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[neadods]

My latest review is up on Reviewing the Evidence. Link away, kradical - it's for Dragon Precinct.

Comments

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that sounds interesting!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

It is! He's got a pretty unique take on high fantasy... and I'm not just saying that because he's on my f-list. :>

[shanaeden.livejournal.com]

wow. I'll have to go look for this one at the library. I love mysteries and fantasy and rarely find the two in the same book. If you have time to answer...any other similar books you can suggest?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

How overt do you want that fantasy? Dragon Precinct is one of the most obvious about its setting, but there are a lot of urban fantasy mysteries. Staying Dead by Gilman (look in the search feature of RtE, I reviewed it too.) The Blood and the Summoning/Keeper series by Huff - particularly Blood, as the two main characters are a detective and a vampire. (Although I prefer the Summons series; it's lighter.) The Lord Darcy stuff by Garrett, for alternate history urban fantasy mystery. (!) Early Laurel Hamilton - the first 5 books were fantastic mysteries without a lot of Marysueism or gratuitious porn.

There are more, but I'm writing this at work and the collection's at home. A warning, though - of the two mysteries I've reviewed with "Ghost" in the title, neither one had an actual ghost in the plot, which faintly disappointed me.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Oh, and Jim Butcher. He's got a series about the only wizard listed in the Chicago yellow pages, who occasionally helps the police. Darker than my taste - think of Kolchak the Night Stalker with the feel of the more nihilistic episodes of X-Files - but very well written. There are about 6 of 'em out right now, and I've heard rumors of TV options.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

And a third recommendation ... (getting tired of me yet?) The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly. It was supposed to be the kickoff of a series that hasn't materialized yet - the second book was due out this month and isn't announced on Amazon - it's a really witty blend of cozy, hardboiled, and paranormal. Basically, a fluttery single mother ends up with a bookstore and a dead author; her investigations are aided by the ghost haunting the premesis, who had been a very Phillip Marlowe kinda guy when he was alive.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

One last reply... they're less mystery than political intrigue, but there's also the Wolf series by Jane Lindskold. The first book, Through Wolf's Eyes is about the politics surrounding the heir to the throne. The king has several siblings, nieces, and nephews, and everyone's lining up behind their favorite - until someone gets clever and brings to court the long-lost daughter of the king's exiled son.

Except... IS she really the daughter? She was found living with the wolves next to an destroyed village. Will the king accept her? Will the court accept her? And what value does this pawn have in the greater game of court and national intrigue?

Very cool stuff. Not a classic mystery, but definately a fantasy setting and a lot of double-dealing and intrigue.

Thank you!

[shanaeden.livejournal.com]

Heh, you had more time than I thought! I appreciate it...I haven't been reading enough lately and so I've been looking for things that I would enjoy too much to put down (and never find again). I just had a new baby, and while that's a good excuse, it is not good to let my mind turn into mush. Without reading I might soon turn into someone that can only say "uh oh! Baby made a messy-poo."

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

And then there are the Donna Tregarde mysteries by Mercedes Lackey: Children of the Night, Burning Water, and Jinx High -- also Sacred Ground, which is not Tregarde and more towards the "hard-boiled" genre.

Are you only interested in urban fantasy mysteries? I have a lot of F&SF crossovers to the mystery genre, but some of them are more F&SF than mystery.