Charles de Lint

Urban Fantasy Maestro. Canadian, so his writing is somehow less edgy (or dirty) than say the British writers in general, but somehow they come across with a sense of realism that is refreshing. He tackles a lot of hard, difficult topics like homelessness, rape, outsiders and the counter culture movements and he does it with flair.

A variety of books, most set within an urban (read city) environment. Very well written, very believable and likeable characters. Definitely one of th best authors we have out there in this genre. His books are not action packed, gun wielding types so it might not be for everyone, but if you like thoughtful, well written character driven books, then definitely pick up one of his.

I suggest Onion Girl or a collection of his short stories as a good starting point.