Review of Down These Strange Streets

Title: Down These Strange Streets

Editors: George R.R. Marin & Gardner Dozois

Publisher: Ace Hardcover

Formats: Hardback & Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Despite its hardcover price, this is one of the better anthologies that I’ve read and well worth the money. The stories are outstanding and varied, and there’s a clear connection between them, as described in the prologue “The Bastard Stepchild,” written by George R. R. Martin. The bastard stepchild to which he refers is Urban Fantasy, an amalgam of the horror and mystery genres, and each of the stories features a mystery and detective of some sort. The anthology includes a total of sixteen stories, plus the prologue by George R. R. Martin. Originally I had planned on only mentioned a few of my favorite stories, but the excellent writing made it difficult to limit this review to only some of the entries. Here a few comments about each of the stories.

1.      “Death by Dahlia” by Charlaine Harris We first met vampire Dahlia Lynly Chivers in the story “Tacky” in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, and she’s long been a favorite of mine. In “Death by Dahlia” the vampires have a new sheriff in control of their nest and they’re celebrating his installation with a huge party. When one of the human blood donors is murdered, Dahlia steps in to investigate. I’m not a fan of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse books, but I always enjoy her Dahlia stories set in that world, and this one is no exception. It’s one of the more light-hearted offerings in the collection and is lots of fun. 3.5 out of 5

2.      “The Bleeding Shadow” by Joe R. Lansdale This story has a film noir feel to it, and I loved it. The gritty private detective is asked by a hot dame to look into her brother’s disappearance when a record with some demonic sounding blues arrives at her house with frightening consequences. 3.5 out of 5

3.      “Hungry Heart” by Simon R. Green Another lighthearted addition to the anthology, Green’s contribution features detective John Taylor from Green’s Nightside series. A young witch hires Taylor to recover her heart from her former mentor, but it turns out that the box holding her heart is of interest to many parties. The clever ending and Taylor’s humor throughout made this story a blast. 4 out of 5

4.      “Styx and Stones” by Steven Saylor This story is part of Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series that stars Gordianus the Finder, and while it’s the first of his work I’ve read, it certainly won’t be the last. In this prequel to the series, we witness Gordianus as a teenager visiting the Seven Wonders of the World. When he and his companion Antipater arrive in Babylon, Gordianus is intrigued by the haunting of a nearby temple. While my four years of high school Latin aren’t enough to attest to the historical accuracy of the story, it’s a lot of fun and one of my favorites of the collection. 4 out of 5

5.      “Pain and Suffering” by S. M. Stirling This story had a more paranormal feel to it than many of the others. Cop Eric Salvador finds his nightmares of his time in Afghanistan taking a strange turn when he and his partner investigate a bizarre arson and missing persons case. I enjoyed the story, but the ending felt abrupt and a bit open-ended, making me wonder if this is part of a series I’m not familiar with, although the short intro to the story didn’t indicate that it was. 3.5 out of 5

6.      “It’s Still the Same Old Story” by Carrie Vaughn Set in the world of Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series, this story features vampire Rick, who responds to a phone call from an old friend, only to find her murdered. There isn’t much of a mystery, as Rick knows from the beginning who’s responsible for his friend’s death, but the flashbacks to when they met and how the mystery unfolds make this an enjoyable read. 3 out of 5

7.      “The Lady is a Screamer” by Conn Iggulden Narrator Jack Garner is a charmer of a conman, working as a ghostbuster after years of taking advantage of grieving families by pretending to be a psychic. While he doesn’t seem all that likeable at the beginning, by the end you’ll be rooting for this ne’er do well. This was one of my favorites, no doubt because of the hero’s ability to win the reader over. 4 out of 5

8.      “Hellbender” by Laurie R. King I enjoyed this entry by King that features a private detective who’s more than human. He’s approached by a woman to investigate the disappearance of her brother and seven other missing people. His digging into the mystery attracts some frightening attention, uncovering some disturbing interest into “scientific” developments. I liked how the story and truth about the hero unfolded, plus the twist about the government at the end made me laugh. 4.5 out of 5

9.      “Shadow Thieves” by Glen Cook This is part of Cook’s Garret, P.I. series and almost lost me only a few pages in. Garret is approached by several different parties to recover a powerful artifact, but it’s very unclear who is trustworthy and who’s the rightful owner. The world building was intriguing, but the rough beginning and my lack of connection to the characters made this the weakest of the collection for me. I suspect that if I’d read other books in the series, however, I might feel differently. 3 out of 5

10.  “No Mystery, No Miracle” by Melinda M. Snodgrass Set during the days of the Great Depression, Snodgrass plays with several mythologies and religions while creating a fascinating story. The hero, Cross, is posing as a hobo to look into some suspicious hobo markings that resemble signs from old gods. His investigation has him acting to ensure FDR’s presidential nomination in mysterious ways. This story has some of the tightest writing in the collection. 4.5 out of 5

11.  “The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery” by M. L. N. Hanover Cops call in an exorcist when they discover the body of a young woman apparently sacrificed in some sort of occult ritual. The man arrested for the crime claims to be possessed by a demon, but the real mystery stems from his reaction when confronted by the exorcist. Very intriguing story and I liked the resolution that still left some mysteries unexplained. 4 out of 5

12.  “The Curious Affair of the Deodand” by Lisa Tuttle Set in the nineteenth century, Miss Lane is a gentlewoman seeking employment who finds herself acting as an assistant to a young detective. A man approaches them on his fiancée’s behalf, asking that they investigate her former fiancé’s death. The story began well, and I was intrigued by the female heroine’s role as Watson, but the ending left me a bit cold. Not badly written, but a little lacking in action or suspense. 3 out of 5

13.  “Lord John and the Plague of Zombies” by Diana Gabaldon I haven’t read any of Gabaldon’s books, which no doubt affected my enjoyment of this story since Lord John is a recurring character in her Outlander series and has his own series. I actually stopped reading and had to pick the story up again later, because it didn’t capture my interest. However, if you’re a fan of her series, you’ll no doubt enjoy reading about Lord John’s adventures in the West Indies, and the various creepy crawlies on the island were almost more frightening the actual zombies. 3 out of 5

14.  “Beware the Snake” by John Maddox Roberts Part of the author’s SPQR series of mysteries set in Ancient Rome, this story was a hoot. Decius Caecilius is asked by Caesar to investigate a missing swamp adder, a sacred being to some powerful allies of Rome. Decius’ dry humor makes light of the mystery, but the ending is a lot of fun, even though the story went by too quickly. As with “Styx and Stones”, I can’t attest to the historical accuracy of the story, but it was so enjoyable I’ll definitely be reading more of this author. 4 out of 5

15.  “In Red, with Pearls” by Patricia Briggs This story is set in the world of Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series and features werewolf Warren, who is a favorite of mine. When his lover Kyle is attacked by a zombie, Warren steps in to investigate. I loved seeing Warren and Kyle together, and this was a tightly written story that draws you in at once. While I figured out the villain fairly quickly, there were several surprises. This is another winner from Briggs and a must for Mercy Thompson fans. 4 out of 5

16.  “The Adakian Eagle” by Bradley Denton The choice to end the collection with Denton’s story was a wise one, as it is outstanding. Set on the Aleutian Islands during World War II and featuring a young private and an older detective (whom you will recognize once you’re well into the story), this mystery will keep you turning the pages. The discovery of a tortured eagle on the island leads to an investigation that exposes all the pitfalls of following orders without question. I loved the setting and the gritty tone of this story. 5 out of 5

Review of Home Improvement: Undead Edition

I love short stories and novellas by favorite authors, but I have mixed feelings about anthologies featuring short stories. While I have few qualms about buying an anthology with four novellas in it for $7.99, I have to think long and hard about short story anthologies, because typically they’re priced at trade paperback prices, and I’m only interested in a couple of the stories. Home Improvement: Undead Edition features short stories by mystery and urban fantasy authors, all focused on some aspect of home renovation, and the stories range from excellent to merely ho-hum. Because it includes stories by some of my favorite authors I was really looking forward to its release, but it’s a hardcover book, which means I went into sticker shock when I saw the price. If you’re only interested in a few of the stories, I’m not sure the $26.99 price for hardcover or even $12.99 for the Kindle version will be worth it to you. For me the Patricia Briggs, Melissa Marr, and Seanan McGuire stories were definite highlights of the collection and more than made the purchase worth the price.  

“If I Had a Hammer” by Charlaine Harris This is a new Sookie Stackhouse story, and while I’m not a huge Sookie fan, the story was enjoyable and can be read without your having read any of the books in the series. Sookie’s helping friends Tara and JB renovate their house to accommodate their twins when a grisly discovery in the walls creates an oppressive atmosphere in their home. A cute story, but no Eric or Alcides present for you TrueBlood fans.

“Wizard Home Security” by Victor Gischler I felt this story was a bit ho-hum. Broahm is a wizard whose home has been broken into. He hires a young mage to create a security system for him, but just when Broahm gets lazy about activating it at night, another burglar makes an appearance with disastrous results for Broahm. I liked the twist at the end, but there was an abrupt jump to the ending that was a bit disconcerting for me.

“Gray” by Patricia Briggs I pretty much love anything Ms. Briggs writes, and this story was no exception. Set in her Mercy Thompson world, vampire Elyna purchases the condo she lived in years ago despite its reputation for being haunted. When she begins renovations the ghost offers suggestions for improvement, and Elyna starts to enjoy life again in a way she hasn’t since her violent change to vampire. Unfortunately she manages to attract attention from the powerful Chicago vampire seethe, and her new home is threatened. This is a sweet love story and one of the highlights of the collection.

“Squatters’ Rights” by Rochelle Krich This story was downright creepy, and if you love horror, you will definitely enjoy how Ms. Krich builds the tension between the newly married couple who’ve just purchased a fixer-upper. Learning that the couple who lived in the house before them died in a violent murder-suicide doesn’t deter Eve and Joe one bit, but they start to turn on each other as soon as the home improvements begin. Horror is my least favorite genre, and I was so creeped out after reading this I had to put the book down and come back to it later, which says to me it’s a great horror story.

In “Blood on the Walls” by Heather Graham Montville DeFeo finds himself forced to clean pig’s blood off his family tomb when local wannabe cult leader Austin Cramer holds his fake satanic rituals at the tomb. Private Investigaor DeFeo finds himself helping the young Cramer when someone begins viciously ripping apart members of the cult. The connection to home improvement is a bit tenuous with this story, but I enjoyed it none the less. It’s well-written and I liked the tidy ending.

As in Rochelle Krich’s story, “The Mansion of Imperatives” by James Grady  is a horror story of a house under renovation that turns on those living within its walls. While the concept is good, the execution was exceedingly painful, and I consider this the worst story in the collection. The language was choppy and awkward, and the beginning reads like a list of characters and attributes, rather than a developed story.

“The Strength Inside” by Melissa Marr Anyone who’s ever had to deal with an unfriendly Homeowners Association will get a kick out of how Chastity and Alison use the “old ways” to protect their new home. They’re Bori, and while they look human, they most assuredly are not. They have a nest of young, feral siblings to protect, but Justine, the snooty head of the HOA, wants to prevent them from building a fence that would allow their siblings to hunt and play freely. Big mistake, Justine. I loved this story, and Melissa Marr is swiftly becoming a must-read for me.

“Woolsley’s Kitchen Nightmare” by E. E. Knight Chef Sean Woolsley runs elite translife eateries around the world, and he’s been asked to consult on a restaurant in Wisconsin. The owner has the execrable taste to have zombies working in the kitchen along with outdated décor in the dining room. Woolsley devises a clever solution when the day’s special manages to escape. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn’t one of my favorites.

“Through This House” by Seanan McGuire McGuire returns to the world of her October (Toby) Daye series in this short story. You will definitely enjoy the story more if you’ve read some of the books in the series, although you can follow along easily if you have not. The Queen granted Toby the title of Countess of Goldengreen, and Toby’s having trouble entering the faerie knowe. Once she and her small band of friends manage to get inside, they’re attacked by the knowe’s current residents. Despite the absence of my favorite, hottie Cait Sidhe king Tybalt, the story is a delight and a great example of McGuire’s style. Definitely recommend this one!

“The Path” by S. J. Rozan This was a pleasant surprise. I had never read any of S.J. Rozan’s work before, but this story is a charmer. The ghost of dead monk Tuo Mo cannot pass on until the head of a Buddha statue is returned to its original site in a cave in China. In life Tuo Mo was painfully shy, and he must overcome his bashfulness in the afterlife to insure that the statue is restored. His lighthearted encounter with a brash, stubborn ghost in New York City is a moment of humor not found in many of the other stories in the collection.

“Rick the Brave” by Stacia Kane is set in the world of Kane’s Downside series. Unlike the novels in the series, this story is told from the viewpoint of a “normal” – Rick – rather than that of Chess, the heroine of the series. Rick takes a job in dangerous Downside so he can earn some money after his girlfriend dumps him, but when he and the sketchy looking crew begin renovations they discover the house is haunted.  Ghosts can do some serious damage to the living, and Chess arrives in the nick of time to ward off the scaries. Definitely another plus in the collection, although if you haven’t read the series, I’m not sure you would get the best sense of who Chess really is as a character.

“Full-Scale Demolition” by Suzanne McLeod is set in the Spellcrackers.com universe and it’s a fun one! Sidhe fae Genny Taylor is busy rounding up pixies in Trafalgar Square when she’s sent on another job doing the same at a private residence. Genny soon realizes that this so-called routine job is a set up when the swimming pool she’s supposed to rid of pixies resembles an ocean complete with waves. I’m new to the Spellcrackers.com world, but this story definitely has me interested in checking out more of the series.

“It’s All in the Rendering” by Simon R. Green This is an odd story about a House that straddles the border between reality and fantasy. The House provides sanctuary from both worlds, but when visitors show up unannounced to conduct inspections, the House’s future is threatened. There wasn’t anything wrong with this story per se; it just didn’t keep my interest as well as some of the others and felt like it needed a bit more development.

“In Brightest Day” by Toni L. P. Kelner This was a clever story featuring Dodie Kilburn, houngan. She raises revenants to complete important tasks after their deaths, and her job takes a strange turn when the architect Gottfried she’s revived dies yet again. Her refusal to wear all black and dress like a stereotype, plus her tendency to tell bad jokes about the dead get her in trouble with her professional organization, but when Gottfried’s killed off a third time, she has to figure out who killed him so she doesn’t lose her place in the houngan community. The resolution to her problems was hilarious, and I have to confess I enjoyed her really bad puns.