MEAN STREETS - Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson, Thomas E. Sniegoski

I have not always had the best luck with anthologies. The editors or publishers or whoever bunch up some authors and sell the book with a beguiling title. The stories inside are not so intriguing as a rule. One superb story, a few ehhhhh...and one really awful tale...at least to me.

So, even though I adore Jim Butcher and Kat Richardson, it was with some trepidation that I decided to add MEAN STREETS to my shopping list, let alone actually buy it. It was the first purchase of 2009 thanks to a sweetie pie husband who asked if I'd like to see if I could use my DSW gift card I'd received in my stocking. That was a silly question. And dontcha know that there is a B&N right next door? Practically nirvana.

Frolicked in DSW for a nice long while and then we made our way over to B&N. It was crowded and I didn't have my list and MEAN STREETS was staring me in the face and was the only title I could remember. Into my hands it leaped and it became my next up read.

Jim Butcher's tale is THE WARRIOR, with Harry Dresden, wizard and mystery solver, protecting a friend and his family from evil.

I haven't read Simon R. Green before, but after reading THE DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES and seeing the title of one of his series would make a great addition to my What's in a Name Challenge, it won't be the last. Once I started understanding the Nightside, the secret heart of London, where John Taylor, PI, lives and works...I enjoyed the ride. John Taylor can find anything and is hired by a woman who has lost her husband and her memory. She would like both returned, please.

Kat Richardson was the third story and Harper Blaine, Greywalker, has been sent to Oaxaca Mexico to return a dog to his master. The master has been dead for some time and it is up to Harper to find the grave and return the dog. There is more to the job than meets the eye. The dog is a ghost. There's mystery, revenge, and deep dark secrets to be discovered, too.

The other new to me author, Thomas E Sniegoski, was the fourth and last novella in the book. Boston is the setting for fallen angel - turned - private detective Remy Chandler is tasked to find the murderer of Noah. Yep, that 'build me an Ark, Noah' guy. When you are touched and tasked by God, you get longevity. And someone has murdered him.

All four novellas in MEAN STREETS are worth five ghost dog, dead guy, who killed the ark builder, wizard beans.....and the bookmark