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Unhuman #4
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.
There’s going to be trouble. Andy Caplet’s wife goes away, someone is out to get him, and he loses nearly everything in a storm. Amazing both himself and his unhuman friend Inspector Hobbes, he heroically rescues flood victims and uncovers something shocking.
Is Andy being set up for blackmail by the apparently charming young woman who attempts to seduce him, or is something even more sinister afoot? Hobbes certainly believes so, and he’s getting worried.
This is the fourth in Wilkie Martin’s unhuman series of cosy comedy crime fantasies.
There’s going to be trouble. Andy Caplet’s wife goes away, someone is out to get him, and he loses nearly everything in a storm. Amazing both himself and his unhuman friend Inspector Hobbes, he heroically rescues flood victims and uncovers something shocking.
Is Andy being set up for blackmail by the apparently charming young woman who attempts to seduce him, or is something even more sinister afoot? Hobbes certainly believes so, and he’s getting worried.
This is the fourth in Wilkie Martin’s unhuman series of cosy comedy crime fantasies.
Audiobook
Published August 1, 2021
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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 137 reviews
February 5, 2021
Oh deary, deary me, I've gone against everything I believe in. The Order of Which One Should Read a Series.
'Call me an ambulance'. 'You're an ambulance'.
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is book 4, and I never start off in the middle of a series, let alone at the end of one. (Although, I'd hope that Wilkie Martin is penning another!)
Anyway, seeing this on NetGalley, (albeit, last year, me bad, sorry NG, I'm on it) I have to own up, it was the cover that inially intrigued me. The artwork was zingy and eye~catching, the blurb sounded like an easy~going, light read, and daft humour tickles me pink if the mood takes, and this is exactly what I fancied this week.
I'm not a Cozy Mysteries kinda girl, and I don't really do Fantasy either, but this is a Cozy Crazy Crime Fantasy Comedy Mystery (CCCFCM for short) which just kept me entertained from start to finish.
It was extremely British, with puns galore, slapstick~style action, and dog characters!! Yes dogs!! Well, there are humans and the.....ummm, unhumans as well. But my favourite characters were definitely Dregs and Mimi. To see an animal relationship blossom is something I've never read about before and it was so lovely. And very funny.
The characters and place names!!! From pubs, to shops and street names, I sighed, whispered 'oh dear' to myself, and quietly smiled with cheesy, guilty pleasure.
One of the two MC's is Andy Caplet. A hapless, clumsy, wally of a man, who's pretty much outta luck all the time it seems. And, of course, Hobbes, a Police Inspector of questionable age and ethics, whose character I'd like to know more about. He has strange abilities and strength. I, for one cannot drink scalding hot tea or break a padlock with my bare hands. Reading book 1 will hopefully give him some background to answer a few of my questions. Who or, what is he?
It was all a bit silly, but the silliness was balanced with a nice little mystery that was cute and clever. Unlike poor Andy.
Every character was superbly written, you do get some funny types in these small English villages, I can tell you. Anyway, I need silly sometimes. There comes a time when reading this stuff suits me just fine.
So, on finishing this, I've learned two things, one, I need to read books 1~3 when my next non~serious urges arrive. And two, crime and dodgy shenanigans can always wait whilst there's a good hearty meal to be had. Who could possibly solve anything on an empty stomach?
Wilkie Martin has my kind of humour, and his style certainly won't be for everyone, but I loved it. A proper bonkers CCCFCM.
I'd like to thank the author, Wilkie Martin, the publisher, The Witcherley Book Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
'Call me an ambulance'. 'You're an ambulance'.
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is book 4, and I never start off in the middle of a series, let alone at the end of one. (Although, I'd hope that Wilkie Martin is penning another!)
Anyway, seeing this on NetGalley, (albeit, last year, me bad, sorry NG, I'm on it) I have to own up, it was the cover that inially intrigued me. The artwork was zingy and eye~catching, the blurb sounded like an easy~going, light read, and daft humour tickles me pink if the mood takes, and this is exactly what I fancied this week.
I'm not a Cozy Mysteries kinda girl, and I don't really do Fantasy either, but this is a Cozy Crazy Crime Fantasy Comedy Mystery (CCCFCM for short) which just kept me entertained from start to finish.
It was extremely British, with puns galore, slapstick~style action, and dog characters!! Yes dogs!! Well, there are humans and the.....ummm, unhumans as well. But my favourite characters were definitely Dregs and Mimi. To see an animal relationship blossom is something I've never read about before and it was so lovely. And very funny.
The characters and place names!!! From pubs, to shops and street names, I sighed, whispered 'oh dear' to myself, and quietly smiled with cheesy, guilty pleasure.
One of the two MC's is Andy Caplet. A hapless, clumsy, wally of a man, who's pretty much outta luck all the time it seems. And, of course, Hobbes, a Police Inspector of questionable age and ethics, whose character I'd like to know more about. He has strange abilities and strength. I, for one cannot drink scalding hot tea or break a padlock with my bare hands. Reading book 1 will hopefully give him some background to answer a few of my questions. Who or, what is he?
It was all a bit silly, but the silliness was balanced with a nice little mystery that was cute and clever. Unlike poor Andy.
Every character was superbly written, you do get some funny types in these small English villages, I can tell you. Anyway, I need silly sometimes. There comes a time when reading this stuff suits me just fine.
So, on finishing this, I've learned two things, one, I need to read books 1~3 when my next non~serious urges arrive. And two, crime and dodgy shenanigans can always wait whilst there's a good hearty meal to be had. Who could possibly solve anything on an empty stomach?
Wilkie Martin has my kind of humour, and his style certainly won't be for everyone, but I loved it. A proper bonkers CCCFCM.
I'd like to thank the author, Wilkie Martin, the publisher, The Witcherley Book Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2017
Inspector Hobbes isn’t quite human; that’s not a spoiler. Even readers, like myself, who are new to the series will figure out soon enough that Hobbes is centuries old and more intelligent that we mere humans. Just as Sherlock Holmes has his Dr. John Watson, Hobbes has his Andy Caplet, an accident-prone newspaperman just one notch above imbecile. The novel begins with someone making several attempts on Caplet’s life. When a storm ruins Caplet’s apartment, he moves back in with Hobbes, which leads to even more mayhem.
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is a light-hearted, humorous cozy. Caplet and the groan-worthy puns and jokes proved annoying at first, as if author Wilkie Martin were trying too hard, but, once Hobbes came on the scene, I really warmed to the novel — much more than I thought I would. If you’re not turned off by the riddles in the Bazooka Bubble Gum, you’ll like this series; if not, definitely steer clear, as Bazooka Joe’s humor can be more sophisticated than Hobbes’ and Caplet’s.
Although Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is the fourth in this series and the first I’ve read, I never felt at a loss. Even readers, like myself, new to the series will do fine.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and The Witcherley Book Company in exchange for an honest review.
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is a light-hearted, humorous cozy. Caplet and the groan-worthy puns and jokes proved annoying at first, as if author Wilkie Martin were trying too hard, but, once Hobbes came on the scene, I really warmed to the novel — much more than I thought I would. If you’re not turned off by the riddles in the Bazooka Bubble Gum, you’ll like this series; if not, definitely steer clear, as Bazooka Joe’s humor can be more sophisticated than Hobbes’ and Caplet’s.
Although Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is the fourth in this series and the first I’ve read, I never felt at a loss. Even readers, like myself, new to the series will do fine.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and The Witcherley Book Company in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2020
Wonderful
Another excellent book, in this awesome series. British flavoured urban fantasy at it's best.
A must read series of books.
Another excellent book, in this awesome series. British flavoured urban fantasy at it's best.
A must read series of books.
May 16, 2018
Worst in the series, imo. This felt like a worse version of book 1. It mirrors it supremely. Andy is married (gag) to the chick in book 3. I don't even know why that's a thing in this series. They were married and two years passed by this book but it's not touched on at all. She's not even in the book until the very end. It was just like a nonsense source of angst.
How does this mirror book one? He's living in the same flat as he was in book 1. It gets destroyed and moves back in with Hobbes. He's working at the newspaper agency again and he's tagging along with Hobbes again because why not?
The big bad isn't discussed in this book until the very end. I really hate that in detective books. It's easy to randomly step a character in and be all like 'tada!' There were clues but it was obvious this was supernatural and the clues were too vague to be of any real use.
The relationship with his new wife was annoying. I hate pointless angst and this was pointless.
The attitude of Hobbes and Mrs. towards Andy was decidingly more hostile this book. We all know he's an idiot but this was the first book were they were openly calling him an idiot and I was like bleh.
I think were this book falters, and where this series falters as a whole, is the fact that the books only have one plot line going on. Generally, series like these have two major plot lines, the overarching one and the current book one. This one doesn't really have either. I say this because Andy isn't an investigator. He's just watching on the sidelines. This series would be so much better if the author could just figure that out already.
How does this mirror book one? He's living in the same flat as he was in book 1. It gets destroyed and moves back in with Hobbes. He's working at the newspaper agency again and he's tagging along with Hobbes again because why not?
The big bad isn't discussed in this book until the very end. I really hate that in detective books. It's easy to randomly step a character in and be all like 'tada!' There were clues but it was obvious this was supernatural and the clues were too vague to be of any real use.
The relationship with his new wife was annoying. I hate pointless angst and this was pointless.
The attitude of Hobbes and Mrs. towards Andy was decidingly more hostile this book. We all know he's an idiot but this was the first book were they were openly calling him an idiot and I was like bleh.
I think were this book falters, and where this series falters as a whole, is the fact that the books only have one plot line going on. Generally, series like these have two major plot lines, the overarching one and the current book one. This one doesn't really have either. I say this because Andy isn't an investigator. He's just watching on the sidelines. This series would be so much better if the author could just figure that out already.
June 21, 2017
I am known to gravitate towards fantasy, but I do enjoy a good cosy mystery from time to time, so I was very excited when I first heard about this book as it promised to be a mixture of both genres.
The story is told from the perspective of a restaurant reviewer Andy Caplet who occasionally helps his friend Inspector Hobbes solve mysteries.
There is nothing supernatural about Andy: he is a perfectly ordinary guy who adores his wife, Daphne, and suffers from frequent bouts of self-doubt. However, Andy’s life is far from ordinary thanks to his association with Inspector Hobbes, a supernatural being of unspecified persuasion. There are hints as to what manner of supernatural being he may be, but the author never says it outright, at least not in this book – something I found myself enjoying a lot, as it added another layer of mystery to the story. Overall I’d say that the existence of supernatural beings is handled extremely well, without unnecessary labels and generalizations, as shown in the excerpt below:
‘Which people? Who are they?’ I asked, putting on a spurt to catch up.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, they must be called something.’
‘I suppose so,’ he said, ‘but putting a label on a group of people doesn’t help much since they’re all individuals with their own stories and behaviours.’
What I really liked about the story was the pervading cosy atmosphere. There were countless scenes in which the two leading characters were shown enjoying their housekeeper’s – aptly named Mrs. Goodfellow - excellent home cooking that was making my mouth water:
Mrs Goodfellow presented us with creamy scrambled eggs on thick buttered toast, the toast somehow staying crispy, and the eggs as fluffy as only she could make them. My appetite was as hearty as that of the proverbial condemned man, and I followed up with more toast, this time with a new batch of marmelade, a perfect melding of sweet and sour with just a hint of smokiness. The latter flavour was something of a mystery because I’d watched her at work and the only ingredients had been Seville oranges and sugar.
One thing I didn’t particularly like was Andy himself – his sense of humour is very flippant, even childish at times. Other than that, it was a very enjoyable read and I will definitely check out the other books in the series.
My YouTube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcgzK...
The story is told from the perspective of a restaurant reviewer Andy Caplet who occasionally helps his friend Inspector Hobbes solve mysteries.
There is nothing supernatural about Andy: he is a perfectly ordinary guy who adores his wife, Daphne, and suffers from frequent bouts of self-doubt. However, Andy’s life is far from ordinary thanks to his association with Inspector Hobbes, a supernatural being of unspecified persuasion. There are hints as to what manner of supernatural being he may be, but the author never says it outright, at least not in this book – something I found myself enjoying a lot, as it added another layer of mystery to the story. Overall I’d say that the existence of supernatural beings is handled extremely well, without unnecessary labels and generalizations, as shown in the excerpt below:
‘Which people? Who are they?’ I asked, putting on a spurt to catch up.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, they must be called something.’
‘I suppose so,’ he said, ‘but putting a label on a group of people doesn’t help much since they’re all individuals with their own stories and behaviours.’
What I really liked about the story was the pervading cosy atmosphere. There were countless scenes in which the two leading characters were shown enjoying their housekeeper’s – aptly named Mrs. Goodfellow - excellent home cooking that was making my mouth water:
Mrs Goodfellow presented us with creamy scrambled eggs on thick buttered toast, the toast somehow staying crispy, and the eggs as fluffy as only she could make them. My appetite was as hearty as that of the proverbial condemned man, and I followed up with more toast, this time with a new batch of marmelade, a perfect melding of sweet and sour with just a hint of smokiness. The latter flavour was something of a mystery because I’d watched her at work and the only ingredients had been Seville oranges and sugar.
One thing I didn’t particularly like was Andy himself – his sense of humour is very flippant, even childish at times. Other than that, it was a very enjoyable read and I will definitely check out the other books in the series.
My YouTube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcgzK...
January 18, 2018
My original Inspector Hobbes and the Bones audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Poor Andy Caplet has not lost his touch as he is still a bungling, unlucky and major sad sack. He’s been married for two years and suddenly finds himself promoted. That is the end of his good luck since his wife has left him, he has been accosted by a beautiful woman, had his photo taken in a compromising position, been shot in the butt, almost been run over and a tree fell on his apartment. Facing blackmail and nowhere to live he finds himself back at Hobbes and Mrs. Goodfellow’s home. And then the fun begins!
The Sly people lurk in the background until murder brings them out in the open. Hilarity ensues as Andy and Hobbes along with Dregs and Billy solve the crime. Andy really is an accident waiting to happen, but he is fiercely loyal and somehow finds the strength – ok, sorta – to hold his own and be saved!
I love this series of audiobooks; they just keep getting better! Martin does an excellent job of weaving a fun, hearty tale mixed with a heavy dose of comedy and mystery into one highly entertaining series. Never a boring minute with Hobbes or Andy around!
The narrator, Tim Campbell, does an entertaining job of narrating the book. Campbell is Andy Caplet and Hobbes and Mrs. Goodfellow. Each character has their own voice and personality which Campbell captures and portrays unerringly.
There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.
Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.
Poor Andy Caplet has not lost his touch as he is still a bungling, unlucky and major sad sack. He’s been married for two years and suddenly finds himself promoted. That is the end of his good luck since his wife has left him, he has been accosted by a beautiful woman, had his photo taken in a compromising position, been shot in the butt, almost been run over and a tree fell on his apartment. Facing blackmail and nowhere to live he finds himself back at Hobbes and Mrs. Goodfellow’s home. And then the fun begins!
The Sly people lurk in the background until murder brings them out in the open. Hilarity ensues as Andy and Hobbes along with Dregs and Billy solve the crime. Andy really is an accident waiting to happen, but he is fiercely loyal and somehow finds the strength – ok, sorta – to hold his own and be saved!
I love this series of audiobooks; they just keep getting better! Martin does an excellent job of weaving a fun, hearty tale mixed with a heavy dose of comedy and mystery into one highly entertaining series. Never a boring minute with Hobbes or Andy around!
The narrator, Tim Campbell, does an entertaining job of narrating the book. Campbell is Andy Caplet and Hobbes and Mrs. Goodfellow. Each character has their own voice and personality which Campbell captures and portrays unerringly.
There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.
Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.
November 30, 2018
A time jump makes all the difference.
World: The world building is done well, it’s very nonchalant like the rest of the series and as I’ve said the supernatural is very light and only comes when the story needs it, the rest of it is pretty small English town like Hot Fuzz. The new pieces are interesting this time around and the new location of Andy makes for some nice new faces for the story.
Story: Cozy and tidy is the order of the day. The book moves along well and the story is charming and low stakes. The situations that arise give great dry humour and the play on words is just as prevalent as the rest of the series. The storm was unique and allowed for a new landscape for the story to play on. The little bits and pieces of character development of Hobbes is also great. In the end the mystery was basic, the villain was evil, Andy was bubbling but now much better and a good time was had by all.
Characters: Andy has improved, he’s still a wet blanket but his slow transition from book one to now is earned and wonderful. I look back now and I enjoy the slow development of his character and it is also these things that annoy me also give me some great joy in the humour. I love his arc this time around as it’s a very human on and it’s fun. Hobbes is great, still a mystery and we get little bits and pieces more of his past and that’s always a great thing. The villain was meh but that does not matter and the rest of the cast was interesting and fit their respective jobs for the story.
A solid entry in the series and the time jump really allows for freshness and development to enter into the world.
Onward to the next book!
World: The world building is done well, it’s very nonchalant like the rest of the series and as I’ve said the supernatural is very light and only comes when the story needs it, the rest of it is pretty small English town like Hot Fuzz. The new pieces are interesting this time around and the new location of Andy makes for some nice new faces for the story.
Story: Cozy and tidy is the order of the day. The book moves along well and the story is charming and low stakes. The situations that arise give great dry humour and the play on words is just as prevalent as the rest of the series. The storm was unique and allowed for a new landscape for the story to play on. The little bits and pieces of character development of Hobbes is also great. In the end the mystery was basic, the villain was evil, Andy was bubbling but now much better and a good time was had by all.
Characters: Andy has improved, he’s still a wet blanket but his slow transition from book one to now is earned and wonderful. I look back now and I enjoy the slow development of his character and it is also these things that annoy me also give me some great joy in the humour. I love his arc this time around as it’s a very human on and it’s fun. Hobbes is great, still a mystery and we get little bits and pieces more of his past and that’s always a great thing. The villain was meh but that does not matter and the rest of the cast was interesting and fit their respective jobs for the story.
A solid entry in the series and the time jump really allows for freshness and development to enter into the world.
Onward to the next book!
December 12, 2016
I loved this. It's charming and bonkers. Charmingly bonkers if you will.There are so many puns you'll be groaning at least once a page. Andy is the Watson to Hobbes undead Sherlock; following him everywhere, having some dangerous excitment and then writing all about it.
Sme of it is qute vague - we never really find out what type of undead creature Hobbes or his landlady Mrs Goodfellow are. This is book 4 so it may have been covered else where but it's not repeated here. I sort of thought the bad guys were fairies but seeing as one of them behaves like a praying mantis and eatng her victims now I'm not so sure. And I think that adds to the fun a bit. There's an air of mystery about these characters as we never fully know who or what they are.
The catalogue of disasters that Andy suffers with is almost as frequent as the puns. I wonder how he's still alive and everyone seems to know more about what's going on than him even whenn he's in the thick of the action.
The language is quite simple and it makes for easy reading. It's a fun crime read (not often I get to type that) and whizzes along at speed. I loved that everything stops for tea (and dinner, breakfast and supper too). No crime is too big that you can't have your evening meal before going out to arrest someone.
It's just nuts. And I loved it. I will have to go back now and read the other three. Big thumbs u
Sme of it is qute vague - we never really find out what type of undead creature Hobbes or his landlady Mrs Goodfellow are. This is book 4 so it may have been covered else where but it's not repeated here. I sort of thought the bad guys were fairies but seeing as one of them behaves like a praying mantis and eatng her victims now I'm not so sure. And I think that adds to the fun a bit. There's an air of mystery about these characters as we never fully know who or what they are.
The catalogue of disasters that Andy suffers with is almost as frequent as the puns. I wonder how he's still alive and everyone seems to know more about what's going on than him even whenn he's in the thick of the action.
The language is quite simple and it makes for easy reading. It's a fun crime read (not often I get to type that) and whizzes along at speed. I loved that everything stops for tea (and dinner, breakfast and supper too). No crime is too big that you can't have your evening meal before going out to arrest someone.
It's just nuts. And I loved it. I will have to go back now and read the other three. Big thumbs u
September 23, 2018
All I can say is Wilke Martin, please continue to write! Love the wit and humor. For those going our of order, it’s a bit better to go sequentially as some of the humor builds.
December 19, 2016
This book is so charming, from the setting to the characters, and it's just good fun. I was almost overwhelmed by the charming, cosy feel to this book. It's a mystery but it's not dark and edgy, unlike the other mysteries that have dominated for the past couple of years, instead it's almost comforting and I really enjoyed this aspect of the book.
The writer's style is also very easy-going and it feels very natural to read. My only problem with the writing was the seemingly constant use of the word 'loping' to describe how Inspector Hobbes moves but that's such a small aspect of the book that it didn't annoy me too much. Also, there were a few run-on sentences but I haven't read the final version of the book so I'd imagine they've been sorted. Also, they're a natural part of writing. This would have been an incredibly quick read if life (aka, work) didn't get in the way. I could easily see myself curling up with this book, or maybe one of the others in the series, in front of the fire on a cold winter's evening.
I really liked most of the characters. They're all odd and some are not quite human but I enjoyed Andy's character the most. Andy is human and was a failed journalist but now he's a successful food critic for his local paper. However, life is not smooth sailing for Andy as he's just hit with disaster after disaster within the book. Whenever Andy tries to do something good there's an inevitable misunderstanding and he seems to be on the receiving end of rather a lot of hatred in this book. That being said, Andy makes an excellent human sidekick to Inspector Hobbes and their relationship reminded me of the Holmes-Watson dynamic at first.
I enjoyed the plot and the interwoven mysteries that need solving by Hobbes and Andy were well thought out. On NetGalley there is a note saying that 'it is not necessary to have read the previous books in the series' but I kind of disagree with that. I think that it works well as a standalone book but I think the experience of reading this book could be enriched by reading at least the first book in the series, Inspector Hobbes and the Blood. However, I haven't read any of the books in the series so that's just my opinion formed on the reviews I've read of the first book and the summary of the first book.
I would definitely recommend this book because it's just really fun and lighthearted and I love the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously but it's still a very good mystery at the same time. It's currently on my Amazon wishlist so that I remember to buy it when I have the chance.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars as a rating because it's fun and very different to what I've read lately. I just enjoyed it a lot.
The writer's style is also very easy-going and it feels very natural to read. My only problem with the writing was the seemingly constant use of the word 'loping' to describe how Inspector Hobbes moves but that's such a small aspect of the book that it didn't annoy me too much. Also, there were a few run-on sentences but I haven't read the final version of the book so I'd imagine they've been sorted. Also, they're a natural part of writing. This would have been an incredibly quick read if life (aka, work) didn't get in the way. I could easily see myself curling up with this book, or maybe one of the others in the series, in front of the fire on a cold winter's evening.
I really liked most of the characters. They're all odd and some are not quite human but I enjoyed Andy's character the most. Andy is human and was a failed journalist but now he's a successful food critic for his local paper. However, life is not smooth sailing for Andy as he's just hit with disaster after disaster within the book. Whenever Andy tries to do something good there's an inevitable misunderstanding and he seems to be on the receiving end of rather a lot of hatred in this book. That being said, Andy makes an excellent human sidekick to Inspector Hobbes and their relationship reminded me of the Holmes-Watson dynamic at first.
I enjoyed the plot and the interwoven mysteries that need solving by Hobbes and Andy were well thought out. On NetGalley there is a note saying that 'it is not necessary to have read the previous books in the series' but I kind of disagree with that. I think that it works well as a standalone book but I think the experience of reading this book could be enriched by reading at least the first book in the series, Inspector Hobbes and the Blood. However, I haven't read any of the books in the series so that's just my opinion formed on the reviews I've read of the first book and the summary of the first book.
I would definitely recommend this book because it's just really fun and lighthearted and I love the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously but it's still a very good mystery at the same time. It's currently on my Amazon wishlist so that I remember to buy it when I have the chance.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars as a rating because it's fun and very different to what I've read lately. I just enjoyed it a lot.
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
February 5, 2017
This is the fourth book of a series of 'unhuman' crime mysteries, which unfortunately I haven't read prior to reading this instalment, so it's possible this has taken something away from what's going on, for me.
This book is a light hearted, easy to read story where the main characters Inspector Hobbes and Andy Caplet are strongly based/linked to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. With the interesting twist that we find Inspector Hobbes is undead (or unhuman) and is a vaguely interesting character. Unlike Andy, who I found extremely grating, clumsy, hard done too and accident prone to the degree of annoyance.
And here, this is where my interest fell straight away. Not only was the Watson character frustrating and to be honest...uninteresting, which took away some of my interest but also for me the crime mystery and plot was a little obvious from the off set and so unfortunately I never felt the desire to carry on to see what was going to happen next! I also didn't find the light hearted comedy funny enough to get me through.
Almost didn't finish, but did skim read pages and rushed through to the end. A disappointing read.
This book is a light hearted, easy to read story where the main characters Inspector Hobbes and Andy Caplet are strongly based/linked to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. With the interesting twist that we find Inspector Hobbes is undead (or unhuman) and is a vaguely interesting character. Unlike Andy, who I found extremely grating, clumsy, hard done too and accident prone to the degree of annoyance.
And here, this is where my interest fell straight away. Not only was the Watson character frustrating and to be honest...uninteresting, which took away some of my interest but also for me the crime mystery and plot was a little obvious from the off set and so unfortunately I never felt the desire to carry on to see what was going to happen next! I also didn't find the light hearted comedy funny enough to get me through.
Almost didn't finish, but did skim read pages and rushed through to the end. A disappointing read.
December 13, 2016
Andy Caplet is feeling lonely as his wife has left for a job. He is shot by an air rifle, almost hit by a car, a beautiful girl seduced him and a picture of the incident is taken. If that is not enough, a major storm occurs that night and a large tree crashed into his apartment. He survived and went to stay with Inspector Hobbs. The storm continues and the river begins to flood. While rescuing those trap in the water, Inspector Hobbs discovers bones blocking the flow of the water. Andy is shown a strange object and he shows to Hobbs who becomes worried. Why is the Inspector concern? Who are these strange individuals that Andy encounters? Andy must find and answer before he is no more.
This the fourth book in this exceptional fantasy but can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this book and the series.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Witcherley Book Company for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
This the fourth book in this exceptional fantasy but can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this book and the series.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Witcherley Book Company for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
October 6, 2020
This series was fun. But I should know better than to have read all four back-to-back. I didn’t think this one was as good as the other three. Also I had a bad audiobook and the last chapter was out of order!
October 19, 2020
I wonder if this is the end of the series. Martin left it open ended enough that Andy and Hobbes can have further adventures together, perhaps even pulling Andy's wife into the story line as something more than a background character.
Anyway, Andy's wife has been called off to Egypt for a dig on a newly discovered burial site. As Andy's luck (almost all bad) would have it his life immediately begins to fly apart at the seams. I had, as with earlier books, hoped Andy, having spent so much time under Hobbes's wing (he doesn't really have wings) and time married to a truly lovely woman, might have grown as a person he's still weak, cowardly, easily swayed by and attracted to beautiful woman. His inner dialog is often incredibly self destructive. I understand this can all be used to make him the constant butt of the joke but. . . It sometimes gets old. His growth could have been a factor in the stories. No, he's never going to be a Superman type of hero but he's had plenty of access to Mrs. Goodfellow a master and instructor at Kung Fu, I doubt he'd be much of a martial artist though he has, when not sniveling and begging for mercy, accounted for himself well om more than one instance, he could at least learned enough to stop tripping over his own stupid feet all the time. I've been the butt of jokes much of my life. Occasionally it's fun to laugh at someone else's misfortune but after several books full? It starts to hit home.
So, Andy does act heroically a few times but not enough to make me really like him as a character. Hobbes is written a little differently as well. More distant and a little colder. Could be time between novels, the author changing or something coming up in a penultimate series ending. I don't know. This was better than the previous to a point. Andy really should have called the insurance people. Ah well, it was a decent read.
Anyway, Andy's wife has been called off to Egypt for a dig on a newly discovered burial site. As Andy's luck (almost all bad) would have it his life immediately begins to fly apart at the seams. I had, as with earlier books, hoped Andy, having spent so much time under Hobbes's wing (he doesn't really have wings) and time married to a truly lovely woman, might have grown as a person he's still weak, cowardly, easily swayed by and attracted to beautiful woman. His inner dialog is often incredibly self destructive. I understand this can all be used to make him the constant butt of the joke but. . . It sometimes gets old. His growth could have been a factor in the stories. No, he's never going to be a Superman type of hero but he's had plenty of access to Mrs. Goodfellow a master and instructor at Kung Fu, I doubt he'd be much of a martial artist though he has, when not sniveling and begging for mercy, accounted for himself well om more than one instance, he could at least learned enough to stop tripping over his own stupid feet all the time. I've been the butt of jokes much of my life. Occasionally it's fun to laugh at someone else's misfortune but after several books full? It starts to hit home.
So, Andy does act heroically a few times but not enough to make me really like him as a character. Hobbes is written a little differently as well. More distant and a little colder. Could be time between novels, the author changing or something coming up in a penultimate series ending. I don't know. This was better than the previous to a point. Andy really should have called the insurance people. Ah well, it was a decent read.
April 7, 2017
The laugh out loud, puzzling, kind of funny
This book is genuinely hilarious. We meet Hobbes, an Inspector infamous for his ability to solve strange mystery cases and with him, we meet Andy an amateur detective but really, just an average common man. Old friends. With Andy's wife setting out for Egypt, it is likely Andy won't manage on his own, and with a fun, but mostly bizarre, turn of events he manages to stay over at Hobbes and re-lives their days together, fighting crime.
You can't not enjoy this book, Andy was clumsily hilarious and Hobbes, the mysterious super hero. With the witty writing, the stupid characters and the messed up action, you have to love it. It really couldn't have been written better. Featherlight was my favourite!
I received this book through NetGalley. Made it to my favourites!
This book is genuinely hilarious. We meet Hobbes, an Inspector infamous for his ability to solve strange mystery cases and with him, we meet Andy an amateur detective but really, just an average common man. Old friends. With Andy's wife setting out for Egypt, it is likely Andy won't manage on his own, and with a fun, but mostly bizarre, turn of events he manages to stay over at Hobbes and re-lives their days together, fighting crime.
You can't not enjoy this book, Andy was clumsily hilarious and Hobbes, the mysterious super hero. With the witty writing, the stupid characters and the messed up action, you have to love it. It really couldn't have been written better. Featherlight was my favourite!
I received this book through NetGalley. Made it to my favourites!
March 22, 2020
The 4th book left me wanting more. I was sorry to come to the (hopefully temporary) latest book in the series. Looking back what surprises me the most is how every character gets the chance to grow throughout the series, and there aren't pat endings or too-neat twists. We have more reasons with each book to love Inspector Hobbes, and not to mention his worthy housekeeper, even if we aren't completely convinced she's human (OK, we're willing to be convinced...).
There's a blissful paradox here in that our protagonist, who started out such a clueless pill dependent on others' largess, is becoming a formidable agent for good. He certainly does try to be cautious about it, but his pesky moral core won't let him ignore injustice or perceived threats to others. Sit back and read this one slowly. Who knows when Unhuman 5 is coming out?
There's a blissful paradox here in that our protagonist, who started out such a clueless pill dependent on others' largess, is becoming a formidable agent for good. He certainly does try to be cautious about it, but his pesky moral core won't let him ignore injustice or perceived threats to others. Sit back and read this one slowly. Who knows when Unhuman 5 is coming out?
July 3, 2020
Arguably the weakest entry into the series. While Hobbes, Mrs. Goodfellow and most of the side characters are as charming as usual, the problem child is once again narrator/protagonist Andy Caplet. While Wilkie Martin developed the character quite nicely throughout the previous two novels, turning him from an annoying human catastrophe into a still unlucky and accident-prone, slightly dense but ultimately likable scatterbrain, Unhuman #4 feels like a step back.
"Inspector Hobbes and the Bones" takes place 2 years after the events of the previous book and Andy has married Daphne, also from the previous book, during that time. But since Daphne leaves in the beginning of the book for what we later find out is a work assignment and Andy tells us almost nothing about their marital life, we actually know nothing about Andy and Daphne as a married couple. We only know that Andy isn't happy about her being away and learn that he is unreasonably angsty and jealous, while at the same time he instantly develops a crush on every beautiful woman he meets throughout the novel, including his wife's best friend. Those are not exactly qualities that make him more likable and everytime he wonders why Daphne even married a fool like him, I tend to ask myself the same question. Although it is rather obvious that he is deeply in love with his wife, his trust in the strength of their bond doens't seem all too deep and he seems to be thinking as much about other women as he does about his wife.
On top of that, while his incompetence and bad luck seemed to have been dialed down a bit in the previous book, in this one he once again fails at the most basic of tasks, to a point where you have to wonder how he stills finds it in himself to leave his bed in the morning. On the the other hand, Andy is at his best when he and his friends are in dire situations and he occasionally displays something akin to bravery and heroism, so there's that.
While the usual interactions between the quirky characters still work quite nicely, the case itself is a bit messy and pointless this time and mostly seems to serve as a backdrop for Andy's accidents and outbursts of teenage angst, which is quite pathetic for a married man in his early 40s. By book 4 I wished Wilkie Martin would focus a little less on the misadventures of Andy Caplet and have a little more confidence in the strength of his other characters or he should at least stick with previous developments instead of going back and forth between Andy being a complete failure or a likeable idiot who has actually learned a thing or two during his time with Hobbes.
Edit: I guess I wouldn't be half as annoyed about Andy if he was a late bloomer in his late 20s or early 30s, but here is a 40-year-old man who behaves like a 12-year-old all the way (makes silly excuses to get around unpleasant but ultimately very simple tasks, is a sucker for undeserved praise, tries to hide his mistakes, gets cranky when he's hungry) and in turn gets treated like one by some people. Andy is such a ridiculous character that it's hard to take him seriously even when he's doing something right.
"Inspector Hobbes and the Bones" takes place 2 years after the events of the previous book and Andy has married Daphne, also from the previous book, during that time. But since Daphne leaves in the beginning of the book for what we later find out is a work assignment and Andy tells us almost nothing about their marital life, we actually know nothing about Andy and Daphne as a married couple. We only know that Andy isn't happy about her being away and learn that he is unreasonably angsty and jealous, while at the same time he instantly develops a crush on every beautiful woman he meets throughout the novel, including his wife's best friend. Those are not exactly qualities that make him more likable and everytime he wonders why Daphne even married a fool like him, I tend to ask myself the same question. Although it is rather obvious that he is deeply in love with his wife, his trust in the strength of their bond doens't seem all too deep and he seems to be thinking as much about other women as he does about his wife.
On top of that, while his incompetence and bad luck seemed to have been dialed down a bit in the previous book, in this one he once again fails at the most basic of tasks, to a point where you have to wonder how he stills finds it in himself to leave his bed in the morning. On the the other hand, Andy is at his best when he and his friends are in dire situations and he occasionally displays something akin to bravery and heroism, so there's that.
While the usual interactions between the quirky characters still work quite nicely, the case itself is a bit messy and pointless this time and mostly seems to serve as a backdrop for Andy's accidents and outbursts of teenage angst, which is quite pathetic for a married man in his early 40s. By book 4 I wished Wilkie Martin would focus a little less on the misadventures of Andy Caplet and have a little more confidence in the strength of his other characters or he should at least stick with previous developments instead of going back and forth between Andy being a complete failure or a likeable idiot who has actually learned a thing or two during his time with Hobbes.
Edit: I guess I wouldn't be half as annoyed about Andy if he was a late bloomer in his late 20s or early 30s, but here is a 40-year-old man who behaves like a 12-year-old all the way (makes silly excuses to get around unpleasant but ultimately very simple tasks, is a sucker for undeserved praise, tries to hide his mistakes, gets cranky when he's hungry) and in turn gets treated like one by some people. Andy is such a ridiculous character that it's hard to take him seriously even when he's doing something right.
July 24, 2021
This is the final book in the series, so far. The usual cast of characters returns and there are few surprises, here.
The main character, Andy Caplet, continues in his largely blundering ways, alternating between being heroic and idiotic. He *should* know better, particularly at this point in the series. But he just cannot seem to keep from getting in his own way.
The author treads a careful tightrope, here, as he has in past books. The MC often verges on being too aggravating and annoying for anyone to care about him and perhaps to even root against him.
There are new supernaturals introduced in this book that we have not seen before. They are entertaining. If you have read other books in this series and enjoyed them, you will likely enjoy this installment as well.
Sorenchester is a fun and pleasant place to be. I am looking forward to the fifth book, which should be out later this summer.
The main character, Andy Caplet, continues in his largely blundering ways, alternating between being heroic and idiotic. He *should* know better, particularly at this point in the series. But he just cannot seem to keep from getting in his own way.
The author treads a careful tightrope, here, as he has in past books. The MC often verges on being too aggravating and annoying for anyone to care about him and perhaps to even root against him.
There are new supernaturals introduced in this book that we have not seen before. They are entertaining. If you have read other books in this series and enjoyed them, you will likely enjoy this installment as well.
Sorenchester is a fun and pleasant place to be. I am looking forward to the fifth book, which should be out later this summer.
December 17, 2016
Full disclosure, i received this book free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
I do enjoy the Hobbes books, this one picks up a couple of years after the last one in the series. Andy is married, his restaurant column is going well, and is going to be syndicated, he's even managed to stay out of hospital. Until his wife goes off to Egypt on an archaeological dig, his flat gets destroyed by a falling tree, and he ends up back living with Hobbes. As well as getting dragged into a murder mystery, he's got to cope with the village flooding, and a mystery person who's got a grudge against him as he get shot with an airgun, beaten up, and even snogged by a strange beautiful woman. Through all this Andy slowly but surely becomes the klutz we remember from the first 3 books, although he shows flashes of real courage. Hobbes and Mrs Goodfellow haven't changed at all, and unfortunately there's not much of the back story of either of them expanding. I'm hopeful at some point in the future we will find out more about both of them.
Wilkie Martin is one of the few writers doing good humorous fantasy, long may it continue.
I do enjoy the Hobbes books, this one picks up a couple of years after the last one in the series. Andy is married, his restaurant column is going well, and is going to be syndicated, he's even managed to stay out of hospital. Until his wife goes off to Egypt on an archaeological dig, his flat gets destroyed by a falling tree, and he ends up back living with Hobbes. As well as getting dragged into a murder mystery, he's got to cope with the village flooding, and a mystery person who's got a grudge against him as he get shot with an airgun, beaten up, and even snogged by a strange beautiful woman. Through all this Andy slowly but surely becomes the klutz we remember from the first 3 books, although he shows flashes of real courage. Hobbes and Mrs Goodfellow haven't changed at all, and unfortunately there's not much of the back story of either of them expanding. I'm hopeful at some point in the future we will find out more about both of them.
Wilkie Martin is one of the few writers doing good humorous fantasy, long may it continue.
August 5, 2018
Once again, a very funny listen. Poor Andy. He just never gets it and is the world's biggest klutz. Featherlight stated he didn't see how Andy could walk and breathe at the same time. Disaster seems to follow Andy relentlessly. His wife goes to Egypt for a dig and things go badly downhill for Andy. I didn't think this was quite as good as the first 3 books, but good enough. I love the characters.
December 10, 2017
This was entertaining and I like the premise of the series and Inspector Hobbes but I found Andy very annoying, if it wasn't for the fact that I was reading this on my phone whilst breastfeeding my baby on a nighttime I am not sure I would have finished it.
January 21, 2018
Original and entertaining
With such a lovable, endearing and outlandish cast of characters, this is a happy, cozy and fun series. A 4 instead of 5 only because the narrator sometimes is unbearably dense, but he's charming in his own way.
With such a lovable, endearing and outlandish cast of characters, this is a happy, cozy and fun series. A 4 instead of 5 only because the narrator sometimes is unbearably dense, but he's charming in his own way.
April 20, 2019
Such fun!
Inspector Hobbes' books are always fun to read. This one is light-hearted & had me chuckling out loud in parts. The banter between the characters is charming even if the plot is a little far fetched at time! Andy & his mishaps are hilarious & all in all its a good book!
Inspector Hobbes' books are always fun to read. This one is light-hearted & had me chuckling out loud in parts. The banter between the characters is charming even if the plot is a little far fetched at time! Andy & his mishaps are hilarious & all in all its a good book!
May 21, 2021
These are odd
but I really like them.
They are silly and fun and daft and well, just odd
but I really like them.
They are silly and fun and daft and well, just odd
January 3, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is marketed as “This is the fourth in Wilkie Martin’s unhuman series of standalone cosy comedy crime fantasies” and that it’s not necessary to read the other books in the series and I’m sorry to say I disagree slightly. While it isn’t 100% necessary to read the preceding books as the narrative from Andy Caplet – a slightly eccentric and clumsy reporter – does give insight into the previous escapades of Inspector Hobbes and Andy Caplet, it isn’t brimming with information to explain them – little bits here and there that give you the general jist of the antics.
I will say that this book had the comedic value I was looking forward to and it came from various characters and situations – Inspector Hobbes and Mrs Goodfellow have a distinct sense of sarcastic humour that I quite liked, Featherlight another “unhuman” was also quite comedic but I don’t think it was supposed to be intentional.
One thing that wasn’t really explained in the book was what the term “unhuman” actually covered. There’s a vampire, a dwarf, some sort of nature fae and the sly ones and then there’s Hobbes himself who appears to be some sort of werewolf/shape changer creature but you don’t see him actually change his shape, only hear of him feasting on several raw bones when he’s feeling particularly agitated. Mrs Goodfellow is also an oddity with what appears to be the ability to appear at will, immense cooking skills and the strength of 10 men not to mention the fact that she appears to be immortal.
All kinds of mishaps happen to Andy in this book – his wife goes on an archaeological dig in Egypt, he almost gets hit by a car, he gets kissed by his saviour, he’s shot, his flat gets totally destroyed, he gets beaten up the list goes on. There’s so much happening to this dude that there isn’t really much of a story line to go on – my opinions are based on the overwhelming amount of bad things happening to one character that it (and his crazy need to eat and describe everything he eats) kind of detract from the actual story.
The plot includes a flood (believable though it is) and the subsequent mishaps of a flood followed by the discovery of some bones and thus we come to our title. Old bones mixed in with new bones because there happened to be an ancient ossuary in the area near a culvert where the new bodies were thrown whose blockage apparently caused the flooding – not quite as believable when you consider that this one culvert flooded the entire town.
Anyway, a storm that caused the flood destroyed poor Andy’s house so he moves back in with Hobbes and this is where his entire life goes to hell and he disregards his responsibilities to go gallivanting off with Hobbes and a precocious dog named Dregs. From there the book gets a little less comedic and a touch more serious but still with the underlying comedy value which was good.
The ending of this book made the beginning and middle make more sense than it originally did, a lot of what happened to Andy and what he went through was because of the fae, which was quite nifty because he didn’t even realise it until Hobbes told him otherwise. I didn’t think much of Andy, he thought too much about food and not his actual important things.
Despite the niggles and the relatively unexplained situations from previous books, I quite enjoyed this book for its comedic value and the writing style not necessarily the content it contained.
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is marketed as “This is the fourth in Wilkie Martin’s unhuman series of standalone cosy comedy crime fantasies” and that it’s not necessary to read the other books in the series and I’m sorry to say I disagree slightly. While it isn’t 100% necessary to read the preceding books as the narrative from Andy Caplet – a slightly eccentric and clumsy reporter – does give insight into the previous escapades of Inspector Hobbes and Andy Caplet, it isn’t brimming with information to explain them – little bits here and there that give you the general jist of the antics.
I will say that this book had the comedic value I was looking forward to and it came from various characters and situations – Inspector Hobbes and Mrs Goodfellow have a distinct sense of sarcastic humour that I quite liked, Featherlight another “unhuman” was also quite comedic but I don’t think it was supposed to be intentional.
One thing that wasn’t really explained in the book was what the term “unhuman” actually covered. There’s a vampire, a dwarf, some sort of nature fae and the sly ones and then there’s Hobbes himself who appears to be some sort of werewolf/shape changer creature but you don’t see him actually change his shape, only hear of him feasting on several raw bones when he’s feeling particularly agitated. Mrs Goodfellow is also an oddity with what appears to be the ability to appear at will, immense cooking skills and the strength of 10 men not to mention the fact that she appears to be immortal.
All kinds of mishaps happen to Andy in this book – his wife goes on an archaeological dig in Egypt, he almost gets hit by a car, he gets kissed by his saviour, he’s shot, his flat gets totally destroyed, he gets beaten up the list goes on. There’s so much happening to this dude that there isn’t really much of a story line to go on – my opinions are based on the overwhelming amount of bad things happening to one character that it (and his crazy need to eat and describe everything he eats) kind of detract from the actual story.
The plot includes a flood (believable though it is) and the subsequent mishaps of a flood followed by the discovery of some bones and thus we come to our title. Old bones mixed in with new bones because there happened to be an ancient ossuary in the area near a culvert where the new bodies were thrown whose blockage apparently caused the flooding – not quite as believable when you consider that this one culvert flooded the entire town.
Anyway, a storm that caused the flood destroyed poor Andy’s house so he moves back in with Hobbes and this is where his entire life goes to hell and he disregards his responsibilities to go gallivanting off with Hobbes and a precocious dog named Dregs. From there the book gets a little less comedic and a touch more serious but still with the underlying comedy value which was good.
The ending of this book made the beginning and middle make more sense than it originally did, a lot of what happened to Andy and what he went through was because of the fae, which was quite nifty because he didn’t even realise it until Hobbes told him otherwise. I didn’t think much of Andy, he thought too much about food and not his actual important things.
Despite the niggles and the relatively unexplained situations from previous books, I quite enjoyed this book for its comedic value and the writing style not necessarily the content it contained.
June 25, 2017
Title: Inspector Hobbes and the Bones - Humorous Cotswold British Detective Cozy Mystery - unhuman Book 4
Author: Wilkie Martin
Publisher: The Witcherley Book Company
Published: 12-16-2016
Pages: 329
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub-Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy; Humorous; Cozy Mystery; Satire
ASIN: BO1NA94ZFH
ISBN: 9781910302040
Reviewed For: NetGalley and The Witcherley Book Company
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Inspector Hobbes, the unhuman inspector and an ever changing cast of houseguest of otherworldly beings still push accident prone human Andy to his limits sometimes but he knows that Hobbs do his work detecting evil and protecting the little Cotswold village of Sorenchester.
If you enjoy unusual protagonist and off beat comedy then you will love this series. Hobbes, who consumes raw bones, worries over his friend Andy, who is being charmed by a woman while his wife is away. Even in his heroic escapades the poor man is accident prone. Hobbes is sure Andy is being set up for something, but what he is not sure..
A fun quick read that you will gobble up. Eclectic characters both human and nonhuman will charm you into visiting Sorenchester often. My rating of "Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NA94ZFH/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/insp...
GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status...
Author: Wilkie Martin
Publisher: The Witcherley Book Company
Published: 12-16-2016
Pages: 329
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub-Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy; Humorous; Cozy Mystery; Satire
ASIN: BO1NA94ZFH
ISBN: 9781910302040
Reviewed For: NetGalley and The Witcherley Book Company
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Inspector Hobbes, the unhuman inspector and an ever changing cast of houseguest of otherworldly beings still push accident prone human Andy to his limits sometimes but he knows that Hobbs do his work detecting evil and protecting the little Cotswold village of Sorenchester.
If you enjoy unusual protagonist and off beat comedy then you will love this series. Hobbes, who consumes raw bones, worries over his friend Andy, who is being charmed by a woman while his wife is away. Even in his heroic escapades the poor man is accident prone. Hobbes is sure Andy is being set up for something, but what he is not sure..
A fun quick read that you will gobble up. Eclectic characters both human and nonhuman will charm you into visiting Sorenchester often. My rating of "Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NA94ZFH/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/insp...
GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status...
December 1, 2016
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/12/0...
Publisher: The Witcherley Book Company
Publishing Date: December 2016
ISBN: 9781910302040
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.6/5
Publishers Description: There’s going to be trouble. Andy Caplet’s wife goes away, someone is out to get him, and he loses nearly everything in a storm. Amazing both himself and his unhuman friend Inspector Hobbes, he heroically rescues flood victims and uncovers something shocking.
Review: Andy continues to stumble along in the footsteps of Hobbes while attempting to pull himself out of a smear campaign while maintaining a long distance relationship with his new wife.
Wow, Wilkie Martin delivers another finely crafted tapestry of un-human mystery with a dash of incisive wit and provocative humor. Andy is a bit dense at times, almost too dense but seems to provide the comedic relief throughout the story line. The supporting characters are built solidly within the bounds of the movement which is elegantly constructed to provide a multitude of storyline threads. A fun ride that is hard to put down.
Publisher: The Witcherley Book Company
Publishing Date: December 2016
ISBN: 9781910302040
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.6/5
Publishers Description: There’s going to be trouble. Andy Caplet’s wife goes away, someone is out to get him, and he loses nearly everything in a storm. Amazing both himself and his unhuman friend Inspector Hobbes, he heroically rescues flood victims and uncovers something shocking.
Review: Andy continues to stumble along in the footsteps of Hobbes while attempting to pull himself out of a smear campaign while maintaining a long distance relationship with his new wife.
Wow, Wilkie Martin delivers another finely crafted tapestry of un-human mystery with a dash of incisive wit and provocative humor. Andy is a bit dense at times, almost too dense but seems to provide the comedic relief throughout the story line. The supporting characters are built solidly within the bounds of the movement which is elegantly constructed to provide a multitude of storyline threads. A fun ride that is hard to put down.
January 8, 2019
I enjoy reading about Inspector Hobbs. He has a way about him that is feral. Andy Capplen can be such a whinny child sometimes ( maybe all the time) Daffney is off to Egypt for an archaeological dig and Andy doesn't think he will live.
So what do you think the dig will discover? Will Andy live without Daffney? How does Andy go back to living with Inspector Hobbs? Where did all the bones come from grave yard, funeral home, serial killers body dump?
Why is Andy Kissing that gorgeous woman? Where did the photographer come from? Who is out to get Andy? Does someone want to kill him or blackmail him just because he gave a restaurant a bad review?
What did Featherlite see that made him worry? Why did Featherlite insist Andy tell Hobbs immediately?
How did this item connect to Featherlite's past? Does Daffney return? Does Inspector Hobbs get his man or woman or????????
For answers to these questions and more read Inspector Hobbs and the Bones.
So what do you think the dig will discover? Will Andy live without Daffney? How does Andy go back to living with Inspector Hobbs? Where did all the bones come from grave yard, funeral home, serial killers body dump?
Why is Andy Kissing that gorgeous woman? Where did the photographer come from? Who is out to get Andy? Does someone want to kill him or blackmail him just because he gave a restaurant a bad review?
What did Featherlite see that made him worry? Why did Featherlite insist Andy tell Hobbs immediately?
How did this item connect to Featherlite's past? Does Daffney return? Does Inspector Hobbs get his man or woman or????????
For answers to these questions and more read Inspector Hobbs and the Bones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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