Do you have an unusual mystery? Call on an Occult Detective!

What goes Bump! in the night? To find out...call an occult detective.

If you have an unusual mystery...call on an occult detective.

 

Another popular subject of 'pulp' publications, along with wild science fiction, monster tales, and hideous romances, was the subject of occult detectives. Many popular 'Gothic' writers, such as Le Fanu, Doyle, Hodgson, Blackwood, etc. wrote stories about a unique type of detective, mixing mystery with the supernatural. These detectives investigated cases of haunting, rumors of ghosts, and other kinds of psychic phenomenon, some of the detectives also had paranormal powers themselves. A good number of these detectives were also medical doctors with an interest in occult subjects. I have worked my way through a variety of these stories so far and am always entertained by them even though some of them can seem a bit dated.

If you would like to check out some of these works, here is a quick roundup of occult detective stories that I am personally familiar with. Some of these are available free on the internet, or at little or no cost for kindle or other electronic reading devices. If you want physical copies, you might have to haunt used bookstores or internet booksellers as most of these are not commonly kept in stock at your local book shop.

Older works:

 

Sheridan Le Fanu- Dr. Martin Hesselius, featured in 'In a Glass Darkly” (1872), “Green Tea” (1869).

Bram Stoker- Dr. Van Helsing, featured in Dracula. 

 

E and H Heron- Flaxman Low stories 

Algernon Blackwood- Dr. John Silence stories

 

William Hope Hodgson- Carnacki Ghost Finder stories

 

Seabury Quinn- Jules De Grandin stories

Modern Works: I would consider Mark Valentine's stories to be more along the lines of classic Gothic literature, the other modern works, although I have enjoyed them, are not particularly Gothic in style but they are included here because they fit the bill for occult detective-like stories, but are mostly dealing with detectives that deal with supernatural subjects.

 

Mark Valentine- The Connoisseur, The Black Veil and other tales

 

Kat Richardson- The Greywalker series

 

Jim Butcher- The Dresden Files series  

Annie Bellet- The Twenty-sided Sorceress series

 

Some people might include Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series as well, but personally I really don't view Atticus the Druid as an occult detective, it's more mythology based but still entertaining. The Dresden Files could fit in the mythology category as well.

 

Happy reading!

 

More occult detectives to consider, just a listing (but I have not read them yet). Tell me what you think if you have read some of them.

Modern Carnacki -The Ghost Finder Tales: Carnacki Heaven and Hell by William Meikle and 472 Cheyne Walk by A F Kidd and Rick Kennet 

 

Fitz O'Brien- detective Harry Escott

 

Manly Wade Wellman- John Thunstone and Silver John 

Margery Lawrence- Miles Pennoyer

 

John Burke- Dr. Alex Caspian

 

Douglas Adams- Dirk Gently

Simon R Green- Nightside series 

 

Mike Carey- Felix Castor

 

Mercedes Lackey- Diana Tregarde

Laurel K. Hamilton- Anita Blake

 

Kim Harrison- The Hollows series

 

Ilona Andrews- Kate Daniels

 

Tanya Huff- Vicki Nelson

 

Richard Kadrey- Sandman Slim series

 

Mark Del Franco- Connor Grey and Laura Blacktone

 

Rob Thurman- Cal Leandros

 

Frederick C. Davis- Ravenwood stories

 

Barry Reese- Lazarus Gray

 

Ella Scrymsour- Sheila Crerar

 

and a French one- Sar Dubnotal stories