The series hit a major high in 2010 with “Changes,” the 12^th book in the series. “Changes” was a book that paid off so many plot threads and also was true to it’s title. I tried to keep that in perspective when I read the next book in the series, “Ghost Story,” but something about that book just felt off. So I was worried that the series might be losing steam and direction. Well having just finished the latest book in the series “Cold Days” (the 14^th book in the series) I’m happy to report that the Dresden Files is still a series that is exciting, and a ton of fun to read.

In “Cold Days” wizard Harry Dresden is trying to get his life back together after having it blown apart in “Changes” and sort of dying in “Ghost Story.” Unfortunately for him the Queen of the Winter court of the Sidhe (AKA Faerie Folk) has other plans. In “Changes” Harry agreed to be her enforcer, the Winter Knight and she plans to make him live up to that obligation.

So “Cold Days” opens with Harry rehabilitating from injuries and adjusting to life in Mab’s fortress. It makes for a few slow chapters, but then Mab gives her enforcer a mission and that’s when the book takes off because that’s when Harry returns to Chicago and the family and friends he left behind.

Harry Dresden is a fun, identifiable, and very cool character, but one of the things that makes his adventures so entertaining is the eclectic cast of characters in his life. Butcher is aware of this and gives them all a chance to come back into Harry’s life in a big way. When they enter the narrative in “Cold Days” it’s in bold and usually heroic ways that will make long time fans of the series clap and cheer. I especially loved the return of my favorite character in the series, former police detective Karrin Murphy.

It was also a lot of fun to see Harry interacting with these characters. I’m especially interested in the dynamic between Harry and Murphy and they got several satisfying moments together. One dynamic that I found myself appreciating more was the one between Harry and his vampire half brother Thomas. I always liked Thomas, but there was something about his scenes with Harry that felt more genuine in “Cold Days.” Their dynamic reminded me of the great bond between another pair of monster fighting brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester of “Supernatural” fame.

I don’t want to get too much into plot because there are lots of twists and turns and Harry’s mission from Mab is complicated by the strange going ons on the island of Demon Reach, which has appeared in several previous novels. Harry uncovers some cool revelations there that make me excited for the book going forward. It also gives “Cold Days” a pretty impressive scope and scale. Harry doesn’t just need to solve a mystery in this book or put down a bad guy. The fate of Chicago and perhaps the world is on the line.

That of course means we get some pretty impressive action scenes. I don’t want to say too much about them for fear of spoiling their surprises, but some of them do rival the craziness of “Changes.” I can tell you that there were many moments in “Cold Days” where I stopped and chuckled at the unexpected and awesome insanity that I had just read.

So all in all, “Cold Days” is a return to form for the Dresden Files series. It reminded me why these books have been such fun and comforting reads over the years, and it added enough new elements to the series to make me excited about where Butcher is going to go next. That’s a pretty impressive feat for the 14^th entry in a novel series.

These past few years Spring has brought more than just nice weather my way. It’s also brought another installment in Jonathan Maberry’s incredibly fun and exciting Joe Ledger series of novels. After last year’s “Assassin’s Code” I had the theory that Maberry was slowly setting up Joe and his fellow soldiers in the Department of Military Sciences as defenders against the supernatural and things that go bump in the night, but now having finished the latest Ledger novel “Extinction Machine” I have a feeling that Maberry is doing something much more exciting and larger; setting up Joe and the DMS as the last line of defense against all manner of weird, and otherworldly threats.

I don’t want to spoil any of the fun reveals, but the otherworldly threat that Joe and the DMS are up against in “Extinction Machine” is alien technology and a sinister cabal looking to exploit it. It’s a big leap forward into a new area of strangeness, especially after Maberry spent a couple of novels dropping hints that the supernatural may be part of Joe’s world, but the writer handles it in style. A sense of dread permeates encounters with possible interplanetary elements, and not everything is spelled out for you. It give those scenes a feeling of mystery and power.

Maberry also pulls off the tricky act of answering some questions about what’s going on with alien technology and grounds it in enough details and UFO folklore to make these “facts” feel real. So some questions are answered, but sometimes answering them raises bigger questions.

It’s also of course fun to see the alien elements bounce of Maberry’s great cast of characters. As always most of the chapters of the book are narrated by Joe Ledger himself, a great blend of the every man and the extraordinary man. Joe’s sarcasm, wisecracks, and affection for his friends and family are all believable and help us identify with him, but Maberry never lets you forget that Joe is not like us; that the price he pays for keeping the world safe is sacrificing parts of himself in order to do the messy and violent work his profession often calls for.

So Joe is a pretty multifaceted character who reacts to things and people in lots of interesting ways. In “Extinction Machine” I especially enjoyed seeing his reactions to a new character, Junie Flynn, an insightful and intelligent conspiracy theorist.

Joe also gets to spend plenty of time interacting many of the great established characters in the series like his enigmatic and bad-ass boss, Mr. Church; his best friend and the DMS’ resident shrink Rudy Sanchez, his fellow Echo Team members Top, Bunny, and Lydia Ruiz, and his faithful combat trained German Shepherd, Ghost. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Ghost in “Extinction Machine.” I think after reading Robert Crais’ latest novel “Suspect” I’ve come to enjoy well thought and believable animal characters, and in the Ledger series Ghost definitely is such a character. His loyalty to and love for his pack mate Joe shine through in all his scenes, making him just as a fun and exciting character as any of the human ones in the series

“Extinction Machine” also features several other interesting new characters as well. We get to meet some of Echo Team’s latest recruits, and we get to spend time with the main villains of the piece; a brilliant billionaire, his second in command, and their chief assassin who may not be entirely human.

These adversaries are very capable and dangerous too. In fact they accomplish an act that will leave long time fans of the Ledger series shocked and horrified.

Like previous novels in the Ledger series “Extinction Machine” is brimming with action. The pacing is breakneck and as you race towards the book’s climax the scope and scale of the novel just grow exponentially making things even more exciting.

Plus we get a number of great fight scenes. Long time fans of Maberry’s work know that the writer has a background in martial arts, and it shows. In other thrillers hand to hand combat scenes can be fun, but they’re never as fun as they are in the Ledger books. Joe Ledger’s fights crackle and explode off the page. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again when it comes to fight scenes Maberry is the Jack Kirby of prose. No one does them better.

So “Extinction Machine” is the usual literary cocktail of fun action, great characters, and creepy weirdness that I’ve come to look forward to every spring when a new installment in the Ledger series rolls around. Plus it has the great added element of opening up the world of books even further and doing so in a way that was fun, mysterious, and wondrous.

My tears came about because in that prologue we meet Maggie, a german shepherd that works for the Marine Corps sniffing out IEDs in Afghanistan. What makes this chapter so powerful is that it’s told from Maggie’s point of view. Crais expertly captures that point of view too. It feels believable. You understand how pure and noble a dog’s love for a human being can be. So when Maggie loses her partner in a surprise attack it’s utterly heartbreaking. I was sobbing by the end of the prologue.

Maggie isn’t the only character in “Suspect” that’s lost someone. The other protagonist is LAPD officer Scott James whose partner was gunned down in a mysterious night time assault that murdered two other people and left Scott severely injured. When the novel opens Scott has just about recovered from his energies and ready to be a cop again. Only he doesn’t want to become attached to another partner. So he transfers to the LAPD’s K-9 unit thinking that his connection with a dog would be superficial at best.

When it comes time to pair Scott with a dog he discovers Maggie who is still haunted by the events in Afghanistan and is considered unfit for duty. Scott is also still haunted by the death of his partner. So sensing a kindred spirit he decides to take a chance on Maggie and see if he can work with her and get her fit for duty.

That partnership between Scott and Maggie is the emotional center of the book, and it’s the reason why “Suspect” is so powerful and moving. As they train and live together Scott and Maggie heal each others emotional wounds. The scenes are sweet, funny and full of heart. You see things from Scott’s perspective, but you also get Maggie’s point of view too.

I would have been fine if “Suspect” was simply about the friendship between Scott and Maggie, but Crais also give the duo a mystery to dig into that’s pretty compelling. Together the duo set out to find the people that murdered Scott’s partner and what really happened on that fateful night. It’s a harrowing tale too because by the time their investigation kicks into high gear I was so emotionally invested in Scott and Maggie that I genuinely feared for their safety.

Scott and Maggie’s investigation brings them face to face with both fellow cops and some seedy characters. You primarily see these characters through their eyes, but Crais occasionally shifts things and gives readers the perspective of a police detective and even the book’s main villain. It’s an interesting technique that spices up the story.

So ultimately “Suspect” is Robert Crais’ best stand alone novel to date. I’m a cat person, but I was absolutely captivated and tremendously moved by the bond between Scott and Maggie. That’s how good the book was.

“All the Wild Children” opens with a series of time jumps that introduce us to the struggles Stallings faces with the family he made and the family he was born into. The writer keeps that format throughout the entire book. It’s a haunting, organic, and effective way to tell a very personal story. The book’s various chapters focus on a specific event or topic so you can see how these elements impact and resonate throughout Stallings’ life

Despite the time jumps, “All the Wild Children” does unfold in a somewhat linear fashion. The early chapters of the book go back and forth between his childhood years and introduces us to a cast of eclectic, and vibrant characters, Stallings’ family. It’s here where his struggles begin because in the these opening chapters Stalling shows us that families can be both a source of soul crushing weakness and inspiring strength.

The weaknesses come from Stallings’ parents who are fascinating characters. His mother and father love the writer and his siblings but they’re two very damaged and complex people, who can’t live together. They eventually split, but even divorced they’re not the best of parents. So Stallings and his brother and two sisters had to band together and almost raise each other.

That bond that the Stallings kids form is the strength that the writer draws from his family. Because of that tight knit bond we get to know Stallings’ siblings really well, especially his older brother Larken who protects him, comforts him, and often gets him into loads of trouble.

A lot of that trouble comes when Stallings and his brother hit high school. Ravenswood, the forcibly integrated Palo Alto high school they attend is a dangerous place in 1973. In this section of the book the writer gains some life long friends but is also exposed to a world of crime, drugs, and violence. This leads to some tense encounters with police and junkies, and explosive encounters with jocks.

In one of my favorite chapters from this section Stallings recalls all the fun, chaos, and danger that resulted from his family opening a teen night club. You’ll learn about the many death threats the writer and his brother received as well the occasional fights that broke out on the front porch of the club.

In the final portions of the book an adolescence full of fear, violence, alcohol, and drugs begins to catch up with Josh as he pursues his future wife and a career in entertainment. There are disappointments, funny insights into the movie business, brushes with fame, and alcohol fueled meltdowns including one that happens on the set of low budget action film being shot in Russia during the final days of Soviet rule.

The other big element of the final portions of “All the Wild Children” is Stallings and his wife Erika’s struggles raising their two children: one developmentally disabled and suffering from a schizophrenic style disorder and the other who develops a dangerous drug addiction. These sections are harrowing and heartbreaking as the writer deftly recalls having to forcibly restrain his older son during many of his psychotic breakdowns and having to arm himself with a buck knife before searching for his missing younger son in a house of drug addicts.

So when you add that all together you’ve got a powerful, exciting, and pretty inspiring read. “All the Wild Children” is a book that reads like an expertly blended cocktail of Stephen King’s “Stand by Me,” the drug fueled misadventures of Hunter S Thompson, the crime writing of George Pelecanos, and the wry, powerful, and often hilarious anecdotes of Henry Rollins. Plus it’s a true story about a guy fighting a never ending, extremely difficult, and ultimately rewarding battle; the battle to be a better person.

That’s because the warden isn’t a knight, a wizard, or even a barbarian. He’s a drug dealer. That’s right a drug dealer! And his current occupation isn’t the only thing that’s fascinating about the character. His past jobs as a soldier in one of the bloodiest wars the city-state of Rigus has ever seen and a member of the country’s secret police make the character even more compelling. That past has given the Warden a healthy cynicism that is often at war with a desire for justice and to protect and or avenge the innocent. Much to the Warden’s chagrin he often finds himself giving into these desires and embarking on exploits that leave him physically and emotionally battered. The Warden narrates these exploits himself so they are colored by his fascinating and world weary perspective.

In Polanksy’s first novel “Low Town” or as it’s known in the UK “Low Town: The Straight Razor Cure” we were introduced to the Warden and the titular slums of Rigus that he calls home. The plot of the story involved the character’s present day vocation as a drug dealer and his past as a soldier. For “Tomorrow the Killing” though” the author really delves in to the Warden’s background as a soldier as the ghosts of the great war come back to haunt him in the form a general with a missing daughter.

The Warden agrees to help the General because of his connection to the man’s other child, a soldier named Roland, one of the few commanders in the great war that the Warden actually respected. Roland died many years ago and his sister wants to know why. So she’s disappeared in to the slums of Low Town, and to find the young girl and protect her the Warden must investigate and revisit some of his dead friend’s associations like the veteran’s group Roland lead, which made the ruling elite of Rigus very nervous and some of the criminal syndicates Roland’s group went to war with.

The way the Warden investigates and navigates these violent and corrupt organizations is fun and exciting. You get to see the character’s cunning and skill with a blade put to the test in passages that read like a combination of Dashiell Hammett and George R.R. Martin. Plus the grittiness of Low Town and its inhabitants give the book a street level starkness reminiscent of the television show “The Wire.” The story is further enhanced by flashbacks to the days the Warden and his best friend Adolphus spent fighting the bloody war with the kingdom of the Dren. All of these elements combine to create a tale that takes place in a fantasy world that feels brutally and powerfully real.

The crime story of Roland’s murder and his sister’s disappearance is at the heart of “Tomorrow the Killing,” but Polansky also makes time for the magical elements of the world he created as well. One of the book’s sub plots involves the Warden’s quest to find a teacher to help develop the magical talents of Wren, a young street urchin adopted by Adolphus and his wife. This subplot involves an interesting and frighteningly powerful sorceress who has some fun scenes with the Warden.

The magical subplot also gives Polansky a way to further flesh out Wren and his adoptive parents. The parents are also part of the events of the primary story line which find Adolphus becoming involved with the veteran’s organization and his wife becoming upset by the seedy figures her husband is associating with.

So in “Tomorrow the Killing” Polansky combines great characters, visceral action, and shocking and powerful revelations for a tale that’s even better than his stellar first novel. I’m not sure what Polanksy has planned for his third book, but I would love another chance to venture down the mean streets of Low Town with the Warden.

“Now that’s more like it, Mr. Wayne”- Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) “The Dark Knight”

When I first started reading John Connolly’s series of novels about police man turned private detective Charlie Parker I was under the impression that I was going to be getting some cool crime fiction tales about P.I. up against some of the worst criminals imaginable. I got that, but I also got something a little more intriguing. Just below the surface there was a bubbling undercurrent of supernatural horror. It was also almost implied, you weren’t sure if the horror elements were real or a product of Parker’s grief stricken mind.

As the series progressed that undercurrent began to bubble even faster and eventually reached a boil in 2009’s “The Lovers,” one of my favorite books in the series. It was there where after wading into the supernatural horror swimming pool that Connolly finally took his readers into deep end. After that we were given two books that had supernatural elements, but did not add to the larger tale that Connolly had been telling about Parker’s battle against beings that may or may not be fallen angels and the shadowy figures that supported them. These books were entertaining, but they didn’t contain the payoffs I was looking for. I’m happy to report though Connolly’s latest Charlie Parker novel, “The Wrath of Angels” was all I was hoping it would be and more.

In “The Wrath of Angels” Parker is hired to find a plane that crashed deep in the Maine woods several years back. Sounds fairly mundane right? Wrong! It’s believed that wreckage of the plane contains a list of people who have struck deals with the devils

This means that more people then Parker are interested in the list. In “The Lovers” Connolly introduced a Rabbi named Epstein who hunts fallen angels with the help of a private army. He returns in “The Wrath of Angels” and wants to use the list to strike a blow for righteousness. The Collector, the fearsome and vengeful serial killer that Connelly introduced back in a novella in his short story collection “Nocturnes” wants to use it to add to his collection and eliminate some evil doers. And of course the forces of darkness want to make sure none of them retrieve the list. That triangle makes ‘The Wrath of Angels” so much fun.

You of course get to spend your usual amount of time with Parker and his friends and comrades at arms the ex-hit man known as Louis and his lover the ex-burglar Angel. Regular readers of the series know that Louis and Angel are both awe inspiring bad-asses and provide the Parker books with some much needed comic relief. On top of that usual stuff though you get so many more cool and interesting insights.

For instance, you get to learn more about the past of Rabbi Epstein and his organization. What we learn there is so exciting and interesting that I wouldn’t mind reading a novel about the exploits of Epstein and his organization.

You also get to spend an extended amount of time with the Collector. Connolly gives you a peek inside this intriguing character’s background and how his world works. Those scenes  just jumped off the page too.

Plus you’re given a lot more info about the fallen angels and the organization that supports them. There are some pretty creepy and cool revelations there that I won’t spoil, but let’s just say they’re an even more fearsome than I previously thought.

The shadowy organization lingers in the background of “The Wrath of Angels,” but they also send out two champions to deal with those trying to gain control of the list. One will be familiar to long time fans of the Parker series, and one is a creepy new villain. They’re not the only opposition either. The patch of Maine Woods where the crash plane lays is haunted by forces both living and dead.

So that mix of horror, action, revelations, and compelling characters makes for a hell of a read. “The Wrath of Angels” is one of the best entries in the Charlie Parker series, and not just because it’s an immensely satisfying read. It’s also because the book furthers the larger story Connelly is telling and sets up what could be an even more interesting and exciting next novel.

 Bobby Singer

Show: “Supernatural”

Played by Jim Beaver

At the end of first season of “Supernatural” I met a character who would become one of my favorite characters on the show, mechanic, salvage yard owner, and hunter Bobby Singer. Over the course of several seasons you got to know him better and he got even cooler.  Bobby was like a Blue Collar American version of everything that was awesome about Rupert Giles from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”: the knowledge of the occult, the bad ass streak, and the genuine fatherly affection for the main characters. Those traits as brought to life by actor Jim Beaver made every episode with Bobby Singer, awesome as Dean Winchester would say

   Wayne Unser

  Show: “Sons of Anarchy”

  Played by Dayton Callie

Over the course of five seasons Wayne Unser’s role on “Sons of Anarchy” has changed but his moral code has not. He started off as the Sheriff of Charming California and a staunch ally of the show’s titular motorcycle club. Since then he’s retired but still remains an ally of the Sons, and a formidable and very intriguing character. For me that’s because of two things. First is his moral code, which is very grey but still leans on the side of righteousness and justice. The second is his resourcefulness. Wayne may be older, but he’s still a highly resourceful and cunning guy able to gather information quickly and solve mysteries other might not want solved. And Dayton Callie gives the character a sense of likability and nobility So I doubt it will happen but if Unser survives to the end of “Sons of Anarchy” I would love to see an “Unser P.I.” show

Art Mullen

Show: Justified

Played by: Nick Searcy

Chief Deputy Art Mullen has the interesting and difficult job of managing three of the most dysfunctional bad-asses on television the Marshalls of the Lexington, Kentucky field office. It’s a role that could easily be reduced to the disapproving police captain stereotype, but thanks to Nick Searcy’s acting and the show’s smart writing Art is so much more. Sure he’s a stern authority figure, but like the other characters on this list he has a genuine affection for the people he looks after. Plus Art is also kind of a bad ass himself. We’ve seen that in several episodes where he stared down and took on armed fugitives. Plus he gets to deliver some of the show’s best lines

 Saul Berenson

Show: Homeland

Played by: Mandy Patinken

Saul Berenson is the superior and mentor to brilliant CIA agent Carrie Mathison, but Saul is just as brilliant. From time to time “Homeland” will follow Saul into the field as he works his magic. And the reason Saul is successful is not because he’s good with a gun, or super intimidating. It’s because he’s a genuinely decent human being. Saul has cracked people and gotten valuable information simply by being good natured and talking with them like they’re people. Plus he’s got a fiery streak in him that’s amazing to behold. You don’t want to f*** with the “Bear!”  Mandy Patinken gives Saul a gravitas and nobility that makes him one of Homeland’s best characters

Barristan Selmy

Show: Game of Thrones

Played by Ian McElhinney

Some might wonder at the inclusion of Barristan on this list because he didn’t appear much in the first season of “Game of Thrones” and didn’t appear at all in the second, but when he did appear he was awesome.  Barristan is the commander of the King’s Guard with I believe over 40 years of combat experience. So the character requires some gravitas and McElhinney give the character that in spades. The scene where he’s dismissed from King Joffrey’s service was awesome. McElhinney’s performance originally made me a fan of the character before I read the “A Song of Ice and Fire” books that “A Game of Thrones” was based on. So I hope we see Barristan again in season three of “Game of Thrones”

The police procedural is a genre that can be dull and predictable when it’s done wrong, but when it’s done right you get amazing things like the television shows “The Shield,” and “The Wire;” the comic book series “Gotham Central,” and “Powers;” and the Harry Bosch novels by Michael Connelly. Conelly’s latest novel to star LAPD Detective Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch, “The Black Box,” is a classic example of why he’s so good at the procedural drama and what it can be when you have a compelling character.

In the last Bosch novel, “The Drop,” Connelly reintroduced an obstacle that had been missing from the series for awhile, the dangerous and complicating world of politics, and politics continue to confound Harry in the “Black Box.” It’s a fun and powerful struggle to watch too because dealing with politics upsets Bosch and throws him off his game so he was to work harder.

The political complications in “The Black Box” arise from infamous chapter in the history of the city Bosch calls him, the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 that erupted in the wake of the not guilty verdict in the trial of several police officers who were video taped beating motorist Rodney King. In the opening of the story Connelly flashes back and gives us a frightening and powerful look at this time in Los Angeles as he takes readers to a crime scene that Bosch investigates.

Because of the chaotic nature of the riots Bosch is only able to do preliminary work at the murder scene of journalist found shot dead in an alley before he has to move on to another murder sight. So after the opening section the book takes us back to the present where it’s the 20^th anniversary of the riots and Bosch and his fellow Detectives in the LAPD’s Open/Unsolved unit are working to close some of the cases that were never solved during that time period. Bosch’s current assignment is to find justice for the journalist he found murdered in an alley on that fateful night two decades ago.

Readers of the Bosch novels know that Harry takes these cases very personally. So it’s always fascinating to watch him dive in and try to find a killer. Often it means immersing himself in interesting worlds and environments. In “The Black Box” the first world he steps into is the LA gang culture and you’re given a compelling look at it’s structure, how the various criminal organizations work, and how they affect the lives of their members.

From there Connelly takes his protagonist into a a completely different territory. I don’t want to say much for fear of spoilers, but in the latter half of the book Harry’s investigation takes him out of LA and becomes very “off the book.” It’s not something you regularly see in the Bosch novels, but when you do it’s exciting, especially when Harry gets into big trouble as he does here.

“The Black Box” of course involves the usual collection of supporting characters from the other Bosch books like his daughter Maddy, who continues to be awesome. One of the subplots in the Bosch novels right now is Harry’s approaching retirement, and if that happens I wouldn’t mind seeing Connelly jump a few years and follow Maddy who wants to be a cop like her father.

David Chu, Bosch’s partner is also present and he continues to grow on me. Hannah Stone, Harry’s current love interest, has a minor role, but she’s become a character who kind of rubs me the wrong way. I believe that’s deliberate on the author’s part. So I’m curious to see where that relationship goes in future books.

We also meet some fascinating new characters in “The Black Box” as well. The political element of the story comes into play in the form of Bosch’s new Lieutenant. He makes an interesting adversary for Harry, one you love to hate. He’s not quite Irvin H Irving, Bosch’s arch-nemesis from the first few novels, but there’s potential there. Another character who comes to play because of the political element is an Internal Affairs Detective who begins investigating Bosch. She’s especially cool and compelling. I hope we see her in later books.

So all in all “The Black Box” is another example of why Michael Connelly is one of the best police procedural writers in the business. If you’re discovering his work for the first time with this book you’ve picked a good place to start. And if you’re long time fan, sit back and enjoy, because “The Black Box is all the great stuff you’ve come to expect from a Harry Bosch book.

So with that in mind I decided to give the novels of the Black Library, the publishing arm of Games Workshop, a chance. I looked for a good place to start and came across the “Eisenhorn” trilogy of novels by Dan Abnett. The trilogy was described as part detective story and part interplanetary epic, which was music to this crime fiction fan’s ears. Plus, I was fan ofAbnett’s comic book work especially on the Marvel cosmic titles he co-wrote with Andy Lanning, like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Nova.” So I picked up the “Eisenhorn” Omnibus which is composed of a trilogy of novels “Xenos,” “Malleus,” and “Hereticus” and two short stories that bridge the gaps between the novels. I’m glad I did too, because all three books were incredibly fun reads.

The “Eisenhorn” novels unfold in the world of “Warhammer 40,000” which is a grim dark future reality, “where there is only war.” That’s because in Warhammer 40K humanity is now a xenophobic interstellar empire that’s at war with several intergalactic cultures and four interdimensional chaos gods and the cults and demons that worship them. The title character, Gregor Eisenhorn, is an Inquisitor, an officer of the Empire of Humanity that’s one part detective one part super spy. Inquisitors are given absolute authority to root out and destroy any and all threats to humanity.

Eisenhorn is a pretty cool character too, and we get to know him intimately over the course of the stories in the omnibus because Abnett makes Eisenhorn a first person narrator in all the stories in the book. When we first meet him Eisenhorn is a veteran Inquisitor; dogged, determined, and ultra professional. You admire his devotion. Then over the course of the three books he starts to change and grow. He becomes less rigid and more inclined to bend the rules and laws of the Empire to destroy threats. It’s an interesting change because it makes Eisenhorn flexible, multifaceted and flawed. He’s an ultra cool psychic, detective, and warrior, but even he makes poor choices. Sometimes they’ll be selfish, sometimes they’ll be irrational and some times he’s forced to make hard choices where no one benefits. So he’s a hero, but he’s a very human character that cares about the well being of humanity and his friends.

He has plenty of friends too because Inquisitors don’t battle evil alone. They do it with a whole retinue of assistants. So over the course of the “Eisenhorn” trilogy you get to meet the title character’s friends and staff. They’re a diverse, well rounded bunch each with their own specialties and perspectives. Working with an Inquisitor is dangerous business though so not all of them survive from book to book, but the ones that do grow. Plus a strong bond of friendship forms between Eisenhorn and his staff members that do survive. It’s that cool band of friends bond that you see in some of the best sci-fi stories and concepts like Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” and “Serenity” and of course “Star Wars.”

The “Eisenhorn” novels don’t just have great heroes they also have an assortment of interesting villains. In the stories Inquisitor Eisenhorn and his friends do battle with a whole host of foes like a powerful and wealthy cult that feels almost like a futuristic version of a James Bond villain’s organization, strange and terrifying aliens, demons, corrupted and evil psychics, rogue and puritanical Inquisitors, and even a genetic super soldier that had been corrupted by the gods of chaos.

The heroes and Villains of “Eisenhorn”match wits in perfectly paced, and exciting action stories that mix and match elements from other genres as well. For instance in the first story “Xenos” readers are treated to twisted alien landscapes that feel like something you might see in the movie “Prometheus” and several chapters later you get an epic space battle as Eisenhorn, his retinue, and an army of soldiers land on a planet to do battle with a villainous cult and their alien allies. In the second novel “Malleus” you get more action and you start to experience the power and lure of the dark arcane arts. Then in the third and final novel, “Hereticus” Abnett brings things full circle in a story that mixes ancient horror, with high adventure and features plenty of narrow escapes including a sword fight on top of a train car in a blizzard. Yes it’s as fun as it sounds.

In fact the entire book, all three novels and two stories, are extremely fun books.. So if you like action packed science fiction epics that expertly incorporate elements from horror, fantasy, and , detective ficton pick up Dan Abnett’s “Eisenhorn” Omnibus. You’ll be glad you did.

At the center of “Dare Me” are two fascinating characters Adelaide “Addy” Hanlon and her best friend Beth Cassidy.  Beth is the captain of her high school cheerleading squad and Addy, the book’s point of view character, is her “lieutenant.” What’s fascinating about Addy is when she starts the book she’s sort of become unsure of who she is and what she could become, and over the course of the novel you see her slowly start to take charge of what’s going on in her life. By the book’s end she becomes a highly capable and even somewhat dangerous character. In the last 100 pages of the book she’s like her world’s equivalent of an obsessed hard-boiled private detective. It’s a captivating transformation.

Beth is intriguing because she’s almost a force of nature. When she wants something there’s no escaping her. Whether it’s attention, respect, or the destruction of a rival Beth almost always gets what she wants. That’s because she’s a master manipulator. The schemes she constructs are worthy of Tyrion Lannister from “A Song of Fire and Ice” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones” adaptation. You often seen Beth’s plans through Addy’s eyes so you’re not always exactly sure what she’ s up to, but it’s fascinating and frightening to watch her work.

Beth has to work over time when the school’s new cheer leading coach, Collette French, arrives early in the book and does away with the captain position.  French is a mysterious and charismatic character so she casts a spell over the rest of the team and soon her popularity and position of dominance has surpassed Beth’s own.

Addy becomes especially close to Coach French, much to Beth’s chagrin. So she’s torn between being loyal to her vindictive best friend and the coach who’s showing her and her team mates that they and the sport of cheerleading can be so much more than they believed.

So the early chapters of “Dare Me” are interesting because they take you into the political dynamics of school and the bonding experience of a team. Abbott effectively demonstrates that the intense physical training cheerleaders can go through and some of the death defying stunts they perform create tight bonds. Generally football players are viewed as the warrior class of high school, but in “Dare Me” Abbott makes a compelling and powerful argument that cheerleaders are every bit as tough as the athletes they cheer on.

The power struggles and inner turmoil of “Dare Me” gets ramped up even further mid way through the book when a supporting character tied to Coach French suddenly dies and Addy is forced to investigate the circumstances of that death. Was it a suicide? Or murder? And what sort of machinations lead up to the death?

As I mentioned earlier watching Addy play determined detective is fascinating and she has a lot to dig through to uncover the truth. The pace of Addy’s investigation is also kept energized and tight because of a police investigation and the looming final game of the season.

I’d love to say more about the book, but to do so would spoil some of its great reveals. The ending especially is a powerful and chilling one.  So if you’re a crime fiction fan, don’t dismiss “Dare Me” because of its premise and cast of characters. It’s a hell of a read and in it Abbot shows that the world of cheerleaders can be dark, dangerous, and utterly fascinating.