≡ Libro Free Hair Raising Dan Shamble Zombie P I Kevin J Anderson Books

Hair Raising Dan Shamble Zombie P I Kevin J Anderson Books

Download As PDF : Hair Raising Dan Shamble Zombie P I Kevin J Anderson Books

Hair Raising Dan Shamble Zombie P I Kevin J Anderson Books

Book Review: Thursday, March 26, 2015

There will be no deliberate spoilers…

Hair Raising by Kevin J Anderson

Rusty the full time Werewolf has been running an illegal cockatrice fighting ring. Since cockatrices are well known to be so ugly the sight turns people to stone, these are specially bred specimens, all of the claws and fangs, none of the stone turning business. When McGoo innocently drops by, the spectators flee, and Rusty and his nephew Ferguson grab the cockatrices and flee as well.

This means Dan Chambeaux, the Zombie PI has to explain his presence at the games. He has been hired by Rusty who suspects trouble-makers Scratch and Sniff, two full moon only biker Werewolves of skimming his profits. There is trouble brewing among the Werewolf population of the Quarter, with full time Werewolves (Hairballs) and full moon only Werewolves (Monthlies) both crying foul on the others.

To complicate matters, with someone deliberately knocking Werewolves (Hairballs only) and scalping them, the problem just escalated. The Hairballs are certain the Monthlies are guilty, Scratch and Sniff specifically; and the Monthlies are just as certain it is a frame up. The Hairballs heal quickly, but regrowing hair on their renewed scalps is iffy.

Coroner Archibald Victor has a complaint he wants investigated. Victor is a part time Mad Scientist who is into body building. In the Unnatural Quarter, this has nothing to do with a gym. It has a lot more to do with the work of Doctor Victor Frankenstein. The Coroner likes to build his bodies from the bones up. He has no need to rob graves, since there is a parts supply shop in the Quarter.

Body parts there are supposedly from donated bodied. Say a Zombie needs to replace lost skin or limbs, various creatures actually eat human parts, or artificial parts have to be constructed. Tony Craylo’s Spare Parts Emporium is the place to go for all these needs. Archibald Victor has received substandard parts and has tried to have them replaced. As he can’t get a satisfactory answer, he hires Chambeaux and Dier to investigate.

A murder clouds the issue when a Vampire is found missing all of his internal organs. Since Vampires turn to ash if staked, this one had to be alive for the whole proceedings. In fact, it has to be put out of its misery. Why would anyone need Vampire parts, since Vampires are basically immortal, and they regenerate damaged parts?

A Zombie named Steve, Chambeaux’s Dirt Brother, (they both arose on the same night), has been sued for child support by his living ex-wife. She also refuses to let Steve see his son, and she is backed by a high-powered anything-to-win lawyer.

Then there is the female Zombie Adriana Cruz, whose body was supposed to be cremated to prevent that from happening, who wants the Firm to investigate Joe’s Crematorium. The Crematorium has sent Adriana’s parents ashes in an urn, but they obviously weren’t hers. Further, she recalls reanimating in a pile of bodies on the back of a truck headed OUT of Joe’s Crematorium, not IN. If Joe isn’t cremating these bodies, where are they actually going?

Chambeaux chases the Coroner’s problem all the way down to the Zombie Godfather Tony Craylo at the Zombie Bathhouse. After being forced to join the gas expelling grossly fat Craylo in a bath, Chambeaux finds himself unharmed and actually able to give good news. Apparently, Chambeaux had been the only person ever to dare face Craylo in person, which is why the Parts Emporium had never given returns.

We gain insight into the problems from the Witch Sisters Mavis Wannovich and Alma the pig; a real Voodoo practitioner, Jamaican vampire Antoine Stickler; Steve’s ex-wife Rova and her business partner Harriet the Bearded Lady; Ester the Harpy who works at the Ghoul’s Diner (currently under a bad luck spell); and many, many more.

This continuation of the adventures of Dan Shamble has the shine and spit polish that one expects out of Kevin J Anderson. The intertwining threads of multiple cases with nothing in common has underlying connection that remain hidden until, like a magician, Anderson moves the cape and shows the results. And the result will chill you and thrill you. Horror, Pulp Detective Fiction, and a wicked sense of humor and understatement make this another novel you can’t put down.

I give Mr. Anderson five out of five stars. Keep them coming, Maestro, your readers are anxiously waiting for more!

Quoth the Raven…


Tags : Amazon.com: Hair Raising (Dan Shamble Zombie P. I.) (9780758277381): Kevin J. Anderson: Books,Kevin J. Anderson,Hair Raising (Dan Shamble Zombie P. I.),Kensington,0758277385,Fantasy - Paranormal,Mystery & Detective - Private Investigators,Humorous fiction,Mystery fiction,Private investigators,Private investigators;Fiction.,Serial murderers,Serial murderers;Fiction.,Werewolves,Zombies,Zombies;Fiction.,AMERICAN MYSTERY & SUSPENSE FICTION,AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY,ANDERSON, KEVIN J. - PROSE & CRITICISM,FICTION Fantasy Paranormal,FICTION Mystery & Detective Private Investigators,Fantasy,Fiction,Fiction - Fantasy,Fiction-Fantasy,GENERAL,General Adult,Monograph Series, any,United States,paranormal romance;science fiction and fantasy;fantasy novels;fiction;novels;fiction books;books fiction;fantasy books for adults;fantasy book;fantasy fiction;fantasy novel;fantasy;urban fantasy;magic;mystery;paranormal;vampires;supernatural;horror;ghosts;steampunk;witches;romance;adventure;werewolves;ravenloft;fantasy books;demons;elves;vampire;epic fantasy;angels;western;science fiction;alternate history;mythology;dragons;thrillers;celtic;historical;urban;crime;paranormal mystery;ghost;fairies,urban fantasy; dark fantasy; vampire; vampires; supernatural; magic; steampunk; werewolves; detective; ghosts; paranormal romance; sci-fi; crime; witches; adventure; demons; alternate history; thriller; science fiction and fantasy; fiction; fiction books; fantasy books for adults; science fiction and fantasy books; mystery; anthology; ravenloft; noir; short stories; anthologies; urban; collection; western; lovecraftian; mythology; elves; gaming; monsters; ghost; paranormal mystery; pulp; private investigator; fantasy novels; suspense

Hair Raising Dan Shamble Zombie P I Kevin J Anderson Books Reviews

I have met Kevin Anderson and I bet he had a good time writing the two books about Dan Shambles. He does a good job explain how zombies function in this universe. He needs a continuity editor. There are several instances where Hair Raising and Unnatural Acts contradict each other. The scene in Ghouls Diner was an amusing vignette. Police officers and PIs meeting in cafes and diners is a part of countless books. I am still not convinced that Dan and Officer McGoogle would be so foolish as to contemplate eating there. Goblin's Tavern sounds like a much better place to meet. Great mystery or suspense? NO. Fun to read? Yes!
The fur has really started to fly as a serial scalper is taking the top off several full-time werewolves in the Unnatural Quarter. But Dan Shamble, Zombie PI is on the case, and if he can get to the bottom of the endless pile of clues thrown at his feet, he just might figure out who's skimming off the tops in time to prevent a gang war between the Hairballs and the Monthlies.

Of course, Shamble runs into the most unusual cast of characters along the way a voodoo vampire tattoo artist, a mad scientist, a grossly obese zombie crime lord, and an assortment of Hairballs, both the kind that clog up drains and the ones walking around on two feet howling at the moon. And with the Worldwide Horror Convention in town as well, the hilarity just never stops.

This was another fun, fast-paced read in what is turning out to be a fantastic series!
"We must have been a strange sight, a singed zombie detective and a bearded lady moving like two bats out of hell." -Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I.

Hair Raising is another fun entry in Kevin J. Anderson's Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series. This time werewolves take center stage as friction between full-time and part-time werewolves comes to a head. As always, zombie detective Dan Chambeaux (aka Shamble) is in the middle of it all. Sorting through customer satisfaction issues with a body parts store, helping a harpy track down the culprit of a back luck charm, assisting a zombie with child support issues (if you're dead, do you still pay child support?), and solving the mystery behind random werewolf scalpings, Dan has his hands full. The book certainly keeps the story entertaining with lots of crazy, oddball elements.

In previous books, we've seen Dan deal with a lot of weird cases. This time around, someone is scalping werewolves. The random violence serves to worsen the already tense relationship between werewolves. On one side is the full time werewolves derogatorily called hairballs. On the other side is the once a month werewolves who transform when the moon is full, aka monthlies. The two sides hate each other and are looking for a fight. Unfortunately it's up to Dan to try and avert a massacre in the Unnatural Quarter.

Of course one case is never enough, and Dan has several. Each case blends the mundane reality of the real world with the fantastical reality of the Unnatural Quarter. In a city where monsters are very much real, crazy stuff happens. It makes for some entertaining situations, plus it gives the story plenty of room for humor. However, I was also surprised by the tension and drama that developed later in the book. Overall, the various cases provoked a very nice balance of emotions.

Another nice thing about this series is that new readers can jump in at anytime. Reading the previous books is not crucial to enjoying the current one. They're also easy going stories that allow escape without undue stress. These are not stories where the author builds up your favorite character and then mercilessly slaughters them. Instead, they're fun, imaginative stories re-envisioning the world with people as monsters.

As the third book in the series, I thought Hair Raising was another enjoyable journey. The cases were creative and there was quite a lot of new stuff, further fleshing out the world. Plus there was some serious drama toward the end that had me really worried for Dan. I'll definitely be picking up the next book to see where this series goes from here. It's always a lot of fun and a nice change up in my reading list. I give Hair Raising a fun four out of five.
Book Review Thursday, March 26, 2015

There will be no deliberate spoilers…

Hair Raising by Kevin J Anderson

Rusty the full time Werewolf has been running an illegal cockatrice fighting ring. Since cockatrices are well known to be so ugly the sight turns people to stone, these are specially bred specimens, all of the claws and fangs, none of the stone turning business. When McGoo innocently drops by, the spectators flee, and Rusty and his nephew Ferguson grab the cockatrices and flee as well.

This means Dan Chambeaux, the Zombie PI has to explain his presence at the games. He has been hired by Rusty who suspects trouble-makers Scratch and Sniff, two full moon only biker Werewolves of skimming his profits. There is trouble brewing among the Werewolf population of the Quarter, with full time Werewolves (Hairballs) and full moon only Werewolves (Monthlies) both crying foul on the others.

To complicate matters, with someone deliberately knocking Werewolves (Hairballs only) and scalping them, the problem just escalated. The Hairballs are certain the Monthlies are guilty, Scratch and Sniff specifically; and the Monthlies are just as certain it is a frame up. The Hairballs heal quickly, but regrowing hair on their renewed scalps is iffy.

Coroner Archibald Victor has a complaint he wants investigated. Victor is a part time Mad Scientist who is into body building. In the Unnatural Quarter, this has nothing to do with a gym. It has a lot more to do with the work of Doctor Victor Frankenstein. The Coroner likes to build his bodies from the bones up. He has no need to rob graves, since there is a parts supply shop in the Quarter.

Body parts there are supposedly from donated bodied. Say a Zombie needs to replace lost skin or limbs, various creatures actually eat human parts, or artificial parts have to be constructed. Tony Craylo’s Spare Parts Emporium is the place to go for all these needs. Archibald Victor has received substandard parts and has tried to have them replaced. As he can’t get a satisfactory answer, he hires Chambeaux and Dier to investigate.

A murder clouds the issue when a Vampire is found missing all of his internal organs. Since Vampires turn to ash if staked, this one had to be alive for the whole proceedings. In fact, it has to be put out of its misery. Why would anyone need Vampire parts, since Vampires are basically immortal, and they regenerate damaged parts?

A Zombie named Steve, Chambeaux’s Dirt Brother, (they both arose on the same night), has been sued for child support by his living ex-wife. She also refuses to let Steve see his son, and she is backed by a high-powered anything-to-win lawyer.

Then there is the female Zombie Adriana Cruz, whose body was supposed to be cremated to prevent that from happening, who wants the Firm to investigate Joe’s Crematorium. The Crematorium has sent Adriana’s parents ashes in an urn, but they obviously weren’t hers. Further, she recalls reanimating in a pile of bodies on the back of a truck headed OUT of Joe’s Crematorium, not IN. If Joe isn’t cremating these bodies, where are they actually going?

Chambeaux chases the Coroner’s problem all the way down to the Zombie Godfather Tony Craylo at the Zombie Bathhouse. After being forced to join the gas expelling grossly fat Craylo in a bath, Chambeaux finds himself unharmed and actually able to give good news. Apparently, Chambeaux had been the only person ever to dare face Craylo in person, which is why the Parts Emporium had never given returns.

We gain insight into the problems from the Witch Sisters Mavis Wannovich and Alma the pig; a real Voodoo practitioner, Jamaican vampire Antoine Stickler; Steve’s ex-wife Rova and her business partner Harriet the Bearded Lady; Ester the Harpy who works at the Ghoul’s Diner (currently under a bad luck spell); and many, many more.

This continuation of the adventures of Dan Shamble has the shine and spit polish that one expects out of Kevin J Anderson. The intertwining threads of multiple cases with nothing in common has underlying connection that remain hidden until, like a magician, Anderson moves the cape and shows the results. And the result will chill you and thrill you. Horror, Pulp Detective Fiction, and a wicked sense of humor and understatement make this another novel you can’t put down.

I give Mr. Anderson five out of five stars. Keep them coming, Maestro, your readers are anxiously waiting for more!

Quoth the Raven…