I bought this collection of urban fantasy short stories specifically to get my hands on the new novella by Diana Gabaldon, "Lord John and the Plague of Zombies". For anyone devoted to the works of Diana Gabaldon, this is yet another fun addition to the Lord John series -- not exactly essential, but another chance to see Lord John apply his upper-crust British military efficiency to the solving of a seemingly supernatural mystery. Gabaldon knows how to please her fans. LJ&tPoZ includes just enough of all the elements that make her readers salivate, including a reference to our favorite red-headed Scot, Lord John's attraction to every well-formed male in his vicinity, and this time around, a cameo appearance of an important (though, at least for me, much despised) character from the Outlander series. 
 I'm sure the rest of the stories in this collection are quite good as well, and I'll get around to them eventually. For readers like me, the Lord John piece is reason enough to pick this one up.