The Squirrel on the Train by Kevin HearneMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
*I received this book from NetGalley and Subterranean Press in return for a fair review.*
Oberon the Irish wolfhound and gang are back. Oberon is not the best at telling time, using ‘decades’, ‘years’, and the like somewhat randomly when meaning things like ‘minutes’, and ‘hours’, so the part wherein he notes that this particular story takes place several weeks after the first story in this series (the Oberon series, not the Iron Druid series), is, at best, shaky. But we’ll go with it – it’s a couple of weeks later.
Oberon, Orlaith, and Starbuck are off via train to Portland (with the human Atticus) when they spot a particular squirrel. The same squirrel in the short novel’s title (you know, that ‘Squirrel on the Train’ title). They growl at the small rodent, but Atticus quiets them – he needs them to be as silent as possible so he can hide them on the train (which isn’t exactly easy when two of them are huge Irish Wolfhounds, but then Atticus does have magical abilities).
Once in Portland, after nothing much happening on the train, the three dogs spot that same squirrel, the squirrel they were ‘promised’ wouldn’t be there because of ‘physics’. But, apparently, the squirrel figured out how to ride on top of a train a great distance without being squashed (or whatever ‘physics’ was implying). All of this is important, of course, because squirrels are evil and must be watched. Wait, sorry, that and because the three dogs chase the squirrel from the train (once in Portland, don’t forget), into a stairwell and stopping only when told to do so by someone they recognize – Detective Gabriella Ibarra. Whose there investigating a murder. And she’s quite surprised, actually, when Atticus turns up to gather up his dogs – for the murder victim looks quite similar to Atticus. As if they might be twins – yet Atticus has none.
Well, naturally, Atticus and the dogs investigate. Travel around Portland, track down a werebear, track down the victim’s apartment, head back to Eugene, etc. etc. – you know, every day stuff, as long as you see investigating murder as every day stuff.
The story was quite entertaining and fun. And still, like the first book in the Oberon series, from Oberon’s point of view. Though Oberon seems to play less of an investigative role in this one, at least as far as I recall from reading the first in this series. He’s there, and does help in the investigation, though, don’t get me wrong.
There’s a question and answer on Goodread’s page for this book about whether someone should, and/or has to read the books in the Iron Druid series before reading the books in this Oberon series. The answer given (at least on top part, not sure if there are other answers) is ‘yes’. I, for one, was quite entertained by both the second and previous book in this series, and I’ve only ever read the first book in the Iron Druid series. So, from my perspective, you can have a great time reading this book as long as you read the first in the Oberon series, and perhaps, not a requirement, the first book in the Iron Druid series. Granted, you’d not only ‘probably’, but would definitely know a lot more about the players if you read the Iron Druid series. Still, I didn’t feel like I was lost or anything while reading this book (well, other than the part where there’s this woman who keeps popping up in Atticus’ place to sleep before going back to work in Poland – I’ve no clue who she is and she never really says or does anything in the Oberon series – I assume she’s hugely important in the Iron Druid series).
Rating: 4.33
January 2 2018
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