A Spade/Paladin Conundrum

Secret Master of Fandom and Private Detective Spade gets a strange request: a tiny woman with pointed ears asks him to help her with a case at FleshCon, a California science fiction convention. The tiny woman turns out to be the infamous Paladin, whom Spade thought was only a rumor. Paladin needs help finding a teenage boy whom she says vanishes whenever she approaches him.

When a dead body turns up at the first ever Dinocon, Secret Master of Fandom and Private Detective Spade knows just who might be behind it all: Lucinda Danielle Stanhope who calls herself the Martha Stewart of Science Fiction. Now he just has to prove it. Stomping Mad marks the first appearance of Spade, who along with his sidekick Paladin, is one of Rusch's most popular characters.

Secret Master of Fandom and Private Detective Spade faces an impossible mission: He must save Celebcon Five from itself. The convention that's trying to out Comic-con. Comic-con has decided to make Dmitri Karnikov its guest of honor. Spade doesn't want the mega-celebrity anywhere near a science fiction convention. When a celebrity of Karnikov's wattage agrees to attend, something's wrong.

The police often show up at science fiction conventions, but not because Secret Master of Fandom and private detective Spade calls them. Although this time he has... Paladin has found a box with a note, a box she believes contains a bomb. Spade and Paladin have to find the bomber and save the convention, all before the police arrive. The conundrum? Can they do all this and survive?

The teenage girl wrapped in a sheet calls herself Casper (as in "The Friendly Ghost") but Secret Master of Fandom and private detective Spade doesn't find her friendly and she's definitely not a ghost. However, Paladin demands that Spade babysit Casper, and Spade never says no to Paladin. Even when it comes to babysitting on Halloween weekend, while Spade runs the second most important convention of the year. Because Paladin doesn't ask favors; she solves crimes. And apparently, she (and Casper) need help only Spade can provide.

Spade: Secret Master of Fandom and Private Detective. Paladin: Spade's enigmatic sidekick and infamous detective for hire. Together: Two of masterful author Kristine Kathryn Rusch's most popular characters.