series. Although there were some errors that need correcting, I liked this book and I will certainly be reading the ones that follow. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book.
A unique story line...really unique. Dick Wybrow has written a very entertaining book about how murder victims could be stuck in a middle plain...Inbetween… until their murders are solved. It almost makes a scary kind of sense the way he has written it. He built and populated Inbetween with a community of victims and one investigative soul who loves his job, even if he did have to get murdered to get it. It was a very refreshing take on a murder mystery and I enjoyed every page.
I loved this book. What a interesting and inventive take on being a ghost. I love how Painter takes on the cases to help the other ghosts find their closure. I hope there is a sequel. #TheInBetween #NetGalley
Series starts blasts off like a rocket from the crypt
It's always refreshing to come across a story with a supernatural theme when the characters with even the greatest powers don't come across as superheroes. If fact, the ghosts in Wybrow's tale are hindered by their spectral conditions & are often forced to find clever workarounds to interact with the living AND dead world's that they occupy simultaneously. This is the first in a series and the world building is solid, filled with likeable and loathsome characters. The "rules" of The InBetween are well explained and only add to the richness of the world. The dialogue is snappy and fun without devolving into Stephanie Plum by way of Harry Dresden. If you've ever read anything by Jeff Strand who knows how to walk the tightrope of the humorous and harrowing- it's kinda like that. The action sequences are about as well written as some of the fights in R.A. Salvatore novels...if Drizzt was a total spaz. I think I'll stop here. I'm going to put APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION on real loud, on repeat...for Gary.
What a great start to a series. Painter Mann is the greatest private detective in the In Between. At least he thinks so because he is the only private detective there. The In Between is where the souls of people who died a violent death go. Painter attempts to identify their killer and expose them. Once that happens, the soul passes on. Someone has discovered a way to combine a living person with a very bad soul. Painter's travels trying to end this nightmare is the gist of the book. There is a lot of humor and excitement.
I have enjoyed the series immensely. This one came as a bit of a surprise as it is quite different from the previous three. The humor is still there but the world in which the stories are set has revealed itself to be exponentially larger than the first three indicated. I was left with more questions than answers but happy to have them as it just makes the series that much more interesting.
This had a different plot than most books I read. I don't often read books considered supernatural thrillers, but this had an interesting plot, and I enjoyed how integral and important humans nearing death played. Unfortunately, it's not a book I could unconditionally recommend and I'm not sure I will continue with the series.
This is the most original story I've read in a long time! It has adventure, a bit of horror (there are some things even ghosts are afraid of) and a lot of fun. I enjoyed every minute of it!
I thought this book would be good based on some of the reviews. The storyline seemed interesting but the book seemed to drag on. Almost too much detail which basically made it hard for me to read.
Another in this series that doesn't disappoint. As unbelievable as the storyline is it just sucks you in and makes you believe this can really happen. Thoroughly enjoyed reading and looking forward to the next.😁
The plot was pretty original and the writing done well, with character development a central point. Overall a must read for fans of the supernatural genre.
On one side the storyline is good. On the other it feels like the author took all hid ideas and threw them into one story. Too many sides lines to think through.
Well written, original, and full of great characters. What's not to like? A very different take on the afterlife that also gives a nod to detective noir.