History Literature / MichaelJWestParanormalInvestigator

* BlackCloak: [[spoiler:averted. The Lambda Sigma Nu girls wear red cloaks, but then they just drop them and dance around a huge fire [[EvilIsSexy stark naked]].]]

* AGodAmI: Clapham-Lee's rant.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Herbert West and Dr Derby. But Mike suspects it's HoYay.
* MadScientist: Clapham-Lee
* MrExposition: Dr. Derby

* SuicideAttack: [[spoiler:Dr. Derby]]
* ZombieApocalypse: Clapham-Lee's plan.

* BiTheWay: Violet is claimed to be lesbian by Mike's boss, but in reality, she swings both ways.

A series of [[FilmNoir hard boiled]] stories about New York detective, set in TheRoaringTwenties. It would be another collection of ordinary noir stories, if not for a peculiar tendency of the cases to be linked with various {{Eldritch Abomination}}s of the Creator/HPLovecraft variety. As for the protagonist... he's a nephew of [[Film/ReAnimator Dr. Herbert West]] and has a weird schtick of following the clues to absolutely logical and absolutely wrong conclusions.

The first story. Mike sets out to Boston, hired by his uncle's erstwhile accomplice, the narrator of original ''Reanimator''.

* {{Expy}}: In ''Herbert West - Reanimator'' he was unnamed; in ''Film/ReAnimator'' he was Dan Cain; here, he's Dr. August Willmore Derby, to go with Lovecraftian naming convention (both as a ShoutOut to author August W. Derleth and character Edward Pickman Derby from ''Literature/TheThingOnTheDoorstep'').

* PlayingWithSyringes: What [[BigBad Clapham-Lee]] did to Herbert West. Not only he ripped poor Uncle Herb apart in the finale of ''Reanimator'' -- he turned him into ProfessorGuineaPig, pumping West full of his own serum and stitching him back together... Without arms and legs, that is.

A series of [[FilmNoir hard boiled]] stories about New York detective, set in TheRoaringTwenties. It would be another collection of ordinary noir stories, if not for a peculiar tendency of the cases to be linked with various {{Eldritch Abomination}}s of the Creator/HPLovecraft variety. As for the protagonist... He's a nephew of [[ReAnimator Dr Herbert West]] and has a weird schtick of following the clues to absolutely logical and absolutely wrong conclusions.

* NoodleIncident - the "stunty Guido who nailed my tie to the desk with a switchblade", mentioned by Mike in a soliloquy.
* {{Expy}} - in ''Herbert West, Reanimator'' he was unnamed; in ''ReAnimator'' he was Dan Cain; here, he's Dr August Willmore Derby, to go with Lovecraftian naming convention (both as a ShoutOut to author August W. Derleth and character Edward Pickman Derby from ''Literature/TheThingOnTheDoorstep'').
* PurpleProse - the bits written from the POV of Dr Derby (in a sort of parody/pastiche of Lovecraft's antiquated writing style).
* PlayingWithSyringes - what [[BigBad Clapham-Lee]] did to Herbert West. Not only he ripped poor Uncle Herb apart in the finale of Reanimator - he turned him into ProfessorGuineaPig, pumping West full of his own serum and stitching him back together... Without arms and legs, that is.
* NotQuiteDead - Herbert West, as Mike finds out. [[spoiler:Nothing that can't be fixed with enough dynamite, though.]]
* SuicideAttack - [[spoiler:Dr Derby.]]
* MrExposition - Dr Derby.
* HeterosexualLifePartners - Herbert West and Dr Derby. But Mike suspects it's HoYay.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent - Clapham-Lee and Herbert West are Type C. Clapham's "upgraded" zombies are pretty much Type P.
* MadScientist - Clapham-Lee.
* AGodAmI - Clapham-Lee's rant.
* ShoutOut - LOTS of shout-outs:
** ''Pickman's Model'' - Mike breaks into the house of an artist named Peters and stumbles upon a pack of ghouls in the tunnels beneath it (after he finds Clapham-Lee's hideout). Also, Mrs Peters is mentioned[[spoiler: - it's Victoria Glasser from the Call of Cthulhu CCG.]]
** ''Cool Air'' - one of Mike's "old cases", as he tells it to Dr Derby.
** ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' - Clapham-Lee plans to use his zombies as bio-weapons and the ship he hijacks to conquer Germany is named "Veronica".
** HerculePoirot and SherlockHolmes - Mike works at Whitehaven & Baker agency (named after the residences of Poirot and Holmes: Whitehaven Manor and 221b Baker Street) and pokes fun at both detectives.
* ZombieApocalypse - Clapham-Lee's plan.

* NoBisexuals - subverted. Violet is claimed to be lesbian by Mike's boss, but in reality, she swings both ways.
* SecretCircleOfSecrets - [[spoiler:the Lambda Sigma Nu sorority. The acronym stands for "Lesbian Shub Niggurath". Go figure.]]
** BlackCloak - [[spoiler:averted. The Lambda Sigma Nu girls wear red cloaks, but then they just drop them and dance around a huge fire [[EvilIsSexy stark naked]].]]
* CreepyTwins - Abigail and Lillian Thorne.
* EvilRedhead - ditto: the Thorne sisters, and their mother too.
* CompellingVoice - [[spoiler:Abigail Thorne and her mother, Marilyn.]]
* BodyHorror - [[spoiler:Lillian Thorne.]]
* CreepyChild - the girl in the woods.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed - [[Creator/StephenKing Richard Bachman]], er, Blackman. Described to look like Stephen King, with "a face a size too small for his huge noggin, massive chin and forehead contrasting with thin lips and small, piercing eyes".
* ChekhovsGun - [[spoiler:the Witch Stone.]]
* ShoutOut - again a couple:
** ''The Horror At Red Hook'' - Mike mentions it as one of the cases he couldn't pick up due to being overworked.
** ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu CCG'' - inaccurate, the card is named "The May Garland" (singular), while the story title is plural.
** ''The Salem Horror'' and ''The Shambler from the Stars'' - Marilyn Thorne's maiden name is "Prinn".
** ''TheOmen'' - father of the Thorne sisters is named Damien. He's not the worst of the family, though.

* EldritchAbomination - a Dark Young. [[spoiler:[[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Mike blows it up along with a moonshine still]].]]

* {{Expy}} - in ''Herbert West, Reanimator'' he was unnamed; in ''ReAnimator'' he was Dan Cain; here, he's Dr August Willmore Derby, to go with Lovecraftian naming convention (both as a ShoutOut to author August W. Derleth and character Edward Pickman Derby from ''The Thing On The Doorstep'').

** ''ResidentEvil'' - Clapham-Lee plans to use his zombies as bio-weapons and the ship he hijacks to conquer Germany is named "Veronica".

** ''TheCallOfCthulhu CCG'' - inaccurate, the card is named "The May Garland" (singular), while the story title is plural.

A series of [[FilmNoir hard boiled]] stories about New York detective, set in TheRoaringTwenties. It would be another collection of ordinary noir stories, if not for a peculiar tendency of the cases to be linked with various {{Eldritch Abomination}}s of the HPLovecraft variety. As for the protagonist... He's a nephew of [[ReAnimator Dr Herbert West]] and has a weird schtick of following the clues to absolutely logical and absolutely wrong conclusions.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed - [[StephenKing Richard Bachman]], er, Blackman. Described to look like Stephen King, with "a face a size too small for his huge noggin, massive chin and forehead contrasting with thin lips and small, piercing eyes".

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