Inspector Hobbes and the Blood

Unhuman, Book 1

By: Wilkie Martin

Narrated by: Tim Campbell

Set in a small Cotswold town, Inspector Hobbes and the Blood is a fast-paced comedy cozy mystery fantasy about the adventures of Andy, an incompetent reporter, when he is reluctantly working with Inspector Hobbes, a police detective with a reputation. Andy soon finds himself immersed in a world where not everyone is human, and a late-night visit to a churchyard nearly results in grave consequences, and a ghoulish outcome. An accidental fire leads to Andy having to doss in Hobbes's spare room.

Contending with a wave of murder, suicide, and robbery, as well as Hobbes's weirdness, is the just the start; he must also get to grips with Mrs. Goodfellow, Hobbes's housekeeper, who collects teeth. Although they are mostly from humans, she also claims to have some vampire specimens. However, Andy soon finds her wonderful cooking compensates for her eccentricities. Despite Andy believing he is coping, he is nearly unhinged by horror when a stressed Hobbes's concealed nature reveals itself in an orgy of bone-crunching. Yet, coming through unscathed, Andy develops respect and admiration for his host, even when he uses weird, occasionally brutal, methods to begin unravelling the mystery, which would appear to link The Order of the Dragon and Vlad Tepes, the original Dracula, to the crime wave.

When Hobbes goes missing, Andy, with the dubious assistance of Dregs, Hobbes's big, bad dog, and armed with a leg of lamb, searches for him. Will he triumph over crazed blood lust and human sacrifice?

Can Andy with Hobbes's friends, a binge-drinking dwarf and a troll who looks uncannily human, save the day? And can Andy catch vampirism from false teeth?

These and other questions may be answered in Inspector Hobbes and the Blood.

©2013 The Witcherley Book Company (P)2017 The Witcherley Book Company

Purchased on a 2fer and was pleasantly surprised

I purchased this book (from one of the recommendations) during the last 2 for 1 sales. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like the story as I found the first 2 chapters difficult to get into. However by chapter 4 I was hooked (captive audience while on I-95 at "rush-hour.") And actually looked forward to my daily commute.
Loved Tim Campbell's narration of the characters, and the lilt of his British accent (rather reminds me of what Batman's Alfred would have sounded like, professional, steady, and yet friendly), was lovely to listen too.
I am looking forward to diving into the rest of the series!

Excellent work!

Well written, great vocal skills, humorous, fleshed out characters, paranormal undertone, emotionally stimulating, it's all here. An accident prone reporter and a gruff detective...

a little too british

the very strong British accent was a little hard to listen to, sorry just not my thing.

Wilkie Martin writes a clever crime mystery

Andy Caplet is a struggling reporter who is socially awkward and easily frightened.  Only because the normal reporter for the crime beat was injured by being thrown from a speeding car (implied that he had been gambling or a mafia encounter …) Andy is given the assignment to work with Inspector Hobbes.  From that moment onward, Andy is caught in a whirlwind of mystery and intrigue.  Of course, it does not help that Andy’s imagination runs away with him – he’s seeing trolls, ghouls, witches, and vampires at every turn. Then again, considering he finds himself in a freshly dug grave conversing with two ghouls and the inspector enjoys raw meat and bones, and then there is the housekeeper that collects teeth …  perhaps his imagination is NOT running wild… and it seems that perhaps Inspector Hobbes has a secret of some sort.

They have to work together to solve the mysteries and unusual circumstances surrounding the robberies and a murder that are occurring throughout the town.

Wilkie Martin writes a clever crime mystery with comedy and a good deal of fantasy mixed in.  One cannot help but laugh out loud at some of the antics Andy finds himself in!  This is the perfect pair of crime solvers and partners in law!  One cannot help but be charmed by the story and the characters.

Martin develops his characters fully, with a depth that enables the listeners to connect with them.  Martin is also vivid in his descriptions placing the listener into the book.

Tim Campbell, the narrator, was equally awesome in his talented reading.  Campbell became immersed in the book to the point that it was difficult to tell where he left off and the characters began.  His ability to give the appropriate voice and personality to the characters was spot on; I loved hearing how his voice would become squeaky whenever Andy found himself in hot water and how confident Hobbes sounded.

If you enjoy mystery and some fantasy characters, then this is the book for you.

I encountered no audio issues and the production of this audiobook was smooth.

Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.

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Annoying lead character

Overall an enjoyable book with a great narrator. Although the lead character I found very irritating.

All in all, not bad

I picked up this book as a suggestion from Audible, thinking it would be silly. I found myself, paying attention, and trying to solve the mystery along with the characters. The main character is a bit slow on the up take at times, but this is coming from observers perspective.

humerus, jolly fun listen

loved it, it was well preformed, funny witty
storyline well thought out. kept me captived, want to listen to more of these.

Narrator killed it for me

I was excited to read this book, but the narrator just killed it for me. I didn't like his mannerisms or voice-acting at all and it really took me out of what was an enjoyable story

Just like Arthur Dent

Great book. And just like an Arthur Dent, but for comedy/horror.
But I'm already on Book 4 and sad the author didn't keep up the same direction.

Fun

I love inspector Hobbs, his accomplice...a little more difficult to love, let alone like. Good Story.