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Sam Hunter
Beneath the Skin: The Sam Hunter Case Files
Sam Hunter is a PI in the big bad city. When he takes a new case it’s like he’s accepting the client into his ‘pack’. And Sam will do anything to protect the members of his pack. Dogs are like that. So are wolves. And so, too, are werewolves. Like Sam.
Sam is a benandanti, an ancient race of werewolves who fight evil. And evil comes in all shapes and sizes; it comes at people from all directions. The cases Sam takes range from saving the world from genetically-engineered super soldiers to saving a young boy from the very real monster in his closet.
The Sam Hunter Case Files gather together the weird, strange, funny, heartbreaking and disturbing adventures of a low-rent private investigator taking on very odd jobs. These stories include cameos by fan-favorite characters from Maberry’s bestselling Joe Ledger thrillers and The Pine Deep Trilogy
Sam is a benandanti, an ancient race of werewolves who fight evil. And evil comes in all shapes and sizes; it comes at people from all directions. The cases Sam takes range from saving the world from genetically-engineered super soldiers to saving a young boy from the very real monster in his closet.
The Sam Hunter Case Files gather together the weird, strange, funny, heartbreaking and disturbing adventures of a low-rent private investigator taking on very odd jobs. These stories include cameos by fan-favorite characters from Maberry’s bestselling Joe Ledger thrillers and The Pine Deep Trilogy
578 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2016
38 people are currently reading
515 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maberry
514 books7,740 followersJONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
January 23, 2018
Audible Daily Deal Sale until 28Jan18 $1.95
Beneath the Skin was the audible daily deal awhile back and I picked it up simply because I’d read zombie series I liked (which is odd since it isn’t really my genre and it was YA) by Jonathan Maberry and I really have enjoyed Ray Porter’s voice in a few other books.
There are five short stories included in the anthology and all are just a little bit on the strange side. These featuring a former cop turned semi-down and out PI who goes a little furry from time to time. I liked how all of the stories were well told and thought out even if short. There is a really good arc for such a short story and you get a good sense of who/what Sam Hunter is and why he does the job he does. I enjoyed the sass and snark of each of the stories.
I really thought while listening to these that there was a main series that they went with and I was ready to read a full length book with Sam as the reluctant hero. But to my surprise I found there is no such series as of yet. Well that is just too bad as I was ready to jump on board the Sam Hunter train since he seems to fight ex-husbands, vampires, demons, wolf gods and ghosts with a little bit of smarts and a whole lot of moxy.
I don’t read a lot of short stories, that aren’t related to series I’ve already read but this was an exception to that and I enjoyed getting to know Mr. Hunter. I guess I’ll have to check out some of Jonathan Maberry’s other UF series to get a good fix of Ray Porter’s Voice.
Beneath the Skin was the audible daily deal awhile back and I picked it up simply because I’d read zombie series I liked (which is odd since it isn’t really my genre and it was YA) by Jonathan Maberry and I really have enjoyed Ray Porter’s voice in a few other books.
There are five short stories included in the anthology and all are just a little bit on the strange side. These featuring a former cop turned semi-down and out PI who goes a little furry from time to time. I liked how all of the stories were well told and thought out even if short. There is a really good arc for such a short story and you get a good sense of who/what Sam Hunter is and why he does the job he does. I enjoyed the sass and snark of each of the stories.
I really thought while listening to these that there was a main series that they went with and I was ready to read a full length book with Sam as the reluctant hero. But to my surprise I found there is no such series as of yet. Well that is just too bad as I was ready to jump on board the Sam Hunter train since he seems to fight ex-husbands, vampires, demons, wolf gods and ghosts with a little bit of smarts and a whole lot of moxy.
I don’t read a lot of short stories, that aren’t related to series I’ve already read but this was an exception to that and I enjoyed getting to know Mr. Hunter. I guess I’ll have to check out some of Jonathan Maberry’s other UF series to get a good fix of Ray Porter’s Voice.
July 5, 2017
These stories are all great... separately. And they were written and published separately, originally. Sam Hunter is an awesome character in small doses. Snarky, sarcastic, smug - what's not to like.
But combined, these stories contain a lot of repetition - how his clients are like his pack; how he has white knight syndrome; the broken female in need of his macho heroics; etc.
Also, if he is such a pack animal, why does he work alone? Why is he distanced from his family that he loves so much? (perhaps part of a backstory not included here?)
And me, I like to see the werewolf tearing part these baddies, particularly those unseen in the closet (see through touch, scent, sound etc.). But Maberry spears us the fight scenes, the werewolf shredding bad guys to bits).
But hell, it's Maberry, so you know it's good and definitely worth picking up. I even got to find out what happened to Iron Mike Sweeney and Malcolm Crowe after the Pine Deep trilogy.
But combined, these stories contain a lot of repetition - how his clients are like his pack; how he has white knight syndrome; the broken female in need of his macho heroics; etc.
Also, if he is such a pack animal, why does he work alone? Why is he distanced from his family that he loves so much? (perhaps part of a backstory not included here?)
And me, I like to see the werewolf tearing part these baddies, particularly those unseen in the closet (see through touch, scent, sound etc.). But Maberry spears us the fight scenes, the werewolf shredding bad guys to bits).
But hell, it's Maberry, so you know it's good and definitely worth picking up. I even got to find out what happened to Iron Mike Sweeney and Malcolm Crowe after the Pine Deep trilogy.
October 30, 2018
I'm a huge fan of horror fiction involving private investigators and occult detectives, so this collection really hit the spot.
Sam Hunter is a private investigator who happens to be a member of a long line of werewolves who battle evil in all it's forms. A line that got a pass from the Inquisition.
He treats his clients like one of his own, summons his wild side when things get hairy.....and always tries to eat before shifting.
With cases ranging from vampires and werewolf super soldiers, to a boogieman in a child's closet, Hunter won't give in until the fur stops flying.
And as an added bonus, there are appearances by Joe Ledger, Limbus Inc. and a visit to the town of Pine Deep!
Sam Hunter is a private investigator who happens to be a member of a long line of werewolves who battle evil in all it's forms. A line that got a pass from the Inquisition.
He treats his clients like one of his own, summons his wild side when things get hairy.....and always tries to eat before shifting.
With cases ranging from vampires and werewolf super soldiers, to a boogieman in a child's closet, Hunter won't give in until the fur stops flying.
And as an added bonus, there are appearances by Joe Ledger, Limbus Inc. and a visit to the town of Pine Deep!
July 13, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up.
These stories are all good, and perhaps they could have been great. Sam Hunter works as a PI in the big city, and the way the dialogue is written makes it read like a 1950s hardboiled 'noir'.
Sam is a decent bloke, although it's a fact he chooses to conceal beneath a veneer of snarky wit and sharp one liners. Oh, and did I mention that Sam is a werewolf?
Great premise. Great set up. Good stories. I'd expect no less from Jonathan Mayberry. Unfortunately, I'd have enjoyed these stories a whole lot more if I'd read them individually and over a period of time.
There is too much of a similar theme going on here, and also a lot of repetition of facts and phrases. Added to this, all of the major action takes place off page, and we are then given a watered down, post-event detailing of what occured. Personally, I want to experience every moment of the werewolf doing its rending!
An interesting enough set of short stories, but these are fantasy rather than horror.
These stories are all good, and perhaps they could have been great. Sam Hunter works as a PI in the big city, and the way the dialogue is written makes it read like a 1950s hardboiled 'noir'.
Sam is a decent bloke, although it's a fact he chooses to conceal beneath a veneer of snarky wit and sharp one liners. Oh, and did I mention that Sam is a werewolf?
Great premise. Great set up. Good stories. I'd expect no less from Jonathan Mayberry. Unfortunately, I'd have enjoyed these stories a whole lot more if I'd read them individually and over a period of time.
There is too much of a similar theme going on here, and also a lot of repetition of facts and phrases. Added to this, all of the major action takes place off page, and we are then given a watered down, post-event detailing of what occured. Personally, I want to experience every moment of the werewolf doing its rending!
An interesting enough set of short stories, but these are fantasy rather than horror.
February 12, 2018
A wonderful collection of Sam Hunter stories. Loosely related to Maberry’s Pine Deep series, as this character comes from there, this will give you the same vein as those stories. I am a huge Pine Deep fan and wish he would delve into it more. So I jump at every story that at least gets me close and this one did. I loved the hard boiled detective combined with the mystery of pine Deep. Really worked for me.
July 11, 2018
I loved this creative blend of detective meets paranormal. The story and main character were very original and were well rounded out by great narration.
August 12, 2019
Sam is a werewolf Private Investigator.
Not just any PI.
He only takes clients have nowhere else to turn and no other avenue for help.
Not just any werewolf either.
He’s a Benandanti, an ancient race of werewolves that are more powerful than your average everyday bear (wolf).
Overall a very good collection of stories but all very similar in theme and content although with varying situations. A few references to Pine Deep, as well, and probably more since I only read 1 out of the trilogy. Not bad for a quick entertaining read, but I think I would have preferred a full length novel to a collection of shorts.
Not just any PI.
He only takes clients have nowhere else to turn and no other avenue for help.
Not just any werewolf either.
He’s a Benandanti, an ancient race of werewolves that are more powerful than your average everyday bear (wolf).
Overall a very good collection of stories but all very similar in theme and content although with varying situations. A few references to Pine Deep, as well, and probably more since I only read 1 out of the trilogy. Not bad for a quick entertaining read, but I think I would have preferred a full length novel to a collection of shorts.
October 16, 2018
Awesome character. I wouldn't mind a novel length story about Sam Hunter : )
December 31, 2024
A really good collection from yet another fascinating Maberry character, Sam Hunter, Werewolf PI.
It sounds both kinda cool and kinda dumb, but Maberry's magic is that he acknowledges the dumb, then leans into it just enough to make it cool.
And while I'd read some of these before, in the Limbus collections, they were all fun to revisit.
If I have any complaint, it's that, with the character showing up in different collections, Maberry does have to do a soft introduction to Hunter each time. Yes, I'm a werewolf. Yes, the transition hurts like hell. Yes, I'm confrontational. And yes, I'm very against violence against women and kids. It does tend to get a touch heavy-handed toward the end.
Still, it's a minor complaint when stacked against the fun of the stories and the action sequences.
Overall, absolutely worth the read.
It sounds both kinda cool and kinda dumb, but Maberry's magic is that he acknowledges the dumb, then leans into it just enough to make it cool.
And while I'd read some of these before, in the Limbus collections, they were all fun to revisit.
If I have any complaint, it's that, with the character showing up in different collections, Maberry does have to do a soft introduction to Hunter each time. Yes, I'm a werewolf. Yes, the transition hurts like hell. Yes, I'm confrontational. And yes, I'm very against violence against women and kids. It does tend to get a touch heavy-handed toward the end.
Still, it's a minor complaint when stacked against the fun of the stories and the action sequences.
Overall, absolutely worth the read.
August 12, 2017
Enjoyable collection of short stories, with a pretty cool and snarky main character.
June 23, 2017
I throughly enjoyed this short story collection. It had the right mixture of the supernatural and suspense. I can't wait to read other titles by this author.
January 5, 2017
Five short horror stories by the master Jonathan Maberry. I usually do not like short stories, but Maberry is an exception, especially with the extraordinary Ray Porter (aka Joe Ledger) as narrator. These stories highlight the character Sam Hunter who is a private investigator and also a werewolf. I’m sure the concept could be a standalone novel. Wonderful stories.
July 28, 2017
Sam Hunter is a detective in the great noir style. A former cop who was too rough on citizens he's now a detective in Philadelphia, a city he likes for its general lack of snow. He is also a werewolf. But Jonathan Maberry, author of dozens of books on horror and other genres, joyfully rewrites werewolf lore as well as new twists on vampires and other horror favorites. Hunter, for example, can change on command with no waiting for a full moon. When he's not being a werewolf he still has a keen sense of smell and hearing, things it can be nice to have when you're a detective.
Hunter works his way through some of the staple tropes of noir fiction such as women threatened by ex-husbands, but also takes on more supernatural cases like a woman whose son comes out of his room with bruises and scratches every six days. Sometimes he solves his cases with intelligence and finesse. At other times nothing will do but that he transform himself to kick some bad-guy butt.
The eight stories in the book have a wide variety of bad guys and brings in characters from other books by Maberry just to liven things up. Maberry has won five Bram Stoker awards for his horror books and is listed as one of the top ten writers in the genre.
These noir stories don't have the full gravitas of a Hammett or a Chander story but they capture the atmosphere and are fun to read. It's one of those books where I hit the last story and thought "That's it?" There's at least one other book with Sam Hunter and I'll be digging into that and other books from Maberry as soon as I can.
Hunter works his way through some of the staple tropes of noir fiction such as women threatened by ex-husbands, but also takes on more supernatural cases like a woman whose son comes out of his room with bruises and scratches every six days. Sometimes he solves his cases with intelligence and finesse. At other times nothing will do but that he transform himself to kick some bad-guy butt.
The eight stories in the book have a wide variety of bad guys and brings in characters from other books by Maberry just to liven things up. Maberry has won five Bram Stoker awards for his horror books and is listed as one of the top ten writers in the genre.
These noir stories don't have the full gravitas of a Hammett or a Chander story but they capture the atmosphere and are fun to read. It's one of those books where I hit the last story and thought "That's it?" There's at least one other book with Sam Hunter and I'll be digging into that and other books from Maberry as soon as I can.
June 22, 2018
This is a really fun collection of four (?) short stories read by Ray Porter. He has the perfect voice for it. Sam Hunter is a PI, so all these stories have a noir flair to them. My biggest complaint here is with GoodReads and the way they list these stories. Amazon (Audible) sells all the audiobooks separately and that's how I listened to them through Overdrive. But GoodReads only lists this collection, even though it's now owned by Amazon. That's annoying because I only get to list the collection once for my challenge even though I listened to 4 separate stories. Overall, these stories are worth listening to if you're trying to kill an hour or so and Ray Porter's voice is so good I'm contemplating switching over to audio for the Joe Ledger books.
August 3, 2017
This was a excellent supernatural twist on the "jaded Private investigator" trope. It was also interesting to have werewolves be listed as the good guys/ancient protectors of society. Fans of the Harry Dresden series and fans of HP Lovecraft would like these books.
March 10, 2023
Solid collection of short stories. The last story was excellent! 5 stars for that one, without a doubt!
July 12, 2018
Ooooooh I liked this very much!
I recently said how I'm not big into supernatural, and yes, specifically named werewolves there, but I may need to take that back.
Wolf Killer certainly helped turn things around.
Sam Hunter is a private investigator. Scenes inside of his office inevitably evoked noir scenes in my mind. I really enjoyed it now, despite never paying much attention to noir genre before.
But.. I guess I claimed the same about werewolves :-)
What's going on with Sam? Well, he's trying to keep a low profile, as far as a PI can do. Yet people keep coming to him, with weirdest job requests ever. Ever. "Can you, please, kill me?" weird.
There are five stories in total, for five of the jobs Sam took. And each one lasts for about an hour.
All are interesting, and all very different. We'll also have glimpses into Sam's past, and links or hints at Maberry's book series Pine Deep .
Haven't read anything from it yet, so can't really comment. Although it did sound like that's a superweird place where some really crazy things happen. Warrants a look, I'd say.
I looked and checked, but couldn't find Sam in the list of characters. Maybe I wasn't looking deep enough, or maybe he just isn't there. That would be a shame.
I listened to the audiobook version of the book. It's different than the printed one. Two first stories appear in both editions, but the rest that you're going to miss will make you pick up the other edition.
Audiobook stories:
Like Part of the Family
Toby’s Closet
We All Make Sacrifices
Crazy Town
A House in Need of Children
Printed book has extra 4:
Three Guys Walk into a Bar
Dream a Little Dream of Me
The Unlearnable Truths
Goth Chicks
So I need to read. Dammit. I hate reading. There's never enough time!
I liked the first story the most. Perhaps because I had no idea who and what Sam Hunter is, so it came as a nice surprise.
But as I mentioned already - weird factor is strong in all of them. Real treat for fans of supernatural fantasy short stories.
Sometimes I think that if Jonathan Maberry falls over the keyboard and lies on it long enough to produce a couple of pages of text, and then Ray Porter stops by and reads it - I would proclaim it a literary masterpiece and rate it 5* :-)
It looks like Maberry's writing style just works for me. If you liked any of his other works, don't miss this one.
For the night is dark, and full ofterrors... well, werewolves :-)
I recently said how I'm not big into supernatural, and yes, specifically named werewolves there, but I may need to take that back.
Wolf Killer certainly helped turn things around.
Sam Hunter is a private investigator. Scenes inside of his office inevitably evoked noir scenes in my mind. I really enjoyed it now, despite never paying much attention to noir genre before.
But.. I guess I claimed the same about werewolves :-)
What's going on with Sam? Well, he's trying to keep a low profile, as far as a PI can do. Yet people keep coming to him, with weirdest job requests ever. Ever. "Can you, please, kill me?" weird.
There are five stories in total, for five of the jobs Sam took. And each one lasts for about an hour.
All are interesting, and all very different. We'll also have glimpses into Sam's past, and links or hints at Maberry's book series Pine Deep .
Haven't read anything from it yet, so can't really comment. Although it did sound like that's a superweird place where some really crazy things happen. Warrants a look, I'd say.
I looked and checked, but couldn't find Sam in the list of characters. Maybe I wasn't looking deep enough, or maybe he just isn't there. That would be a shame.
I listened to the audiobook version of the book. It's different than the printed one. Two first stories appear in both editions, but the rest that you're going to miss will make you pick up the other edition.
Audiobook stories:
Like Part of the Family
Toby’s Closet
We All Make Sacrifices
Crazy Town
A House in Need of Children
Printed book has extra 4:
Three Guys Walk into a Bar
Dream a Little Dream of Me
The Unlearnable Truths
Goth Chicks
So I need to read. Dammit. I hate reading. There's never enough time!
I liked the first story the most. Perhaps because I had no idea who and what Sam Hunter is, so it came as a nice surprise.
But as I mentioned already - weird factor is strong in all of them. Real treat for fans of supernatural fantasy short stories.
Sometimes I think that if Jonathan Maberry falls over the keyboard and lies on it long enough to produce a couple of pages of text, and then Ray Porter stops by and reads it - I would proclaim it a literary masterpiece and rate it 5* :-)
It looks like Maberry's writing style just works for me. If you liked any of his other works, don't miss this one.
For the night is dark, and full of
June 28, 2017
Sam Hunter used to be a police detective, but he got kicked off the force for excessive force. Bad things tended to happen to child molesters and others who preyed on the truly innocent. Their injuries were strange, too--as if they'd gotten mauled by a dog.
Now Sam is a private detective in Philadelphia, and he attracts an interesting clientele with interesting problems. Problems they can't even explain to the police.
Problems better addressed by a werewolf.
Sam is a monster who protects people from other monsters.
This is a collection of five short stories, in which we get to know Sam, his rough around the edges facade, and his strong, humane values. In the process, Sam is also learning more about the weirdness of the world and the monstrous things lurking in it that even a werewolf suspected. The stories cover the sad, the terrifying, and the sweet. There are vampires and Lovecraftian horrors.
Oh, and other werewolves, too.
I would have said that I had no patience for werewolf stories, but I really enjoyed these, and I'd like to read or listen to more of them.
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
Now Sam is a private detective in Philadelphia, and he attracts an interesting clientele with interesting problems. Problems they can't even explain to the police.
Problems better addressed by a werewolf.
Sam is a monster who protects people from other monsters.
This is a collection of five short stories, in which we get to know Sam, his rough around the edges facade, and his strong, humane values. In the process, Sam is also learning more about the weirdness of the world and the monstrous things lurking in it that even a werewolf suspected. The stories cover the sad, the terrifying, and the sweet. There are vampires and Lovecraftian horrors.
Oh, and other werewolves, too.
I would have said that I had no patience for werewolf stories, but I really enjoyed these, and I'd like to read or listen to more of them.
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
December 12, 2022
Още когато попаднах на първата история със Сам Хънтър в първата част на сборниците за Лимбус, вече исках цяла книга с частния детектив. И макар да предпочитам роман, защото Мабери е доста по-добър в дългата форма, събрани на едно място всичките разкази пак си е като подарък за коледа.
Ся, има малка разлика между хартиената и аудио книгата. В аудиото има два разказа, които ги няма тук и обратното. Както и да е.
Запознайте се със Сам Хънтър - бившо ченге, настоящ пропаднал частен детектив, застаряващ, с пртоблемно тегло, с нездрава привързаност към алкохол и морален кодекс, който му пречи доста в циничната ни действителност.
А, за малко да забравя и върколак. Благодарение на последните две някак все попада на случаи, които излизат извън рамките на нормалнто.
Like Part of the Fammily - Когато в офиса на Сам влиза тормозена и заплашвана от бившияя си съпруг жена, той няма как да ѝ откаже помощ, дори когато въпросният мъж се оказва нещо повече или по-малко от човек. За изненада на нещастника, Сам също не е точно обикновен.
Strip Search - Първият сблъсък на Сам с ЛИмбус е случай на одрани живи млади момичета. Разследването ще го доведе до неокулт на богати задници, които боготворят демон и му правят жертвоприношения, но спокойно - щом кърви, значи може да умре.
Toby's Closet -Сам е извикан да разследва случай с малтретирано седем годишно хлапе. Проблемът е, че детето не знае кой и кога оставя белезите по тялото му. Или може би знае, но не иска да каже, за да предпази майка си. Както и да е, всичко води до гардероба в детската стая. Всички вече знаем, че светът е пълен с чудовища, за късмет на Тоби и майка му, някой от тях са на наша страна.
Three Guys Walk into a Bar - Наячалник на полицията в най-обитаваното градче в Америка, супервоенен и детектив върколак влизат в бар в Пайн Дийп, какво ли може да се обърка? Сблъсък между Кроу, Джо Леджър и нашето момче Сам Хънтър, който води до разкриването на терористична лаборатория, правеща супервърколаци и до огромно меле.
Dream a Little Dream of Me - Точно когато отново го е закъсал жестоко, Сам получава оферта, на която не може да откаже. Проблемът е, че работодателите са малко странни на вид, а работата доста неясна. В крайна сметка ще се окаже, че му кроят капан и искат да стане курбан за отваряне на портал между измерениятая, ама не са си направили сметката както трябва.
The Unlearned Thruths - От третия сборник за Лимбус. ТОзи път сам е зьабъркан в самата тъкан на вселената и ще трябвяа да спасява света от лъвкрафтовите Древни. Трябва да предаде на работодателите си две книги от митовете за Кхтулу, които естествено са желани от още няколко групи хора, всичките опасни и въоръжени. Историята се преплита с ретроспективна сюжетна линия за отряд смелчаци, които издирват въпросните книги една по една и бавно пропадат под влиянието на древните. Има доста препратки към серията за Джо Леджър, но е някъде напред по книгите, които още не съм чел.
Goth Chiks - Сам е нает да издири липсващата дъщевря на богат клиент. За негова изненада попада на хлапета, които са се заели да изчистят всета от свръхестествени злодеи и в частност вампири. Сам ще помогне до колкото може. Надушвам началото на нова тийн поредица тук и от това което виждам - доста обещаваща.
Мабери има още какво да изчисти в изказа си при кратката форма, но всички разкази са грабващи и истинско удоволствие за четене. Чакам си роман/романи със Сам, макар доста дая прилича на някой от другите герои на автора като характер, ноарната обстановка и коментарите му тип Реймънд Чадлър къртят.
Ся, има малка разлика между хартиената и аудио книгата. В аудиото има два разказа, които ги няма тук и обратното. Както и да е.
Запознайте се със Сам Хънтър - бившо ченге, настоящ пропаднал частен детектив, застаряващ, с пртоблемно тегло, с нездрава привързаност към алкохол и морален кодекс, който му пречи доста в циничната ни действителност.
А, за малко да забравя и върколак. Благодарение на последните две някак все попада на случаи, които излизат извън рамките на нормалнто.
Like Part of the Fammily - Когато в офиса на Сам влиза тормозена и заплашвана от бившияя си съпруг жена, той няма как да ѝ откаже помощ, дори когато въпросният мъж се оказва нещо повече или по-малко от човек. За изненада на нещастника, Сам също не е точно обикновен.
Strip Search - Първият сблъсък на Сам с ЛИмбус е случай на одрани живи млади момичета. Разследването ще го доведе до неокулт на богати задници, които боготворят демон и му правят жертвоприношения, но спокойно - щом кърви, значи може да умре.
Toby's Closet -Сам е извикан да разследва случай с малтретирано седем годишно хлапе. Проблемът е, че детето не знае кой и кога оставя белезите по тялото му. Или може би знае, но не иска да каже, за да предпази майка си. Както и да е, всичко води до гардероба в детската стая. Всички вече знаем, че светът е пълен с чудовища, за късмет на Тоби и майка му, някой от тях са на наша страна.
Three Guys Walk into a Bar - Наячалник на полицията в най-обитаваното градче в Америка, супервоенен и детектив върколак влизат в бар в Пайн Дийп, какво ли може да се обърка? Сблъсък между Кроу, Джо Леджър и нашето момче Сам Хънтър, който води до разкриването на терористична лаборатория, правеща супервърколаци и до огромно меле.
Dream a Little Dream of Me - Точно когато отново го е закъсал жестоко, Сам получава оферта, на която не може да откаже. Проблемът е, че работодателите са малко странни на вид, а работата доста неясна. В крайна сметка ще се окаже, че му кроят капан и искат да стане курбан за отваряне на портал между измерениятая, ама не са си направили сметката както трябва.
The Unlearned Thruths - От третия сборник за Лимбус. ТОзи път сам е зьабъркан в самата тъкан на вселената и ще трябвяа да спасява света от лъвкрафтовите Древни. Трябва да предаде на работодателите си две книги от митовете за Кхтулу, които естествено са желани от още няколко групи хора, всичките опасни и въоръжени. Историята се преплита с ретроспективна сюжетна линия за отряд смелчаци, които издирват въпросните книги една по една и бавно пропадат под влиянието на древните. Има доста препратки към серията за Джо Леджър, но е някъде напред по книгите, които още не съм чел.
Goth Chiks - Сам е нает да издири липсващата дъщевря на богат клиент. За негова изненада попада на хлапета, които са се заели да изчистят всета от свръхестествени злодеи и в частност вампири. Сам ще помогне до колкото може. Надушвам началото на нова тийн поредица тук и от това което виждам - доста обещаваща.
Мабери има още какво да изчисти в изказа си при кратката форма, но всички разкази са грабващи и истинско удоволствие за четене. Чакам си роман/романи със Сам, макар доста дая прилича на някой от другите герои на автора като характер, ноарната обстановка и коментарите му тип Реймънд Чадлър къртят.
July 14, 2017
I don't remember how I found this, but glad I did. I listened to the excellent audio version. This is the sterotypic tough guy detective, former police officer, who was too rough. Part of his roughness is a strong moral compulsion to protect the weak who inhabit his low rent Philadelphia world. As also a werewolf, his protection is co-mingled with viewing his clients as part of his pack. The stories progress as he starts to discover there are other supernatural creatures as well as werewolves and he has to deal with them.
The stories are excellent with that sense of toughness mixed with muscular prose approaching some of the best you might see in Hammett.
The one flaw characteristic of a collection of short stories is that the story underlying tropes become somewhat repetitive when read or listened to all at once, something that would be less apparent if you came on them as they were written and published. Allowing for that, still a great read.
Now I have to look at his other writings...
The stories are excellent with that sense of toughness mixed with muscular prose approaching some of the best you might see in Hammett.
The one flaw characteristic of a collection of short stories is that the story underlying tropes become somewhat repetitive when read or listened to all at once, something that would be less apparent if you came on them as they were written and published. Allowing for that, still a great read.
Now I have to look at his other writings...
July 16, 2017
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
Sam Hunter is a private detective in Philly. Sam Hunter used to be a cop in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Sam Hunter is middle-aged. Sam Hunter has high cholesterol. Sam Hunter buys his clothes at K-Mart. Sam Hunter is a werewolf. You want to be a member of Sam Hunter's pack.
There are 5 stories on the audiobook (for some reason there are 8 in the print and digital editions). Each provides a bit of background about Sam Hunter, often the same bit. In these stories, Sam is hired because there is a supernatural being(s) in the picture. Three cases are referrals from the waitress at the dive dinner that Sam frequents. His opponents include vampires and an evil spirit, among others. Sam has a special place in his heart for abused women and for kids.
I'd love to know more about Sam Hunter. The tidbits provided in these stories are like the best kind of appetizers - they don't fill you up and leave you hungry for the meal. I'd eagerly read more about Sam Hunter.
Sam Hunter is a private detective in Philly. Sam Hunter used to be a cop in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Sam Hunter is middle-aged. Sam Hunter has high cholesterol. Sam Hunter buys his clothes at K-Mart. Sam Hunter is a werewolf. You want to be a member of Sam Hunter's pack.
There are 5 stories on the audiobook (for some reason there are 8 in the print and digital editions). Each provides a bit of background about Sam Hunter, often the same bit. In these stories, Sam is hired because there is a supernatural being(s) in the picture. Three cases are referrals from the waitress at the dive dinner that Sam frequents. His opponents include vampires and an evil spirit, among others. Sam has a special place in his heart for abused women and for kids.
I'd love to know more about Sam Hunter. The tidbits provided in these stories are like the best kind of appetizers - they don't fill you up and leave you hungry for the meal. I'd eagerly read more about Sam Hunter.
January 27, 2018
Beneath the Skin: The San Hunter Case Files Jonathan Maberry
I really enjoyed these series of short stories about Private eye Sam Hunter. I’ve been a fan of Maberry ever since I found “Ghost Road Blues” years ago and even though I’m not the biggest fan of zombie books I have enjoyed the Joe Ledger series, but wish he would go back to Pine Deep. This group of short stories is a nice balance to satisfy that desire. A tough PI who happens to be a monster. But one of the good guys too. As a Philly girl, I like it’s set here at home, and he has that “fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke” Philly attitude. Like any time you read an entire series back to back, it gets tiring to hear the back story every time, but once you get past the “I used to be a cop in Minneapolis but had anger issues at the start of every story, the stories were always great. Worth the time to sit and read them. A lot of fun.
I really enjoyed these series of short stories about Private eye Sam Hunter. I’ve been a fan of Maberry ever since I found “Ghost Road Blues” years ago and even though I’m not the biggest fan of zombie books I have enjoyed the Joe Ledger series, but wish he would go back to Pine Deep. This group of short stories is a nice balance to satisfy that desire. A tough PI who happens to be a monster. But one of the good guys too. As a Philly girl, I like it’s set here at home, and he has that “fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke” Philly attitude. Like any time you read an entire series back to back, it gets tiring to hear the back story every time, but once you get past the “I used to be a cop in Minneapolis but had anger issues at the start of every story, the stories were always great. Worth the time to sit and read them. A lot of fun.
July 4, 2017
These tales are "cheesy detective" at their best...not a normal genre for me. Throw in the very strange fact that the cheesy detective is, indeed, a werewolf...well, that propels me from any area of literature where I would normally tread. Oh...and I rarely do short story collections. But, oddly, I LOVED this! It was so off the wall and the first person vulgar narrative in "Sam Hunter's" own words had me laughing out loud several times. This was the audio version and I'm pretty sure they couldn't have found a better narrator for this particular style. If you're looking for something not too serious, interesting and you have time to give to an audio book, I recommend this. (I gave it a "3" because there is really nothing remarkable about the stories...it was humor and narration that sold me.)
June 29, 2018
Sam Hunter is a tough PI with a special nature. Danger or injury to children and women brings out a strong protective streak. If he takes a case it's usually for personal reasons. It's no wonder he works out of a dive since he gives back most of the fees he is paid.
He's not afraid to face the unknown paranormal because that is his specialty. In this collection he faces down vampires, a closet monster, would be werewolves and a ghost.
this is a good way to get to know the nature and character of Sam. I would be interested in reading more with the only pause being due to the extent of profanity.
Audio Notes: Ray Porter does a remarkable job with the narration. I am impressed how he nails the emotional energy as well as the voices. He makes Hunter's character very real. I loved the narration.
5.0 Narration and Overall; 4.5 for story (language).
He's not afraid to face the unknown paranormal because that is his specialty. In this collection he faces down vampires, a closet monster, would be werewolves and a ghost.
this is a good way to get to know the nature and character of Sam. I would be interested in reading more with the only pause being due to the extent of profanity.
Audio Notes: Ray Porter does a remarkable job with the narration. I am impressed how he nails the emotional energy as well as the voices. He makes Hunter's character very real. I loved the narration.
5.0 Narration and Overall; 4.5 for story (language).
March 18, 2021
This is a collection of short stories about a detective, Sam Hunter, who is also a werewolf. He is a good guy and if he takes your case you become part of his pack. He protects the members of his pack.
I generally don't like horror stories but these are not too bad. I actually enjoyed them because the majority of the stories are simple character exploration and smart-aleck remarks of the classic detective style.
Any problems with the stories? The action part was short in each story. Much of it was left to the imagination of the reader.
Any modesty issues? The F-Word was used. It seemed in context for the type of detective Sam Hunter was.
Here is a list of the stories:
0 Like Part of the Family
0 Toby’s Closet
0 Crazy Town
0 We All Make Sacrifices
0 A House in Need of Children
I generally don't like horror stories but these are not too bad. I actually enjoyed them because the majority of the stories are simple character exploration and smart-aleck remarks of the classic detective style.
Any problems with the stories? The action part was short in each story. Much of it was left to the imagination of the reader.
Any modesty issues? The F-Word was used. It seemed in context for the type of detective Sam Hunter was.
Here is a list of the stories:
0 Like Part of the Family
0 Toby’s Closet
0 Crazy Town
0 We All Make Sacrifices
0 A House in Need of Children
September 27, 2019
Overall, a very good collection. There are some repetitive parts of the stories, but I think that's because they weren't originally intended to be put together in a collection like this one.
Like Part of the Family - This was just in the 'Tales Told from the Fire Zone', so I skipped it. I liked it there.
Toby's Closet - This was good.
Crazy Town - I liked this one.
We All Make Sacrifices - This one I'd read before. It's a pretty good story.
A House in Need of Children - This one was nice and creepy, and didn't go the way I thought it would. I will say that it spoils the heck out of the Pine Deep collection, so far as I can tell. I haven't read that one yet, so I'll probably have to wait on that one for a little while so I forget some of the story.
Like Part of the Family - This was just in the 'Tales Told from the Fire Zone', so I skipped it. I liked it there.
Toby's Closet - This was good.
Crazy Town - I liked this one.
We All Make Sacrifices - This one I'd read before. It's a pretty good story.
A House in Need of Children - This one was nice and creepy, and didn't go the way I thought it would. I will say that it spoils the heck out of the Pine Deep collection, so far as I can tell. I haven't read that one yet, so I'll probably have to wait on that one for a little while so I forget some of the story.
December 26, 2017
I super enjoyed listening to this book! The main character takes himself very seriously, which would normally annoy me, but not this time. I didn't even mind that the majority of women in the book were "damsels in distress". I just liked these stories. Sam Hunter is relatable, because, even though he has special abilities, he doesn't go into confrontation with an arrogant attitude. He openly admits his fear. Additionally, he doesn't kill unless he is given no other choice. I would very much like to read or listen to other books with this character.
The narrator, Ray Porter, does an excellent job with female character voices. He also conveys emotion well with his tone.
The narrator, Ray Porter, does an excellent job with female character voices. He also conveys emotion well with his tone.
July 6, 2017
I had never heard of this author before, and this is probably not a book I would typically read. But I'm very glad I did, it is a very entertaining and very funny book. A werewolf detective with a heart of gold, how can you go wrong? It's a combination of supernatural and old time detective novel seemed slightly odd to me at first but it honestly works really well. It's hilarious at times but also sort of terrifying which is excellent. I might seek out other books by this author and would most definitely recommend.
March 23, 2022
Finding a new series to read is always a mixed bag. But I can confidently say I enjoyed the first of the Sam Hunter series: Beneath the Skin. It was fun, kept my attention, and had consistent themes throughout all the shorts in this book. Sam Hunter is a very likeable hero, and we get introduced to some very fun mysteries in this book. I'm eager to read the next one.
With books like these, Jonathan Maberry is very much becoming one of must-look-for-authors when I go to the bookstore. Very prolific, and definitely has the writing chops to make anything entertaining.
With books like these, Jonathan Maberry is very much becoming one of must-look-for-authors when I go to the bookstore. Very prolific, and definitely has the writing chops to make anything entertaining.
February 12, 2023
Jonathan Mayberry is a favorite of mine. His stories voiced by Ray Porter kicked my interest up a notch. Sam Hunter, the protagonist is a PI in a bad part of town with a shabby office. Meeting clients in diners reminiscent of Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, the author gives a nod to a line from the Tom Waits album Nighthawks at the Diner. Clients come to Sam for his special skills. The kind held by a specific type of werewolf. This is an unexpected character - a caring Jack Reacher! I do hope Mayberry gives Sam Hunter a longer run. I look forward to more of his adventures.
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