Fantasy Book Anthology – Unusual Suspects

This fantasy anthology serves as the sequel to Powers of Detection and features works from bestselling and award-winning authors such as Simon Green and Sharon Shinn. This series contains twelve original short stories starring supernatural investigators solving mysteries in the fantasy world. From a little bit of the traditional to the more out there, this anthology has a story for every taste.

Quick summary of stories in the book:

Lucky by Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris does it again. Sookie Stackhouse investigates another mystery, which involves some break-ins at an insurance agent’s office. She and her friend, Amelia Broadway, do some detective work, but they are in for a ride. Lots of magic is involved, as well as couple supernatural beings, namely vampires.

Bogieman by Carole Nelson Douglas
The year is 2013, and the story takes place in Las Vegas. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, and other freakish monsters roam the streets freely. But they aren’t real; they are simply actors from Hollywood! Paranormal Investigator Delilah Street investigates Sam Spade’s death. With a fast-paced plot and intriguing characters, this short story is a charmer.

Looks Are Deceiving by Michael A. Stackpole
A dwarf mage tries to find the King’s killer. But the King isn’t actually dead; he just remains in a spell. There are numerous twists and turns in this story, and Stackpole’s fantasy world is believable and wholly interesting.

The House of Seven Spirits by Sharon Shinn
Erica thinks she is just renting a small house with some history, when she seeks somewhere to do her summer writing. But she has seven roommates in total that she had no idea about beforehand. And they aren’t human…Erica is a strangely likeable character, and the ghosts are as silly as they are funny.

Glamour by Mike Doogan
Alf finds himself between a rock and a hard place after his daughter’s disappearance when nobody knows where to look. Alf finally locates her with the help of a complete stranger. But he is shocked when he realizes where she ventured off to. Doogan really makes this story come alive with his unique sense of humor.

Spellbound by Donna Andrews
Gwynn finds himself in the middle of a great mystery. As a young apprentice to a great wizard, he takes it upon himself to figure out what is happening when things start to go awry at a school magic gathering. Gwynn tries to escape love spells in his own chamber, so that he does not fall in love with the obsessive witch. Humor and romance make Spellbound an adventurous read.

The Duh Vice by Michael Armstrong
Armstrong’s short story stands out as it is the only science fiction story in the bunch. In this futuristic world, wasting energy is a punishable crime, and so when an officer gets a call-in about a case of excessive resource wasting, he goes out to investigate and deal with the criminal. Twists and turns abound. This story will encourage some thought as to where the current world is headed, in terms of energy use.

Weight of the World by John Straley
For those of you who have wondered what Santa Claus is up to after his world trip on Christmas Eve, this story will answer your question. Mystery abounds in this story with a murder case and a missing valuable. Santa Claus isn’t all we cut him out to be, and he too has problems!

Illumination by Laura Anne Gilman
This short story starts with Bonnie and her mentor J, who are looking for Bonnie’s missing father. Things are not looking good, when they bump into a cave dragon. After this chance meeting, Bonnie learns a few things about her past as well as what is to come. Gilman combines suspense and light-hearted humor here to make for a great story.

The House by Laurie R. King
There is an old house on the outskirts of town that is known for strange disappearances and other occurrences. A group of teenagers decides to research the house as part of their school project. Then one group member suddenly vanishes. The story as a whole is entertaining and amusing.

Appetite for Murder by Simon R. Green
Sam is a detective in the Nightside part of London. It is filled with all sorts of dark creatures and nasty monsters, and so it comes as no surprise when a serial killer starts killing off some of its citizens. Sam takes it upon himself to find the killer, but not without the help of a sexy counterpart named Ms. Fate. Strange name? This short story is well-worth the read.

A Woman’s Work by Dana Stabenow
Seer and Sword are two smart detectives, and they are both females. They are sent by the King to Pylos to investigate the heir’s death in a strictly male-dominated kingdom. In this short story, they are not doing just detective work, however. Stabenow piles up the suspense in this story, and there is plenty of magic to go around.

Overall, this anthology was a wonderful read. The stories were well-written, with quirky characters (which I love) and plenty of mystery and suspense. Get Unusual Suspects from your favorite online retailer; it’s currently on sale at Amazon!