Criminal Macabre by Steve Niles

Freaking awesome. What more is there to say? Lots, actually. Steve Niles is a horror writer best known for 30 Days of Night. Comics mostly but he took several of his graphic novels and turned them into a book of short stories about a private investigator named Cal McDonald. Cal is a mess. A former cop who was kicked off the force because he failed a drug test, he works cases that involve the supernatural. Oh, and he a drug addict. He hangs out with a ghoul named Mo'Lock who, for reasons unknown to Cal, keeps tabs on Cal and helps him out. These stories start out in D.C. but end up in L.A. Cal is a true anti-hero; he protects the people of the world from beings that, well, aren't very nice. The big head is one, a baby alien creature that eats everything and everyone is another along with teenagers who make deals with demons. Niles's writing is frank but funny. In fact, I found this stuff to be more amusing than scary (which was probably his intention). After I read this I found out my husband has been reading his comics for a while now so I have other material of his available in my own home. Yay me! Thanks to Lori from the library; she's the one who introduced us. Chick has great taste.