By Sarah Statz Cords
Just in time for Halloween, I thought it might be a good time to a) look at some mysteries, and b) look really closely at those mysteries which offer paranormal detectives. These books can offer a fantastic and otherworldly read, particularly around that time of year when hauntings and dark and stormy nights and all things unsettling are popping up in the cultural zeitgeist.
As defined in the Reader’s Advisor Online, these mysteries (a subgenre under Crime/Mystery and Detective Stories) “blend the detective story with elements of speculative fiction; particularly science fiction or horror. The detectives often have supernatural powers, or may be witches or vampires.”
A lot of titles in this subgenre also come as part of a series, so if you find patrons who like one of these titles, you might actually be helping them to a whole new (spooky) series! For example:
1. The Good Die Twice, by Lee Driver;
2. Bloodlist, by P.N. Elrod;
3. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris;
4. Sleeping with Fear, by Kay Hooper; and
5. Shadows in the Darkness, by Elaine Cunningham.
Witches and vampires and changelings (and mystery plots), oh my!
