Book Review: “Stiffs and Stones”
Posted: January 10, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Dark Humor, Fiction, Review, Speculative Fiction, Zombie Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Dan Shamble Zombie P.I., Kaye Lynne Booth, Kevin J. Anderson, Stiffs & Stones, Writing to be Read 4 Comments
I’m a big fan of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, so when I got a review request for the two latest books in the collection, you know I couldn’t turn it down. All opinions stated here are my own.
Other titles I’ve reviewed in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Series
- Horn Dogs: https://writingtoberead.com/?p=37841
- Bats in the Belfry & Heart of Clay: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/12/29/book-review-bats-in-the-belfry-heart-of-clay/
- Zomnibus: https://writingtoberead.com/2018/07/27/zomnibus-two-zombie-detective-novels-in-one-book/
- Double Booked & Bump in the Night: https://writingtoberead.com/2022/07/22/book-reviews-double-booked-bump-in-the-night/
About Stiffs and Stones
Dan Shamble, zombie P.I. is back from the dead and back on the case in this new collection of eight wacky adventures with enough plot twists and stomach turns to keep you guessing, and chuckling, until the very end.
My Review of Stiffs and Stones
I requested a digital revew copy of Stiffs & Stones from Kevin J. Anderson’s Reader’s Club. All opinions stated here are my own.
Stiffs & Stones, by Kevin J. Anderson is a collection of eight Dan Shamble, P.I. short stories, some which were published earlier, so I chose to focus my review on the stories I hadn’t read and reviewed previously. This collection of undead stories will keep you laughing until the last page.
- “Hand Job” is the tale of a disembodied hand who has been framed for a robbery it didn’t commit and it’s up to Dan Shamble to prove its innocence. If there’s one thing the zombie P.I. doesn’t need with this case, it’s a hand. (Although these stories are filled with it, that corney humor is my own.)
- “Bull Runs” is the tale of the Meter Maid Minitaur with tummy trouble. It’s up to Dan Shamble to discover the reason the Minituars are all falling ill and stop the debilitating illness before the big charity race.
- “Mystery Meat” is the case of the giant Momma Fly with missing baby maggots. This case takes Dan Shamble into the backstreets of the Unnatural Quarter where he uncovers the source of the new and delicious mystery meat being served while searching for the missing tots.
- “Holy Balls” is the tale of a warlock whose witchy wife is after his (crystal) balls, and it’s up to Dan Shamble to protect them. But the witchy wife is relentless, and Dan Shamble must use the highest security measures he has to protect the warlock’s balls.
- “The Eyeball at the End of the Rainbow” is the tale of an inebriated Leprechaun who has misplaced the eye of the Centuar stoner, leaving him blind and straight until Dan Shamble can solve the case and find the missing eyeball.
Also included are “Bump in the Night”, “Fire in the Hole”, and “Heart of Clay”.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Book Review: “Horn Dogs”
Posted: December 27, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Dark Humor, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Review, Speculative Fiction, Zombie Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Dan Shamble Zombie P.I., Horn Dogs, Kaye Lynne Booth, Kevin J. Anderson, Writing to be Read 6 CommentsI’m a big fan of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, so when I got a review request for the two latest books in the collection, you know I couldn’t turn it down. All opinions stated here are my own. ( You can catch my review of Stiffs & Stones on Friday, January 10th, 2025.)
Other titles I’ve reviewed in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Series
- Bats in the Belfry & Heart of Clay: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/12/29/book-review-bats-in-the-belfry-heart-of-clay/
- Zomnibus: https://writingtoberead.com/2018/07/27/zomnibus-two-zombie-detective-novels-in-one-book/
- Double Booked & Bump in the Night: https://writingtoberead.com/2022/07/22/book-reviews-double-booked-bump-in-the-night/
About Horn Dogs
Dan Shamble’s most pointed case, with murdered unicorns,frog princes, corporate fairy godmothers, and lagoon creatures, all looking for a fairy-tale ending in the gritty streets of the Unnatural Quarter.
My Review of Horn Dogs
I requested a digital review copy of Horn Dogs, from author Kevin J. Anderson’s Reader’s Group. All opinions stated here are my own.
Everyone wants a happily ever after, and Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. is determined to make it happen.
The unnatural characters and their crazy antics in the Unnatural Quarter after the Big Uneasy, are what keep me coming back to the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, and Horn Dogs is no exception. In addition to all my favorite characters, such as Dan Shamble and his ghost girlfriend Shyenne, his human partner Robin, his vampire half-daughter, Alvina, and his best human friend Officer McGoo, this volume brings us frog demons, evil wizards, fairy godmothers, and unicorns and their pet horn dogs spreading magic and warm fuzzies throughout the Unnatural Quarter.
When Prince Dirk is changed into a frog by the evil wizard, Oorgak, he falls in love with a frog demon, RRita, heiress to the successful local pool service in the Unnatural Quarter. But Oorgak had an epiphany after seeing a unicorn, and reversed all of his previous evil deeds, and now the happy couple isn’t happy, especially when their illegitamate tadpoles are held hostage by the swamp monsters who own the new swamp water park.
And when someone dognaps all the unidogs, and unicorns are being murdered, the Secret Society of Horn Brothers and Horn Sisters must come out of hiding to employ Dan Shamble’s services, too. Can this zaney zombie P.I. save the unidogs and tadpoles, and reunite the unhappy couple, giving everyone the happily ever after that they’re looking for? You’ll have to read Horn Dogs to find out.
A fun and silly read, I give Horn Dogs five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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This post is sponsored by WordCrafter Press with a reminder that all WordCrafter Press books are currently 50% off in the SmashWords End of Year Ebook Sale, only in the SmashWords store: https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/
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Book Review: “Bats in the Belfry” & “Heart of Clay”
Posted: December 29, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Humor, Fiction, Review, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Bats in the Belfry, Book Review, Dan Shamble Zombie P.I., Heart of Clay, Kevin J. Anderson, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
About Bats in the Belfry
Ace Ventura meets the Addams Family!
A shambling horde of new cases hits Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. in the Unnatural Quarter. Dan and his gang—including his ghost girlfriend, feisty lawyer partner, cop best friend, and little vampire half-daughter Alvina—are out to seek justice, solve mysteries, and keep their heads on straight … or at least attached.Alvina’s singing lessons for the Banshee Tabernacle Choir end on a sour note when the troll choir director plunges to her death from a high belfry, and the only witness is a deaf-as-a-post gargoyle who sits too close to the loud bells.A frustrated imp, woefully unsuccessful in betting on the nightmare races, is dead certain that his bookie BatGN (GN for “gender neutral” to avoid copyright issues) is cheating him.Francine, the salty bartender at the Goblin Tavern, is worried when One Fang the vampire—her on-again, off-again suitor—disappears without a trace.A shady vendor discovers a market for living shrunken heads that are conversational as well as decorative, but the demand by far exceeds the supply.A heartless therapist has ulterior motives when she counsels zombies, distracting them from their woes to concentrate not just on brains, but on self-improvement as well.There is much at stake in the Unnatural Quarter, and it’s up to Dan Shamble to keep the streets dark and safe for monsters and humans alike. After all, the cases don’t solve themselves!This zombie detective puts the P.I. back in R.I.P.
My Review of Bats in the Belfry
I received a digital copy of Bats in the Belfry through author Kevin J. Anderson’s Bats in the Belfry Kickstarter campaign back in March. I love Anderson’s Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, so I jumped right in and backed this Kickstarter campaign. I knew right off that I wanted to read this book. In fact, I kept checking back to see if it was finished and my early digital copy ready, even though I had received other rewards already and had plenty to read.
I was not disappointed. Bats in the Belfry was one of Dan Shamble’s most intriguing cases yet. Dan Shamble is on the scene when the troll choir director plummets to her unnatural death from the church bell tower, and the only witness is a deaf gargoyle in the belfry, who claims to not have seen a thing. He’s also looking into a crooked betting claim at the Nightmare Races.
For tickle in your tummy and a giggle in your heart, Dan Shamble is always sure to please. He may have Bats in the Belfry, but he gets five quills from me.
About Heart of Clay
Heart of Clay was a short story in the Dan Shamble P.I. series which was offered soley as a Kickstarter reward, so it isn’t available through distributors. I’m including my review here to demonstrate the value I got from backing the Bats in the Belfry Kickstarter campaign at the $5 tier level.
My Review of Heart of Clay
Heart of Clay is a short story by Kevin J. Anderson, from his Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, which I received as a stretch goal reward in digital format. In the past, I have reviewed many books and stories from this series, because I truly enjoy the characters in the absurd world Anderson has created, post Big Uneasy. Perhaps because this is a short story, rather than a novel, I didn’t feel that it had the same depth as the other stories in the series. But there was plenty of the undead and unnatural humor which the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. books are known for.
Someone is killing golems, the legendary Excaliber is missing, and Dan Shamble vows to find it. Dragons, ogres, werewolves, ghouls, vampires, mummies, trolls, and more. A walk through the unnatural quarter offers more than a few chuckles as Dan Shamble looks for clues to solve the case.
Short, but funny. Heart of Clay fun quick read with some of my favorite unnatural characters. I give it four quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Reviews: Double Booked & Bump in the Night
Posted: July 22, 2022 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Humor, Kickstarter, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Bump in the Night, Dan Shamble Zombie P.I., Double Booked, Kevin J. Anderson, Kickstarter, WordFire Press, Writing to be Read 5 Comments
I recently supported a Kickstarter for Kevin J. Anderson and his latest Dan Shamble Zombie P.I. novel, Double Booked. (You can find out more about the Kickstarter campaign here.) As a bonus, I also received a new short story from same series, Bump in the Night. How cool is that?
I’ll be honest. I knew I was going to love Double Booked before I ever started reading it. That’s why I supported the Kickstarter to get it. I’ve read several, if not all of the Dan Shamble Zombie P.I. series, and I have reviewed them here on Writing to be Read. (You can find my previous review of the Dan Shamble Zomnibus: Death Warmed Over & Working Stiff here.)
I was not disappointed. Double Booked is filled with Dan Shamble’s ghoulish zombie humor and all the loveable characters we’ve grown to love from this series. Once again, Dan, his ghostly girlfriend, Sheyenne, his human lawyer partner, Robin, and his vampire half-daughter, Alvina, are trying to save the unnatural quarter of the world after The Big Uneasy brought all manner of monsters to life. Dan Shamble is charged with the protection of the retired eccentric librarian who some say is responsible for bringing about The Big Uneasy, but when whole neighborhoods begin disappearing and the book behind it all is stolen, Dan Shamble has more than enough to keep him shambling through the Unnatural Quarter trying to solve this double mystery.
Likewise, with the short story bonus book, “Bump in the Night”, was equally entertaining as Dan Shamble and company try to save the Boogeyman from his overbearing aunties. Even though it is a brief tale, it’s an entertaining read.
Honestly, you know any of the books in the Dan Shamble Zombie P.I. series, by Kevin J. Anderson, are going to be an entertaining read, so Double Booked was no surprise, as it kept things rolling so readers won’t want to put it down. The bonus short story, “Bump in the Night”, was a pleasant surprise-not because it was an enjoyable read, but because it was an unexpected bonus. I can’t find it on Amazon or on the WordFire Press site, to offer my review there, but I give both books five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
