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Sam Spallucci #1
The Casebook of Sam Spallucci
Welcome to the world of Samuel C Spallucci; whiskey drinking, chain-smoking, trumpet playing, sci-fi watching investigator of the paranormal. When we start a new job all we normally encounter is overbearing managers, jealous co-workers and a dodgy toilet that needs that certain wiggle to make it flush. During Sam's first week, based in the small university city of Lancaster, he is abducted by a cult of Satanic actors, has to baby-sit a new-born vampire, investigates a teenage poltergeist and escapes the clutches of a werewolf that works in a local zoo. Not your usual first week on a new job, but certainly one you will never forget. Contains the The Case of the Satanic Suburban Sitcom, The Case of the Vexed Vampire, The Case of the Fastidious Phantom, The Case of the Paranoid Poltergeist, The Case of the Werewolf of Williamson Park. ABOUT THE AUTHOR A.S.Chambers lives in Lancaster, England. He has grown accustomed to constantly getting wet whenever he nips to the newsagent for his paper and then having to dry his boots out on the radiator. If this book sells well he will invest in a really substantial umbrella. He also has a habit of rambling on about things on Facebook (where you can “like” his page) and on Twitter (@ASchambersUK). There is also a www.aschambers.co.uk With all this technology stuff, it really is quite amazing that he ever gets anything written!
- GenresSupernaturalFantasy
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
A.S. Chambers
48 books32 followersBy day, A.S.Chambers is a mild-mannered genealogist, armed only with a tweed jacket and a finely sharpened HB pencil. By night, he is the top-hatted creator of the long-suffering Sam Spallucci - investigator of the paranormal and all things weird.
The first outing for Sam was The Casebook of Sam Spallucci, published in 2012, where the poor chap suffered such unfortunate tasks as babysitting a new born vampire, tracking down an angst-ridden poltergeist in a local high school and overcoming a lycanthropic zoo-keeper as it bayed for his blood. Sam Spallucci: Ghosts From The Past, followed in 2014 and the third in the series, Sam Spallucci: Shadows of Lancaster, saw the light of day in 2016.
As well as books concerning his beleaguered investigator, Austin also whips out the occasional short horror story from time to time. The first compilation of these, Oh Taste And See, was published in 2014 and, like his second compilation All Things Dark And Dangerous, is available to buy as an ideal present for your dear old Gran. (Let's face it, she'll prefer these books to those mint imperials that you bought for her birthday last year. She was young once too, remember!)
Austin has a Facebook page which he would be delighted for you to follow (@A.S.Chambers) as well as the obligatory collection of ramblings in the Twittersphere (@ASChambersUK).
There is also a lovingly crafted website for you to peruse: www.aschambers.co.uk which fills you in a little bit more about his work and has the relevant links to Amazon for his books.
The first outing for Sam was The Casebook of Sam Spallucci, published in 2012, where the poor chap suffered such unfortunate tasks as babysitting a new born vampire, tracking down an angst-ridden poltergeist in a local high school and overcoming a lycanthropic zoo-keeper as it bayed for his blood. Sam Spallucci: Ghosts From The Past, followed in 2014 and the third in the series, Sam Spallucci: Shadows of Lancaster, saw the light of day in 2016.
As well as books concerning his beleaguered investigator, Austin also whips out the occasional short horror story from time to time. The first compilation of these, Oh Taste And See, was published in 2014 and, like his second compilation All Things Dark And Dangerous, is available to buy as an ideal present for your dear old Gran. (Let's face it, she'll prefer these books to those mint imperials that you bought for her birthday last year. She was young once too, remember!)
Austin has a Facebook page which he would be delighted for you to follow (@A.S.Chambers) as well as the obligatory collection of ramblings in the Twittersphere (@ASChambersUK).
There is also a lovingly crafted website for you to peruse: www.aschambers.co.uk which fills you in a little bit more about his work and has the relevant links to Amazon for his books.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 6, 2013
I was instantly drawn into the world of Sam Spallucci by the chatty and witty style of writing. It was well edited, transparent and flowed nicely.
The book covers four connected cases of Sam's first week as a paranormal P.I. The writer moved the story along at a cracking pace introducing wonderfully different characters along the way. The satanic cast of 'More Tea Vicar', Dave the vampire and Gerald the dead cleaner to name a few. To create such entertaining funny characters requires understanding of human nature and a keen eye for unusual quirks. This ability was keenly shown by his empathy and observations in 'The case of the paranoid poltergeist.' I would have liked to have found out a little more about the mysterious Alec.
I liked Sam and his friend Spliff and hope more cases will follow. Several scenes made me chuckle as I read and I think I got all the refernces.
I would love to know what a non-British reader makes of the humour.
The book covers four connected cases of Sam's first week as a paranormal P.I. The writer moved the story along at a cracking pace introducing wonderfully different characters along the way. The satanic cast of 'More Tea Vicar', Dave the vampire and Gerald the dead cleaner to name a few. To create such entertaining funny characters requires understanding of human nature and a keen eye for unusual quirks. This ability was keenly shown by his empathy and observations in 'The case of the paranoid poltergeist.' I would have liked to have found out a little more about the mysterious Alec.
I liked Sam and his friend Spliff and hope more cases will follow. Several scenes made me chuckle as I read and I think I got all the refernces.
I would love to know what a non-British reader makes of the humour.
May 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It's got some wonderfully weird characters in a modern location, but with a paranormal twist. I love the fact it's set in an actual place, Lancaster, which gives it roots. I thought as a Casebook, it might be several unconnected stories, but was delighted to find it's a well plotted tale....and I can't wait to read the next one.
July 3, 2015
Sam Spallucci is a paranormal investigator in Lancaster the book is a series of stories that have an over arching narrative but each chapter is its own discrete story.
Things I loved. Lancaster. I thought that it was brought to life quite well not least as someone who lived there for three years it was lovely to wander the streets of an old stomping ground. Though I felt more could have been made of the city, I wanted more details.
I liked the episodic nature of the story, each case casting different lights on Sam and the things which are moving against him. We are left with many threads dangling and I'm guessing things are going to continue in the next installment but it felt frustrating with very few answers.
Things I struggled with. The narrative voice is hard boiled detective and I'm not sure it entirely fits with the setting. There were other times where Sam isn't very likable and whilst that normally isn't a barrier to me liking a protagonist. The lecturing way he describes somethings gets a little bit grating. I would fall out quite quickly with him I am sure. Although the guilt he feels when a case doesn't work out for the best was when I felt I could relate most to him.
The other characters don't feel fully realised all of the time and a lot felt downright two dimensional, especially the female characters. The headteacher of the school just did not ring true at all.
That said these books are very enjoyable and there is a lot of book to read. I will be seeking out the sequel because there is enough going on that makes me want to find out what happens next.
Things I loved. Lancaster. I thought that it was brought to life quite well not least as someone who lived there for three years it was lovely to wander the streets of an old stomping ground. Though I felt more could have been made of the city, I wanted more details.
I liked the episodic nature of the story, each case casting different lights on Sam and the things which are moving against him. We are left with many threads dangling and I'm guessing things are going to continue in the next installment but it felt frustrating with very few answers.
Things I struggled with. The narrative voice is hard boiled detective and I'm not sure it entirely fits with the setting. There were other times where Sam isn't very likable and whilst that normally isn't a barrier to me liking a protagonist. The lecturing way he describes somethings gets a little bit grating. I would fall out quite quickly with him I am sure. Although the guilt he feels when a case doesn't work out for the best was when I felt I could relate most to him.
The other characters don't feel fully realised all of the time and a lot felt downright two dimensional, especially the female characters. The headteacher of the school just did not ring true at all.
That said these books are very enjoyable and there is a lot of book to read. I will be seeking out the sequel because there is enough going on that makes me want to find out what happens next.
October 2, 2016
I had the pleasure of meeting A.S. Chambers at Manchester MCM Comic Con (albeit dressed as Miguel from 'The Road to El Dorado'), and after we had a brief conversation about dragons and the necessity of hats, I decided I had to read his books, and now I've read one, I'm going to have to read the rest!
The ever-suffering paranormal investigator Sam Spallucci is quite an endearing character, and 'Casebook' is Sam's first week on the job, and what a week it is for him!
As a fan of horror and fantasy fiction, this book just ticked all the boxes for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. There does come a point where I did think, 'Sam, you need to lay off the cigarettes and JD!' But then he wouldn't get himself into the situations that make the book so good.
Finally, as a dedicated Trekkie, I loved Dave the Vampire dressed as Mr. Spock. There just aren't enough vampires in fiction that like Star Trek!
Bring on 'Ghosts From the Past'!
The ever-suffering paranormal investigator Sam Spallucci is quite an endearing character, and 'Casebook' is Sam's first week on the job, and what a week it is for him!
As a fan of horror and fantasy fiction, this book just ticked all the boxes for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. There does come a point where I did think, 'Sam, you need to lay off the cigarettes and JD!' But then he wouldn't get himself into the situations that make the book so good.
Finally, as a dedicated Trekkie, I loved Dave the Vampire dressed as Mr. Spock. There just aren't enough vampires in fiction that like Star Trek!
Bring on 'Ghosts From the Past'!
April 29, 2015
This was great.
I really enjoyed the playful tone of so much of this book. As a fan of urban fantasy I was intrigued to see how stories of the supernatural of this kind would fare when set in the UK rather than the more usual locations of the US.
There were hints at so much of the larger narrative which could be taking place and Lancaster held up well as the location. As we all know, the UK offers so much in terms of magical possibility, it's good to see something taking place on these shores and outside of London.
I would recommend this as a good book to investigate the urban fantasy genre as it gives segmented chunks of shorter stories and shines a light on lots of different topics.
Well worth a read.
I really enjoyed the playful tone of so much of this book. As a fan of urban fantasy I was intrigued to see how stories of the supernatural of this kind would fare when set in the UK rather than the more usual locations of the US.
There were hints at so much of the larger narrative which could be taking place and Lancaster held up well as the location. As we all know, the UK offers so much in terms of magical possibility, it's good to see something taking place on these shores and outside of London.
I would recommend this as a good book to investigate the urban fantasy genre as it gives segmented chunks of shorter stories and shines a light on lots of different topics.
Well worth a read.
April 15, 2014
The story itself was rather enjoyable. Having read the Dresden files relatively soon, I was drawn into the genre. The book was a gift, and I enjoyed it completely.
Only thing I didn't like was the -at times- clunky writing and awkward word choice or sentence construction. These would immediately break my immersion :/
I would recommend this book to anyone though. It has just the right amounts of anything to make it appealing to anyone, and yet not enough of anything to push you away because you don't like some sort of genre.
Only thing I didn't like was the -at times- clunky writing and awkward word choice or sentence construction. These would immediately break my immersion :/
I would recommend this book to anyone though. It has just the right amounts of anything to make it appealing to anyone, and yet not enough of anything to push you away because you don't like some sort of genre.
March 1, 2021
I picked this book up at Manchester Comic Con and added it to a pile. After finishing the novel I was reading I picked it up and that was the end of everything else.
The main character is eminently likeable, and the short story format in the book means that you can loose yourself for a long or short time. The supporting cast is rich and unforgettable. The local knowledge is truly wonderful. I only know Lancaster a little but after reading this I want to visit again.
I will be delving into this world again, and highly recommend you do too.
Marvellous.
The main character is eminently likeable, and the short story format in the book means that you can loose yourself for a long or short time. The supporting cast is rich and unforgettable. The local knowledge is truly wonderful. I only know Lancaster a little but after reading this I want to visit again.
I will be delving into this world again, and highly recommend you do too.
Marvellous.
May 31, 2016
Lets get it out of the way - this book is great.
I picked this up from the author at a convention. He said if you like the humour of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett you will enjoy this. That's doing it a dis-service. Whilst the humour is of a similar nature A.S.Chambers has a unique voice. And I like it.
A great character that Raymond Chandler may have come up with if he was born in the North of England. And if his parents read him the Necromonicon when he was growing up - which I think A.S.Chambers was!
I picked this up from the author at a convention. He said if you like the humour of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett you will enjoy this. That's doing it a dis-service. Whilst the humour is of a similar nature A.S.Chambers has a unique voice. And I like it.
A great character that Raymond Chandler may have come up with if he was born in the North of England. And if his parents read him the Necromonicon when he was growing up - which I think A.S.Chambers was!
March 10, 2016
Kidnapping, vampires, fairies and werewolves
This great read has it all. Action, adventure, and bloody good fun. Edge of your seat scare, good vs evil.
This is Sam Spallucci's first week on the job as a paranormal investigator. What can go wrong, will go wrong.
I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Looking forward to more Sam Spallucci books. A.S. Chambers has a fan for life.
This great read has it all. Action, adventure, and bloody good fun. Edge of your seat scare, good vs evil.
This is Sam Spallucci's first week on the job as a paranormal investigator. What can go wrong, will go wrong.
I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Looking forward to more Sam Spallucci books. A.S. Chambers has a fan for life.
December 31, 2019
I couldn't put it down. Read it in one sitting it's that good. Classic detective with a paramormal twist. Every chapter is a standalone story and part of the whole. I actually wish I could wipe it from my mind to have the joy of reading it for the first time again.
January 16, 2019
This book has a great, engaging story with a couple of characters that are very likeable but... The first issue I have is that this book has obviously been nowhere near a copy editor. Not a page goes by without a noticeable grammatical error or poor word choice - if the story had not been so good, I would have thrown the book aside as it did make reading difficult at times. I appreciate that this is a self published work but it should have been better than this. The second issue is that the author seemed to have trouble finding the voices for minor characters and the dialogue comes across quite flat or stilted in places. In one instance, we have the main character talking to a teenage boy whose responses read like a middle-aged teacher has possessed him. This is a shame really as the concepts and the story are quite good. If the author were to have had this book professionally edited, I am sure this review would have been at least four stars. The negatives aside, I will most likely read the second installment as I am interested to read where Sam Spallucci goes next.
June 25, 2024
San Spallucci is the cliche of 1940's private dicks; fedora and mac wearing heavy drinker and smoker. The first story is right out of Hammer House of Horror from the 1970's. Then throw in references to modern sci-fi.
The second story is better, the clients start to be more likeable and you can't stop feeling for Sam though you really cannot relate.
By the time you've finished you're wondering if you can be bothered because the author has already told you the conclusion won't happen until 2030!
But I like the imagery of a town close to where I live. Too many stories are based in far-flung locations of capital cities that it's refreshing to read of a place on my doorstep. So I will plough on.
The second story is better, the clients start to be more likeable and you can't stop feeling for Sam though you really cannot relate.
By the time you've finished you're wondering if you can be bothered because the author has already told you the conclusion won't happen until 2030!
But I like the imagery of a town close to where I live. Too many stories are based in far-flung locations of capital cities that it's refreshing to read of a place on my doorstep. So I will plough on.
March 27, 2018
Another amazing set of stories set in Lancaster, but this time around, they are all told from the point of view of one individual, unlike the short stories of "Oh Taste and See". The way that A.S. Chambers has linked all the short stories together and linked them into this larger story line is a stroke of genius that has drawn my attention and kept it until the end of this novel.
I would recommend this to those who want to read a fun and interesting book with a horror theme. The horror theme seems to take a back seat in this novel as the stories do not come across as frightening and creepy.
I would recommend this to those who want to read a fun and interesting book with a horror theme. The horror theme seems to take a back seat in this novel as the stories do not come across as frightening and creepy.
April 5, 2018
I enjoyed this book which follows the first week on the job of Sam Spallucci, Lancaster's finest paranormal investigator.
The book is warm and engaging and the author's love for his work and for his memorable characters shines through on each page. There's plenty of humour to enjoy throughout too - but also some poignant, heartfelt moments. The story builds nicely through a series of separate cases, which are underpinned with connecting themes, to reach an exciting finale. As someone who knows Lancaster well – I’ll never look at Williamson Park the same!
The book is warm and engaging and the author's love for his work and for his memorable characters shines through on each page. There's plenty of humour to enjoy throughout too - but also some poignant, heartfelt moments. The story builds nicely through a series of separate cases, which are underpinned with connecting themes, to reach an exciting finale. As someone who knows Lancaster well – I’ll never look at Williamson Park the same!
March 23, 2021
Supernaturally good
I can’t not give this book five stars. The Casebook of Sam Spallucci reads like an old black and white detective show. It’s the journal of paranormal investigator Sam Spallucci’s first week on the job. This story was modern, hip, well thought out, and at times funny.
I am a fan of the vampire and werewolf bloodlines in this book. Plus the Poltergeist chapter was intriguing. I felt bad for the teen boy involved in it. Wished Sam could have done more to help him with his family situation.
I can’t not give this book five stars. The Casebook of Sam Spallucci reads like an old black and white detective show. It’s the journal of paranormal investigator Sam Spallucci’s first week on the job. This story was modern, hip, well thought out, and at times funny.
I am a fan of the vampire and werewolf bloodlines in this book. Plus the Poltergeist chapter was intriguing. I felt bad for the teen boy involved in it. Wished Sam could have done more to help him with his family situation.
June 6, 2017
A little gem
I do like old noir detective stories. These are new noir with a supernatural twist and a wry humour. The main characters are well drawn and the storylines unusual enough, with lovely little hints of a larger story arc to keep you intrigued. If you like the Rivers of London books, these are for you.
I do like old noir detective stories. These are new noir with a supernatural twist and a wry humour. The main characters are well drawn and the storylines unusual enough, with lovely little hints of a larger story arc to keep you intrigued. If you like the Rivers of London books, these are for you.
July 17, 2018
Amazing book! I didn't have high expectations but this completely surpassed them. Loved the witty style if writing and will definitely read others by this author
September 28, 2022
Absolutely adored this. Just like walking around Lancaster on an autumn night. You never know what you might find. Such an enjoyable read and cannot wait to read the rest.
December 30, 2025
A problem I commonly have with books like this (e.g. Lockwood and co.) is that they all try to introduce their own systems and all in all, it just feels a bit silly. That is not the case for this book though! I got it signed at a comicon because I was intrigued that it was set in Lancaster (where I live) and my god it does the place justice. Spalucci is incredibly likeable however questionable his habits may be and I highly recommend!
Read
November 7, 2016I bought this book from Austin at Preston Comic Con this year after meeting him briefly the year before and learning about his books after receiving a bookmark from him when I downloaded a sample of this book on Amazon. After I read a sample I couldn't wait to read it in full, but I decided to buy it from him at this years Comic Con, and I am so glad I did wait. This book is an absolute joy to read from start to finish, I found myself laughing out loud right from the first page, the descriptions of Lancaster, the Characters and the way it is written is absolutely brilliant, and you can see where Austin both draws inspirations from and tips his literary hat too be it Noir Horror Genre, Sci-Fi Genres and good old comedy amongst many others. My personal favourite Character is Spliff he is just so brilliantly written, that I honestly cannot find words to describe him properly or to not give anything away from the books except to say he reminds me of a mixture of the main characters of Father Ted, trust me when you read the books you will understand where I'm coming from.
I have now just bought another two in this series at once, Oh Taste and See which is a collection of short Stories and Ghosts From the Past which is the next book in the Sam Spallucci series. the only problem I have now is which one do I read first?
So if you are looking for a lighthearted, funny and really enjoyable read by a new British Author then look no further than this little gem of a book.
I have now just bought another two in this series at once, Oh Taste and See which is a collection of short Stories and Ghosts From the Past which is the next book in the Sam Spallucci series. the only problem I have now is which one do I read first?
So if you are looking for a lighthearted, funny and really enjoyable read by a new British Author then look no further than this little gem of a book.
August 30, 2016
I was recommended this author by a writing friend and given he is fairly local and will be at the Birmingham horror con in Feb, I thought I'd give it a go.
Whilst I loved his flowing first person style and even his hard drinking, chain smoking PI, I detested with a passion the innumerable cliches in the text. Maybe that is the characters way of speaking, maybe it's not, but it really rubbed me up the wrong way to the point where I sighed and rolled my eyes each time.
The other disappointment was the non-believability of the story. I can't see how a PI could have so many cases in one week and also wrap them all up. Just wouldn't happen.
The biggest disappointment was, for a horror writer, whilst the subject matter may have been horror, the book certainly wasn't.
Shame really, as I was really keen on this.......
Whilst I loved his flowing first person style and even his hard drinking, chain smoking PI, I detested with a passion the innumerable cliches in the text. Maybe that is the characters way of speaking, maybe it's not, but it really rubbed me up the wrong way to the point where I sighed and rolled my eyes each time.
The other disappointment was the non-believability of the story. I can't see how a PI could have so many cases in one week and also wrap them all up. Just wouldn't happen.
The biggest disappointment was, for a horror writer, whilst the subject matter may have been horror, the book certainly wasn't.
Shame really, as I was really keen on this.......
April 1, 2016
Finished better than it started. Really wanted to like it because it was recommended by a family member. But the first part was, I thought, pretty dire. However, I stuck with it and it got a lot better. I may read the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews