Product Description

All-new from the top names in mystery and fantasy— including a never-beforepublished Sookie Stackhouse story from Charlaine Harris!

This follow-up to Powers of Detection showcases bestselling and award-winning names from Simon Green to Laurie King to Sharon Shinn—with original stories featuring otherworldly investigators trailing uncanny criminals across fantastical realms. From video game characters seeking civil rights and a cave dragon loan shark pondering an investment, to Santa Claus’s Australian vacation and an enemy of Sam Spade’s out for revenge—plus visits to the Nightside and Sookie Stackhouse’s hometown— these stories will take readers around the world on a magical mystery tour.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35313 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-02
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This follow-up to Powers of Detection (2006) breaks no new ground, but offers 12 stories with enough well-paced variety to keep readers happy. In Charlaine Harris's notable Sookie Stackhouse tale, Lucky, one insurance agents good luck makes him a target. A resurrected Humphrey Bogart is murdered in Carole Nelson Douglas's Bogieman while Santa Claus investigates the murder of an elf in John Straley's Weight of the World. On the lighter side, a divorcée gets used to a menagerie of ghostly housemates in Sharon Shinn's The House of Seven Spirits and a young woman confronts a cave dragon turned loan shark to solve her fathers disappearance in Laura Anne Gilman's Illumination. Strong tales outnumber the weaker ones by a considerable margin and will satisfy fans of both genres. (Dec.)
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About the Author
Dana Stabenow is an Edgar® Award-winning mystery writer. She writes a column for Alaska magazine.

Customer Reviews

Great book to read at night
/Unusual Suspects/ is another anthology of short stories edited by Dana Stabenow. There are an even dozen of mystery and fantasy tales that are pure escapist literature. Fantasy fans will recognize the names of authors like Simon R. Green and Carole Nelson Douglas. The stories cover the gamut of fancy with tales about ghosts, Vampires, witches, and dragons. These supernatural beings interact with normal folks like you and me to such diverse celebrities as Sam Spade and Santa Clause.

This is a great work for reading in bed at night. The stories are just about the right length to keep your interest long enough to get sleepy. By that time, the end of the story is at hand. These twelve stories are enough to keep you busy for almost two weeks. Enjoy!

Reviewed by Michael Huff

Unusual Suspects, Not Too
I went looking for this book to further my desire to read all of the stories from the world of Sookie Stackhouse. A red light flashed when I couldn't locate it in any of the libraries in our metropolitan area but, heck, I'm game! The book is neither terrible nor great. If you're looking for a bit of light reading before bed, the stories lend themselves to that timeframe. Not bloody enough to inspire nightmares nor disturbing enough to leave you cowering under the covers, they are engaging enough to help you unwind from the true horrors of our current economic plight. Ms Harris entry did, indeed, flesh out the Stackhouse universe. However, I once again encountered the only problem I have with her work: poor continuity. It isn't a deal breaker, but for OCD fans it can be irritating. (Especially for "downsized" copywriters who would love to get a chance at editing the next editions for accuracy! ;-))

Final take: not great literature, but fun enough if you enjoy the genre!

the convergence of mystery and suspense inside a fantasy realm
These superb twelve new tales focus on the convergence of mystery and suspense inside a fantasy realm. The stories are all well written, holding up nicely to its predecessor collection (see POWERS OF DETECTION). Charlaine Harris provides a Sookie entry while Simon R. Green returns to the Nightside and the editor Ms. Stabenow takes her fans back to Mnemosynea for what she describes as a "Seer and Sword" thriller. The other entries are strong with deep characters such as Laura Anne Gilman's loan shark dragon star of "Illumination". Carole Nelson Douglas' "Bogieman" answers one of the deepest fundamental questions of the universe: who wants Sam Spade dead (than again who does not might be easier to answer)? Likewise John Straley responds to another question of the ages: what does Santa do during his off season? Whether it is Donna Andrews's Gwynn the apprentice returning to cast a "spellbound" on her fans to read her story or Mike Doogan a "Glamour" satirizing the sub-genre, readers will enjoy this compilation. The remaining four are excellent contributions by top tier authors (Michael A. Stackpole, Sharon Sinn, Michael Armstrong and Laurie R. King).

Harriet Klausner