No bones about it - Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is a terrific novel
Inspector Hobbes and the Bones
Cozy Mystery Comedy Crime Fantasy
by Wilkie Martin
The Witcherley Book Company
Mystery & Thrillers, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 16 Dec 2016
Review
The “unhuman” Inspector Hobbes and his hapless reporter companion Andy are back for another supernatural adventure that is guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face. Some chefs take simple ingredients and the result is “meh” while others create masterpieces of delight. This novel is one such masterpiece of delight, far different from the standard urban fantasy/paranormal mystery fare. What makes it special? The unusual characters are so varied and likable - even Featherlight, the curmudgeonly bartender with a dubious grip on hygiene. Animal lovers will adore Dregs, with his vibrant personality (reminded me a bit of Scooby Doo, but far more fun and with a touch more Casanova). Andy, the narrator, is an affable, easy going guy with a talent for getting himself injured and into various forms of trouble. And Hobbes is Hobbes, ageless, gruff, uniquely unhuman and always able to bring out the best in people while protecting his town from natural and supernatural disorder.
In Inspector Hobbes and the Bones, the town is flooding and many are losing their homes - including Andy whose beloved Daphne is in Egypt on a dig. Naturally Andy ends up back with his old friend Inspector Hobbes. While dealing with the results of the storm, they discover human remains, some old but others far newer. Andy eagerly helps Inspector Hobbes investigate the murders, while struggling to understand why someone is trying to blackmail him.
This simple sketch does little to encompass the entire story, the various weird and hilarious happenings and the over the top antics of the various characters. Inspector Hobbes and the Bones is a book you can easily enjoy with your family - even the youngest members. It has adventure, comedy, fantasy and romance, as well as a touch of mystery - something for everyone whether you are 15 or 50.
I highly recommend Inspector Hobbes and the Bones, as well as Wilkie Martin’s other Inspector Hobbes novels. They are unique, charming and enjoyable regardless of how old you are.
5/5
I received a copy of Inspector Hobbes and the Bones from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Description
‘I was grateful for having been born human’
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 standalone cozy comedy crime fantasies.
Suitable for teenage and upwards. Set in the English Cotswolds and featuring the unhuman British detective Inspector Hobbes as told by the chaotic reporter Andy Caplet. It is not necessary to have read the previous books in the series.
