Rook Takes The Queen

by Christopher Brimmage

Who stops cartoons when they turn criminal?

MANDRILL P.I., that’s who!

MANDRILL P.I. is a hardboiled, hard-drinking private detective, and in this tale, he must solve the case of a beast that's devouring people at night. But as he investigates, he learns the obvious suspect may not be the culprit, and a monstrous conspiracy festers behind the scenes.

Will he stop it in time? Or will were-beasts unleash their vicious appetites on everyone in the city?

----

If you enjoy werewolves, Noir Urban Fantasy, Hellboy, or Who Framed Roger Rabbit, then this is the book for you.

Genres: Fantasy

284 pages, Unknown Binding

Published August 22, 2022

About the author

Christopher Brimmage is a writer, marketer, former teacher, and former boy band frontman. He enjoys posing like statues in front of statues and writing, particularly sci-fi and satire. He has a wife named Geraldine to whom he loves to sing Meatloaf, a son named Augustus with whom he has formed The Steam Roller Boyz, and a pair of brothers that he loves to annoy.

He is the author of funny stuff (according to his mom). If you enjoy reading about the weird things in (and out of!) our universe, then you'll enjoy being on his list (sign up HERE!). There's Multiverse-Spanning Sci-Fi, Time Travel, Noir Cartoon Detectives, Space Westerns, Suburban Fantasy/Horror, Comics, and more!

Reviews

[Reverie · Rating 3 out of 5]

note: for the description of Toonsville (the setting) and TL;DR, scroll to the bottom of the review.

Rook Takes the Queen
Mandrill P.I. Volume I
Christopher Brimmage

- Cartoon world setting
- Cartoon animal characters
- Detectives
↳widower ex investigator mandrill with nicotine and alcohol addiction
↳cowboy detective catfish in diving suit
- Werewolves, dog mobsters, dinosaurs
- Bodyless vampire elephant
- Weird physics
- Otter archaelogist and teacher, major in snagging taken coeds
etc. etc.

PLOT:
Rimsky Rook is thought to have killed his ex band mate Bobby Blue Dart Frog and is now hiding from the authority. Lucky for him, ex private investigator Manny Mandrill takes interest in the case when he pleads that he is innocent. With the help of Earnie (a vampiric floating elephant head) and Kip Catfish, his former colleague and friend, Manny tries to get back to doing what he loves– searching for The Truth. But it wasn't that easy. They find out that Rimsky turns to a deadly beast swan every full moon and so now they have to track down the root of the curse and save Toonsville.

REVIEW:
Though not a fan of Looney Tunes or any cartoons, this book really piqued my interest.

I liked the world-building of Toonsville. The descriptions can be too much though. I had a hard time trying to locate where the places were supposed to be, but each part of Toonsville was made unique for each species and the details provided gave me a good glimpse of the place.

I had a difficulty reading the conversations. They go like this:

“So, if yah can help us stop what’s happenin’ to yah before tonight, then we ain’t got no need tah bring yah in. But tah do that, we needjah tah tell us whatchah remember ’bout last night, ’cuz anythin’ yah got for us might help.”

There were times when they're easy to read, but there were times when I had to read twice to get it. I like that I could practically hear accents but it can be a nuisance. note: The sentences outside the quotation marks were normally written. It's just the dialogues.

I had good laughs reading this book! I had fun reading it. It's ridiculous and I love that the characters knew it.

“Wait, what is happening? This is stupid!”

I still laugh whenever I imagine the ghosts of dead toons on white robe with halo and little harp.

There were very looooong backstories. I really just wanted to get back to the main story. The only flashback I enjoyed was when they were in prison and Manny remembered first meeting Moana.

This stood by its cartoon settings. There's fight cloud whenever there's a brawl, a lightbulb on head when they get an idea, stars circling their heads when they're dazed.

This could've just ended on the middle. Instead, the story dragged and we found out that *toot* wasn't the final boss. I wasn't disappointed as I also enjoyed the other half. Just pointing it out.

I expected more Rimsky exposure. Of course I understand the the trio detectives would be on the front line here, but it was also about Rimsky being innocent and cursed. There were times when I asked "where's the rook?".

TL;DR
Great world-building and a very fun read. There were very long backstories and the dialogues written to show accents was good idea but can also be a nuisance.

SETTING
This story takes place in Toonsville, a sprawling cartoon metropolis full of neighborhoods as vibrant as a Technicolor rainbow. It is a 1950s-qstyle noir wonderland full of cartoon creatures of every imaginable species.
The center of the city is a dilapidated, black-and-white neighborhood named the Grays that was created before color entered the world. Neighborhoods grew outward from there to serve as homes to different cartoon species as new cartoons were created, novel cartoon styles were invented, and assorted characters were born.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for honest review.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I'm writing this, Goodreads doesn't have much information posted about the book, so I'm going to start with the synopsis I found on BookSirens (where I also got the ARC).

MANDRILL P.I. is a hardboiled, hard-drinking private detective, and in this tale, he must solve the case of a beast that's devouring people at night. But as he investigates, he learns the obvious suspect may not be the culprit, and a monstrous conspiracy festers behind the scenes.
Will he stop it in time? Or will were-beasts unleash their vicious appetites on everyone in the city?

This book delivers exactly what it promises...a PI who operates in Toonsville during what feels like the 1950's. It's a little zany, a little far fetched, and quite a bit of fun.

Manny is a mess of a character...just the kind of PI you need in Toonsville. I got some serious Bogart vibes from him in places. All of the characters are colorful and well written.
The plot is twisty and just as fantastical as expected. There are some slow parts, but enough
movement to keep you waiting for what will happen next. There are a lot of moving pieces and sleight of hand, it keeps you on your toes.

Admittedly, books like this aren't my normal fare, but the cover art was intriguing and once I read the synopsis, I had to see how the story would work. And I was pleasantly surprised. I may not be a convert to all things noir, but I really enjoy what Brimmage did with this story. I'm really glad I gave it a chance and I'll definitely be on the lookout for future books.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this, it was what the description described. The characters were really well done and I enjoyed going on this journey.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic piece of noir fiction! Characters are really likeable & the world of Toonsville is absolutely crazy. Found the plot developed very freely which I think is due to the authors world building skills. Will definitely look out for other work by this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Charl (thinkingbookishthoughts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Blog

I think I’m discovering that I just love books with anthropomorphised animal characters. I don’t care what it’s about, just give me stories involving walking, talking animals.

Plot
Manny Mandrill is a down on his luck private investigator drinking himself into oblivion after the passing of his beloved wife. When he comes across a case that may be far bigger than it seems, he gets the chance to work with his old partner, Kip Catfish, to reveal the truth. The truth is far more complicated than Manny first thinks though. Manny and Kip, with the help of Manny’s friend Ernie – a vampire elephant head capable of flying – and other toons in Toonsville, must discover who is at the root of a larger conspiracy while trying to avoid danger that lurks behind every corner.

Characters
The characters in this novel are wonderful. The main character, Manny Mandrill, is a P.I. with a drinking problem and a heavy addiction to nicotine. He’s so cynical and jaded but he’s also loyal and wants to find the truth and solve the case. He goes through a surprising amount of character development but in such a way that he’s recognisably himself at the end which was great. Ernie Elephant, while being slightly annoying, was probably my favourite character in the book purely for the absurdity of him. He’s a flying vampire elephant head who can’t go out in public without a disguise as he’s wanted for accidentally killing a corrupt police officer. He’s such a sweetheart of a character and is a constant source of comic relief in a book full of violence and murder. Even the unlikeable characters were memorable and as strange as to be expected.


Thoughts
Were-beasts. Gangsters. Conspiracies. I absolutely loved Rook Takes the Queen. This book can fit into so many genres but ultimately it’s a noir mystery set in a fantastical city called Toonsville which is filled with, well, toons. The story is a first person narrative from Manny’s perspective. I don’t usually like first person books, nor do I usually like a book written in dialect, but it works very well in this story and really helps to add depth to the characters.

As soon as I saw the cover for Rook Takes the Queen on BookSirens I knew I wanted to read this ARC. I’m SO glad I did. The cover is superb, the premise is crazy and the execution is far better than I expected it to be. Every event in this novel is insanity. I’d love to sit down with this author and talk about how on earth he came up with the setting and the plot because I think Christopher Brimmage’s imagination is fantastic.

The world-building is enough that I could picture all the different neighbourhoods without feeling like I was being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of different locations visited. The writing was simplistic but in a way that really fit the story. I also applaud the author for knowing how to perfectly balance action with storytelling – at least for my preferences. The further into the story you get the more absurd it becomes but it never feels tiring or like the author is trying too hard. The dialogue often feels satirical but never out of place.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and after reading the epilogue I will absolutely be keeping my eyes peeled for the sequel. I can feel this becoming a series that I love. This story made me laugh over and over, I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Recommend For
- Fans of novels that do not take themselves too series
- Fans of anthropomorphised animal stories
- Fans of comedic mysteries

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book, though I didn't love it as much as I did "Dial M for Murdered Coyote". At least not all of it. The first part of the book I was enjoying just as much as the previous book. But when the character of Obie Otter was introduced the feel of the book changed and I didn't really care for it at all. It had the same feel to it that I got the first time I read "A Study in Scarlett". One minute I was reading a Sherlock Holmes mystery and the next I was in some convoluted story taking place in Utah and nothing made sense. It was that same effect for me. One minute I was reading an enjoyable cartoon story and the next everything was inside a gemstone and nothing made sense. But just like reading Sherlock, I am choosing to just get through that part and hold on to the enjoyable bits and mark this book down as a win. More people should definitely be reading about Manny Mandrill.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Korinne Tande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story. Many many laugh aloud moments due to the antics of the characters and the author's writing style. I kept thinking of the brain storming sessions it must have taken for the author to think of and develop such an assortment of characters and their creative names. The lead character is Manny Mandrill, a Private Investigator looking into the murder of Bobby, the blue dart frog who was murdered. With the author's writing style and ability to paint pictures with words, I found myself envisioning all the characters along with the location in the cartoon city. His description of Manny had me thinking of all the “private eyes” I have seen on television throughout the years, except, of course, Manny is a monkey, and yes, he is the hero in this story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anya Josephs]

I can honestly say this book was like nothing I've ever read before. Think Looney Tunes meets noir detective stories meets werewolves, and you're most of the way there. Honestly, I am completely unsure what to say about this one. I don't even know if I liked it or not, but I do know that it's truly unique.

[Bia Voinea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adored this book.

It is something completely different from what I read in the last couple of years. I could only describe it as imagination overload. Just trying to picture in your head everything the author describes. I received this as an ARC but will totally add this to my physical library. Will definitely reread.

[Michael Ikirt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is truly an All-Toon version of Roger Rabbit. Plus, once the main story is wrapped up, it takes a twist, almost giving you two novels in one! While not specifically a horror comedy, ( the horror aspect is really downplayed), it’s still an amusing tale of what happens when a toon messes with powers beyond its control. It’s written in such a way that you can really envision a noir-type PI, who just happens to be a monkey, going from the black white world he inhabits to the colorful, insane world of other toons. I look forward to more of this madness, and f you like your hard boiled mysteries with a dash of humor, give Mandrill, and his vampire elephant head (?????) sidekick a shot.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Mandrill P.I: Rook Takes the Queen” (Mandrill PI, volume 1) by Christopher Brimmage. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cartoon Noir Detective novel. Location: Toonsville, a technicolor cartoon land. Time: The days of old style cartoons.

Manny Mandrill, PI, wears a white button-up shirt, trench coat, and fedora hat. He’s a hard-boiled, primate, private investigator struggling with depression and alcohol. He’s the hero of this tribute to 1950s-1980s old style cartoons.

When Bobby the blue dart frog is killed and torn apart, the main suspect is Rimsky Rook, a decrepit old taxi driver. Rimsky swears he’s innocent so Manny investigates. He discovers a giant were-beast terrorizing the city. Where did it come from, are there more, and what will stop it?

Manny is joined by Kip Catfish, police detective, in a mustard yellow suit and bolo tie over a copper diving suit, and by Ernie Elephant, a flying vampire elephant head- just the head.

The author creates a amazing cartoon city full of species-specific neighborhoods with differing needs for breathing, shelter, and food. Thus the Fishbowl neighborhood is a gigantic aquarium for aquatic toons. The Snake Hole has trees and hanging houses for tropical snake toons, dry adobe houses for desert dwellers. The Mole Tunnel neighborhood is - well- underground. Manny lives in the only non species-specific neighborhood. It’s called The Grays, it’s dilapidated, and filled with losers. I love world building, but maybe adding a map and cutting back some of the extensive neighborhood descriptions, long back stories and histories would make the book accessible to a wider range of readers.

Word choices can be lazy (“This one was the one on the balcony…”), and the hard-boiled talk of Manny and others is sometimes a bit overdone. The character Pantaloon Porker stutters. He seems to be an homage to Porky Pig, but the stuttering edges toward disability mocking.

Still, it’s a fun read that immerses readers in an alternative universe. It’s clear Brimmage invested a lot of love and care into creating the colorful, diverse Toonville and residents. His Kickstarter page describes this book as “Hellboy meets True Detective meets Looney Tunes”. I’d say that’s about right, and it’s a solid 3 stars from me. 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️” Thank you to Book Sirens and Christopher Brimmage for this copy!

[Kevin Cannon (Monty's Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mandrill P.I. is a monkey on a mission. Something is terrorising the city, a killer beast is on the loose and the hard-boiled gumshoe is on the case.

This is a really fun novel that mixes a great plot with a range of strange characters as it follows Manny, our primate detective on his quest to clear the name of Rimsky Rook who is the prime suspect as far as the police are concerned.

In a town populated with cartoon characters our intrepid sleuth sets out to uncover a sinister conspiracy with the help of his fishy police detective former partner and the Moon
Grabbing hold of the best parts of Looney Tunes, Space Jam & Who Framed Roger Rabbit

‘Rook Takes the Queen’ is a rollercoaster of witty dialog and cartoon violence. It delivers a punchy plot with all the elements needed to carry the reader to Toonsville and immerse them in the world of Mandrill P.I.