Those Who Fight Monsters, Tales of Occult Detectives edited by Justin Gustainis

I really enjoy reading urban fantasy.  When I was presented the opportunity to read Those Who Fight Monsters, I was delighted.  Then, with the tantalizing book in my hand, I was ecstatic to read that most of the short stories in the book are from characters of urban fantasy series that I read! Talk about a homerun.

Meet the Detectives:


Danny Hendrickson - from Laura Anne Gilman's Cosa Nostradamus series.
Kate Connor - from Julie Kenner’s Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series.
John Taylor - from Simon R. Green’s Nightside series.
Jill Kismet - from Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series.
Jessi Hardin - from Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.
Quincey Morris - from Justin Gustainis’ Morris/Chastain Investigations series.
Marla Mason - from T. A. Pratt's Marla Mason series.
Tony Foster - from Tanya Huff’s Smoke and Shadows series.
Dawn Madison - from Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series.
Pete Caldecott - from Caitlin Kittredge’s Black London series.
Tony Giodone - from C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s Tales of the Sazi series.
Jezebel - from Jackie Kessler’s Hell on Earth series.
Piers Knight - from C. J. Henderson’s Brooklyn Knight series.
Cassiel - from Rachel Caine’s Outcast Season series.

Now to be honest, of the fourteen stories, I had not read any works from a few of them.  But those that I liked, I plan on going back and getting the series.  Demons, werewolves, vampires and more! A sneak preview at just a few of these dark stories:

Chris Marie Green's Dawn Madison and her sidekick Kiko visit old Hollywood.  Ghosts, vampires or something else? Great to revisit these characters since the series ended last year.

Jackie Kessler's Hellbound, a Hell on Earth Story, takes us on a journey with incubus and succubus. Jezebel and Daun intend to send an evil magician's soul to the Pits of Hell.

Justin Gustainis's Deal Breaker tells the story of a Quincy Morris, an occult detective, trying to help a man who sold his soul to the devil.

You'll want to leave the light on when you crack open this delectable morsel of kick-butt detectives and eccentric and quirky characters.  Each author has done a spectactular job with their character development, world-building and dialogue all packed into a few pages . Plenty of action between these pages that will send chills up your spine or speed up your heart.