I wasn't sure this was my kind of book but decided to give it a read. I am glad I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun getting in to the characters!

I enjoyed the distraction of Inspector Hobbes and the Bones but feel I might have missed key elements of the overarching story by jumping into this series midstream. There's quite a lot that passed me by having none of the previous books to rely on for intelligence. Saying that, there is a warm charm between all the principle characters that one cannot help but find delightful. Mrs. Goodfellow, specifically, is a real gem though I don't know the story behind her intriguing abilities. She carried the story, I would say. Well, with the help of Hobbes and Dregs, of course. Those two are a crime comedy duo of great strength. Good stuff.

One point that did detract, and even annoyed me to a certain extent, is the level of Andy's bumbling. There wasn't much of it initially but it seemed to have changed course partway and was ramped up to a painful level. I find him the weakest character though he might have more redeeming qualities on offer with his wife's return? We shall see.

Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is good fun but if you are looking for a light cosy mystery I would suggest reading this series from the start to get the full impact.

Sorry, I assumed this was an ordinary crime story but now realise it has a non human in it. Therefore, it is not my sort of thing so won't be reading it. I'm sure it's fine for those who like that sort of thing! Apologies again.

A light read ideal for curling up on the sofa on a cold, miserable, winter's day. The lead characters are far from stereotypes but, at least, one can be assured that by the end Inspector Bones will have restored peace and calm.

Sometimes you find the right series at the right time. For me, Wilkie Martin’s Inspector Hobbes series was one of those. This light urban fantasy in the vein of Scott Meyer meets Ben Aaronovitch was just the escape I needed. I picked up the first in series, Inspector Hobbes and the Blood, on sale and surprised myself by buying the next two immediately. Then saw that his most recent was available on NetGalley. So I read the entire four book series in a week :)

Although each book in the series can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading them in order, if only to note the development of the narrator, Andy. My surprise at how much I enjoyed the series came from the fact in the first book he seemed childish and not so much a bumbling “Watson” but actually cursed. He improves over each book and his misadventures are somewhat muted. Here he seems merely klutzy and inept :) The mystery is a little more mysterious than prior books which is also a plus. There is also an abundance of really bad puns early in the book. How much you enjoy that will depend on your taste.

Overall, if you are looking for light, escapist reading I recommend the Inspector Hobbes series.