Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Enlightened Cow. When I received a note asking if I’d be interested in joining a blog tour for this book… well, the title alone grabbed my interest. I just had an inkling that I would be in for an interesting read, and I wasn’t disappointed!
Title: Barnabase Tew and the Case of the Enlightened Cow
Author: Columbkill Noonan
Series: Barnabas Tew
First Published: September 18, 2019
Categories: Fiction, Mystery
Acquired: from blog tour organiser Rachel’s Random Resources
*** Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
Can Barnabas Tew and Wilfred Colby, private detectives to the gods, pause their bickering long enough to ssave Rama, the Hindu god?
Rama, the Hindu god who maintains dharma, or the balance of all things, is in terrible trouble, and only Barnabas and Wilfred can save him!
Private detectives to the gods, Barnabas Tew and Wilfred Colby, believed they’d discovered the secret to taking charge of their destinies. Unfortunately, they’re about to be taught a hard lesson: nothing is as it seems and taking control is easier said than done.
Fresh off their most challenging case to date, the two detectives step into a cenote: an otherworldly portal that connects worlds and can take them anywhere if they how to use it. Each is hoping to be reunited with someone he left behind, but they soon realize that something has gone terribly, disastrously wrong. Instead of being reunited with their lady-loves, they find themselves in a Hindu temple, together with Kamadeva, the Hindu god of desire.
Kamadeva asks them to save his friend Rama, who is in grave danger. It seems an innocent enough request, but Barnabas and Wilfred have learned that not everything is at it seems, and the right thing to do is not always so obvious. It doesn’t take long to discover that not all the gods want Rama saved, leaving the two detectives to make a terrible choice.
The detectives have faced dangerous deities before, but the Hindu gods are different. Otherworldly, wise, and full of shadowy motivations, they all seek to manipulate the hapless detectives to suit their purposes.
Can Barnabas and Wilfred see through the illusions and the lies to uncover the truth of the matter? Or will they fail, and choose the wrong side?
This humorous detective story is a nice change of pace
When I first picked this up, I thought I was in for an offbeat mystery story and boy, was I right! Barnabas Tew and his employee, Wilfred Colby, are constantly bickering and rolling their eyes at each other. They kind of bumble their way through the case and it’s a pretty funny and light-hearted read because of this.
This was my first introduction to Barnabas and I found myself rolling my eyes along with Wilfred at Barnabas’ odd antics, sometimes rude behaviour and general ineptitude. I really felt sorry for Wilfred, having to put up with an employer like Barnabas, but you could see that the two of them really were a team and couldn’t function without each other.
I enjoyed that the case was set amongst Hindu gods and the backdrop of India – a topic I don’t often read about as I mainly stick to historical fiction and cozy mysteries set in Europe or North America. Barnabas and Wilfred were definitely out of their element and I had to almost wince at their wilful ignorance of their surroundings and mythology (well, on Barnabas’ part anyway).
While this is far from being a “cozy mystery” it was still a nice, light read that was a perfect way to spend an afternoon. There have already been a couple of other Barnabas Tew books published so I’ll have to go back and check them out as well the next time I’m in the mood for a light chuckle. I’m looking forward to seeing what other deities and mythology these two detectives get mixed up with!
Read Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Enlightened Cow for yourself
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Columbkill Noonan is the author of the bestselling “Barnabas Tew” series, which features the bumbling-yet-lovable Victorian detective Barnabas and his trusty sidekick, Wilfred. Columbkill combines her love of mythology and her affinity for period fiction to craft unique cozy mysteries that will leave you guessing (and chuckling!) till the very end.
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