Jackaby, by William Ritter (2014). Book one in what proposes to be a series, but one I'm not shying away from. (Generally, the words "first in the series" are enough to make me drop a book and shake the taint from my hands.)
The blurb says "Sherlock meets Buffy." It's better than that. It's Dr Who meets Buffy, done well.
Mr Jackaby himself has certain external characteristics of the Tom Baker Doctor Who: long scarf, coat with pockets, erratic behavior, and an odd place to live, but most of all, a caring character and the benefit of a good writer with a pleasant sense of humor. His new assistant is the Sherlock side of it, with elements of both Holmes and Watson. Jackaby himself has a somewhat Sherlockian attitude toward things he doesn't think are important, but his assistant has the ability to notice the ordinary, which he lacks. He's too busy being able to perceive the occult to bother noticing that the aura-trailing envelope has a return address on it. She, on the other hand, is fairly calm about the resident ghost, the missing former assistant, and the various monsters, though she would like to have enough time amid the action to stop for a decent meal once in a while.
It's all set in a small seaside town in New Hampshire, which is what first attracted me, since I come from New Hampshire and there aren't a lot of books set there.
Book two, Beastly Bones (2015), is already out and on the strength of the first one, I sprang for the hardcover instead of waiting for the paperback.
The blurb says "Sherlock meets Buffy." It's better than that. It's Dr Who meets Buffy, done well.
Mr Jackaby himself has certain external characteristics of the Tom Baker Doctor Who: long scarf, coat with pockets, erratic behavior, and an odd place to live, but most of all, a caring character and the benefit of a good writer with a pleasant sense of humor. His new assistant is the Sherlock side of it, with elements of both Holmes and Watson. Jackaby himself has a somewhat Sherlockian attitude toward things he doesn't think are important, but his assistant has the ability to notice the ordinary, which he lacks. He's too busy being able to perceive the occult to bother noticing that the aura-trailing envelope has a return address on it. She, on the other hand, is fairly calm about the resident ghost, the missing former assistant, and the various monsters, though she would like to have enough time amid the action to stop for a decent meal once in a while.
It's all set in a small seaside town in New Hampshire, which is what first attracted me, since I come from New Hampshire and there aren't a lot of books set there.
Book two, Beastly Bones (2015), is already out and on the strength of the first one, I sprang for the hardcover instead of waiting for the paperback.