Hey, gang, it’s that special spooky season again, so get ready for the first of three brand new Halloween TNB Book Reviews!
But we may have a few other spooky tricks and/or treats up our sleeves, so keep checking in.
Now, when we backed Kevin J. Anderson’s Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Kickstarter way back in the Spring, it was so successful that a number of stretch goals were announced, a backer exclusive short story among them.
This is that story, and I’m excited as hell to check it out!
So the question is, in the grand scheme of Shamble…ness, where will this land?
Does it bring anything exciting and new to the table?
At the very least, I figured a story about monsters and mysteries would make for a great addition to my Halloween themed reviews this year, right?
Guys?
*looks around nervously*
Let’s find out together!
This is your spooky and super official ***SPOILER ALERT***
It’s a quiet day around the Chambeaux & Deyer offices when a rather rattled Boogeyman shows up seeking their services.
And, if you weren’t aware, when even The Boogeyman is scared it’s probably best for you to get your shit settled cause it’s not gonna be an easy day at the office.
Ol Boog is looking for some sort of help to get his Aunts off his ass about being all spooky ooky and such.
He just wants to live a quiet, non-menacing, overall peaceful life selling insurance.
I believe I’ve read all but one of the Shamble short stories and I think, based solely on its performance as a detective story, this one may have to end up being my favorite.
Dan does some real solid leg work in this one to gather evidence against Boo(short for Boogeyman)’s Aunts, more so than I can remember in some of the others.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the other Shamble short stories, but they tend to be more fun quick peeks at the world to draw you into the novels than they are well rounded detective stories.
So, in that way alone, it’s something fresh for these short stories.
The one major downside of these short stories though is that you can’t really check in with everybody in the world, and if you know Kevin J. Anderson’s work you are well aware that he’s a writer that loves a big cast of characters.
So, upon examination, a downside for me appears to be more of a personal challenge for KJA.
With all of these short stories he’s challenging himself to laser focus and tell a smaller story, this time with Dan and Robin in the spotlight, but that does end up making some of the characters we know and love like McGoo, Spooky, and Alvina feel like they have glorified cameos.
This version of The Boogeyman is a character I would like to see more of in the future of this series.
A mostly meek pencil pusher, though not without a dread inducing dark side, who uses his abilities to do more than just cause the Hershey squirts.
His Aunts as well feel like they would be good characters to bring back from time to time to stir things up in the Unnatural Quarter and be a thorn in everybody’s ass as a fun side quest in a novel.
While brief, as implied by it being a short story, this one does bring some fun things to the party.
It once again stretches the world ever so slightly in a new direction and sets up a good deal of potential for future stories.
As with the rest of the series, it’s well written, thought out, and the characters are engaging.
Dude knows how to paint a hell of a word picture.
If somebody wanted a taste of what Shamble is but they were a bit intimidated by the novels, this would most assuredly be one of the top three stories I’d recommend.
And if you want a fun Halloween read that’s got the best elements of the season without any over-the-top horror, ya can’t do much better.
As always, it’s sad to hit the ending of a Shamble story.
This is my second new visit to the UQ this year, and the next trip can’t come soon enough.
Let us know what you think of this review in the comments below or share this post on Twitter with the Hashtag #TNBBookReview, or tweet with us @NerdBlitzPod.
Check out our first foray into publishing with our original short story collection, The Camping Trip And Other Stories!
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And finally, given the state of the world, do what you can to leave it a little bit better than you found it.
As difficult as that may be currently, it can have an impact far greater than you know.
Until next time, stay safe out there, gang.
