A reporter with nothing to lose. An inspector with something to hide. The Cotswolds’ newest odd couple is on the case… room for a few days (or months) seems like the only option…
Andy agrees to accompany the inspector to investigate a sudden surge in crime and soon finds himself immersed in a world beyond humanity. It turns out that Inspector Hobbes eats raw bones, their housekeeper collects teeth, and their guests include trolls, dwarves, and ghouls. As Andy tries to piece together the inspector’s true identity, his new partner is hard at work solving unexplainable murders, suicides, and robberies. If they can’t learn to work together and solve the mystery in time, the chilling fate of their charming town will be sealed…
Inspector Hobbs and the Blood is the first book in a series of comedy crime fantasy novels. If you like intriguing characters, hilarious wit, and small-town whodunits with fantasy flair, then you’ll love Wilkie Martin’s fast-paced supernatural tale.
Buy Inspector Hobbs and the Blood to join the madcap mystery today!
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It started out well, and seemed promising if not the most original thing I’d ever seen. But the more I read, the more I felt like I’d read it before… It feels like a slower-going version of the Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London series, with a similar construct – a sad-sack regular guy who becomes enmeshed rather against his will in the world-within-a-world finds himself under the tutelage of an older and wiser mentor who turns out to be way more than he appears. However, unlike the Aaronovitch with its construct of the rivers (which is truly original), this one offers nothing comparably unique… It’s not bad, and I’ll take a look at another book – although mostly because I have a review copy of the fourth in the series from NetGalley and need to figure out if I can jump straight to that one or need to catch up first) – but it’s going to have to improve fairly dramatically for me to read three more books…
An easy read, unique, and entertaining.
This is actually the second Inspector Hobbes book I’ve read, because after meeting Hobbes, I just had to go back and start at the beginning. I love Hobbes. Andy…. well, most of the time I feel like there is just no hope or cure for Andy, but Hobbes more than makes up for him. Pick any book in this series (they all are standalone and can be taken out of order so far as I can see). I defy anyone to not love Hobbes. Every police force needs a Hobbes.
I will read everything by Wilkie Martin!!!
I’ve read the series and I want more! Hobbes is great, different, wonderful characters. The mysterious Hobbes solves weird crimes like no one else. I hope Mr. Martin writes more books with the Hobbes character.
Inspector Hobbes and the Blood, by Wilke Martin
Inspector-A professional British police sleuth. Hobbes-an old english nickname for the Devil. Inspector Hobbes is different, and so is this book.
He polices his quaint little village like an old grandfather runs a farm. Strong. Firm. Gruff. Soft to the right people. Hard to them that deserve it. Drives poorly. Solves problems. Serves justice. And still, he’s unusual. Perhaps Unhuman.
The story has a super-clumsy millenial, protagonist, whom Hobbes has taken under his wing. There’s murder, robbery, burglary, ancient stolen artifacts, jeleousy, and mobs. A short list of what makes a good detective story, today.
Then, there’s the supernatural elements. Trolls. Ghouls. A witch. Dracula. Mrs. Goodfellow and her teeth collection. And of course, Inspector Hobbes.
This is fun, funny, a little scary, and has a lot of action.
It’s good. I’m getting the next one of the series.
Nice work, Mr. Martin.
The first book I read from this author. I like that kind of humour very much and enjoyed the whole book. Despite a lot of funny moments, I found it is a slowly progressing story. I will start with the second book in this series, but I do ot feel it is urgent to move on.
Knowing this book was part of a larger series, I appreciated the slower character-building. Andy is a relate-able, realistic, unexpected narrator. The story is original, well-paced and engaging. I was glad I had more books to dive into once this one ended.