EDITED BY: John Linwood Grant and Dave Brzeski
PUBLISHED: September, 2018
PUBLISHED: September, 2018
From the editors of OCCULT DETECTIVE QUARTERLY magazine comes a
companion anthology for more and greater thrills and chills in the realm of occult
detectives! These are stories that were too long for the mag, verging on
novellas or novelettes each, and in this case, more is better.
Having
recently just read WEIRD DETECTIVES: RECENT INVESTIGATIONS anthology (edited by
Paula Guran), I happened to be looking for a source of further such stories and
OCCULT DETECTIVE QUARTERLY most definitely fits the bill. Including eight
original fiction stories as well as a
thoughtful in-depth 30+ page essay on the history of occult detectives, “Fighters
of Fear” by Mike Ashley, and all magnificently illustrated by a selection of
extremely talented artists, this anthology is a treat for fans of paranormal
thrillers and crime fiction alike.
All
of the stories in this book were good in their own ways, although a few stood
out to me most, either to my own tastes or by the prose or subject matter. Notably,
Willie Meikle and Edward M. Erdelac are both treasures of short story talent
and nailed it with their tales. I’ve never read a Meikle story I didn’t like,
and this one kept that stat going with “Farside,” the case of a stalker who
comes by way of mirrors. The prize of the anthology however has to go to Ed
Erdelac with “Conquer Comes Correct” in which a Kung Fu Vietnam Veteran takes
down a practitioner of black magic.
Also
most enjoyable was “Lazarus Come Forth!” by Robert Pohle a mournful tale
contrasting religion and magic, set in ancient Palestine; and “A Shadow Against
the Stars” by Charles R. Rutledge, wherein accompanied by a 12,000-year-old
barbarian, Det. Jennifer Grail has her work cut out for her as she investigates
a case where bodies mysteriously fall from the sky.
A
great read throughout and well recommended.
Five out of Five stars
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