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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The dead are rising, and if someone doesn’t stop them before the infection spreads any further, G & C London, Private Investigators will be knee-deep in the zombie apocalypse before you can say “mmm, brains”. Gobbelino and Callum are on the case. Just as soon as they get through dealing with disapproving reapers, irate magicians, zombied chickens and a small internal case of undeadness.
This is the second Gobbelino novel I’ve read, and I love that the main MC is a cat. I feel like the cat behavior could definitely have been more catty, but overall it was a good read. I’d say it was cozy but can zombies be cozy? It’s fast paced, funny, and light enough to be a great palate cleanser between heavier books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm not normally one for reading fantasy or comedy, but every now and then I feel like a change and let's be honest, with the current state of the world, sometimes the best thing you can do is lose yourself in a light-hearted book. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first book in the series, A Scourge of Pleasantries, but it was the characters that really did it for me. The story itself, like this one, is fast-paced, funny, full of twists and turns, magic, disaster and intrigue, but to make all of that work you need believable, likable characters, and the author has achieved this and then some. The series is narrated by a cat, Gobbelino, one half of a Private Investigator partnership. Scruffy and solemn Callum makes up the other half of the duo and I might be a bit in love with them both. I'm not sure why; maybe it's the set-up, a talking, magical cat and a loner solving mysteries together, maybe it's the witty dialogue between them, the hints at their past lives that make you want to know more, or the obvious love and respect they have for each other. Maybe it's all those things! As I already said, on the surface this is not the type of book I generally look out for, but I am so glad I gave this series a go. In this book the pair run into zombies and have to figure out how, why and who is behind it. They bundle from one scrape to another and with the help of an eclectic and fascinating collection of secondary characters, they manage to save the day. If you need to smile, to laugh, to feel good about people, to get invested in some characters you are really going to care about, then do give this series and this author a go. You won't regret it and the world will seem just a bit brighter afterwards too.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A little better than the first one. But still, multiple cats not really catting, too much repetitive action at the end that both exhausted my attention (I.e. which zombie confrontation in the market is this one - the fourth or the seventh one? Ah, the eighth, I see.) and ultimately served to cheapen the threat, and a constant refrain of people yelling the same thing over and over and over and OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Basically, this:
- "Let us in!"
- "No, we won't let you in, give us the antidote!"
- "No, let us in!"
- "No, we won't! We want the antidote!"
- "No, let us in!"
- "No, antidote!"
- "No, let us in!"
This is the same stupid thing that happened in the first book (except in that book it was with "But it's MY book!" "No, it's mine!") and it's pretty much as annoying as it was there.
And I'm sorry - the waitress from the café has COOKING OIL SCARS on her EYELIDS?! Did I hear that correctly? What?!
- "Let us in!"
- "No, we won't let you in, give us the antidote!"
- "No, let us in!"
- "No, we won't! We want the antidote!"
- "No, let us in!"
- "No, antidote!"
- "No, let us in!"
This is the same stupid thing that happened in the first book (except in that book it was with "But it's MY book!" "No, it's mine!") and it's pretty much as annoying as it was there.
And I'm sorry - the waitress from the café has COOKING OIL SCARS on her EYELIDS?! Did I hear that correctly? What?!
I love this series. Gobbelino London is a cat, and he's the narrator. He's also rather shady. As is his human, Callum. At least, they both seem to have dark pasts. But they're making up for it now with their paranormal detective agency.
This book involves an outbreak of zombie-ism, including some headless chickens!?
There is a real mystery in why there are zombies, and what on earth are the pair going to do about them? "No baby goats!"
Witty banter bursts off the pages along with snarky comments (mostly from Gobs). The side characters are amazingly fun. I adore Big Ted who challenges those with preconceived notions of the homeless. And maybe I like sphynx cats a little bit more now - but still, I prefer my cats with fur.
All of this manic action takes place in the murkier depths of Leeds. An unusual setting, but I love it.
Although full of tension, this book manages to not be overly scary; a great achievement for a zombie book!
Go on, grab this book - no tricks, just treats.
4.5*
This book involves an outbreak of zombie-ism, including some headless chickens!?
There is a real mystery in why there are zombies, and what on earth are the pair going to do about them? "No baby goats!"
Witty banter bursts off the pages along with snarky comments (mostly from Gobs). The side characters are amazingly fun. I adore Big Ted who challenges those with preconceived notions of the homeless. And maybe I like sphynx cats a little bit more now - but still, I prefer my cats with fur.
All of this manic action takes place in the murkier depths of Leeds. An unusual setting, but I love it.
Although full of tension, this book manages to not be overly scary; a great achievement for a zombie book!
Go on, grab this book - no tricks, just treats.
4.5*
This was zany! Still, Watt fills the reader in on human failings in a fun sort of way. There is much to read between the lines. To say anything about the story-line would be to spoil the plot, if one can call it a plot.
Characters from the first book of this series appear again, though it reads almost as a stand alone tale. That may be what Kim M. Watt intends. I do believe there may be more merging of the "Private Investigators" in future books. For now, I will rest this series.
Characters from the first book of this series appear again, though it reads almost as a stand alone tale. That may be what Kim M. Watt intends. I do believe there may be more merging of the "Private Investigators" in future books. For now, I will rest this series.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes