Stalking the Dragon

June 1, 2009
The freshness and imagination on display in 1987’s Stalking the Unicorn
and 2008’s Stalking the Vampire
are renewed for this noirish mystery that mixes offbeat humor and the supernatural. Hard-boiled PI John Justin Mallory, stuck in a parallel Manhattan occupied by demons and wizards, takes an especially offbeat assignment in homage to Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story “Silver Blaze.” On the eve of the Eastminster Dragon Show, Fluffy, a toy dragon and the favorite for Best in Show, is kidnapped. Aided by his usual motley assortment of assistants, including catlike Felina and obsequious gremlin Jeeves, Mallory races the clock to get her back to the show before the award goes to another dragon. Resnick’s light touch will leave readers grinning and eager for more.

July 15, 2009
Just when private detective John Justin Mallory thinks he has figured out the alternate Manhattan into which he has wandered, something puts a new spin on his perceptions. His latest case: find missing "toy" dragon Fluffy in time to appear in the prestigious Eastminster pet show. The third in Resnick's tongue-in-cheek fantasy mystery series (after "Stalking the Unicorn" and "Stalking the Vampire") takes John Justin and his crew on a beat-the-clock chase around New York City, from Greenwitch Village (filled with witches) to Chinatown, where Mallory adds a goblin martial artist to his entourage. VERDICT The absurd situations and bizarre mirror images of contemporary society as well as the oddly likable support cast make this a solid if somewhat "fluffy" choice for readers who enjoy fantasy humor.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.