Hobgoblins Don't Like Honey

Trussel and Gout: Paranormal Investigations #0.1

by M.A. Knights

Malwyn Pottersburgh doesn't believe in Hobgoblins. That doesn't stop them from ruining his life.

When a man with no memory walks into The Winking Duck, the dilapidated inn where he works, Malwyn sees an opportunity to finally win the hand of the woman he loves.

Felicity Snoke is grace personified, but her father, Malywn's boss...well that's another matter. Nicknamed Snoke the Poke, he is more likely to beat Malwyn to a pulp than give his blessing for Felicity to marry him.

But now Malwyn has a plan to win his favour. There's just one problem:

There's something in the basement. Several somethings. And they don't seem inclined to leave.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Adult

ebook

About the author

Hello. I’m M. A. Knights — English writer, BookToker, and firm believer that magic is considerably more useful than data (though I did try the data first).

After earning degrees in Countryside Conservation and Climate Change, I came to a quiet but decisive conclusion: I am not, in fact, a scientist. Something to do with numbers. And memory. And an overwhelming preference for dragons.

So I returned to what made sense — peculiar worlds, improbable creatures, and stories in which the strange is treated as entirely reasonable.

These days I write cosy fantasy and supernatural mysteries populated by eccentric investigators, opinionated folklore, and the sort of peril that is dramatic enough to be interesting, but polite enough not to ruin one’s afternoon.

My books tend to involve:

Found family assembled under slightly inconvenient circumstances
Magic that complicates matters more than it resolves them
Tea. Frequently.
Creatures who may or may not be entirely trustworthy
Saving the day in ways that are rarely tidy
I am particularly fond of stories where the absurd is delivered with a straight face, where folklore behaves like a disgruntled neighbour, and where courage often looks suspiciously like stubborn kindness.

If you enjoy mysteries solved with biscuits, whimsical dread (the civilised kind), and worlds that don’t always cooperate but eventually relent, you may feel at home here.

Should you encounter anything peculiar while reading, do not be alarmed.
It is almost certainly meant to be there.

Reviews

[Richard]

This story is absolutely fudging hilarious. Yes, I said fudging, and not the bad word you think I said. It made me feel the need, the need for mead. In fact, this story of forty headaches and a mule is the prequel to a series I think I would love to continue.

[Relyn]

I found M.A. Knights almost as soon as I got on TikTok. He's such a fun BookToker with an amazing voice. We don't really love the same type of books, but when I found out he had published a few books, of course, I had to give them a try. Oh, I am so glad I did. This was funny and engaging and just delightful. I'm off to purchase The Pig in the Derby Hat.

[Vannessa]

I picked up this book from the author in a book signing event and as it was a short read, I thought I would give it a try. I thought it was absolutely hilarious!

Malwyn Pottersburgh works in a shabby inn trying to win the love of his life - the inn owner's daughter. When a man comes into the bar with no memory of who he is, where he came from or anything at all, Mal decides to help him.

With the owners of the bar away at a festival, the inn gets invaded by a group of Hobgoblins and Mal and Theo have to work together to get rid of them before they drink every last drop of alcohol in the bar! This was hilarious as neither of them knew what they were doing apart from a note in Theo's notebook about honey!

I really enjoyed this story - it was silly at times, but a fun read! Definitely going to read more of this series now!

[Zebra]

I found M.A. Knights on TikTok. I have similar tastes in books and loved his personality, so I signed up for his newsletter and got this eBook as a gift. Now I'm fudging hooked.

I saved it for a Sunday evening with my tea. Part one was beautifully described, being a reader who reads a book like watching a movie and this book draw me in easily with its amazing writing. I loved the humor in the book and laughed out loud several times.
I am looking forward to following the characters into the next adventure. It was a wholesome story I wish my grandmother would tell us when we were children, on the other hand, I am not sure this was written for children (perhaps older children). Mostly, I think it was intended for readers like me, who grew up on stories, and are taken back to the comfortable hiding in another world.

I wish I was a writer and could write a more wholesome review for those deciding it they should pick this up, but here we are.

[Charissa Wilkinson]

Overview: Malwyn Pottersburgh has one large dream. He wants to marry the lovely Felicity Snoke. In order to gain her hand, he hatches a plan to gain Snoke the Poke's approval. Unfortunately, he is working in the tavern alone, with only one guest, when he becomes aware of a sinister invasion. Can Malwyn gain his boss' approval? Or will he fall to Snoke the Poke's wrath? And just who is his amnesiac guest? Let's find out.

Dislikes: The Snoke family is rather wicket. The elder Snoke is actually accused of the murder of Miss Snoke's prior love.

Likes: The trio of regulars did the best they could to save Malwyn from himself.

Theophilus Gout was quite helpful, at least, when he could remember.

Malwyn does have a great work ethic.

Conclusion: This was a great little story. If you like cozy fantasies and mysteries, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.

[viki edwards]

A delightfully whimsical book. As the precursor to The Pig In The Derby Hat, this short story, or case file, is about Hobgoblins ("No, Really!", I hear you cry sarcastically). A fun and dark paranormal story of what happens when a supernatural entity gets enticed by things much sweeter than they have had before. With Mr Gout being his rather charming usual self, albeit with a rather strange case of memory loss, he and the ever dependable barkeep go on an adventure to rid his place of work from these monstrous creatures. But how did they get there in the first place? And how will they get them to go away? Delightful and peculiar all wrapped up, I will definitely be reading more of Mr Gouts Case Files and have a cheeky giggle at how this unassuming man can always manage to do the right thing, in the strangest of ways!

[CHud]

Where to start....this is a very unusual read Much like an old fashioned fairy tale. It was written in a style similar to the old stories that were created to tell children in the old days. Cautionary tales to correct some errant trait or behaviour. However, this story was not written for children. I am really not sure who it was intended for...

I would not recommend this story to anyone. I only completed it because I started it and wanted credit for reading it on Goodreads. That being said, the only slightly redeeming thing was that there was some humor to the story and that is the only reason I gave it two stars. Other than that I got nothing from it.

[Barbara Lennox]

A prequel to the Trussell and Gout series of short-read paranormal mysteries which features a younger, but not that much younger, Theophilus Gout, together with a character who appears in Something in the Woodshed, Malwyn Pottersburgh. Their rapport and disagreements are a joy to read as the story develops into a fast-paced comedy featuring honey, beer, drunk hobgoblins, a reluctant donkey, a love-interest who isn’t all Malwyn would wish her to be, and a foul-mouthed pub landlord who gets what he deserves. Another excellent and funny read from a rising talent in British comedic fantasy.

[Cassie Dishman]

Ok, but Clementine-Felicity showdown when?

I enjoyed the backstory on Mr. Gout and Mal in this book, but, truth be told, I missed Miss Trussel’s presence/voice. I also didn’t love that the one woman in the whole story was treated as the villain (I mean, she was the villain, but a very understandable one, and I don’t feel that she was given much grace).

Will I read more Gout Casefiles? Absolutely. Trussel and Gout is my new favorite pick me up read, and the more stories I have to consume the better.

[Joanna]

I really enjoyed this book! I read it after reading The Pig in the Derby Hat and I thought that the issues that I had with that book - wanting more character development and more detail about the events - were not there with this book. Both the characters of Mal and Mr Gout were well developed and there was plenty of information to go with the story itself.
I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series and spending more time with Mr Gout and his helpers.

[Bee]

Charming, engaging, funny, cozy.

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when going into this one, and I'm happy to say I'm absolutely delighted I read this one. Just the right amount of mystery, action and paranormal aspects. I loved my time with Malywn and Gout. Their interactions had me laughing out loud and fully invested in the mystery. I adored every moment in this world and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

*Remember the thing about the honey

[Rebecca]

What do you do when you have a bunch of hobgoblins in your cellar drinking your inn's beer? That's exactly what the main character is faced with, except it's his girlfriend's father's inn, and if he doesn't get rid of these hobgoblins before she and her father return, he's toast. This was a quick read. I liked its humor and everyday practicality about hobgoblins. I would definitely read this author again.

[MimiAmi]

I enjoyed this prequel so much that I went straight for book one which is available on Kindle Unlimited, hurray!

The characters don’t have much of a backstory but the storyline more than makes up for that. Even though there are some dangers and perilous moments, I still laughed until I had to wipe away the tears so I could keep reading several times! I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author and this is my honest and freely given opinion.

[Stephanie Doyle]

This was a great read. Really easy, quick read and it served as a brilliant introduction to the main character for this series.

It was also very funny! Several times I laughed out loud. I really liked his writing style, it felt conversational.

I am now very much looking forward to the next one which I have on pre-order - The Pig in The Derby Hat

[Courtney Lee]

What a fun adventure! If you want something light hearted, mysterious, and fudging funny, then this is it. I believe this is a prequel to the Trussel and Gout series, but I haven’t read those yet. I stumbled upon this book first and was hooked. I hope that Mal is able to help Mr. Gout with his memories in the later books.

[Natalie Rogerson]

This was a fun, quick, enjoyable read. There's mystery, there's loveable characters, what jot to enjoy. A cozy fantasy, mystery short story and I really enjoyed it. I need more tales of Theophilius Gout.

[Constance M.]

received this book from the author through Book Funnel

this was a fun, short read.
be careful what you think you want. sometimes you find out ,ore than you have bargained for.

that's not the primary message, but could be one of them.

[Nat thecaninelibrary]

A charming little prequel full of humour and heart. Malwyn’s earnestness drives the story, and the quirky situations keep things engaging. Short, sweet, and playful, it’s a delightful read that leaves you wanting more from the series.

[Melissa Miller]

It was fun. I look forward to reading more in the series.

[Shahna]

Love it. Lots of fun.
Gimmie more please.

[Graham Carter]

An interesting read with a character that the reader really hopes win through only to have that hope dashed!

[Cathy Ann]

So much fun. With characters that stick with you. Which is good because Mr. Gout is in three following books.

[Cheryl (Super Slump)]

This is a 4.25 🌟 read rounded ⬇️ to 4 🌟 .

This was such a fantabulous, entertaining read!

[April Cook]

Cute quick read and a nice palette cleanser between those long fantasy books

[Nancy]

This book is a give away by the author when you sign up for his newsletter letter. It’s basically to get a taste for the series and I’m in for the series. It’s a really good story, odd and fun.

[Kasey Turner]

Today's read: Hobgoblins Don't Like Honey by

A Prequel to the Pig in the Derby Hat

In this early adventure of Mr Gout before he meets Miss Trussel, he battles hobgoblins and his very missing memory. Another fantastical tale of mystery and misadventure. This whole series is quick and fun with touch of dark and creepy.