Review - Mean Streets - Anthology

Mean Streets
Anthology – Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green,
Kat Richardson, Thomas E. Sniegoski
ROC
January 6, 2009
ISBN# 978-0-451-46249-7

Book Blurb:
From four of today's hottest fantasy authors-all-new novellas of dark nights, cruel cities, and paranormal P.I.s.

The best paranormal private investigators have been brought together in a single volume-and cases don't come any harder than this.

New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher delivers a hard-boiled tale in which Harry Dresden's latest case may be his last.

Nightside dweller John Taylor is hired by a woman to find something she lost-her memory-in a thrilling noir tale from New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green.

National bestselling author Kat Richardson's Greywalker finds herself in too deep when a "simple job" goes bad and Harper Blaine is enmeshed in a tangle of dark secrets and revenge from beyond the grave.

For centuries, the being that we know as Noah lived among us. Now he is dead, and fallen-angel-turned-detective Remy Chandler has been hired to find out who killed him in a whodunit by national bestselling author Thomas E. Sniegoski.

My thoughts:
The Warrior by Jim Butcher – When someone anonymously sends Harry Dresden what amounts to a threat on Michael Carpenter’s life, he steps in to protect him against Michael’s wishes. Harry will find that he’s in as much danger as the friend he protects.

The Difference a Day Makes by Simon R. Green – A client is sent to John Taylor for help in finding her husband who has disappeared into the Nightside. Even John, who is used to the bizarre goings on of the Nightside, will be surprised at what they find.

The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog by Kat Richardson – When Harper Blaine is hired at the request in a dead woman’s will, she travels to Mexico to carry out the instructions. She soon has a ghostly companion that will help her solve the strange mystery.

Noah’s Orphans by Thomas E. Sniegoski – Remy Chandler has just been informed that Noah’s been murdered, and he’s been asked to find the killer. What he finds is a cover-up that goes back to humanity’s beginning.

Mean Streets contains four stories that are sure to keep readers engaged. For those who haven’t had the opportunity to read the series that each of these tales are connected to, this anthology provides a fabulous taste for what they’re about. For fans of Harry Dresden, John Taylor, Harper Blaine and Remy Chandler, you’ll find that Mean Streets is a wonderful treat while waiting for the author’s next novel. They’re equally well-told and intriguing, to the point where I found it impossible to say that any one stands out above the rest. This is a keeper that will easily rise to the top of the list of favorite anthologies for fans of the genre.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews