Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives [Paperback]

Justin Gustainis (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Got Vampires? Ghosts? Monsters? We Can help!

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives, is your one-stop-shop for Urban Fantasy’s finest anthology of the supernatural. 14 sleuths are gathered together for the first time in all-original tales of unusual cases which require services that go far beyond mere deduction!

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives brings together popular characters from many Urban Fantasy paranormal investigative series, for your enjoyment.

Meet the Detectives:

Danny Hendrickson - from Laura Anne Gilman's Cosa Nostradamus series.
Kate Connor - from Julie Kenner’s Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series.
John Taylor - from Simon R. Green’s Nightside series.
Jill Kismet - from Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series.
Jessi Hardin - from Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.
Quincey Morris - from Justin Gustainis’ Morris/Chastain Investigations series.
Marla Mason - from T. A. Pratt's Marla Mason series.
Tony Foster - from Tanya Huff’s Smoke and Shadows series.
Dawn Madison - from Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series.
Pete Caldecott - from Caitlin Kittredge’s Black London series.
Tony Giodone - from C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s Tales of the Sazi series.
Jezebel - from Jackie Kessler’s Hell on Earth series.
Piers Knight - from C. J. Henderson’s Brooklyn Knight series.
Cassiel - from Rachel Caine’s Outcast Season series.

Demons may lurk, werewolves may prowl, vampires may ride the wind. These are things that go bump in the night, but we are the ones who bump back!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A former Army officer, speechwriter and professional bodyguard, Justin Gustainis is a college professor living in upstate New York. He is the author of The Hades Project (a semi-finalist for the 2003 Stoker award for Best First Novel), Black Magic Woman, Evil Ways and two forthcoming novels: Hard Spell and Sympathy for the Devil. He has also published a number of short stories, two of which won the Graverson Award for Horror in consecutive years. He is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy; 1st edition (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894063481
• ISBN-13: 978-1894063487
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #882,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Collection April 24, 2011

By Amanda Jade

Format:Paperback

This is a fantastic anthology for fans of eerie urban fantasy! The collection features 14 sleuths together for the first time in all-original tales of unusual cases involving vampires, demons, succubae and other seedy beasties. There is something for every horror fan out there - you've got the twisted and sinister tales, the classic detective stories with a paranormal spin, chilling mysteries, and much more.

There are stories like Chris Marie Green's "Soul Stains" which is a unique spin on vampires, a new mythos that I haven't come across before. And fans of Tanya Huff's Blood books and the Smoke and Mirrors series will be happy to find a deliciously dark story starring Tony Foster. Hurray Tony!

A few favorites in the collection were Simon R. Green's "The Spirit of the Thing," which is one of the best ghost stories I have read in ages. It was haunting and cryptic, just as a ghost story should be. "Dusted" by Laura Anne Gilman was another great one, any story that has gnomes, fauns and pixies in it is an automatic win for me.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book, there wasn't a single story I didn't enjoy, which is a rarity when it comes to anthologies. Every story was well-written, different, yet fit in with the book perfectly. I highly recommend picking up this chilling and unique collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Pretty Solid Group of Stories July 1, 2011

By Supernatural Snark

Format:Paperback

Those Who Fight Monsters is an entertaining collection of short stories featuring a strong combination of both male and female protagonists with a proclivity for fighting supernatural crime. As with any anthology, some stories are more intriguing than others with certain authors managing to create a complex and layered tale in just a few pages while others struggle a bit with the short length, leaving us wishing for an extra twenty pages to give us that added depth we're seeking. All of the fourteen individual tales feature characters from already-established paranormal series, and most do a beautiful job of quickly introducing us to the world should we be unfamiliar with it, giving us just enough information to be able to connect easily as we jump right into the action with little prelude.

This collection would be perfect for those on the hunt for some new urban fantasy series to try, each tale giving us a brief taste of the author's style and their characters. Some delight us with humor and wit, some shock us with paranormal twists to standard detective work, and some hint at a darkness and pain we know will affect us more profoundly should we pick up the full length novels. The only complaint would be the length of each story, on average about 15 pages-a challenge that forces us to absorb a lot of details and individuals in rapid succession and never allows us time to fully settle in. Reading this book is akin to ordering a sampler platter-a great variety of tasty morsels are presented but ultimately we find our favorites and try to savor them before moving on to nibble on the next.

MY PERSONAL FAVORITES:
Little Better Than a Beast by T.A. Pratt
Marla is a fun, take-no-nonsense chief sorcerer who approaches her monster of a problem with humor and isn't afraid to dispense some much-deserved violence on a man suffering rather impressively from sexism. Mr. Pratt gives us a complete tale that leaves us wanting numerous additional pages and much, much more time with Marla and her smart mouth.

Under the Hill and Far Away by Caitlin Kittredge
Ms. Kittredge is another on who does a spectacular job of illuminating the world from her Black London novels just enough to provide us a proper welcome and introduction to Pete Caldecott while spinning a mystery that, though easily solved, is enough of a taste of her style to spark a potential addiction.

Defining Shadows by Carrie Vaughn
Jessi Hardin is a detective in the world of Vaughn's Kitty Norville series, and she headlines perhaps the most unusual an fascinating story in the book. Focusing on an incredibly bizarre and exceedingly memorable supernatural being, Ms. Vaughn ensures her tale stands out as unique even amidst a plethora of talented writers. The case Hardin is called in to solve is grotesque but undeniably captivating, and Ms. Vaughn makes a spectacular use of every single one of her pages, making us feel like we've read a full novella instead of a short story.

Overall Rating: 3/5

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Those Who Fight Monsters April 26, 2011

By Anna Lemkau

Format:Paperback

Those Who Fight Monsters is dark and fresh. Essentially an Urban Fantasy delight. Fans of this genre will be itching to get their hands on this book. I loved it. I got to visit favorites such has Quincey Morris, Tony Giodone & Pete Caldecott. But also introduced to others such as Marla Mason, Jill Kismet and many more.

My favorite stories from this anthology are: Little Better Than A Beast by T.A. Pratt, Deal Breaker by Justin Gustainis & Running Wild by Rachel Caine.