Author: George Chesbro
Title: An Affair of Sorcerers
Genre: Paranormal Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Publication Date: 1979
Number of Pages: 265
Geographical Setting: New York
Time Period: Present day
Series (If applicable): The Mongo Mysteries
Plot Summary: Three separate cases—a nun trying to save a faith healer accused of a murder he didn’t commit, a university dean with a professor mixed up in something sinister, and a dying little girl with a desperate need for answers—suddenly connect by threads leading straight to New York’s occult underground, and the only person capable of unraveling them is Dr. Robert “Mongo” Frederickson, former circus tumbler and karate black-belt turned criminologist/private investigator. This third entry in the Mongo Mysteries series finds Chesbro’s shrewd, diminutive detective going up against the forces of the occult to save a little girl’s life, and discover the secrets behind her father’s death. Faithful sidekick and brother Garth (himself an NYPD detective) returns to provide muscle for Mongo’s more thoughtful (and agile) investigative style. Some language and situations in Affair reflect the grittiness of urban crime, and readers sensitive to the presence of mild violence and mature themes should make note. The swift pace will keep pages turning all the way up to the stark, dramatic ending.
Subject Headings: Private investigators; New York (State); Criminologists; Dwarves; Martial arts; Witchcraft; Occult; Supernatural
Appeal: Suspenseful, swiftly-paced, intricately-plotted, offbeat, spooky, gritty, darkly humorous, wry tone, quirky characters, paranormal elements, occult themes, provocative, dark
3 terms that best describe this book: Suspenseful, intricately-plotted, quirky characters
3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
The Ultimate Evil: The Truth about the Cult Murders: Son of Sam and Beyond, by Maury Terry (occult murder, suspenseful, true crime)
A Cop’s Guide To Occult Investigations: Understanding Satanism, Santeria, Wicca, and Other Alternative Religions, by Tony M. Kail (occult criminal investigation)
Occult Murders (True Crime Series), by John Dunning (true crime accounts of occult murder investigations)
3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
The Immortals, by J.T. Ellison (occult murder, gritty, criminal investigation)
The Skeptic: An Occult Thriller, by Aaron Niz (occult elements, sinister tone, intricate plot)
Tengu: The Mountain Goblin, by John Donohue (martial arts, mystery, suspenseful)
-Joe Collier
Tags: dark, Darkly Humorous, gritty, intricately plotted, occult themes, offbeat, paranormal elements, provocative, quirky characters, spooky, suspenseful, swiftly-paced, wry tone
