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Dark Detectives: An Anthology of Supernatural Mysteries
CRIMES OF TERROR AND DARKNESS
In the battle between good and evil, the supernatural investigators form the first line of defense against the unexplainable. Here are eighteen pulse-pounding tales featuring uncanny sleuths battling against the weird, written by
Clive Barker
R. Chetwynd-Hayes
Basil Copper
Neil Gaiman
William Hope Hodgson
Brian Lumley
Brian Mooney
Kim Newman
Jay Russell
Peter Tremayne
Manly Wade Wellman
Featuring the entire ‘’Seven Stars” saga by Kim Newman, pitting the Diogenes Club against an occult object with the power to ultimately annihilate mankind!
In the battle between good and evil, the supernatural investigators form the first line of defense against the unexplainable. Here are eighteen pulse-pounding tales featuring uncanny sleuths battling against the weird, written by
Clive Barker
R. Chetwynd-Hayes
Basil Copper
Neil Gaiman
William Hope Hodgson
Brian Lumley
Brian Mooney
Kim Newman
Jay Russell
Peter Tremayne
Manly Wade Wellman
Featuring the entire ‘’Seven Stars” saga by Kim Newman, pitting the Diogenes Club against an occult object with the power to ultimately annihilate mankind!
480 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
50 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Jones
277 books343 followersStephen Jones is an eighteen-time winner of the British Fantasy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 19, 2017
Five stars all around for this one.
And follow the rules set down by the editor. Read all the stories in order.
And follow the rules set down by the editor. Read all the stories in order.
November 22, 2020
This was an B&N impulse buy. It's making me question impulse buys.
That's a bit harsh, but this collection was mostly just ok. 500 pages and not that many stories I really enjoyed. The editor, Stephen Jones, organized this collection chronologically, and suggests you read it that way. I say you can skip around, other than reading Kim Newman's novella segments in order. And despite the back cover description promising tales of supernatural investigators, there are too many stories in the front half that turn out to be variations on, "We thought it was The Curse of the Island Monster, but it was old Mr. Johnson in a Tiki God mask. Curse us meddling kids!"
Here is the content breakdown--prepare for an onslaught of fevered superlatives like "ok", "decent", "not the worst thing ever":
--Seven Stars by Kim Newman: This is easily the standout part of the book, and delivers on what it says on the tin. Seven stories plus a prologue set in Ancient Egypt detail various heroes and villains' tussles over a magical gem designed to bring about the end. of. the. world. I vaguely knew of Newman, but I definitely want to read more of him now. Oddly enough though, the stories get less good as they get closer to the present. The resolution of the series was a bit of a clunker, but I still liked this series. Also, one of the stories, "Dog Story", I had to skip because it had bad things happening to dogs. One of them was a Pekingese. My dog is a Pekingese. I love that little fart machine.
--"Our Lady of Death" by Peter Tremayne: An ok-ish mystery featuring Tremayne's Sister Fidelma, an official in the 7th century Celtic church. I liked the Irish history more than the story.
--"The Horse of the Invisible" by William Hope Hodgson: Something about a young couple being haunted by a horse ghost. Snore. DNF.
--"The Adventure of the Crawling Horror" by Basil Copper: More than any other story in this collection, this is Conan Doyle fan fiction. Copper apparently actually contacted Doyle after he quit writing about Holmes and asked if he could take over the series. Doyle said hell no, Copper started a series about a detective named Solar Pons who sounds an awful lot like Holmes. The story was too long but ok. I think if you've read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories and really want more, Basil Copper may be worth checking out.
--"Rouse Him Not" by Manly Wade Wellman: Something about a haunted patch of lawn. Boring. Anti-climactic.
--"De Marigney's Clock" by Brian Lumley: Man owns mysterious clock. Thieves try to steal it. Vanessa reads story, thinks it is, "Eh, ok."
--"Someone is Dead" by R. Chetwynd-Hayes: This one about a haunted house that is more than it appears was pretty good.
--"Vultures Gather" by Brian Mooney: Mostly a locked room mystery until the end. This was decent.
--"Lost Souls" by Clive Barker: This features Barker's Harry D'Amour PI character (featured in Lord of Illusions, which I'm sure everyone here has heard of and seen 100's of times. Right? Is this thing on?) This was too short (the only time I'll say that WRT this book), but I liked it.
--"The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" by Marty Burns: This really has nothing to do with paranormal OR detectives (the bit with the ouija board doesn't count.) I'd mark this as ok, but I didn't like the faint thread of dumbass homophobia that ran through the story.
--"Bay Wolf" by Neil Gaiman: Say that 4 times fast and what do you get? Beowulf. This is a short, modernized verse retelling of Beowulf featuring Lawrence Talbot-as in THE Wolf Man. Gaiman was advertised on the cover and was one of the reasons I got this, but the story was oddly pointless.
Wow, I didn't think I could use the word "ok" so many times in one review. I think I've broken a Goodreads record here.
This book is going in my Half Price Books stack.
That's a bit harsh, but this collection was mostly just ok. 500 pages and not that many stories I really enjoyed. The editor, Stephen Jones, organized this collection chronologically, and suggests you read it that way. I say you can skip around, other than reading Kim Newman's novella segments in order. And despite the back cover description promising tales of supernatural investigators, there are too many stories in the front half that turn out to be variations on, "We thought it was The Curse of the Island Monster, but it was old Mr. Johnson in a Tiki God mask. Curse us meddling kids!"
Here is the content breakdown--prepare for an onslaught of fevered superlatives like "ok", "decent", "not the worst thing ever":
--Seven Stars by Kim Newman: This is easily the standout part of the book, and delivers on what it says on the tin. Seven stories plus a prologue set in Ancient Egypt detail various heroes and villains' tussles over a magical gem designed to bring about the end. of. the. world. I vaguely knew of Newman, but I definitely want to read more of him now. Oddly enough though, the stories get less good as they get closer to the present. The resolution of the series was a bit of a clunker, but I still liked this series. Also, one of the stories, "Dog Story", I had to skip because it had bad things happening to dogs. One of them was a Pekingese. My dog is a Pekingese. I love that little fart machine.
--"Our Lady of Death" by Peter Tremayne: An ok-ish mystery featuring Tremayne's Sister Fidelma, an official in the 7th century Celtic church. I liked the Irish history more than the story.
--"The Horse of the Invisible" by William Hope Hodgson: Something about a young couple being haunted by a horse ghost. Snore. DNF.
--"The Adventure of the Crawling Horror" by Basil Copper: More than any other story in this collection, this is Conan Doyle fan fiction. Copper apparently actually contacted Doyle after he quit writing about Holmes and asked if he could take over the series. Doyle said hell no, Copper started a series about a detective named Solar Pons who sounds an awful lot like Holmes. The story was too long but ok. I think if you've read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories and really want more, Basil Copper may be worth checking out.
--"Rouse Him Not" by Manly Wade Wellman: Something about a haunted patch of lawn. Boring. Anti-climactic.
--"De Marigney's Clock" by Brian Lumley: Man owns mysterious clock. Thieves try to steal it. Vanessa reads story, thinks it is, "Eh, ok."
--"Someone is Dead" by R. Chetwynd-Hayes: This one about a haunted house that is more than it appears was pretty good.
--"Vultures Gather" by Brian Mooney: Mostly a locked room mystery until the end. This was decent.
--"Lost Souls" by Clive Barker: This features Barker's Harry D'Amour PI character (featured in Lord of Illusions, which I'm sure everyone here has heard of and seen 100's of times. Right? Is this thing on?) This was too short (the only time I'll say that WRT this book), but I liked it.
--"The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" by Marty Burns: This really has nothing to do with paranormal OR detectives (the bit with the ouija board doesn't count.) I'd mark this as ok, but I didn't like the faint thread of dumbass homophobia that ran through the story.
--"Bay Wolf" by Neil Gaiman: Say that 4 times fast and what do you get? Beowulf. This is a short, modernized verse retelling of Beowulf featuring Lawrence Talbot-as in THE Wolf Man. Gaiman was advertised on the cover and was one of the reasons I got this, but the story was oddly pointless.
Wow, I didn't think I could use the word "ok" so many times in one review. I think I've broken a Goodreads record here.
This book is going in my Half Price Books stack.
July 25, 2020
So picture this: you have been outside for several hours and it was a very hot day. You were puttering in the garden or mowing your lawn or working on your car-whatever. You are sweaty and tired. You go to the kitchen-and sitting on the counter is a large pitcher of cold water that is so crystal clear it makes your heart ache looking at it. You've gone from not knowing you were thirsty to dying of thirst in no time, so of course you pour a cup and drink it. Bliss!
And that is the best way I can describe reading Dark Detectives, an anthology edited by Stephen jones. You may not have known you were thirsty for it but it is so refreshing. What an enjoyable book! Obligatory name dropping commences: There are pieces here by Peter Tremayne, Kim Newman, William Hope Hodgson, Basil Copper, Manly Wade Wellman, Brian Lumley, R Chetwynd-Hayes, Clive Barker, and Neil Gaiman. It's a lovely mix of older ("classic") stories and newer tales, and it is even beautifully illustrated. Bliss!
And that is the best way I can describe reading Dark Detectives, an anthology edited by Stephen jones. You may not have known you were thirsty for it but it is so refreshing. What an enjoyable book! Obligatory name dropping commences: There are pieces here by Peter Tremayne, Kim Newman, William Hope Hodgson, Basil Copper, Manly Wade Wellman, Brian Lumley, R Chetwynd-Hayes, Clive Barker, and Neil Gaiman. It's a lovely mix of older ("classic") stories and newer tales, and it is even beautifully illustrated. Bliss!
October 25, 2016
some stories stood out more so than others. when I'm not on my phone I'll update this with the stories I liked!
May 9, 2015
Ok, a short words about every story...longer than that and it would be looooong.
In Egypt's land by Kim Newman
Just a short intro. Will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Our lady of death by Peter Tremayne
A ghost is haunting an inn. I liked this one as it was set long ago in Ireland, it had a nice smart heroine too.
The mummy's heart by Kim Newman
The ruby from the first story is now in England and causing deaths.
The horse of the invisible by William Hope Hodgson
A horse is haunting a woman. I still wonder what was real and not.
The magician and the matinee idol by Kim Newman
Ruby 3. 2 new peeps, 25 years later, 20s. Meh
The adventure of the crawler by Basil Cooper
Not one of my favorite detectives. I wanted more action.
The trouble with Barryman by Kim Newman
Ruby 4. 20 years later. I really hope they solve this in the end.
Rouse him not by John Thunston
I liked this one. Short and nice.
De Marigny's clock by Brian Lumley.
Those robber's sure made a mistake.
The Biafran bank manager by Kim Newman
Ruby 5. This almost seemed like the end, but more is coming it seems.
Someone is dead by R.Chetwynd-Hayes
A haunting. I liked the idea of time.slips.
Vultures gather Reuben Calloway by Roderick Shea
Totally creepy ending.
Last Souls by Cliver Barker
A bit too short
Mimsy by Kim Newman
Ruby 6. And it continues. My fav of the Newman's so far. And it's still not finished.
The man who shot the man who shot Liberty Valence by Jay Russell
Eh, wanted more.
The dog story by Kim Newman
Part 7. Ohh the future now, things are coming crashing down.
Bay Wolf by Neil Gaiman
But it was in prose! Eh
The duel of the Seven by Kim Newman
And it ends. With a bang, this should have been a book.
Some I enjoyed a lot, some I did not care for as much. Some were good, some ok, some weird, some brilliant. Just like every anthology. A good mix of things.
A detective here, a detective there, and lots of paranormal happenings. I read it over a weekend, but it would work better with maybe a story per day. Before bedtime ;)
In Egypt's land by Kim Newman
Just a short intro. Will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Our lady of death by Peter Tremayne
A ghost is haunting an inn. I liked this one as it was set long ago in Ireland, it had a nice smart heroine too.
The mummy's heart by Kim Newman
The ruby from the first story is now in England and causing deaths.
The horse of the invisible by William Hope Hodgson
A horse is haunting a woman. I still wonder what was real and not.
The magician and the matinee idol by Kim Newman
Ruby 3. 2 new peeps, 25 years later, 20s. Meh
The adventure of the crawler by Basil Cooper
Not one of my favorite detectives. I wanted more action.
The trouble with Barryman by Kim Newman
Ruby 4. 20 years later. I really hope they solve this in the end.
Rouse him not by John Thunston
I liked this one. Short and nice.
De Marigny's clock by Brian Lumley.
Those robber's sure made a mistake.
The Biafran bank manager by Kim Newman
Ruby 5. This almost seemed like the end, but more is coming it seems.
Someone is dead by R.Chetwynd-Hayes
A haunting. I liked the idea of time.slips.
Vultures gather Reuben Calloway by Roderick Shea
Totally creepy ending.
Last Souls by Cliver Barker
A bit too short
Mimsy by Kim Newman
Ruby 6. And it continues. My fav of the Newman's so far. And it's still not finished.
The man who shot the man who shot Liberty Valence by Jay Russell
Eh, wanted more.
The dog story by Kim Newman
Part 7. Ohh the future now, things are coming crashing down.
Bay Wolf by Neil Gaiman
But it was in prose! Eh
The duel of the Seven by Kim Newman
And it ends. With a bang, this should have been a book.
Some I enjoyed a lot, some I did not care for as much. Some were good, some ok, some weird, some brilliant. Just like every anthology. A good mix of things.
A detective here, a detective there, and lots of paranormal happenings. I read it over a weekend, but it would work better with maybe a story per day. Before bedtime ;)
July 4, 2016
These are good stories some are not what I expected but still are good.
March 16, 2017
Meh. Even the authors that I knew and loved didn't really deliver here. I guess everyone has off-days, and then sometimes they get published.
March 21, 2015
Titan Books has long had a great reputation for releasing some really interesting and varied anthologies in their time and rightfully so. There have been some absolutely brilliant ones from their publishing house, especially their Sherlock Holmes collections, that have really shown the sheer depth of talent out there.
With this Dark Detectives collection that reputation will surely grow because what we have here is a well thought out, well paced and incredibly varied collection of stories that all have a supernatural and spooky twist.
When you look at the listing for the authors involved, you will notice some very big names as well as some names that you may not be all that familiar with. You have some real heavy hitters like Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker and Kim Newman alongside some that you may not know that well and that's part of the beauty of the Titan Books anthologies.
Story wise, there are some truly brilliant stories here. Some of them really managed to get under my skin and I have to admit, The quality seemed pretty high for the entire collection, which is quite a hard feat for an anthology. My personal favourite out of all the stories here has to be the story by Neil Gaiman called Bay Wolf. The subtle and spooky feel of the story really made it stand out from the crowd for me and really cemented just why Gaiman is one of the best authors out there today.
Another thing I liked was that we have some recent detective stories rubbing shoulders against ones from a time that some people may call the classic era of detective stories yet they do so in such a fashion that the flow is beautifully done and not once does the collection feel disjointed or a mess.
Stephen Jones, who also has a story here, has done a sublime editing job and created a collection that deserves to have a place on any book lovers shelf, not just a detective novel lovers.
Story 8.5/10
Characters 9/10
Cover 8.5/10
Recommended 9/10
Overall 35/40
For more of my reviews then by all means visit www.curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogspot...
With this Dark Detectives collection that reputation will surely grow because what we have here is a well thought out, well paced and incredibly varied collection of stories that all have a supernatural and spooky twist.
When you look at the listing for the authors involved, you will notice some very big names as well as some names that you may not be all that familiar with. You have some real heavy hitters like Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker and Kim Newman alongside some that you may not know that well and that's part of the beauty of the Titan Books anthologies.
Story wise, there are some truly brilliant stories here. Some of them really managed to get under my skin and I have to admit, The quality seemed pretty high for the entire collection, which is quite a hard feat for an anthology. My personal favourite out of all the stories here has to be the story by Neil Gaiman called Bay Wolf. The subtle and spooky feel of the story really made it stand out from the crowd for me and really cemented just why Gaiman is one of the best authors out there today.
Another thing I liked was that we have some recent detective stories rubbing shoulders against ones from a time that some people may call the classic era of detective stories yet they do so in such a fashion that the flow is beautifully done and not once does the collection feel disjointed or a mess.
Stephen Jones, who also has a story here, has done a sublime editing job and created a collection that deserves to have a place on any book lovers shelf, not just a detective novel lovers.
Story 8.5/10
Characters 9/10
Cover 8.5/10
Recommended 9/10
Overall 35/40
For more of my reviews then by all means visit www.curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogspot...
June 19, 2015
YAWWWWWWWWN
A collection of Sherlock Holmes fanfictions. Half of them are Scooby Doo adventures. The other half... remember that movie, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Remember how it was so cringingly awful, it cut you to the core? It's like that, only with the addition of mummies.
I'll be honest, I didn't make it all the way through. I am retracing my steps to read Clive Barker's and Big Daddy Neil G.'s stories out of ancient, soul-deep loyalty.
It was cute for the first ten pages or so.
EDIT: Neil Gaiman! You beautiful son of a bitch! I somehow didn't realize "Bay Wolf" was a retelling of Beowulf until embarrassingly far into the story, long after Grand Al's introduction, even after Grand Al's ARM was RIPPED OFF during WRESTLING. It wasn't until Bay Wolf banged Grand Al's mom that I was like "why... why is she Angelina Jolie in my imaginatio-" and then a horrified gasp of realization.
A collection of Sherlock Holmes fanfictions. Half of them are Scooby Doo adventures. The other half... remember that movie, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? Remember how it was so cringingly awful, it cut you to the core? It's like that, only with the addition of mummies.
I'll be honest, I didn't make it all the way through. I am retracing my steps to read Clive Barker's and Big Daddy Neil G.'s stories out of ancient, soul-deep loyalty.
It was cute for the first ten pages or so.
EDIT: Neil Gaiman! You beautiful son of a bitch! I somehow didn't realize "Bay Wolf" was a retelling of Beowulf until embarrassingly far into the story, long after Grand Al's introduction, even after Grand Al's ARM was RIPPED OFF during WRESTLING. It wasn't until Bay Wolf banged Grand Al's mom that I was like "why... why is she Angelina Jolie in my imaginatio-" and then a horrified gasp of realization.
April 7, 2009
This is a really good collection that offers selections from many earlier writers in the field, many of whom are probably not available elsewhere, including Manley Wade Wellman, Clive Barker, William Hope Hodgeson, Peter Tremayne and Neil Gaimen, and Brian Lumley. It was edited by
kim Newman, author of Anno-Dracula and includes a series of linked stories based on Bram Stoker's Jewel of The Seven Stars and featuring characters from his own novels and those of others.
kim Newman, author of Anno-Dracula and includes a series of linked stories based on Bram Stoker's Jewel of The Seven Stars and featuring characters from his own novels and those of others.
August 29, 2015
I found all of the stories just weren't compelling. I have been reading Clive Barker's latest, and this short story of Harry D'Amour was really disappointing in comparison.
May 21, 2024
This isn't a bad collection, but I wish there was more variety. Basically all the detectives are sort of pulp/noir/comic book detectives and none of them particularly stand out. Jones apparently doesn't associate with women because every single one of these stories is by a man. Actually, on second thought that fact may explain some of the persistent "cool tough guy" main character syndrome we've got here. Also, many of them are not supernatural mysteries but have rational explanations, which seems to contradict the subtitle of the collection.
First, the standalones:
Our Lady of Death by Peter Tremayne - Scottish "haunting" which is actually an inheritance plot. Good sense of atmosphere, but the actual mystery is forgettable, 3/5.
The Horse of the Invisible by William Hope Hodgson - an evil ghost horse is haunting a couple. The bit with the photograph is genuinely creepy but the ending is a bit underwhelming, 4/5.
The Adventure of the Crawling Horror by Basil Cooper - a laughably blatant Sherlock Holmes knock-off set in a marsh. The mystery is ok but the caricatures of Holmes and Watson got unbearable. One thing that drove me crazy is that they say each other's names in every single line of dialogue, like we're going to forget them. 2/5
Rouse Him Not by Manly Wade Wellman - a fairy circle has a demon in it. Too short, nothing happens here. 3/5
De Marigny's Clock by Brian Lumley - thieves get eaten by a magical grandfather clock. This one was alright, solid ending. 4/5
Someone is Dead by R Chetwynd-Hayes - a ground of college kids are being haunted by visions of a prison that used to be where their house is? Concept is cool but the whole possession thing was kind of lame imo, and it got convoluted. 3/5
Vultures Gather by Brian Mooney - murderers get cursed to be eaten by lions. This one was cool and I liked it, 4/5.
Lost Souls by Clive Barker - a guy is hunting a demon. Mediocre and reads like one chapter cribbed from a longer work. There's not even really a conclusion, 2/5.
The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot *The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence* by Jay Russell - people working on a movie set go see a guy who collects compromising photographs. The title is better than the entirely of the story, 2/5.
Bay Wolf by Neil Gaiman - modern Beowulf retelling on the beach. Not too much to the plot but cool idea and I liked the poem/prose thing. 4/5
And the novella by Kim Newman: overall this one was a cool idea and I mostly liked it.
Seven Stars Prologue: In Egypt's Land - sets up the concept of the evil ruby with the plagues of Egypt. Some really gnarly imagery here, this is a solid start. 4/5
The Mummy's Heart - the stone resurfaces in Victorian London and is chased by a member of the Diogenes Club. This is also a nice mystery/thriller story and I liked the main character. 4/5
The Magician and the Matinee Idol - an actor gets the ruby and becomes brilliant. This one felt a bit repetitive but not bad, 3/5.
The Trouble with Barrymore - body snatchers steal the actor's body to try and get the stone. I almost forget the plot of this one, not that notable. 2/5
The Biafran Bank Manager - this one is creepy! Shadow people come for the previous guy for having used the gem and he gets eaten. It is spoiled at the end by a really bizarre sex scene. 4/5
but only if I pretend the last scene didn't happen.
Mimsy - the previous woman's daughter runs off with the gem. Finally we get a different sort of detective!! But the plot doesn't go anywhere on this one and who that billionaire is isn't really explained. 3/5
The Dog Story - Mimsy uses the stone to dystopia the world and kill all dogs? and also Genevieve, the vampire via head exploding. I appreciate that Newman is trying something really different here and it definitely took the plot into unexpected territory. But all the head exploding is like ???? what's going on. 3/5
The Duel of Seven Stars - Seven people from the previous seven stories come together to defeat Mimsy and destroy the ruby. Yeah it's a pretty decent ending, if a little cheesy. 4/5
Overall I think the novella does better than the rest of the stories, which are pretty mid. I think the one where the guys get eaten by lions is the only one I would recommend, so on the whole this collection was a miss for me.
First, the standalones:
Our Lady of Death by Peter Tremayne - Scottish "haunting" which is actually an inheritance plot. Good sense of atmosphere, but the actual mystery is forgettable, 3/5.
The Horse of the Invisible by William Hope Hodgson - an evil ghost horse is haunting a couple. The bit with the photograph is genuinely creepy but the ending is a bit underwhelming, 4/5.
The Adventure of the Crawling Horror by Basil Cooper - a laughably blatant Sherlock Holmes knock-off set in a marsh. The mystery is ok but the caricatures of Holmes and Watson got unbearable. One thing that drove me crazy is that they say each other's names in every single line of dialogue, like we're going to forget them. 2/5
Rouse Him Not by Manly Wade Wellman - a fairy circle has a demon in it. Too short, nothing happens here. 3/5
De Marigny's Clock by Brian Lumley - thieves get eaten by a magical grandfather clock. This one was alright, solid ending. 4/5
Someone is Dead by R Chetwynd-Hayes - a ground of college kids are being haunted by visions of a prison that used to be where their house is? Concept is cool but the whole possession thing was kind of lame imo, and it got convoluted. 3/5
Vultures Gather by Brian Mooney - murderers get cursed to be eaten by lions. This one was cool and I liked it, 4/5.
Lost Souls by Clive Barker - a guy is hunting a demon. Mediocre and reads like one chapter cribbed from a longer work. There's not even really a conclusion, 2/5.
The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot *The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence* by Jay Russell - people working on a movie set go see a guy who collects compromising photographs. The title is better than the entirely of the story, 2/5.
Bay Wolf by Neil Gaiman - modern Beowulf retelling on the beach. Not too much to the plot but cool idea and I liked the poem/prose thing. 4/5
And the novella by Kim Newman: overall this one was a cool idea and I mostly liked it.
Seven Stars Prologue: In Egypt's Land - sets up the concept of the evil ruby with the plagues of Egypt. Some really gnarly imagery here, this is a solid start. 4/5
The Mummy's Heart - the stone resurfaces in Victorian London and is chased by a member of the Diogenes Club. This is also a nice mystery/thriller story and I liked the main character. 4/5
The Magician and the Matinee Idol - an actor gets the ruby and becomes brilliant. This one felt a bit repetitive but not bad, 3/5.
The Trouble with Barrymore - body snatchers steal the actor's body to try and get the stone. I almost forget the plot of this one, not that notable. 2/5
The Biafran Bank Manager - this one is creepy! Shadow people come for the previous guy for having used the gem and he gets eaten. It is spoiled at the end by a really bizarre sex scene. 4/5
but only if I pretend the last scene didn't happen.
Mimsy - the previous woman's daughter runs off with the gem. Finally we get a different sort of detective!! But the plot doesn't go anywhere on this one and who that billionaire is isn't really explained. 3/5
The Dog Story - Mimsy uses the stone to dystopia the world and kill all dogs? and also Genevieve, the vampire via head exploding. I appreciate that Newman is trying something really different here and it definitely took the plot into unexpected territory. But all the head exploding is like ???? what's going on. 3/5
The Duel of Seven Stars - Seven people from the previous seven stories come together to defeat Mimsy and destroy the ruby. Yeah it's a pretty decent ending, if a little cheesy. 4/5
Overall I think the novella does better than the rest of the stories, which are pretty mid. I think the one where the guys get eaten by lions is the only one I would recommend, so on the whole this collection was a miss for me.
May 14, 2017
Please give my review a helpful vote on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/review/R3P8RB4...
This is an extremely good collection of stories bound together by the theme of a detective dealing with something that appears to be supernatural. I particularly liked the historical angle to the collection. The editor, Stephen Jones, opens the collection with an overview of the history of stories dealing with the "detective and demons" or "detective and ghosts" trope. The essay starts with an acknowledgment of Edgar Allen Poe's detective C. Auguste Dupin and then proceeds to move into the supernatural detective stories of the nineteenth century and beyond, bringing us up to the current time.
I recommend reading this essay in order to appreciate the collection because many of the stories adopt the characters mentioned in the essay and one was written in 1913.
The stories are:
‘Introduction: The Serial Sleuths’ by Stephen Jones.
‘Seven Stars Prologue: In Egypt’s Land’ by Kim Newman - A nice feature of the book, which helps with the historical feel of the book, is the Kim Newman stories about the "Seven Stars Jewel." The jewel has some unusual properties. The Newman stories involve episodes set in the 1890s, 1920s, 1950s, 1970s and the 21st century as related characters deal with the threat posed by the jewel.
‘Our Lady of Death’ by Peter Tremayne - This is a "Sister Fidelma" story. Tremayne has written several books about this ninth century Celtic nun who solves crimes. This is a well-written mystery, but it has more of a "Scooby Doo" approach than a truly supernatural story.
‘Seven Stars Episode One: The Mummy’s Heart’ by Kim Newman.
‘The Horse of the Invisible’ by William Hope Hodgson. Originally published in Carnacki, The Ghost-Finder (1913) - This is well-written, but it is in an older, more formal writing style. Like the Sister Fidelma story, this is more "Scooby Doo" than supernatural.
‘Seven Stars Episode Two: The Magician and the Matinee Idol’ by Kim Newman.
‘The Adventure of the Crawling Horror’ by Basil Copper - This story features Solar Pons, a character that August Derleth created to totally rip-off Sherlock Holmes. After Derleth, Basil Copper apparently used the character. This is a decent mystery story, albeit more "Scooby Doo."
‘Seven Stars Episode Three: The Trouble With Barrymore’ by Kim Newman.
‘Rouse Him Not’ by Manly Wade Wellman - I love Manly Wade Wellman and was quite happy to get a taste of his John Thunstone character. Definitely not Scooby Doo.
‘De Marigny’s Clock’ by Brian Lumley- After the Wellman story, the collection moves into real supernatural territory. This story is well-done and introduces Titus Crow, a character that I am interested in reading more of.
‘Seven Stars Episode Four: The Biafran Bank Manager’ 1999 by Kim Newman.
‘Someone is Dead’ by R. Chetwynd-Hayes - This is actually a decent story, but I didn't particularly like the main characters. The story had a 1970s feel to it.
‘Vultures Gather’ by Brian Mooney - Like the Lumley story, I found myself attracted to the detective character, Reuben Calloway, in this one. The story is good and there is definitely a mystery to be solved. On reflection, it occurs to me that the character of the detective - whether he has tics and quirks that entertain - are essential to a mystery story, even the supernatural variety.
‘Lost Souls’ by Clive Barker. Henry D'amour is a detective who kills demons. Scott Bakula played the character in the movie "Lord of Illusions." I think I will check that movie out.
‘Seven Stars Episode Five: Mimsy’ by Kim Newman.
‘The Man Who Shot the Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence’ by Jay Russell - This is the funniest story in the collection. It's lightweight but funny.
‘Seven Stars Episode Six: The Dog Story’ by Kim Newman.
‘Bay Wolf’ by Neil Gaiman - Gaiman does a short epic poem where the Wolfman meets the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
‘Seven Stars Episode Seven: The Duel of Seven Stars’ by Kim Newman.
I enjoyed all the stories. The stories had a nice variety. It was a nice introduction to characters that I have somehow missed in nearly 50 years of reading science fiction and fantasy.
This is an extremely good collection of stories bound together by the theme of a detective dealing with something that appears to be supernatural. I particularly liked the historical angle to the collection. The editor, Stephen Jones, opens the collection with an overview of the history of stories dealing with the "detective and demons" or "detective and ghosts" trope. The essay starts with an acknowledgment of Edgar Allen Poe's detective C. Auguste Dupin and then proceeds to move into the supernatural detective stories of the nineteenth century and beyond, bringing us up to the current time.
I recommend reading this essay in order to appreciate the collection because many of the stories adopt the characters mentioned in the essay and one was written in 1913.
The stories are:
‘Introduction: The Serial Sleuths’ by Stephen Jones.
‘Seven Stars Prologue: In Egypt’s Land’ by Kim Newman - A nice feature of the book, which helps with the historical feel of the book, is the Kim Newman stories about the "Seven Stars Jewel." The jewel has some unusual properties. The Newman stories involve episodes set in the 1890s, 1920s, 1950s, 1970s and the 21st century as related characters deal with the threat posed by the jewel.
‘Our Lady of Death’ by Peter Tremayne - This is a "Sister Fidelma" story. Tremayne has written several books about this ninth century Celtic nun who solves crimes. This is a well-written mystery, but it has more of a "Scooby Doo" approach than a truly supernatural story.
‘Seven Stars Episode One: The Mummy’s Heart’ by Kim Newman.
‘The Horse of the Invisible’ by William Hope Hodgson. Originally published in Carnacki, The Ghost-Finder (1913) - This is well-written, but it is in an older, more formal writing style. Like the Sister Fidelma story, this is more "Scooby Doo" than supernatural.
‘Seven Stars Episode Two: The Magician and the Matinee Idol’ by Kim Newman.
‘The Adventure of the Crawling Horror’ by Basil Copper - This story features Solar Pons, a character that August Derleth created to totally rip-off Sherlock Holmes. After Derleth, Basil Copper apparently used the character. This is a decent mystery story, albeit more "Scooby Doo."
‘Seven Stars Episode Three: The Trouble With Barrymore’ by Kim Newman.
‘Rouse Him Not’ by Manly Wade Wellman - I love Manly Wade Wellman and was quite happy to get a taste of his John Thunstone character. Definitely not Scooby Doo.
‘De Marigny’s Clock’ by Brian Lumley- After the Wellman story, the collection moves into real supernatural territory. This story is well-done and introduces Titus Crow, a character that I am interested in reading more of.
‘Seven Stars Episode Four: The Biafran Bank Manager’ 1999 by Kim Newman.
‘Someone is Dead’ by R. Chetwynd-Hayes - This is actually a decent story, but I didn't particularly like the main characters. The story had a 1970s feel to it.
‘Vultures Gather’ by Brian Mooney - Like the Lumley story, I found myself attracted to the detective character, Reuben Calloway, in this one. The story is good and there is definitely a mystery to be solved. On reflection, it occurs to me that the character of the detective - whether he has tics and quirks that entertain - are essential to a mystery story, even the supernatural variety.
‘Lost Souls’ by Clive Barker. Henry D'amour is a detective who kills demons. Scott Bakula played the character in the movie "Lord of Illusions." I think I will check that movie out.
‘Seven Stars Episode Five: Mimsy’ by Kim Newman.
‘The Man Who Shot the Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence’ by Jay Russell - This is the funniest story in the collection. It's lightweight but funny.
‘Seven Stars Episode Six: The Dog Story’ by Kim Newman.
‘Bay Wolf’ by Neil Gaiman - Gaiman does a short epic poem where the Wolfman meets the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
‘Seven Stars Episode Seven: The Duel of Seven Stars’ by Kim Newman.
I enjoyed all the stories. The stories had a nice variety. It was a nice introduction to characters that I have somehow missed in nearly 50 years of reading science fiction and fantasy.
February 17, 2022
I realllly wanted to bump this up a star but, man, it really ended on such a jumbled mess I couldn’t do it.
First off, this book shoulda been called “My Good Friend Kim Newman and A Couple Other Guys”, because Newman gets 8 damn stories in this anthology and that’s absolute cheating if you ask me. I don’t care that his 8 stories all sorta connect together. They didn’t need to all be featured in an anthology. I wanted maximum authors not 50% one guy.
Anyway, overall this wasn’t very good. That’s mostly down to the Newman stories which I thought started out strong for the first couple and then by the last few I was so over it and it ended quite poorly.
The Good: De Marigney’s Clock, Someone is Dead, Vultures Gather, Lost Souls
The Decent: Our Lady of Death
The Meh: The Adventure of the Crawling Horror, Rouse Him Not, The Horse of the Invisible, The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Bay Wolf
As for the Jewel of the Seven Stars series: Prologue and 1 were quite good, and it should have ended at that. 4 and 5 were just ok. 2, 3, 6, and 7 were very meh.
First off, this book shoulda been called “My Good Friend Kim Newman and A Couple Other Guys”, because Newman gets 8 damn stories in this anthology and that’s absolute cheating if you ask me. I don’t care that his 8 stories all sorta connect together. They didn’t need to all be featured in an anthology. I wanted maximum authors not 50% one guy.
Anyway, overall this wasn’t very good. That’s mostly down to the Newman stories which I thought started out strong for the first couple and then by the last few I was so over it and it ended quite poorly.
The Good: De Marigney’s Clock, Someone is Dead, Vultures Gather, Lost Souls
The Decent: Our Lady of Death
The Meh: The Adventure of the Crawling Horror, Rouse Him Not, The Horse of the Invisible, The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Bay Wolf
As for the Jewel of the Seven Stars series: Prologue and 1 were quite good, and it should have ended at that. 4 and 5 were just ok. 2, 3, 6, and 7 were very meh.
October 28, 2022
Like so many anthologies, some stories in Dark Detectives were fantastic while others were either annoying or barely held my interest. The collection of stories would have been a three-star read on its own, but I enjoyed the extensive notes given in the introduction and before each story which showed the reader both where the story was placed in time and where it fell within the timeline of similar literature and pop culture.
August 6, 2022
A really enjoyable collection of detective stories from the turn of the century to today, from Victorian debunkers of the supernatural to modern day horror fiction, with a Kim Newman adventure that represents different eras threaded through the book. A couple of the more modern stories didn't land for me, but the rest of the book was an awful lot of fun and it introduced me to a few writers I'd like to read more of (Brian Mooney in particular) - it's a well-chosen collection, and Newman's Seven Stars adventure has some great chapters and a really solid payoff at the end.
May 10, 2017
I was impressed with this collection of stories. I enjoyed many of the stories and the drastically different detectives. I especially enjoyed the seven stars stories. Overall, a wonderful anthology to read.
August 3, 2018
Like most anthologies the quality varies from story to story. It has given me exposure to some new authors that I'm now interested in exploring their other works though, while generating little interest in others.
July 21, 2019
A mixed bag. The Kim Newman novella twining around the stories by the likes of Barker, Lumley and Gaiman (not forgetting Basil Copper), isn't bad at all.
Warning: some of the detectives aren't dealing with the supernatural at all!
Warning: some of the detectives aren't dealing with the supernatural at all!
January 10, 2022
As someone who enjoys short stories I loved this book, not only did it have stories by two of my favourite authors [Neil Gaiman and Kim Newman], but it introduced me to some previously unread authors giving me a whole new reading list. Supernatural/spooky stories worth a read.
July 5, 2017
Too many Scooby Doo mysteries, not enough magic.
January 10, 2018
Really enjoyed this a bit uneven in places but overall a good bit of easy to read fun
May 17, 2018
Not what you'd think by the cover. There are some definite gems in here. The entire "Gem of the Seven Stars" series by Kin Newman for one.
August 10, 2018
Very good. Some really interesting short stories. I particularly enjoyed the series of short stories about the Jewel of the Seven Stars that ran throughout.
September 28, 2018
It was a decent collection, but the writing As a whole felt stilted, with no smooth flow to the various tales.
July 21, 2019
Crime with a twist
A good selection of short stories. All of them have that nice twist that keeps the story interesting from.start to finish.
A good selection of short stories. All of them have that nice twist that keeps the story interesting from.start to finish.
August 19, 2019
I mostly liked the arrangement of the stories and how they were all connected, but ultimately couldn’t finish it.
December 5, 2019
The Kim Newman stories pointed me to a Bram Stoker book I hadn't known existed. That alone earns 4 stars.
February 25, 2020
Review is for Lost Souls-Clive Barker.
September 21, 2016
В основном книга строится на цикле рассказов Кима Ньюмана, фанфиках другого, менее известного, романа Брэма Стокера "Сокровище семи звёзд". Роман не то чтобы замысловат, но в принципе хорош, так что Ньюман решил выжать из тематики всё, до последней капелюшечки. Более того, Ньюман никогда не боялся излишеств, так что он без тени сомнения навалил в свои рассказы всю братию вампиров, клуб "Диоген", сыщиков всех мастей и даже голливудских знаменитостей. Чем больше народу - тем лучше. Остальные рассказы сборника как подпевалы придерживаются абсолютно того же мнения. Почти каждый рассказ взят из какого-нибудь цикла о детективе-паранормальщике.
Питер Тремейн "Наша леди смерть"
Сестра Фидельма. Дело происходит как будто бы в средние века. Сестра Фидельма - самостоятельная девица, обременённая деньгами и властью, таким образом, назло своему времени свободная женщина. Она путешествует в одиночку, не боится странных событий и даже борется с "призраком". Тремейн решил разыграть феминистическую карту, почему бы и нет.
Бэзил Коппер "Кошмар Гримстоунских болот"
Солар Понс. Редактор сообщает, что первым за пародию на Шерлока Холмса взялся Август Дерлет, после того как Конан Дойл отказался отдать столь дойную франшизу. В целом "Кошмар" можно назвать пересказом "Собаки Баскервилей", с некоторыми подробностями на новый лад, включая отсутствие собаки. Не сказала бы, что тут затаилось нечто впечатляющее.
Мэнли Уэйд Уэллман "Не буди лиха..."
Джон Танстоун. Этот детектив находит себе дело сам - не совсем удачная бизнес-модель. Таунстон прочитал в газете о некоем загадочном бесплодном куске во дворе некоего дома. Приехав на место, он быстро разбирается в происходящем. В лохматые времена местные жители осудили и повесили колдуна. Его последние слова были: "Позаботьтесь о близких". Деревенщины, как, видимо и переводчик, не знали что такое фамильяр, так что пустили всё на самотёк.
Брайан Ламли "Часы де Мариньи"
Титус Кроу. Не совсем детектив, книжный червь, коллекционер тёмных книг и странных вещиц. Одно из его приобретений - загадочные часы с четырьмя стрелками, которые никак не желали открываться и раскрыть свой секрет. Кроу "помогли" глуповатые грабители, пробравшиеся в дом однажды ночью. Против лома нет приёма. К сожалению, оказалось, мозгами тоже надо пользоваться.
Рональд Четвинд-Хейс "Кто-то мёртвый"
Френсис Сент-Клэр и Фредерика Мастерс. Странноватая парочка. Он - детектив, она - медиум. Классическая история, когда детектива приглашают решить проблему с призраками. Периодически ночью дверь гостиной открывается, а вместо коридора там оказывается другой коридор... Другой не в смысле где, а в смысле когда... Детектив сразу объявляет нам, что в наше время заброшена душа-якорь, которая поддерживает сношение, так что вскоре остальные тёмные души смогут перебраться в наше время. Последняя сцена рассказа несколько эпатажна и даже я бы сказала лишняя.
Брайан Муни "Стервятники"
Рубен Калловей и Родерик Ши. Ещё одна пара. В этот раз они не детективы и в общем-то не особо паранормальны, а Ши ещё и священник. Тем не менее, они приезжают в дом старого друга Калловея, попросившего в случае чего расследовать его смерть. Было такое предсказание, что ему не суждено скончаться в собственной постели от старости, а справедливое возмездие должен принести именно Калловей. Интересный рассказ, хорошее изобретение с диорамой.
Клайв Баркер "Потерянные души"
Гарри Д'Амур. Гарри - детектив, столкнувшийся в своё время со сверхъестественным. Потрясшее его событие заставило его переквалифицироваться в ловца демонов. В рождественский вечер Гарри гоняется за каким-то мелким бесом, а также нечаянно влипает в дело посерьёзнее с игроками тоже посерьёзнее. С обеих сторон - добра и зла.
Джей Рассел "Человек, который застрелил человека, который снимал «Человека, который застрелил Либерти Вэлэнса»"
Марти Бернс. Рассказ может выиграть премию за самое дурацкое название на свете. Бернс - никак не детектив, а даже голливудская звезда. В перерывчик между съёмками он влипает в жуткую историю. Замешано множество голливудских городских легенд и атмосфера этого картонного города грёз.
Нил Гейман "Био-вольф"
Лоренс Тальбот. Гейман для вдохновения берёт два других классических произведения ужасов - легенду о Беовульфе и Ктулху. В этом прочтении с матерью "Гренделя" Био-вольфу удаётся договориться по-хорошему.
Ким Ньюман, цикл рассказов
Чарльз Борегард, Эдвин Уинтроп и Катриона Кей, Сыщик, Ричард Джеперсон, Салли Роудс и её сын Джером Роудс и конечно же Женевьева Дьедонне. Все эти люди и пост-люди на протяжении нескольких столетий и рассказов пытаются перебороть загадочный красный камень с узором из звёзд Большой медведицы. Начав с египетского сокровища, Ньюман приходит к виртуальной реальности через Голливудскую историю и тантрический секс. Весьма любопытное мышление у этого писателя, и жажда литературных экспериментов.
За бортом нечаянно оказался Карнакки, известный охотник за призраками, который как нельзя лучше вписывается в компанию. Но я этот рассказ уже читала в другом сборнике.
Питер Тремейн "Наша леди смерть"
Сестра Фидельма. Дело происходит как будто бы в средние века. Сестра Фидельма - самостоятельная девица, обременённая деньгами и властью, таким образом, назло своему времени свободная женщина. Она путешествует в одиночку, не боится странных событий и даже борется с "призраком". Тремейн решил разыграть феминистическую карту, почему бы и нет.
Бэзил Коппер "Кошмар Гримстоунских болот"
Солар Понс. Редактор сообщает, что первым за пародию на Шерлока Холмса взялся Август Дерлет, после того как Конан Дойл отказался отдать столь дойную франшизу. В целом "Кошмар" можно назвать пересказом "Собаки Баскервилей", с некоторыми подробностями на новый лад, включая отсутствие собаки. Не сказала бы, что тут затаилось нечто впечатляющее.
Мэнли Уэйд Уэллман "Не буди лиха..."
Джон Танстоун. Этот детектив находит себе дело сам - не совсем удачная бизнес-модель. Таунстон прочитал в газете о некоем загадочном бесплодном куске во дворе некоего дома. Приехав на место, он быстро разбирается в происходящем. В лохматые времена местные жители осудили и повесили колдуна. Его последние слова были: "Позаботьтесь о близких". Деревенщины, как, видимо и переводчик, не знали что такое фамильяр, так что пустили всё на самотёк.
Брайан Ламли "Часы де Мариньи"
Титус Кроу. Не совсем детектив, книжный червь, коллекционер тёмных книг и странных вещиц. Одно из его приобретений - загадочные часы с четырьмя стрелками, которые никак не желали открываться и раскрыть свой секрет. Кроу "помогли" глуповатые грабители, пробравшиеся в дом однажды ночью. Против лома нет приёма. К сожалению, оказалось, мозгами тоже надо пользоваться.
Рональд Четвинд-Хейс "Кто-то мёртвый"
Френсис Сент-Клэр и Фредерика Мастерс. Странноватая парочка. Он - детектив, она - медиум. Классическая история, когда детектива приглашают решить проблему с призраками. Периодически ночью дверь гостиной открывается, а вместо коридора там оказывается другой коридор... Другой не в смысле где, а в смысле когда... Детектив сразу объявляет нам, что в наше время заброшена душа-якорь, которая поддерживает сношение, так что вскоре остальные тёмные души смогут перебраться в наше время. Последняя сцена рассказа несколько эпатажна и даже я бы сказала лишняя.
Брайан Муни "Стервятники"
Рубен Калловей и Родерик Ши. Ещё одна пара. В этот раз они не детективы и в общем-то не особо паранормальны, а Ши ещё и священник. Тем не менее, они приезжают в дом старого друга Калловея, попросившего в случае чего расследовать его смерть. Было такое предсказание, что ему не суждено скончаться в собственной постели от старости, а справедливое возмездие должен принести именно Калловей. Интересный рассказ, хорошее изобретение с диорамой.
Клайв Баркер "Потерянные души"
Гарри Д'Амур. Гарри - детектив, столкнувшийся в своё время со сверхъестественным. Потрясшее его событие заставило его переквалифицироваться в ловца демонов. В рождественский вечер Гарри гоняется за каким-то мелким бесом, а также нечаянно влипает в дело посерьёзнее с игроками тоже посерьёзнее. С обеих сторон - добра и зла.
Джей Рассел "Человек, который застрелил человека, который снимал «Человека, который застрелил Либерти Вэлэнса»"
Марти Бернс. Рассказ может выиграть премию за самое дурацкое название на свете. Бернс - никак не детектив, а даже голливудская звезда. В перерывчик между съёмками он влипает в жуткую историю. Замешано множество голливудских городских легенд и атмосфера этого картонного города грёз.
Нил Гейман "Био-вольф"
Лоренс Тальбот. Гейман для вдохновения берёт два других классических произведения ужасов - легенду о Беовульфе и Ктулху. В этом прочтении с матерью "Гренделя" Био-вольфу удаётся договориться по-хорошему.
Ким Ньюман, цикл рассказов
Чарльз Борегард, Эдвин Уинтроп и Катриона Кей, Сыщик, Ричард Джеперсон, Салли Роудс и её сын Джером Роудс и конечно же Женевьева Дьедонне. Все эти люди и пост-люди на протяжении нескольких столетий и рассказов пытаются перебороть загадочный красный камень с узором из звёзд Большой медведицы. Начав с египетского сокровища, Ньюман приходит к виртуальной реальности через Голливудскую историю и тантрический секс. Весьма любопытное мышление у этого писателя, и жажда литературных экспериментов.
За бортом нечаянно оказался Карнакки, известный охотник за призраками, который как нельзя лучше вписывается в компанию. Но я этот рассказ уже читала в другом сборнике.
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