The Unbearable Inspector Oberlin by Tammie Painter

Bjørn reviews The Unbearable Inspector Oberlin, the fifth book in Tammie Painter‘s comedic fantasy series, The Cassie Black Trilogy.

Review(s) of previous book(s): The Unusual Mayor Marheart

Book burning.

Jewel stealing.

Vampire hunting.

Not exactly what I expected from a day’s work as a detective, but at least things are no longer dull at the agency.

Although I’m not sure how much longer the doors to that agency will be open, since the due date for getting my detective license just went whizzing by faster than a fairy on pixie dust.

But, after making good use of my groveling skills, HQ has given me an extension to solve a case and complete my application. Which would be great if the only clients I have weren’t dead clients, missing clients, and persnickety clients.

I’m also contending with a boyfriend who’s refusing to speak to me, there’s a vampire uprising close on the horizon, and more Magics going missing by the day, including my own parents (yes, again).

But the worst problem in my life right now?

A bubbly new assistant, who not only believes we’re besties, but also thinks hugging is permitted.

Seriously, I’ll take a vampire uprising over that, any day.

If you like wryly humorous comic fantasy with a touch of paranormal mystery, magic gone awry, and problematic trips to the British Library, you’ll love this fifth installment of the Cassie Black Trilogy.

Note – The Unbearable Inspector Oberlin is the second book in the new Cassie Black Trilogy. Now, while you might enjoy a few of Cassie’s hijinks in this tale, if you want to understand everything that’s going on, reading the previous book — The Unusual Mayor Marheart — prior to diving into this laugh-filled pool is highly recommended.

“Mr Torres then began telling someone how lovely their cache was looking, saying how gorgeous its JavaScript had been applied, and very coyly asking if it had done something new with its HTML code.”

She does it again! Both Tammie Painter and Cassie Black.

The Unbearable Inspector Oberlin is a more uneven book than its predecessor, The Unusual Mayor Marheart. It takes a while to start. Once it does, though, the pacing evens out on HIGH. There is the fun, the magic and Magicland, the Evil Chair, and a potential villain (am I right? or am I?) that might blow their own mind with a hairdryer… except for needle-sharp intellect and photographic memory. But most of all, there is Cassie, one of my favourite fantasy heroines ever.

The book has the same problem as the previous instalments – I shouldn’t be able to guess what will happen before Cassie does. That doesn’t mean it’s predictable, because by book five of this trilogy you should know that nothing here is predictable – only that the number of my ‘ooooooh’s could have been as large as my outbursts of laughter. Perhaps it’s not the best mystery, but it’s comedy at its finest, if you share my sense of humour, which everyone with perfect taste does. Obviously.

I was leaning towards the rating of 3.5, but the ending DID surprise me VERY MUCH. If you dislike cliffhangers, wait for book six. Painter is a quick writer, it’s only been three months between books four and five, and in this case that’s a good thing. Because goddammit, the unbearable Inspector Oberlin, who – I felt for a long time – didn’t really deserve to be the titular character, finds a new peak of unbearableness here. Right at the end. Holy crap lions.

Yes, The Unbearable Inspector Oberlin has its weaknesses, but ultimately they don’t matter. It’s a rollercoaster of a read. You don’t expect rollercoasters to be very good at solving math equations. (If you do, you need to introduce me to that rollercoaster.) It’s great fun. I’ve been over-fantasy-ed for a long time, but Oberlin is an exceptional book. The magic system and, actually, most of it is so effortless I don’t feel like I’m reading fantasy at all, just a hilarious, exciting book with a wonderful protagonist.
Bring on book six. *looks at watch* What do you mean it’s not written yet? (I said the same about book five…)