books

Fantasy Mystery Romance Comics Non-Fiction

Known Devil

Known Devil (2014) Justin Gustainis (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation) Karl hadn’t complained about taking the damaged elf to the hospital. He wouldn’t be allowed to take part in any interrogation, anyway. The Supreme Court had ruled in Barlow v. Maine almost forty years ago that anything a suspect said in the presence of a vampire […]

Evil Dark

Evil Dark (2012) Justin Gustainis (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation) There’s just something about an over-the-top supernatural police procedural. Pretend that there’s a file folder somewhere, a big, thick one, labeled Real Bad Ideas. There’s at least three things I can think of that belong in there – inviting a werewolf for a moonlight stroll, telling […]

Hard Spell

Hard Spell (2011) Justin Gustainis (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation) This is the city – Scranton, Pennsylvania. My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.   Also a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9 mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets. I put a vial containing fresh crushed garlic in my shirt […]

Known Devil

Known Devil (2014) Justin Gustainis (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation) Alas, the end of the Occult Crimes Unit Investigation series. Just three books, but they’re fun ones. Stan and Karl are taking their coffee break when a pair of elves attempt to hold up the diner where they are having their coffee. What makes no sense […]

Evil Dark

Evil Dark (2012) Justin Gustainis I am enjoying my re-read of this series. Pretend that there’s a file folder somewhere, a big, thick one, labeled Real Bad Ideas. There’s at least three things I can think of that belong in there – inviting a werewolf for a moonlight stroll, telling a witch she’s got a […]

Hard Spell: An Occult Crimes Unit Investigation

Hard Spell An Occult Crimes Unit Investigation (2011) Justin Gustainis Stan Markowski is a Detective on the Scranton Police Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit–they investigate crimes involving witches and vampires and other supernatural beings. Cops on the Supe Squad spend as much time investigating crimes committed against supes as we do on crimes with a supe […]

Sympathy for the Devil

Sympathy for the Devil (2011) Justin Gustainis I came to this series because I very much enjoy his Occult Crimes Unit Investigations (despite the horrific covers), so I’ve been slowly working my way through his Quincy Morris series. Slowly, because I just don’t enjoy it anywhere near as much as the other series. I started […]

Black Magic Woman

Black Magic Woman (2008) Justin Gustainis This isn’t the first book by Justin Gustainis I’ve read, so I had a general idea of what to expect. This book is a bit different from the other series I’ve read, however. A little less horror, and although there was a bit of police procedural to it, the […]

Known Devil

Known Devil (2014) Justin Gustainis Stan Markowski is a Sergeant in the Occult Crimes Unit of the Scranton Police. His daughter and his partner are both vampires, but he doesn’t hold that against them. (He can’t, really, since it’s his fault they’re vampires.) It was believed that only goblins were affected by intoxicating substances (in […]

Evil Dark

Evil Dark (2012) Justin Gustainis Stan Markowski is still on the supe squad in Scranton, still looking into crime committed by and/or against supernatural creatures, and this time a series of murders looks to be tied together, but the answer to cui bono is nowhere to be found. Like the first book, dark in the […]

Hard Spell

Hard Spell (2011) Justin Gustainis (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation) Stan Markowski is a detective in Scranton’s Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit. He works the night shift and works the cases that deal with supernaturals.   My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.    Also a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a […]

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives (2011) edited by Justin Gustainis As the title says, this is a collection of supernatural mysteries. “Little Better than a Beast: A Marla Mason Story” by T. A. Pratt “Dusted: A Cosa Nostradamus Story” by Laura Anne Gilman “The Demon You Know… A Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Story” […]

Weird Detectives: Recent Investigations

Weird Detectives: Recent Investigations (2013) edited by Paula Guran This is a collection of short stories previously published elsewhere, so I’d already read several of these stories. But there were several I had not, and several of the ones I’d read before were well worth reading again. This book has been sitting around for awhile, […]