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Mercy Thompson #1.1 - The Star of David
The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told
Paranormal crime stories by bestselling fiction writers like Kelley Armstrong, Anne Perry, Simon R. Green, Patricia Briggs, and more. A massive, monumental volume of paranormal crime fiction by bestselling authors. Gripping tales of mayhem include both novellas and short stories like “Stalked by,” by Kelley Armstrong, “The Judgment” by worldwide bestselling author Anne Perry, “Appetite for Murder” by Simon R. Green, “, “Road Dogs” by Norman Partridge, “The Hex Is In” by Mike Resnick, “Doppelgangster” by Laura Resnick, the chilling “If Vanity Doesn’t Kill Me” by Michael A. Stackpole, and many, many, more. Compiled and edited by the world’s most prolific anthologist-the award-winning Martin H. Greenberg-this is the biggest paranormal crime book on the market and the ultimate collection for crime lovers, ghost hunters, and thrill seekers everywhere. Also included are multiple stories by New York Times bestselling authors. The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told is a new book in the series, which includes The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told and The Best Fishing Stories Ever Told.
514 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2010
295 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Martin H. Greenberg
910 books162 followersMartin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 1, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
February 14, 2022
Anthology. Average is 2.94 stars
1. Appetite for Murder by Simon R. Green. I didn’t care for this story much. Maybe if I knew more about the series I would have. 2 stars
2. Star of David by Patricia Briggs. David, the werewolf gets together with his estranged daughter to help out a young wizard. Really good story. Patricia Briggs is the best. 5 stars.
3. If Vanity Doesn’t Kill Me by Michael Stackpole. In a magical world, sometimes justification isn't enough. I think this is the first Michael Stackpole book I read. Good story. 3-1/2 stars.
4. Grave-Robbed by P.N. Elrond. This story hmmm. I'm not sure what I think about it. Everyone is a lot naïve. 2 stars.
5. The Judgement by Anne Perry. Were these supernatural beings? What would have happened if the judgement had been different? 3 stars.
6.The Angel of the Lord by Melville Davisson Post. This is another story I am not sure how I feel about it. Made no sense to me. 3 stars
7. Special Surprise Guest Appearance by . . . By Carole Nelson Douglas. Magic user done wrong has revenge. 2-1/2 stars.
8. Occupational Hazard: A Harry the Book Story by Kirinyaga. Did not like this story. 1-1/2 stars.
9. She’s Not There by Steve Perry. I liked the beginning of this story but the ending not so much. 3 stars.
10. Hostile Takeover by Nina Kiritimati Hoffman. Well I'm confused, in a good way. This sounds like it could turn out bad. 4 stars.
11. Doppleganster by Laura Resnick. Yuck. I wonder if the authors sometimes give their not very good stories to anthologies. Although as I type this I have found some wonderful short stories in anthologies that have made me want to read more by the author. This was not one of those. 1-1/2 stars.
12. The Necromancer’s Apprentice by Lillian Stewart Carl. This started out good, I had high hopes. Then the nonsense epithets were just ridiculous and ruined the story for me. 2 stars
13. The Night of Their Lives by Max Allan Collins. This was a little more interesting. An undercover cop knows more than his boss thinks. 3 stars
14. Road Dogs by Norman Partridge. Another interesting one. A guy wants to "talk" to the guy he thinks is responsible for his sister's death and then a lot of other stuff happens. This would probably make a good full length book. 3 stars
15. Ninja Rats on Harleys by Elizabeth A. Vaughn. This was a cute story. Cliffhanger ending. 3-1/2 stars.
16. Stalked by Kelley Armstrong. This short story was part of another anthology. It was good. 3 stars.
17. Corpse Vision by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I have only read this author's sci-fi but this was actually pretty good. I think once I am done with her sci-fi series, I will try her mysteries under her nom de plume. 4 stars
18. The Unicorn Hunt by Michelle West. Wow, unicorns are evil! 3-1/2 stars
1. Appetite for Murder by Simon R. Green. I didn’t care for this story much. Maybe if I knew more about the series I would have. 2 stars
2. Star of David by Patricia Briggs. David, the werewolf gets together with his estranged daughter to help out a young wizard. Really good story. Patricia Briggs is the best. 5 stars.
3. If Vanity Doesn’t Kill Me by Michael Stackpole. In a magical world, sometimes justification isn't enough. I think this is the first Michael Stackpole book I read. Good story. 3-1/2 stars.
4. Grave-Robbed by P.N. Elrond. This story hmmm. I'm not sure what I think about it. Everyone is a lot naïve. 2 stars.
5. The Judgement by Anne Perry. Were these supernatural beings? What would have happened if the judgement had been different? 3 stars.
6.The Angel of the Lord by Melville Davisson Post. This is another story I am not sure how I feel about it. Made no sense to me. 3 stars
7. Special Surprise Guest Appearance by . . . By Carole Nelson Douglas. Magic user done wrong has revenge. 2-1/2 stars.
8. Occupational Hazard: A Harry the Book Story by Kirinyaga. Did not like this story. 1-1/2 stars.
9. She’s Not There by Steve Perry. I liked the beginning of this story but the ending not so much. 3 stars.
10. Hostile Takeover by Nina Kiritimati Hoffman. Well I'm confused, in a good way. This sounds like it could turn out bad. 4 stars.
11. Doppleganster by Laura Resnick. Yuck. I wonder if the authors sometimes give their not very good stories to anthologies. Although as I type this I have found some wonderful short stories in anthologies that have made me want to read more by the author. This was not one of those. 1-1/2 stars.
12. The Necromancer’s Apprentice by Lillian Stewart Carl. This started out good, I had high hopes. Then the nonsense epithets were just ridiculous and ruined the story for me. 2 stars
13. The Night of Their Lives by Max Allan Collins. This was a little more interesting. An undercover cop knows more than his boss thinks. 3 stars
14. Road Dogs by Norman Partridge. Another interesting one. A guy wants to "talk" to the guy he thinks is responsible for his sister's death and then a lot of other stuff happens. This would probably make a good full length book. 3 stars
15. Ninja Rats on Harleys by Elizabeth A. Vaughn. This was a cute story. Cliffhanger ending. 3-1/2 stars.
16. Stalked by Kelley Armstrong. This short story was part of another anthology. It was good. 3 stars.
17. Corpse Vision by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I have only read this author's sci-fi but this was actually pretty good. I think once I am done with her sci-fi series, I will try her mysteries under her nom de plume. 4 stars
18. The Unicorn Hunt by Michelle West. Wow, unicorns are evil! 3-1/2 stars
October 7, 2021
Eh lol gave it to the little library in my community hope someone enjoys it
May 16, 2019
Overall a good collection. Some of it was less paranormal than you'd home and more just crime, but still good.
Appetite for Murder by Simon R. Green - I've read this one before, and it was nice to get to read it again, I like it.
Star of David by Patricia Briggs - This was good, I liked it.
If Vanity Doesn't Kill Me by Michael A. Stackpole - this was ok.
Grave-Robbed by P.N. Elrod was lovely. I adore the Fleming stories, so I'm as biased as hell.
The Judgement by Anne Perry was ok, it didn't do much for me.
The Angel of the Lord by Melville Davisson Post was good. I'd read it before. Very suspenseful.
Special Surprise Guest Appearance by... by Carole Nelson Douglas was good. I think I've read it before, but I wasn't sure.
Occupational Hazard: A Harry the Book Story by Mike Resnick was amusing.
She's Not There by Steve Perry was interesting, not what I expected.
Hostile Takeover by Nina Kiriki Hoffman was good, but not what I was expecting. I adore Nina Kiriki Hoffman, she does very good stories.
Dopplegangster by Laura Resnick was good.
The Necromancer's Apprentice by Lillian Stewart Carl was ok? It didn't do much for me.
The Night of Their Lives by Max Allan Collins was good.
Road Dogs by Norman Partridge was ok, no particular thoughts.
Ninja Rats on Harleys by Elizabeth A. Vaughan was interesting? It was a story that felt like it was third or fourth in a series and that's not a good introduction.
Stalked by Kelley Armstrong was amusing.
Corpse Vision by Kristine Kathryn Rusch was good.
The Unicorn Hunt by Michelle West was interesting.
Appetite for Murder by Simon R. Green - I've read this one before, and it was nice to get to read it again, I like it.
Star of David by Patricia Briggs - This was good, I liked it.
If Vanity Doesn't Kill Me by Michael A. Stackpole - this was ok.
Grave-Robbed by P.N. Elrod was lovely. I adore the Fleming stories, so I'm as biased as hell.
The Judgement by Anne Perry was ok, it didn't do much for me.
The Angel of the Lord by Melville Davisson Post was good. I'd read it before. Very suspenseful.
Special Surprise Guest Appearance by... by Carole Nelson Douglas was good. I think I've read it before, but I wasn't sure.
Occupational Hazard: A Harry the Book Story by Mike Resnick was amusing.
She's Not There by Steve Perry was interesting, not what I expected.
Hostile Takeover by Nina Kiriki Hoffman was good, but not what I was expecting. I adore Nina Kiriki Hoffman, she does very good stories.
Dopplegangster by Laura Resnick was good.
The Necromancer's Apprentice by Lillian Stewart Carl was ok? It didn't do much for me.
The Night of Their Lives by Max Allan Collins was good.
Road Dogs by Norman Partridge was ok, no particular thoughts.
Ninja Rats on Harleys by Elizabeth A. Vaughan was interesting? It was a story that felt like it was third or fourth in a series and that's not a good introduction.
Stalked by Kelley Armstrong was amusing.
Corpse Vision by Kristine Kathryn Rusch was good.
The Unicorn Hunt by Michelle West was interesting.
April 12, 2018
Each author has their own style and each is fun
I don't give a five star very often. Rating systems like this frustrate me since the best leader i ever had routinely gave us 3 ratings. When I pushed the reply was: "i expect you to perform at the highest professional level. When you do that you meet my expectations. That level of performance may exceed the expectations of others. I expect the best and you give it. What's the problem?" I started this book with very high expectations. These authors met this expectations
I don't give a five star very often. Rating systems like this frustrate me since the best leader i ever had routinely gave us 3 ratings. When I pushed the reply was: "i expect you to perform at the highest professional level. When you do that you meet my expectations. That level of performance may exceed the expectations of others. I expect the best and you give it. What's the problem?" I started this book with very high expectations. These authors met this expectations
April 18, 2019
I enjoyed most of these short stories, especially from Green, Briggs, Elrod, and Armstrong, all of whom I had read previously.
Typos:
"Appetite for Murder" It's vocal cords, not chords.
"Star of David" missing comma, urbane smile (urban is written), comma used for semicolon.
"If Vanity Doesn't Kill Me" I'd never known them, not known then; missing space and hyphen.
"Grave-Robbed" missing word, apostrophe s plural.
"Occupational Hazard" missing space and hyphen.
"She's Not There" duplicated word, missing space and hyphen, lead for led.
"Doppelganger" sentence fragment.
Typos:
"Appetite for Murder" It's vocal cords, not chords.
"Star of David" missing comma, urbane smile (urban is written), comma used for semicolon.
"If Vanity Doesn't Kill Me" I'd never known them, not known then; missing space and hyphen.
"Grave-Robbed" missing word, apostrophe s plural.
"Occupational Hazard" missing space and hyphen.
"She's Not There" duplicated word, missing space and hyphen, lead for led.
"Doppelganger" sentence fragment.
February 4, 2021
This was a very interesting omnibus of paranormal stories and I found them humorous, quirky, scary and sometimes downright bizarre. They were just what I needed to lift me out of the today's reality and make me forget the lockdown for a while.
I can't say which were my favourites since there were fifteen short stories to enjoy. But if you want to step into the world of vampires, werewolves, witches and other magical beings I can highly recommend The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told.
I can't say which were my favourites since there were fifteen short stories to enjoy. But if you want to step into the world of vampires, werewolves, witches and other magical beings I can highly recommend The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told.
June 7, 2019
The Best?
Some of the short stories in this volume were very good and I didn't want them to end. Some stories were not so interesting and I painfully read through them. Isn't that the way with all such collections? I don't this is the best compilation nor do I think it the worst. It was okay.
Some of the short stories in this volume were very good and I didn't want them to end. Some stories were not so interesting and I painfully read through them. Isn't that the way with all such collections? I don't this is the best compilation nor do I think it the worst. It was okay.
January 12, 2022
Superb
This is a fantastic collection of stories. All of them were great reads. My favorites were "Stalked" by Kelley Armstrong, "Appetite for Murder" by Simon R Green, "The Judgement" by Anne Perry, and "She's not There" by Steve Perry. If you love paranormal and mystery stories you will love this collection.
This is a fantastic collection of stories. All of them were great reads. My favorites were "Stalked" by Kelley Armstrong, "Appetite for Murder" by Simon R Green, "The Judgement" by Anne Perry, and "She's not There" by Steve Perry. If you love paranormal and mystery stories you will love this collection.
June 28, 2017
Paranormal Crime Stories
A very good collection of short stories by several authors. I liked these stories as all had characters to like or not. An excellent book to see if you like their writing enough to read full length books.
A very good collection of short stories by several authors. I liked these stories as all had characters to like or not. An excellent book to see if you like their writing enough to read full length books.
July 30, 2017
A great collection
This anthology contains quite a few really good stories. Some are more fanciful than others. Some focus on a crime or crimes, while in others the crime itself is tangential. All of them contain elements of the paranormal to a greater or lesser degree.
This anthology contains quite a few really good stories. Some are more fanciful than others. Some focus on a crime or crimes, while in others the crime itself is tangential. All of them contain elements of the paranormal to a greater or lesser degree.
October 21, 2021
Some good stories in this collection, as always there are ones that I liked more than others. I am always in awe of authors who can tell such a good complete short tale in such few words. Definitely will be looking up some authors I have not met yet.
February 5, 2018
Wonderful collection
Quite the variety of fun takes on crime scenes, crimes in the act, and just supernatural occurrences. Enjoy them all!
Quite the variety of fun takes on crime scenes, crimes in the act, and just supernatural occurrences. Enjoy them all!
March 16, 2018
Great collection
I actually enjoyed all of these different stories. I found them to be highly engaging and very fun to read.
I actually enjoyed all of these different stories. I found them to be highly engaging and very fun to read.
March 30, 2018
Good way to meet new (to you) writers
I loved the chance to dip into unknown writing. Short stories allow a reader to try a writer out without the commitment of a whole book.
I loved the chance to dip into unknown writing. Short stories allow a reader to try a writer out without the commitment of a whole book.
March 25, 2019
What a great group of stories! I enjoyed them all - which is very rare - and I was able to read through them all quickly and smoothly, which is also rare. Really great book!
May 15, 2019
Fun, fun, fun!
I read a couple stories a night. All were fun, odd and quirky without being scary. Hope you enjoy them too!
I read a couple stories a night. All were fun, odd and quirky without being scary. Hope you enjoy them too!
May 25, 2019
My rating is based on Patricia Briggs story The Star of David
August 16, 2020
The best part of reading a collection of stories is the new authors I discover. And this was no exception. Kudos to the author who put these stories together. Thank you!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 5, 2021Read Star of David by Patricia Briggs in Shifting Shadows
May 12, 2021
I enjoyed reading stories from some authors I hadn't read in a long time.
September 8, 2021
Stories were so-so.
August 31, 2022
Star of David - in Wolfsbane and mistletoe.
January 27, 2023
One or two of the stories were okay, but the rest are not very good. I which the audiobook could have the names of the stories in the chapters to skip the ones I wasn't enjoying.
March 12, 2024
I really enjoyed this collection. There were only two stories that I would have given a lesser score to, but none the less, I was disappointed when I found out I'd finished the last one.
July 4, 2012
You would think that I would give the Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told a higher rating. But the collection came out in 2010 and I think there's been some pretty fantastic paranormal crime stories since. Which is good, because while all the stories were enjoyable, some of them were not what I would put in a best of anything collection, not just because of taste. Some had some serious issues with quality. Don't get me wrong, there are some real and true jewels in this collection. But there are a few that I didn't think were good on a technical level.
Also, because it's a 'best of genre' book, there is not a very cohesive feel to the whole thing. In fact, it feels as though the editor went for breadth, trying to present a wide range of stories that fall beneath the umbrella of paranormal. Good if you're seeking some variety, but there was no cohesion amongst the work, which is something you can find in a stellar anthology.
So in short, a good starting place if you're hunting for some names of paranormal lit to read, but a tried and true genre buff may want to go straight for the collections the stories came out of.
Also, because it's a 'best of genre' book, there is not a very cohesive feel to the whole thing. In fact, it feels as though the editor went for breadth, trying to present a wide range of stories that fall beneath the umbrella of paranormal. Good if you're seeking some variety, but there was no cohesion amongst the work, which is something you can find in a stellar anthology.
So in short, a good starting place if you're hunting for some names of paranormal lit to read, but a tried and true genre buff may want to go straight for the collections the stories came out of.
January 12, 2014
The stories by familiar authors were quite enjoyable. I was bummed to learn that I had already enjoyed the Kelley Armstrong story.
The little known authors were boring and I skipped through most of them.
Favorite stories. P.N Elrods séance investigation
Kelley Armstrong honeymoon story.
Patricia Briggs werewolf tale.
Simon R Greens Nightside story.
Couldn't finish stories.
Melvin Davisson Post
Mike Resnick
Laura Resnick
Norman Patridge
Elizabeth Vaughn
Michelle West
Kristine Rusch
The little known authors were boring and I skipped through most of them.
Favorite stories. P.N Elrods séance investigation
Kelley Armstrong honeymoon story.
Patricia Briggs werewolf tale.
Simon R Greens Nightside story.
Couldn't finish stories.
Melvin Davisson Post
Mike Resnick
Laura Resnick
Norman Patridge
Elizabeth Vaughn
Michelle West
Kristine Rusch
June 17, 2013
I bought this book, thinking it would be about "Paranormal" stories - ghosts, spirits, spooks, whatever you want to call them. I've read about 6 - 7 stories so far and there's nothing "paranormal" about it. What it is, is a collection of "Supernatural" stories. The title of the book is misleading and wrongly named.
If I had known that it was just a book of "supernatural" stories, I would not have bought it. So far, the stories are ok, just not what I was hoping for. If you're looking for the paranormal, don't buy this book - you won't find it here. If you're all about the supernatural, then this is the book for you.
If I had known that it was just a book of "supernatural" stories, I would not have bought it. So far, the stories are ok, just not what I was hoping for. If you're looking for the paranormal, don't buy this book - you won't find it here. If you're all about the supernatural, then this is the book for you.
March 4, 2016
I enjoyed this book. Many of the stories were written by writers whose work I have read and liked before. Some of the stories I had seen in other anthologies but it was fun to reread them. I recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal crime stories. a Good Read!
July 17, 2014
I only read the Kelley Armstrong short story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews