Review: Mean Streets

Mean Streets
by Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson, Thomas E. Sniegoski

Format: Paperback, 342 pages
Publisher: Roc Trade
Cover Art: Chris McGrath
Release Date: January 6, 2009
ISBN-10: 0-451462497
ISBN-13: 978-0451462497


Mean Streets is a new supernatural detective anthology made up of four short stories, “The Warrior” by Jim Butcher, “The Difference a Day Makes” by Simon R. Green, “The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog” by Kat Richardson, and “Noah’s Orphan’s” by Thomas E. Sniegoski.

In “The Warrior” by Jim Butcher, a threat is made against Harry Dresden’s friend Michael Carpenter, injured during the events in Small Favor and now retired Knight of the Cross. Harry is determined to protect his friend and soon discovers that the danger is from a rather unlikely source. In the process, Harry learns that battle between good and evil occurs on many levels and enemies are not always the ones you’d expect.

Simon R. Green’s John Taylor is the best private detective in the secret world of the Nightside. When an innocent woman stumbles across his path asking for help finding her lost memories, he takes the job but in the Nightside some things are best forgotten.

Kat Richardson created a parallel world of ghosts for her series Greywalker. Harper Blaine is asked by a woman she’s never met to do a simple job on the Mexican Day of the Dead. However, it soon becomes clear that there is far more to the story than meets the eye.

There is more to private eye Remy Chandler than meets the eye, especially considering that he is a fallen angel. When Noah of the Noah’s Ark parable is found murdered, Remy sets out to find the killer and stumbles onto a mystery of biblical origins. Be sure to check out this interesting new series by Thomas E. Sniegoski.

Jim Butcher and Simon R. Green are the more established authors with several books each in their two series. Kat Richardson and Thomas E. Sniegoski are the “new” blood to the supernatural detective genre. Of the four authors contributing to this anthology, Jim Butcher is the only one that I have previously read. I’m a big fan of the Dresden Files so Butcher’s story was definitely my favorite of the four. Richardson’s story was the weakest though it was also impressively researched. I thought all four stories were well written and worked together very well. I’m definitely interested in trying the three authors I have not yet read.

Recommended for fans of urban fantasy and supernatural mystery.

Rating: 8/10.