Mystic Investigators by Patrick Thomas

NOTE: Mystic Investigators was a free review copy provided to Luke Reviews by Dark Quest Books.

The whole urban fantasy/paranormal mystery scene isn’t one I am too familiar with. I know who Jim Butcher is, and thought about reading some of his books, but never have. Same goes for a couple others. For whatever reason, the genre just doesn’t really appeal to me. However, I’ve read some of Patrick Thomas’ work, and enjoyed it, and fans of his many series characters liked the book, so I gave it a spin.

If this is what the rest of the genre is like, I’m missing out. Thomas presents a collection of stories that is hard to beat. His tale of the Nightcriers (“Night Cries”) was a wonderful mystery of discovering the truth behind the legends, while stories like “A Stitch in Time” really resonated with the pulp-ish feelings. “Put Your Demon on My Shoulder” turned up the humor, yet stories such as “Working Girl” showed a slightly more series side (that still hits at some dark humor). There isn’t a dud to be found in this collection. Beyond the above stories, other standouts include “Tesque, Tesque,” which had a truly rich setting and wonderful main character, “Cardiac Arrest,” featuring Agent Karver of the D.M.A., and “Attack of the Trouser Snake,” featuring the ever-popular Terrorbelle. Those last two are also nice lead-ins to upcoming titles here at Luke Reviews, Fairy With a Gun: The Collected Terrorbelle and Dead to Rights: The D.M.A. Casefiles of Agent Karver.

Many of these stories tread the border between urban fantasy mystery and other genres, making them accessible to a very broad audience, and Thomas’ talent with words makes every story engaging. The characters resonate well, and you won’t be able to stop yourself for looking for other adventures they have. Don’t plan on picking this book up unless you plan on keeping tabs on Thomas’ work from here on out. A gem.