Book review: Mean Streets

Book cover, courtesy Amazon.com

Mean Streets is a collection of four short stories, all highlighting a private-eye character from a spec fic book series. There's Jim Butcher's wizard-for-hire, Harry Dresden, Kat Richardson's ghost-walking Harper Blaine, Simon Green's all-seeing John Taylor, and Thomas Sniegoski's angel in disguise, Remy Chandler. With each appearing in their own story, each with a mystery to solve, there's a great range of styles and action presented in this book. Locations range from Chicago to Mexico and realms quite beyond anywhere this good Earth has to offer. And these supernatural sleuths face challenges such as cybernetic cars, black magic, and old fashioned kidnappers.

Fortunately, you don't need to have read any of these authors before to enjoy their work here, though, of course, having that sort of background will help you slip into the scenario faster and catch a few inside jokes. 

But is it worth the read?

Book cover, KatRichardson.com

They walk the streets no one else can walk, take the jobs no one else will take, and if you've got a problem--and the cash--they can solve it. Of course, if your case involves rabid werewolves, cursed objects, the living dead, malevolent beings from other dimensions, or other "unusual" circumstances, it may cost you a bit extra...

Coming into this collection, I'd read books by three of the four authors already. The only one I'd missed out on was Thomas Sniegoski, which is something I plan to remedy as soon as possible. Of the four stories, I enjoyed his, title "Noah's Orphans," and Butcher's, "The Warrior," the best. Both Sniegoski and Butcher infuse their characters (whether wizard, angel, or otherwise) with solid, relatable emotion that truly makes you care about what is going on. Their action and dialogue is tense and engaging, even in the calmest scene, and the details they use are vivid enough to create a strong mental image of the scene without taking over the story. I'll admit to being biased to Butcher, but I've yet to read a novel or short story of his that I haven't enjoyed immensely. And with this being my first exposure to Sniegoski, I have him on my list to hunt down his other titles and see if they match up to the quality of this piece. 

Warning: If you haven't read Sniegoski or Butcher, their stories contain minor spoilers and hints to events in previous books. Nothing huge, but you'll likely be able to guess a few plot twists.

Kat Richardson's "The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog" is a decent story in and of itself. I've read two of her Greywalker series, and while they are fun and enjoyable, I've personally had a hard time connecting with her main character, Harper. It seems like she always has an emotional shield around her, and so often comes off as flat and inexpressive. While there's mystery and intrigue, as well as some fascinating cultural details throughout the story, I had to push myself to finish reading it, rather than being pulled into the action like I was with the first two.

Book cover, Sniegoski.com

Simon Green's "The Difference a Day Makes" came in last for me, for a main reason. I've read a decent handful of his Nightside series, which John Taylor hails from. My biggest issue with Green is something he actually seems to speak directly to in this story. At one point, John Taylor describes the city of Nightside to a newcomer, a description which goes on for several paragraphs and is full of the same "clever" sentences and twists of phrase that you'd read a dozen times over if you've opened any one of Green's other books. When Taylor is finished, the other character turns to him and says, "You do like the sound of your own voice, don't you?" That sums up my opinion of Green well enough. His stories are wildly imaginative, I'll admit, but it feels like Green has set any character depth and advancement to the side long ago, and now challenges himself simply through putting them through increasingly twisted and depraved scenarios, using the same stock descriptions and dialogue. Weirdness is all well and good, but when it's just for weirdness' sake, that's not a story. It's just gratuitous macabre writing.

So for a 3-out-of-4 enjoyment factor, I'd still recommend Mean Streets for anyone who wants to discover some new authors, or want to experience a character outside of their normal novel format. And if you have different tastes, there's a chance you might get a kick out of Green as well.