Things go bump and worse in the night in this urban fantasy story anthology, edited by George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and Gardner Dozois (The Year's Best Science Fiction series editor). The showcased stories feature detectives who either are paranormal or investigate paranormal crime, ensuring a plethora of vampires, ghosts, shape-shifters and, of course, zombies. While fantasy fans will find favorite names on the cover like Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse series), Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series) and Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson series), they will also encounter top writers from the mystery genre, such as John Maddox Roberts (SPQR series).
This book boasts a stable full of star power. Harris kicks off the lineup with "Death by Dahlia," in which the vampire Dahlia Lynley-Chivers investigates the murder of a human blood donor with her equally undead partner, Matsuda Katamori. Gabaldon's "Lord John and the Plague of Zombies" takes Lord John Grey to Jamaica, where he is ordered to put down a slave rebellion--if the zombies don't get him first. Be sure you don't overlook "Hellbender" from Laurie R. King (Mary Russell series), in which we meet fascinating salamander/human hybrids fighting for basic rights, and "The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery" by up-and-comer M.L.N. Hanover (Black Sun's Daughter series), in which an ordinary cop accepts help from a paranormal expert who isn't what he seems.
Grab this mystifying and chilling collection to start Halloween early this year! --Jaclyn Fulwood, graduate assistant, University of Oklahoma Libraries