Kurtz says she thinks of Sir Adam Sinclair, the Adept, as the spiritual heir of Dion Fortune's Doctor Taverner. The work falls within a small but growing subgenre of occult detective novels.

Other fantasy novelists have recently developed series that fit this general category. In addition to the Adept series there is the Diana Tregarde series by Mercedes Lackey and the fourbook "Blood" series by Tanya Huff with Toronto P.I. Vicky Nelson and vampire Henry Fitzroy.

The trio of Sir Adam Sinclair, Inspector Noel McLeod, and Peregrine Lovat also draws on the appeal of "buddy" shows, among the most popular and long-lasting form of television action-adventure dramas. Two buddies are interesting, but three allow many more twists to be played out with dialogue, unique talents, and mutual support. It is not too far-fetched to say that Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy of Star...