Down These Strange Streets

Some of the top names in urban fantasy (Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs) are joined by some of today’s best historical mystery writers (Laurie R. King, Steven Saylor) in this top-notch anthology of 16 original stories. Urban fantasy purists may gripe that Martin merely asked contributors to include “a private detective and a case with a fantastic slant, be it real or... less so,” and some of the mysteries have a perfectly rational resolution. But those are the exceptions, and the rational and supernatural are perfectly blended in entries like Lisa Tuttle’s remarkable “The Curious Affair of the Deodand,” a Sherlockian homage that deserves sequels. King’s versatility is demonstrated convincingly in “Hellbender,” which is set in a future where human and salamander DNA have been combined and plotted in ways that Chandler would recognize. Lovecraftians and Sookie Stackhouse fans alike will find plenty to relish. (Oct.)