Inspector Hobbes and the Curse

Laugh your head off! Poor Andy walks under a deluge from a black cloud, occasionally coming up for air. And when things look good, his disbelief dumps him back on the dark side. Engaging and amazing characters, if not attractive, and plenty of action take the reader on a roller coaster ride of improbability occasionally intersecting with life as we know it.

Enjoyed this! Won't go back and read the first book, as any needed details were summarized in this one, but would read the next. An 'unhuman' Sherlock-and-Watson dynamic, where 'Sherlock" (i.e. Hobbes) has, instead of Sherlock's enormous mental capacities, supernatural mental and physical abilities...that are never fully explained. I'm guessing that more will be revealed in future volumes.

Hard to tell the audience for whom this is meant: the cover looks like a YA book, as does the title (which really never made sense to me--I think there are better options); but there are a couple of scenes (an attractive young lady searching for car keys in the protagonist's pants pocket) that are NOT appropriate for YA.

Oh, the puns! The puns! I haven’t read so many puns since reading Robert Asprin. Actually, methinks I doth protest too much; I’m well known with my swim friends for frequent puns-wars with one of the other swimmers, a pundit of amazing talents. There’s a particularly pun-ishing anecdote in which Hobbes tells Andy a story about a pair of lions in a small traveling circus:

“‘Both lions lay limp in their cage, as if dead. A juggler and a clown went in to check–the clown had nicked himself shaving and was bleeding. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the lions weren’t dead, they’d merely been sleeping and woke to find two men in their cage and the door wide open.’

‘Gosh,’ I said. That must have been scary, especially for the bleeding clown.’

‘Language, Andy. As it happens, the lions, ignoring the clown, went straight for the juggler.’“

Silence those groans–the puns are part of the fun. Inspector Hobbes and the Curse is the second book in a series about British Police Inspector Hobbes and his sidekick, the penniless, ex-journalist Andy. This book stands alone, enjoyable despite not reading the first. It’s a Holmesian spoof, with a hapless, feckless version of Watson, and a supernatural twist. Told from Andy’s point of view, it follows the attempts of the two to investigate a string of mysterious incidents in the area, beginning with night sightings of a giant feline. First stop–the local Wildlife Park, where we learn about Hobbes’ camel allergy and Andy literally falls at the feet of a gorgeous woman. Subsequent inquires take them to the local pub, various farmers, on a night surveillance or two and even to a local music festival. Matters become more serious when a man dies at Andy’s feet.

Characterization is well done, if somewhat troublesome for me. Hobbes is classic Holmes, only a little more feral. Still arrogant, with mental and physical capabilities to match. Side characters generally get enough attention to come into their own, including Mrs. Goodfellow the housekeeper, Dregs the dog and Featherlight Binks, local bar owner and frequent brawler.

Andy, however, was often my sticking point. He fulfills most of the tropes of the feckless sidekick: leaping to erroneous conclusions, cowardly, foolish, and repeatedly making one bad decision after another. In fact, he’s pretty much the Gilligan of the book. Amusing at times, but hard to root for as he hares off on one wild tangent after another. It’s clear he’s not the smartest of narrators from the start, when he’s taken to making dinner for himself and Hobbes because the housekeeper is out of town: “Certainly, he ate his [salad] without fuss, seeming not to mind the big green caterpillar on the lettuce, and he even complimented me on its freshness. He did, however, point out that the potatoes in a potato salad are better when cooked.” At times, the foolishness was extreme enough to be slapstick, so take tolerance for silliness into account when reading. That said, I enjoyed using Andy’s observations to try and interpret characters and situations for myself, a process that was complicated by Andy’s frank admittance that in Hobbes’ company, he had been encountered supernatural creatures.

A few notes about the writing: Martin may well be trying to channel Sir Arthur, but initially I found the writing style hard to follow. Perhaps it was my own recent reading of Eats Shoots and Leaves, but I think Ms. Truss ought to have no fear that semicolons and colons are going out of fashion. Or, at least, Martin’s doing his best to bring them back. Phrasing is occasionally awkward: “Fortunately, for my well-being, the ten-mile journey could only have lasted five minutes, since the more I got used to his driving, the more frightening it became.” Luckily, once into the story, those instances could be ignored as I focused on the plotting and the humor. It is also written with a number of British slang words, so I finally got a bit of practice with the Kindle dictionary link. “Dozy,” “conker,” “doddle,” “punters,” and “pong” all got a look-up.

Overall, it was an interesting mix of British detective comedy with shades of urban fantasy/supernatural mystery. It made for a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Andy Caplet is a rather pathetic excuse of an adult. He burned his own apartment down attempting to cook dinner and has been living with Inspector Hobbes (who saved him from the fire), ever since. He is out of work, having been an uninspired journalist who was let go by his editor. He wears the clothes provided by the inspector's housekeeper, Mrs. Goodfellow. (Her husband left her to "find himself" in Tahiti, so she has his old clothing stored away.) Andy's too timid to take the martial arts classes Mrs. Goodfellow teaches, he doesn't seem to have any skills to acquire another job, and has no money. It's a mystery why Hobbes keeps him around.

The good news is that Andy has written up memoirs of his adventures with Hobbes and this one has plenty of things to keep our interest. There are big cats, panthers perhaps, attacking people in the area around Sorenchester. There are also rumors of werewolf sightings. An elephant escapes from the trailer it is being transported in and demolishes a local cafe. The owner of a local pub is arrested for murder. A music festival is being held in a field on the edge of town. A well-known businessman is interested in developing some of the properties in town and has come to oversee things personally. Most shocking - his sister seems to like Andy and wants to date him. Add in some arson, blackmail, vandalism, and a bomb and you have an amusing read told from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't notice any of the important clues and bumbles from one crisis to the next, a bit like a civilian version of Inspector Clouseau.

If you enjoy humor generously mixed in with your mystery and being able to feel superior to the narrator (because you know what is going on and he doesn't ), then give Inspector Hobbes a try. This is his second adventure and another is on the way.

An oddly entertaining novel. Wonderful humor and just enough spooky to be entertaining but not give nightmares. Looking forward to reading more of Inspector Hobbes and company!

An Amusing Unhuman Mystery

Inspector Hobbes and the Curse is an amusing fantasy take-off on Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Hobbes, the Sherlock of the pair, has enormous physical and mental capabilities that aren't quite human. His bumbling sidekick, Andy, is accident prone, particularly when he drinks too much, or is faced with a beautiful woman.

The novel is set in a charming village in the Cotswolds. The villagers are upset because Felix King, a billionaire developer, is trying to buy up local property. His sister and assistant, Viola, is a tempting target for Andy's attraction to beautiful women.

Panthers and werewolves are sighted in the area around the village and may be responsible for the sheep killings that initially involve Hobbes in the investigation. However, human murder is also on the agenda, and this book turns into a typical murder mystery.

I enjoyed the book. It's light-hearted reading appropriate for a rainy day, or any day you're eager for amusement. The characters are well drawn. They're not quite human, except for poor Andy, but that makes them more fun. The plot and setting are interesting and draw you in to the world of the novel.

Although this is the second novel in Wilkie Martin's mystery series, it can be read as a standalone tale with no reason to go back to the first story for background. I recommend it as a relaxing fantasy read.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.

The story is narrated by Andy, jobless, broke and homeless he is taken in by Inspector Hobbes and his housekeeper Mrs Goodfellow. Both treat him somewhat like a small helpless child. After reading an article in the local paper about a sheep being killed then a large number of pheasants also go missing, Hobbes decides it’s time he started investigating these strange happenings. First stop is Bob Nibblet the local poacher. Bob, known to have a drink or two, tells them he saw a large black cat like a panther.
Their investigation now turns to whether the black cat sighting could possibly be true or is there something more sinister stalking the woods.
Follow Hobbes and Andy as they battle through unlikely suspects as another death occurs.

What a great, funny read! The competent laidback Inspector Hobbes and his bumbling sidekick Andy! Every good country cop needs a sidekick. Someone to bounce those laughable jokes off! Hobbes and Andy are an excellent duo. The prose is in a friendly relaxed style, like a friend telling a story. The reader really gets to know Andy in this story as he fills you in on little episodes from his past. If you think you’ve had a bad day, spend a day in Andy’s shoes. Had me chuckling non stop! The story was well thought out and it all pulled together at the end to finish well. I’d recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good crime novel with a lot of laughs. I also learnt a few new words ‘wolfifesting’ being by far my favourite.
Inspector Hobbes, himself, is intriguing and now I really need to go back and read Wilkie Martin’s first Inspector Hobbes novel to get a greater insight into this character.

This is a new author for me as I don't usually read paranormal. I found the print easy to see. The story moved along fast. The characters intrigued me and keep my interest throughout the book. I didn't want to put it down. Question in my mind about Inspector Hobbes; is human? Andy an unemployed journalist narrates the story in first person and by his own actions he is always in trouble. Mrs G is a delightful individual. Even Leads, the dogs adds to the story. The descriptions of the animals and the area is well down.
Pheasants are being found with their heads ripped off and sheep with their throats slashed. Reports of large blacks are circulating. Andy falls for a girl and is delighted that she asked him out to dinner. Inspector Hobbes is looking into the death of person who's throaty was slashed. What is in the forest and can it be stop before more deaths. I recommend this book highly.

Inspector Hobbes And The Curse by Wilkie Martin is a funny, quirky, entertaining read. There is a mystery to be solved and it is carried out throughout the entire book. There are many twists and turns that make it nearly impossible to solve the mystery on your own, and in my opinion, that’s a good thing.

The writing style flows easily and there is a lot of humor to be found within the pages of the book. The writing is very descriptive and really pulled me into the story. The dialogue is witty and humorous and adds quite a lot to the enjoyment of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a humorous mystery with good plotting and dialogue. I have not read anything by this author before but I plan on picking up more books in the Unhuman series.

Inspector Hobbes and the Curse by Wilkie Martin Inspector Hobbes and Mrs. Goodfellow are not exactly human. Dregs is a dog, so he's OK. But Andy is not quite sure about the other two. He makes no complaints, though. They are letting him live there and feed him excellent food. He may have questions and concerns but he doesn't voice them. After all, he has no place else to go...

The Witcherley Book Company and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It has been published, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

It seems the good inspector has a wild side himself, as well as an exceeding long life so far. He also has some very unusual habits. He's very good at tracking things, though. Andy just follows along and hopes for the best.

Andy doesn't know what to believe when folks start turning up dead, looking like they have been ravaged by a wild animal. One animal in the woods is thought to be a black panther. Hobbes tells him there's a werewolf there, too. I wouldn't be playing in those woods, thank you!

In the meantime, Andy is dating and getting quite attached to the new lady in town. If only her big brother wasn't so possessive...

This is a far out fantasy full of odd characters and action. How often do you have conversations with skeletons? I found it entertaining because I like outlandish fantasy. I'm still not sure what Hobbes is but he's not all human. In his line of business, that can be an asset.

I'll be watching for their next adventure. After all, Andy lost his woman and life must go on. You know Inspector Hobbes will be up to the next case that arrives.

Happy reading.

This book was every bit as entertaining and enjoyable as the first in the series. I have recommended it to all my friends and acquaintances. I very much want to read the next book in the series.

I received a copy of Inspector Hobbes and the Curse from the publisher via netgalley in return for an honest review.

I haven't read the previous book, but this one really reads fine as a stand alone novel.

Inspector Hobbes and the Curse is very much the funny mans Sherlock Holmes, it's a light hearted tale full of mystery, quirks and puns. The tale is told from the character Andy Caplets point of view, poor Andy, he's accident prone and as a result is left jobless, broke and homeless. He's taken in by Inspector Hobbes and takes on the role of a somewhat bumbling Watson to Hobbes's Holmes and together they set out to solve an unusual supernatural whodunit mystery.

This was a fun read and is full of chuckle worthy puns and word play. I wouldn't say it was a page turner it's more one of those books you can pick up and read without having to think too much about the plot and just enjoy the humour and the tale.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/958975842?book_show_action=false

Booklikes Blog: http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/916536/this-was-a-fun-read-and-is-full-of-chuckle-worthy-puns-and-word-play

AmazonUK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1ZVSS322SYF78/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

AmazonCOM: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2TK5TY3ESLD49/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Totally different from most books that I read. I would read more in this series.

Really loved this - it is very quirky and rattles along at a good pace.

Enjoyable quick read. Still haven't decided whether Hobbs is a werewolf or some other type of creature. It is quirky and at the same time a story that would appeal to different audiences.

Inspector Hobbes and the Curse by Wilkie Martin is a fun romp through a mystery. Andy is the typical "hapless" side kick. He actually tells the story with complete narration of meals. He does help Hobbes through out the story. You will love this second of the series if you like mysteries but don't take them too seriously. The humor and puns are a bit juvenile at times, yet that really makes the story. So, only read this if you want to have some fun!!