Andrew K. (kuligowskiandrewt) - , reviewed on 5/27/2013 + 569 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

It amazes me how much of an influence an editor has over my enjoyment of the stories in an anthology. I've learned that some editors have a tendency to rush from climax to conclusion, allowing as little as a paragraph for the fact that it's over to sink in. Other times, the editor allows the authors so much leeway that they don't even appear to bother with such elements as structure, characters, setting or plot - and would be tempted to do away with verbs if at all possible!

This is why I've learned to respect Dana Stabenow as an editor. For the most part, the short stories in her collections have an introduction, conflict leading to climax, and a true resolution. She allows her authors the short-cut of character exposition as the plot goes along these are, after all, SHORT stories! However, by the time the story is over, I'm comfortable that I've followed the plot & learned something about the characters and usually their locale, as well.

This last aspect is VERY important in the collection Powers of Detection: Stories of Mystery and Fantasy. Most of the stories are good old-fashioned murder mysteries, except rather than set in the back-alleys of New York or Chicago or they're either in some fantasy realm, or among some extraordinary denizens of our world. Therefore, the setting MUST be described in greater detail, and the physical rules of the world or dimension in which the story is set must also be explained all while running towards the conclusion of a SHORT story.

I would find it hard to pick out a favorite among the stories and authors. Charlaine Harris lends a tale featuring her Sookie Stackhouse (a character I've heard of, but not read before now). The editor contributes a tale where sword and sorcery also provide a more traditional sense of justice. Sharon Shinn, Anne Perry, Donna Andrews, Mike Doogan a dozen stories, in all.

While I'm not usually a fantasy reader, the prospect of setting a murder mystery in a fantasy setting was intriguing to me, and I'm glad I invested the time into reading this collection. So much so that I have already picked up the sequel: Unusual Suspects.

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