Supper SleuthsThese mystical mysteries contend with the supernatural and the occult, overlapping with the Fantasy or Horror genres because many of our detectives or their friends are just not human. They are vampires, werewolves, ghosts, apparitions, and a few other incomprehensible categories. These characters usually solve crimes that have an otherworldly quality about them. Often the criminals and murderers are beings that just will not die in non-violent ways. And only the immortal detective or his everlasting pal has the inside knowledge that comes from being eternal to figure out how to banish or destroy these fiends.
In order to enjoy this group of mysteries, it is necessary to suspend your disbelief and allow the writer to create settings, social structures and beliefs that are not in any way currently true. However, you will find quirky or black humor, and thematic material that is presented as metaphor. Many of the all-too-human characters (heroes and villains) represent the immorality of racism, sexism and just plain evil. And many of these mysteries will just plain scare you to death.
The following is a list of authors who fit into this category. The titles in each series is given. Please read one or more of these authors and/or titles, and come prepared to discuss your impressions of them with the group.
AUTHOR
PROTAGONIST
TITLES
Donna Andrews
Zack & Turing, Artificial Intelligence
You've Got Murder (2002)
Click Here for Murder (2003)
Nancy Atherton
Aunt Dimity, Ghost
Aunt Dimity's Deathy (1992)
For the rest of this series,
check the Cozy list.
Marian Babson
Trixie Dolan, Vampire
Shadows in Their Blood (1993)
Mignon F. Ballard
Occult Crime
Widow's Woods (1991)
Nancy Bell
J.R. Weatherford, Ghosts
Biggie and the Quincy Ghost (2001)
Nigel Bennett
Richard d"Orleans, Vampire
Keeper of the King (1997),
His Father's Son (2001),
S.W. Brouwer
Clay Garner, Shaman
Blood Ties (1996)
Robert Campbell
Occult Crime
Sweet La-La Land (1990)
Helen Chappell
Hollis Ball & Sam Wescott, Ghost
Slow Dancing With the Angel of Death, Not in NOBLE. (1996)
Dead Duck (1997)
Ghost of a Chance (1998)
Giving Up the Ghost (1999)
George C. Chesbro
Mongo, Dwarf
Beasts of Valhalla (1985)
Two Songs This Archangel Sings (1986)
Second Horseman Out of Eden (1989)
The Language of the Cannibals (1990)
In the House of Secret Enemies (1990)
The Fear in Yesterday's Rings (1991)
Dark Chant in a Crimson Key (1992)
An Incident at Bloodtide (1993)
Bleeding in the Eye of a Brainstorm (1995)
Dream of a Falling Eagle (1996)
James D. Doss
Daisy Perika, Shaman
The Night Visitor: A Charlie Moon Shaman Mystery (1999)
Shannon Drake
Maggie Montgomery, Vampire
Beneath a Blood Red Moon (1999)
Rosemary Edghill
Karen Hightower, Witch
Speak Daggers to Her (1994)
Book of Moons (1995)
Bowl of Night (1996)
Bell, Book and Murder (1998)
P.N. Elrod
Jack Fleming, Vampire
Bloodlist (1990)
Life Blood. Not in NOBLE. (1990)
Blood Circle. Not in NOBLE. (1990)
Art in the Blood. Not in NOBLE. (1991)
Fire in the Blood. Not in NOBLE. (1991)
Blood on the Water. Not in NOBLE. (1992)
Chill in the Blood (1998)
Deep Sleep (1999)
Lady Crymsyn (2000)
Cold Streets (2003)
Antonia Fraser
Jemimah Shore, Ghosts
The Cavalier Case. <1991)
Mark Frost
Occult Crime
Six Messiahs (1995)
Linda Grant
Vampires
Vampire Bytes (1998)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter & Necromancer
Meredith Gentry, Fairy Princess Guilty Pleasures (1993)
Laughing Corpse (1994)
Circus of the Damned (1995)
Lunatic Cafe (1996)
Bloody Bones (1996)
The Killing Dance (1997)
Blue Moon (1998)
Obsidian Butterfly (2000)
Narcissus in Chains (2001)
Cerulean Sins (2003)
Kiss of Shadows (2000)
Caress of Twilight (2002)
Charlaine Harris
Sookie Stackhouse-Telepathy, Vampire
Dead Until Dark: Southern Vampire Mystery (2001)
Living Dead in Dallas (2002)
Club Dead (2003)
Daniel Hecht
Lila Beauforte, Ghosts
City of Masks (2003)
Richard Hoyt
John Denson, Shaman
Snake Eyes (1995)
Tanya Huff
Vicky Nelson& Henry Fitzroy,Vampire
Blood Price (1991)
Blood Trail (1992)
Blood Pact. Not in NOBLE. Out of Print. (1993)
Blood Lines. Not in NOBLE. Out of Print. (1993)
Blood Debt. Not in NOBLE. Out of Print. (1997)
Noel Hynd
Frank O'Hara
A Room for the Dead (1994)
Dean James
SImon Kirby-Jones, Vampire
Posted to Death(2002). See Review.
Faked to Death(2003).
Mercedes Lackey
Jennifer Talltree, Shaman
Sacred Ground (1994)
Paul Lake
Vampire
Among the Immortals (1994)
Brian Lumley
Harry Keogh, ESP - Vampires
Necroscope (1988)
Necroscope II: Vamphyri. (1989) Not in NOBLE. Out of Print.
The Source. (1989) Not in NOBLE. Out of Print.
Necroscope: Deadspeak (1990)
Deadspawn. (1991) Not in NOBLE. Out of Print.
Blood Brothers (1993)
The Last Aerie (1994)
Bloodwars (1995)
A Question of Time (1992)
Necroscope: Resurgence (1996)
Necroscope: Invaders (2000)
Necroscope: Avengers (2001)
Geoffrey Marsh
Lincoln Blackstone, Vampire
The Fangs of the Hooded Demon (1988)
Leslie O'Grady
Vampires
Grateful Undead (2002)
Fred Saberhagen
Count Dracula & Sherlock Holmes
A Question of Time (1992)
A Matter of Taste (1993)
Seance of a Vampire (1994)
Sharpness on the Neck (1996)
The Holmes/Dracula File. (1997) Not in NOBLE. Out of Print.
Dominion. (1997) Not in NOBLE. Out of Print.
Dracula Tape. (1999) Not in NOBLE. Out of Print.
Vlad Tapes. (2000) Not in NOBLE. Out of Print.
A Coldness in the Blood (2002)
An Old Friend of the Family. (2002) Not in NOBLE.
Susan Sizemore
Selena Crawford, Vampires
The Hunt:The Laws of the Blood (1999)
Partners (2000)
Companions (2001)
Deceptions (2002)
Heroes (October,2003)
Steven G. Spruill
Dr.Jenn Hrluska, Vampires
Rulers of Darkness (1995)
Daughter of Darkness (1997)
David And Amy Thurloo
Lee Nez, Navajo Lore, Vampires
Second Sunrise (2002)
Barbara Wilson
Cassandra Reilly, Vampire
Trouble in Transylvania (1993)
T.M. Wright
Sam Goodlow, Ghosts
Goodlow's Ghosts (1995)
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