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Publishers like to break out fiction titles into genre types. They categorize the books of writers as Mysteries, Thrillers, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and so on. Currently there is a growing trend for writers to combine genres into one book or a series.
They may set a mystery within a fsntasy novel or a fantasy story in a modern or future time. These books are usually referred to as cross-genres or slip-stream novels. If you are still confused, think historical Mysteries. Two different genres combined into one to create a new type of fiction.
Jo Ann Vicarel and Greg Fisher have put together a list of books to introduce novice readers to this kind of fiction and introduce the avid reader to a possible new source of engrossing books. These are not so easily found as Historical Mysteries are. They hide on shelves in Science Fiction, Fantasy and sometimes Horror.
Please try one or two and let us know what you thing in the comments section below this list.
Below are cross-genre books and all of them are available through the libraries of the CLEVNET Consortium — many are owned by the Cleveland Hts-University Hts. Public Library System. You can click on the title if you’d like to order the book through the CLEVNET webcatalog.
Fiction:
- Acevedo, Mario
The Felix Gomez Series - The Nymphos of Rocky Flats
- X-Rated Bloodsuckers
- The Undead Kama Sutra
- Jailbait Zombie
- X-Rated Bloodsuckers
- Andrews, Ilona
The Kate Daniels Series - Magic Bites
- Magic Burns
- Magic Strikes
- Magic Burns
- Archer, Alex
The Rogue Angel Series - Destiny
- Solomon’s Jar
- The Spider Stone
- The Chosen
- Forbidden City
- The Lost Scrolls
- God of Thunder
- Secret of the Slaves
- Warrior Spirit
- Serpent’s Kiss
- Provenance
- Soul Stealer
- Gabriel’s Horn
- The Golden Elephant
- Swordsman’s Legacy
- Polar Quest
- Eternal Journey
- Sacrifice
- Seeker’s Curse
- Footprints
- Solomon’s Jar
- Armstrong, Kelley
Women of the Other world Series - Bitten
- Stolen
- Dime Store Magic
- Industrial Magic
- Haunted
- Broken
- No Humans Involved
- Personal Demon
- Living with the Dead
- Men of the Otherworld
- Frostbitten
- Stolen
- Baker, Kage
The Tales of the Company - In the Garden of Iden
- Sky Coyote
- Mendoza in Hollywood
- The Graveyard Game
- Black Projects, White Knights: The Company Dossiers
- The Life of the World to Come
- The Machine’s Child
- The Children of the Company
- Gods and Pawns: Stories of the Company
- Rude Mechanicals
- The Sons of Heaven
- Sky Coyote
- Briggs, Patricia
The Mercy Thompson Series - Moon Called
- Blood Bound
- Iron Kissed
- Bone Crossed
- Mercy Thompson: Homecoming
- Blood Bound
- Butcher, Jim
The Dresden Files - Storm Front
- Fool Moon
- Grave Peril
- Summer Knight
- Death Masks
- Blood Rites
- Dead Beat
- Proven Guilty
- White Night
- Small Favor
- Backup
- Turn Coat
- Fool Moon
- Connolly, John
The Charlie Parker Series - Every Dead Thing
- Dark Hollow
- The Killing Kind
- The White Road
- The Black Angel
- The Unquiet
- The Reapers
- The Lovers
- Dark Hollow
- Elrod, P. N.
The Vampire Files - The Vampire Files, Volume I (reprints bloodlist, Lifeblood, and Bloodcircle)
- The Vampire Files, Volume II (reprints Art in the Blood, Fire in the Blood, and Blood on the Water)
- A Chill in the Blood
- The Dark Sleep
- Lady Crymsyn
- Cold Streets
- Song in the Dark
- Dark Road Rising
- The Vampire Files, Volume II (reprints Art in the Blood, Fire in the Blood, and Blood on the Water)
- Garcia, Eric
The Anonymous Rex Series - Anonymous Rex: A Detective Story
- Casual Rex: A Novel (Prequel to Anonymous Rex)
- Hot and Sweaty Rex: A Dinosaur Mafia Mystery
- Casual Rex: A Novel (Prequel to Anonymous Rex)
- Gilman, Laura Anne
The Retrievers Series - Staying Dead
- Curse the Dark
- Bring It On
- Burning Bridges
- Free Fall
- Blood from Stone
- Curse the Dark
- Green, Simon R.
The Nightside Series - Something from the Nightside
- Agents of Light and Darkness
- Nightingale’s Lament
- Hex and the City
- Paths not Taken
- Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth
- Hell to Pay
- The Unnatural Inquirer
- Just Another Judgement Day
- Agents of Light and Darkness
- Green, Simon R.
The Secret History Series - The Man with the Golden Torc
- Daemons are Forever
- The Spy who Haunted Me
- Daemons are Forever
- Gustainis, Justin
The Morris and Chastain Investigations Series - Black Magic Woman
- Evil Ways
- Hamilton, Laurell K.
The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Series - Guilty Pleasures
- The Laughing Corpse
- Circus of the Damned
- The Lunatic Cafe
- Bloody Bones
- The Killing Dance
- Burnt Offerings
- Blue Moon
- Obsidian Butterfly
- Narcissus in Chains
- Cerulean Sins
- Incubus Dreams
- Micah
- Danse Macabre
- The Harlequin
- Blood Noir
- Skin Trade
- The Laughing Corpse
- Hamilton, Laurell K.
The Meredith Gentry Series - A Kiss of Shadows
- A Caress of Twilight
- Seduced by Moonlight
- A Stroke of Midnight
- Mistral’s Kiss
- A Lick of Frost
- Swallowing Darkness
- Divine Misdemeanors
- A Caress of Twilight
- Harrison, Kim
The Hollows Series (sometimes called The Rachael Morgan Series) - Dead Witch Walking
- The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
- Every Which Way But Dead
- A Fistful of Charms
- For a Few Demons More
- The Outlaw Demon Wails
- White Witch, Black Curse
- The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
- Hendee, Barb and J.C.
The Noble Dead Saga Series 1 - Dhampir
- Thief of Lives
- Sister of the Dead
- Traitor to the Blood
- Rebel Fay
- Child of a Dead God
- Thief of Lives
- Hendee, Barb and J.C.
The Noble Dead Saga Series 2 - In Shade and Shadow
- Hightower, Lynn S.
The David Silver Series - Alien Blues
- Alien Heat
- Alien Eyes
- Alien Rites
- Alien Heat
- Huff, Tanya
The Blood Books Series (aka The Vicki Nelson Series) - The Blood Books, Volume I (reprints Blood Price and Blood Trail)
- The Blood Books, Volume II (reprints Blood Lines and Blood Pact)
- The Blood Books, Volume III (reprints Blood Debt and Blood Bank)
- The Blood Books, Volume II (reprints Blood Lines and Blood Pact)
- Huff, Tanya
The Smoke and Shadows Series - Smoke and Shadows
- Smoke and Mirrors
- Smoke and Ashes
- Smoke and Mirrors
- Hunt, Stephen
- The Court of the Air
- The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
- Huston, Charlie
The Joe Pitt Casebook Series - Already Dead
- No Dominion
- Half the Blood of Brooklyn
- Every Last Drop
- My Dead Body
- No Dominion
- Irvine, Alexander C.
- Buyout
- Jones, Tamara Siler
The Dubric Byerly Mysteries - Ghosts in the Snow
- Threads of Malice
- Valley of the Soul
- Threads of Malice
- MacAvoy, R. A.
The Black Dragon Series - Tea with the Black Dragon
- Twisting the Rope
- Morgan, Richard K.
The Takeshi Kovacs Trilogy - Altered Carbon
- Broken Angels
- Woken Furies
- Broken Angels
- Murphy, C. E.
The Negotiator Trilogy - Heart of Stone
- House of Cards
- Hands of Flame
- House of Cards
- Murphy, C. E.
The Inheritors’ Cycle - The Queen’s Bastard
- The Pretender’s Crown
- Murphy, C. E.
The Walker Papers - Urban Shaman
- Thunderbird Falls
- Coyote Dreams
- Walking Dead
- Thunderbird Falls
- Rardin, Jennifer
The Jaz Parks Series - Once Bitten, Twice Shy
- Another One Bites the Dust
- Biting the Bullet
- Bitten to Death
- One More Bite
- Bite Marks
- Another One Bites the Dust
- Richardson, Kat
The Greywalker Series - Greywalker
- Poltergeist
- Underground
- Vanished
- Poltergeist
- Rusch, Kristine Kathryn
The Retrieval Artist Series - The Disappeared
- Extremes
- Consequences
- Buried Deep
- Paloma
- Recovery Man
- Duplicate Effort
- Extremes
- Shepherd, Joel
The Cassandra Kresnov Series - Crossover
- Breakaway
- Killswitch
- Breakaway
- Stross, Charles
- The Jennifer Morgue
- Vaughn, Carrie
The Kitty Norville Series - Kitty and the Midnight Hour
- Kitty Goes to Washington
- Kitty Takes a Holiday
- Kitty and the Silver Bullet
- Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand
- Kitty Raises Hell
- Kitty Goes to Washington
- Waggoner, Tim
- Necropolis
- Williams, Liz
Detective Inspector Chen Series - Snake Agent
- The Demon and the City
- Precious Dragon
- The Shadow Pavilion
- The Demon and the City
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
You can’t go wrong with the Dresden Files, the perfect mix of fantasy, noirish detective thrillers, and laugh out loud comedic moments. The Vampire Files are great for introducing the non-fantasy fan to these great stories as well. They’re 30’s gangster novels with a lead who just happens to be a vampire instead of vampire novel that happens to have a lot of gangster in it.
You should also add Rob Thurman’s Cal Leandros series to the list as well (Nightlife, Moonshine, Madhouse, & Deathwish). They’re a great dark fantasy/mystery series with a cast of intriguing characters and just enough action to keep you guessing.
I’ve never tried any of these (at least, based on my quick read through), but you might want to add Jo Walton’s series (Farthing, Ha’Penny, and Half a Crown), which is alternate history and detective mystery strung together. Good stuff.
Monster list, by the way. Hopefully someone finds some darn good reading here. I certainly will.
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