Great Fantasy Book Short Stories – Unusual Suspects

A variety of celebrated authors have joined together once again for a sequel to the much enjoyed Powers of Detection (6ME2WDWKRBMX). Together they have written twelve original stories of mystery and suspense in the fantasy worlds we love so much. The characters are wonderfully written and fully drawn out. Sit back, get comfortable and prepare for a whirlwind journey around the world.

In “Lucky”, by Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse has once again found herself involved in a rather sticky situation. Asked by an acquaintance to investigate recent break-ins at his office, Sookie and a friend readily agree not expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. Spells, missing luck and the occasional vampire tangle the heroine up in a magical web of disaster.

Vampires, werewolves, zombies and an assortment of other famed supernatural creatures roam the streets of Las Vegas in “Bogieman”, by Carole Nelson Douglas. It is 2013 and nothing is the same in the world. Delilah Street, a paranormal investigator, is accustomed to challenging jobs where she has to deal with the abnormal. When she’s hired to investigate the murder of Sam Spade she realizes that this case is more unusual than even she is accustomed to.

In “Looks are Deceiving” a dwarf is hunting for whatever or whoever killed a Duke. Although the Duke isn’t dead yet (only cursed) it’s a race against the clock to find the person responsible for his current state. This enjoyable story by Michael A. Stackpole takes place in a traditional fantasy world and twists and turns keep the reader engaged.

In “The House of Seven Spirits” Erica is a writer who needs a little inspiration. When she rents a home for the summer she looks forward to the solitude. When she moves in she realizes she won’t get a moments peace to write; not with the seven “spirited” roommates she ends up sharing the small house with. Sharon Shinn contributes is a wonderfully well written story with excellent characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned.

Alf has to find his daughter. She has gone missing and her mother is at a loss as to where she might be. Alf teams up with a stranger and together they look for the lost girl. “Glamour” by Mike Doogan is an amusing tale of surprise’s that will have you laughing before it’s over.

In “Spellbound” no one is ever safe when a witch leaves loves spells lying in wait. Gwynn may be an apprentice to a great and wonderful wizard but she has her hands full trying to investigate the strange occurrences at her school and keep her boss away from the infatuated witch and her pesky love charms. Suspense, romance and spell casting make this a stand-out story by Donna Andrews.

This science fiction story “The Duh Vice” by Michael Armstrong portrays a future world where wasting energy is a punishable crime. An officer investigates a resource-wasting violation and captures the guilty offender. Things go downhill from there. This is an interesting and disturbing look at what the future may hold.

It’s not unthinkable to assume Santa has a life after the big night, but where exactly does he go? “Weight of the World” by John Straley takes us into the mind of the big elf and we see what happens when murder surrounds him.

In “Illumination” by Laura Anne Gilman, when Bonnie goes searching for her missing father, things become difficult and convoluted. An encounter with a cave dragon becomes an enlightening moment for Bonnie and allows her to discover truths both past and future.

In “The House” by Laurie R. King a class project has a group of students investigating and researching a creepy old house on the outskirts of town. Although it’s isolated and foreboding they’re not deterred. But when one of them goes missing they must all bond together to unravel the mystery.

With “Appetite for Murder” Simon R. Green takes us into the Nightside, a dark and depraved city. There we meet Sam, a supernatural detective, who’s seen and done it all. However when he’s asked to investigate a serial killer who’s stalking the streets hunting down the innocent he knows many lives are at risk. With a sensual and sexy heroine sidekick, Sam investigates a case that will shock and thrill.

Women’s rights, mystery and magic are all combined in “A Woman’s Work”, a story of supernatural intrigue written by Dana Stabenow. A female team, Seer and Sword are commissioned by the king to look into the death of a royal heir. This fast-paced action-filled story takes place on the Island Kingdom of Pylos where things quickly go astray.

Overall, this is a good collection of fantasy short stories that introduced me to several new authors!