A Chill in the Blood (1998) P. N. Elrod The best thing about A Chill in the Blood is that it finishes the story arc started in Fire in the Blood. Angela Paco and Vaughn Kyler are fighting for control of Chicago and Jack and Charles are caught between, with both gangs believing that Jack […]
Blood on the Water (1992) P. N. Elrod Okay. Now I’m starting to get frustrated. This is the second book with an unfinished story arc. It’s not quite as bad as the previous book, but it’s still frustrating. Blood on the Water picks up immediately after the end of Fire in the Blood. And by […]
Fire in the Blood (1991) P. N. Elrod The Vampire Files Vol II I have to say that I found Fire in the Blood disappointing on multiple levels. Although the mystery wasn’t bad, I know I’ve read at least one of the major conclusions. So it was only the details that were a surprise, rather […]
Art in the Blood (1991) P. N. Elrod The Vampire Files Vol II It probably means something that when I started the first story in The Vampire Files Volume Two I had to stop and think, “Wait a second. Which vampire was this? Who did he kill in the last book?” It possibly means that […]
The Color of Death (2000) Bruce Alexander Sir John Fielding (and thus Jeremy) are called out when a gang of black men robbed a house on St. James street and murdered one of the porters during the course of their crime. But most importantly, events conspire to cause Jeremy to conduct a great deal of […]
Doppelganger (2006) Marie Brennan Doppelganger. Doppelganger. Doppelganger! Okay, now you know why I picked up the book. What a fun word: doppelganger! Luckily, I looked at the back cover first, and read the blurb and found the story interesting. Because if I’d seen the front cover first I might have put the book down without […]
A Spectacle of Corruption (2004) David Liss In the sequel to A Conspiracy of Paper, Benjamin Weaver is convicted of a murder he did not commit, in a trial that was a farce of justice, as the judge all but ordered the jury to find Weaver guilty, despite the fact that the witnesses against Weaver […]
Death of a Colonial (1999) Bruce Alexander There is a distinct disadvantage to buying used books on-line. In order to get as many books as possible from as few sellers as possible, I didn’t pay close attention to the sellers comments, and so ended up not only with five hard-backed books (ick) but a hard […]
Ex Cathedra (2006) Rebecca Maines I first came across Rebecca Maine in MZB’s Sword And Sorceress anthology, with her short story “Plowshares.” That story, and ten others make up the single author anthology Ex Cathedra. As a note for the curious, ex cathedra is the term that has come to define the idea of papal […]
Jack, Knave and Fool (1998) Bruce Alexander I think the Sir John Fielding mysteries get better as the series continues. Characters continue to be introduced to the series, while familiar characters continue to make an appearance and play an important part in the life of Jeremy Proctor. In Jack, Knave and Fool Jeremy speaks of […]
Person or Persons Unknown (1997) Bruce Alexander About a year has passed since the events of Watery Grave and Jeremy Proctor is starting to become a full fledged teenager–in though if not in deed. Although he appreciates what Sir John Fielding has done for him, he begins to feel that he is being treated like […]
Watery Grave (1996) Bruce Alexander Tom Durham–son of the now Lady Fielding–has returned to London on shore leave from the Navy. He returns with a love of the sea, and a desire to make the Navy his life. But coming ashore with him are orders for the trial of one of the members of the […]
Murder in Grub Street (1995) Bruce Alexander The second Sir John Fielding mystery, Murder in Grub Street opens with a recreation of broadsheet announcing the news of a horrific murder on Grub Street. A publisher on Grub street whose family and apprentices were all murdered in their beds. This cases shocks not just London, but […]
The Good, The Bad, and the Undead (2005) Kim Harrison The second book finds Rachel Morgan still working with Ivy and Jenks, and struggling to make ends meet. She’s getting jobs, but they’re barely enough to cover the rent. Plus, she still has to figure out how to pay off the demon she owes for […]