Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers - Wilkie Martin

   2014; 293 pages.  Book 3 (out of 4) in the “Unhuman” series.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Dark Humor; Paranormal Fiction; Humorous British Detective; Cozy Mystery.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

 

    Someone tried to swipe all the gold in Grossman’s Bank!  Fortunately, Inspector Hobbes was quickly on the scene and saved the day by recovering the loot.  Now he’s the media’s latest hero, and every reporter in the area is parked on his front porch, wanting to interview him.

 

    Unfortunately, Inspector Hobbes is a very publicity-shy individual, and understandably so.  His past in somewhat blurry: he seems to have been around for more than a century.  And he has some rather bizarre personal habits that he’d like to keep private.  Things such as eating raw meat fresh off the bone, and running wild whenever there’s a full moon.  Shining a television spotlight on him is probably not in his best interest.

 

    So maybe it would be prudent of him to use up some vacation time, leave town, and quietly get away from it all.  Venture to someplace way out in the sticks, pitch a tent, and take up hiking as a hobby.  His buddy Andy Caplet can go with him.  I'm sure it won't be long before the media finds a new idol to chase after, and they'll forget all about Hobbes.

 

    Sounds like a plan.  About the only thing that could spoil things is if that out-of-the-way spot has some gold issues of its own.  But what are the odds of that?

 

What’s To Like...

    Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers is another fine effort in Wilkie Martin’s fun paranormal “Unhuman” series.  Andy once again serves as our narrator, and plays “Watson” to Inspector Hobbes’s “Holmes”.  All of my favorite characters are back, including Featherlight Binks, Billy Shawcroft, Mrs. Goodfellow, and of course, Hobbes’s faithful pooch, “Dregs”.

 

    Once again there are a bunch of storylines to keep our heroes on their toes, including:

a.) Who tried to steal the gold the first time?

b.) Who succeeded in stealing it the second time?

c.) What happened to Mrs. Duckworth’s husband?

d.) How did Andy “lose” two days?

e.) Why does Hobbes find the ordinary-looking rocks around Blackcastle so interesting?

f.) Why is somebody trying to hurt Mrs. Duckworth?

 

    Wilkie Martin lives in the Cotswolds section of England where the series is set; thus the book is written in “English”, not “American”.  So things can be squiffy, poncey, or even manky; people say “wotcha” when meeting each other (we really need to start using that word here in the US); there are bizarrely-named things such as windscreens and wheelie bins; and you can be “turfed” out of your room, but hopefully not “nutted” by someone.  I love reading stories in a foreign language such as English.

 

    Food names are equally esoteric.  Toad-in-the-hole is explained below, but you can also chow down on chapatti, vindaloo, or hotpot, and wash it all down with a pint of scrumpy.  Apple dumplings are also on the menu, with which I'm already familiar, and they are mouth-wateringly yummy.  Andy acquires a love interest at long last, and finally learns Hobbes’s full name, and (apparently) what sort of creature he is.  I don't recall meeting Sid Sharples before but he's now one of my favorite characters.  You want him on your side in a fight even if he thinks he's a vampire.

 

    The ending is suitably exciting and twisty, with Andy being both a help and a hindrance to Hobbes’s best-laid plans.  The last couple chapters are really an epilogue, tying up some (but not all) of the plot threads, and posing some new questions which, presumably, will be addressed in Book 4, Inspector Hobbes and the Bones.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Toad-in-the-Hole (n., phrase.) : a dish consisting of sausages baked in batter.  (a Britishism)

Others: Scrumpy (n., British); Emetic (adj.); Sticklebacks (n., plural); Balaclava (n.)

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.7/5 based on 264 ratings.

    Goodreads: 4.22/5 based on 1,112 ratings and 70 reviews

 

 

Excerpts...

    “What the heck is this?”

    “Hedbury Best Bitter,” said Billy.

    “Jeez!  What’s their worst bitter like?  It’s warm and it tastes like … I don’t know what the heck it tastes like.  Is there something wrong with it?”

    I cringed, expecting Featherlight to explode at the slur.  Billy reached under the counter for the steel helmet he’d taken to wearing in times of crisis as Featherlight turned to face her.

    “She didn’t mean it,” I said.  “She’s just not used to British beer.  She’s from America.”  (loc.13726.  Note: all location numbers are from the bundle version of Books 1-3.)

 

    “The Butcher of Barnley delivered some of his best pork and leek sausages last night and the lass is making toad in the hole.”

    “Last night?”  Doesn’t he always deliver punctually in the afternoons?”

    “Normally, but he was delayed.”

    “Really?  Why?”

    “He slipped and sat on the mincer.  It meant he got a little behind in his sausage making.”  (loc. 14674)

 

Kindle Details…

    Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers sells for $4.99 at Amazon right now, as do Books 2 and 4.   Book 1 goes for $2.99.  Books 1-through-3 can also be bought as a bundle for $8.09.  Wilkie Martin offers two other e-books at Amazon: Razor, a fantasy-thriller for $4.99; and Relative Disasters, a short book of “silly verse” (the author's words, not mine) for children for $2.99.

 

“Does Daddy often bring home freaks off the street?”  (loc. 12913)

    There's not much to nitpick about in Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers.  As already mentioned, not all the plot threads are fully resolved, but I suspect that’s deliberate and serves as a teaser for the next book in the series.  Also, the manner in which the two "Gold Diggers" storylines are tied together seemed a bit too convenient to be believable.  Finally, although the reason for Hobbes's "strangeness" is revealed here, I for one am still skeptical about it. 

 

    But none of that matters; Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers was a page-turner for me, and the things that matter most – the action, the witty dialog, the character development, and above all, the groan-inducing puns – are all here in abundance.  The pace is brisk and there are literally no slow spots in the story.  If you're in the mood for a light, funny, cozy mystery with "unhuman" critters walking around amongst blissfully unaware mortals, this book, and this series, is for you. 

 

    8 Stars.  Three books down, one to go.  My biggest fear is that this is an already-completed series.  Book 4 came out in 2016, since then Wilkie Martin hasn't published any more adventures involving Inspector Hobbes and Andy Caplet.  Is it possible that they've been put out to pasture?  Say it ain't so, Wilkie!