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Murder by Magic

by Rosemary Edghill

Murder by Magic is one of the most interesting and captivating books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's a collection of twenty very odd stories, each one by a different author. Collections are not something I usually review, but in this case I can easily recommend it to anyone who appreciates their mystery and murder with a little extra fantasy flip thrown in. Granted, not every story was to my complete taste, such as Debra Doyle's A Death in the Working (the story was rather spoiled by too many involved footnotes) which would have been a super tale if only the footnote information could have somehow been included in the body of the story. This was especially disappointing since Ms. Doyle's input was acknowledged as the prime reason for the book in the first place!

The Editor of Murder by Magic, Rosemary Edghill, is an author in her own right, and has collaborated with a number of famous people as well as writing in vastly separate genres on her own. Rosemary Edghill has written both the Introduction and the Afterword to this collection, which may giver you some idea of her talents. Ms. Edghill is therefore listed in our group of mystery authors, and eventually we'll also be including each of the twenty contributors to this collection as well.

I'll not summarize each story for you; that would spoil their effect. Sufficient to say that Ms. Edghill has divided them into separate sections: Part I is Murder Most Modern, and the first tale there is a story (Piece of Mind) by Jennifer Roberson who begins it by telling us in a very concise paragraph what present-day Los Angeles is like. And believe me, she does it very well – I know, since I once lived there! Other stories in this section include Special Surprise Guest Appearance by Carole Nelson Douglas – about two rival magicians – one of whom is decidedly superior. Then there is DoppleGANSTER, by Laura Resnick, with its view of the underworld by the netherworld, and Mixed Marriages Can Be Murder, by Will Graham, where the mixing in the marriage is not one of race or religion… The final story of this group is The Case of the Headless Corpse, by Josepha Sherman. Involving, as it does, a young child, we're introduced to the result of magical power combined with innocence and the uneducated.

The second section, titled Part II, Murder Unclassifiable, contains six stories, beginning with Debra Doyle's A Death in the Working – a tale set in a fantasy universe, and a story which would probably have been better set in a longer vehicle like a novel. As a short story, it remains too confusing – leaving me still unsure of what the 'working' was originally meant to accomplish! Cold Case, by Diane Duane, is about a dead woman's identification of her murderer and the unusual detective who instigates it. Snake in the Grass by Susan R. Matthews concerns two snakes, one harmless and one deadly (those who automatically fear or dislike snakes might choose to skip this one!). Double Jeopardy by M. J. Hamilton tells us an arresting story about two amulets which control the balance on earth between good and evil; Witch Sight by Roberta Gellis gives us an interrogation of a suspect in a murder with more than one unusual character involved, and Overrush by Laura Anne Gilman relates about too much current in magical power.

The next section labeled Part III, consists of four separate stories, under the heading Murder Most Genteel. Captured in Silver by Teresa Edgerton discloses a murder committed by request in the city of Tourvallon (built by Goblins) where justice is never served. A Night at the Opera is a collaboration by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller: A corpse is discovered in an extraordinary state after an evening out, and A Tremble in the Air by James D. MacDonald informs us of an important message on a Ouija board. Murder Entailed by Susan Krinard puts a new twist on murderous magic and 'wall walking' – which isn't exactly what
it sounds like!

Murder Fantastical is Part IV, and includes three stories. Dropping Hints by Lawrence Watt-Evans sorts out a murderer from among five identical homunculi (individuals created by magic). Au Purr by Esther Friesner reveals a murderer through the magic of shape-shifting, while Getting the Chair, by Keith R. A. DeCandido involves furnishings that talk.

Part V is Murder Most Historical, containing only two stories, and this section completes the collection. The first tale is The Necromancer's Apprentice, by Lillian Stewart Carl. This story involves Elizabethan England and the use of necromancy in raising a ghost – which gets away. The second and last tale, Grey Eminence by Mercedes Lackey, is also set in historical England, divulging a very special rapport between two pet birds and their small female owners.

Murder by Magic is a collection of which Rosemary Edghill may be proud. The volume contains some fine writing as well as unusual and interesting twists on the mystery of 'who done it.' Followers of sci-fi fiction, the occult, and fantasy all will be delighted with this book as well as murder mystery fans. Anyone who is even slightly bored by the usual murder mystery formula, regardless of genre, will find Murder by Magic a delightfully refreshing change.

Alan Paul Curtis

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