EXCLUSIVE: ‘Dead Detectives Society’ Art Reveal By Zac Atkinson

Kevin J. Anderson, David Avallone, Nancy A. Collins, Nancy Holder & Alan Phillipson, John Jennings, Kasey Lansdale & Joe R. Lansdale, Rena Mason, Jonathan Maberry, Lisa Morton, Steve Niles, Jeff Strand, Tim Waggoner, and writer and editor James Aquilone are currently joining forces for the detective-horror anthology, Dead Detectives Society crowdfunding on Kickstarter from Monstrous Books. Featuring a cover by Hugo Award-winner John Jennings and interior art by Zac Atkinson, J.K. Woodward and Jennings, we have been given an exclusive look at two stunning pages produced by Zac Atkinson and featuring in the Nancy A. Collins story, ‘Monster Rally’.

This all-new collection of gruesome gumshoe tales features stories and characters including the following:

• Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. (who has featured in nine novels and dozens of short stories by New York Times bestseller Kevin J. Anderson),

• Cal McDonald (Steve Niles’s occult detective whose adventures have been published by Dark Horse Comics and IDW Publishing),

• Matt Richter (zombie detective who’s been featured in award-winning author Tim Waggoner’s Nekropolis series),

• Sonja Blue (punk vampire hunter who has starred in four novels as well as short stories and comics from the Bram Stoker Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins),

• Dead Jack (the zombie detective who first appeared in Weird Tales magazine and has featured in three novels from Bram Stoker Award nominated editor and writer James Aquilone)

• A reanimated Nick Carter by David Avallone, based on the character who appeared in the Nick Carter-Killmaster novels written by his father, Michael Avallone.

• Saul When: Halloween Detective by John Jennings and Jin G. Fox, Death Investigator by Rena Mason, based on a character from her story in the award-winning anthology Black Cranes.

You can read up on a recent interview with James Aquilone and learn more now.

Here’s a fuller line-up and details of features to appear in the new Dead Detectives Society anthology:

“Mystery Meat: a Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Adventure” by Kevin J Anderson

Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. is back from the dead and back on the case. In the Unnatural Quarter, inhabited by all manner of unusual people, Dan has to solve his wormiest case yet, when Mama Fly’s children go missing…and secretive industrial magnate Gold Boris launches a brand new “mystery meat” product that is taking the unnaturals by storm.

“Dead Drop: A Johnny Fade Story” by Nancy Holder and Alan Philipson

Deceased, corrupt, circa-1940 Hollywood Homicide cop Johnny Fade gets a furlow from Deadtown (the last stop before the Worse Place) whenever singing, dancing, homicidal, living movie star Rachel Alcina gets herself in trouble. This time, the L.A. mob has forced her to act in a bio-pic about Oso the Maneater, a professional wrestler and in-the-ring murderer. Rachel knows it will end her career: her medium told her so.

“The Ghost Thieves” by John Jennings

Saul When: Halloween Detective gets hired by a haunted house whose favorite ghosts have been stolen. Saul must use his Halloween tricks to get to the bottom of the ghost-napping and face whatever entity that has the power to actually steal a spirit from its spectral home.

“Jin G. Fox, Death Investigator: Vixen Screams” by Rena Mason

Slain after receiving the dreaded fourth tail, the unrelenting vixen, Jin G. Fox is given another chance to earn her full powers back, as well as immortality, from the Queen Mother of the West by becoming a Death Investigator tasked with cleaning up 1900s San Francisco to make way for a “new” Chinatown.

“Half A Monster Is Better Than None” by Tim Waggoner

Zombie P.I. Matt Richter works the very mean streets of Nekropolis, an other-dimensional city full of monsters, ghosts, and witches. Matt’s latest client is a shifter with a unique problem. She’s a were-thylacine – an exceptionally rare breed – and someone has stolen her animal form, making it impossible for her to change shape. Even if Matt can figure out who stole her shifter form and why, how can he possibly reunite his client’s two halves and make her whole again? Good thing Matt’s already dead, or this case just might kill him.

“Snippy” by Jeff Strand

Timothy Perkins incorrectly promotes himself as the greatest detective who ever lived. His most marketable skill is his ability to wander into dangerous situations, because every time he’s killed he comes back to life. This advantage is offset by his occasional glimpses into The Void, where he screams in uncontrollable terror because there is no existence beyond our current realm. Hopefully he can get his client’s dog back.

“The Case of the Ravenous Werewolf” by James Aquilone

Dead Jack has a dilemma on his hands when a creepy werewolf asks the zombie detective to kill him. The fairy-dust-addicted P.I. must decide to become an assassin or allow dozens of innocent fairies to get devoured.

Check out the full Kickstarter here now.