Rating: 3 stars

Unusual Suspects includes a dozen assorted mystery shorts running the gamut of the fantasy genre. As always, there are some hidden gems that I’d love to re-read, and there’s the filler that I’d just skim over on the way to the ‘good stuff’ listed below:

Lucky by Charlaine Harris : Sookie and Amelia team up as a detective duo when Sookie’s insurance agent seeks help investigating a break-in. It’s interesting to read as a short, as it seems a bit off character for the series (Sookie in private eye role). Our female lead is proactive throughout rather than more reactive like she usually is.

Bogieman by Carole Nelson Douglas: When a CinSim is killed with a corkscrew, Snow calls upon Delilah Street’s help to untangle the murderous web. This author has a talent for seamlessly filling the reader in on previous storyline events without disrupting the current tale, as well as packing a huge amount of information and emotion into a small amount of space. That talent is much more evident in short form than in novel format. Read and reread!

Spellbound by Cheyenne McCray: A magical murder by towel origami at Westmarch College of Magical Studies unfolds. A unique twist on the murder mystery theme. The constant bombardment of love spells and Gwynn’s ways of coping with them are an added draw.

The Weight of the World by John Straley: When one of Santa’s elves turns up dead, another elf missing and the list of naughty names is at large, the fat man has got to do some investigating. This is unexpectedly poignant, and very well written.

Illumination by Laura Anne Gilman: Readers witness the birth of an investigator’s budding career as a magical college student goes on sabbatical to find her missing father. The mystical mentor that speaks in cryptic telepathic messages throughout is helpful while still maintaining that obligatory annoying quality. The ending gives hope of a novel in the works.

Appetite for Murder by Simon Green: Ms. Fate and Sam Warren go searching for the Nightside’s latest serial killer. There are so many flipped expectations that I lost count. It’s a wonderful read and I didn’t see anything in the ending coming.