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Morris & Chastain Investigation #1
Black Magic Woman
Occult investigator Quincey Morris and his "consultant", white witch Libby Chastain, are hired to free a family from a deadly curse that appears to date back to the Salem witch trials.
Fraught with danger, the trail finds them stalking the mysterious occult underworlds of Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans and New York, searching out the root of the curse. After surviving a series of terrifying attempts on their lives, the two find themselves drawn inexorably towards Salem itself - and the very heart of darkness.
Black Magic Woman marks the start of an electrifying news series of supernatural thrillers following the exploits of occult investigators Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain, as they search out evil in the darkest corners of America.
Fraught with danger, the trail finds them stalking the mysterious occult underworlds of Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans and New York, searching out the root of the curse. After surviving a series of terrifying attempts on their lives, the two find themselves drawn inexorably towards Salem itself - and the very heart of darkness.
Black Magic Woman marks the start of an electrifying news series of supernatural thrillers following the exploits of occult investigators Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain, as they search out evil in the darkest corners of America.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2008
35 people are currently reading
1529 people want to read
About the author
Justin Gustainis
24 books254 followersJustin Gustainis was born in Northeast Pennsylvania in 1951. He attended college at the University of Scranton, a Jesuit university that figures prominently in several of his writings.
After earning both Bachelor's and Master's degrees, he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U. S. Army.
Mr. Gustainis currently lives in Plattsburgh, New York. He is a Professor of Communication at Plattsburgh State University.
Series:
* Quincey Morris
After earning both Bachelor's and Master's degrees, he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U. S. Army.
Mr. Gustainis currently lives in Plattsburgh, New York. He is a Professor of Communication at Plattsburgh State University.
Series:
* Quincey Morris
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
July 15, 2008
This was a good book, and I didn't like it. I'm trying to figure out why.
Morris is a sort of modern Van Hellsing, or more accurately, a modern Quincey Morris, Van Hellsing's American counterpart. (But really, who remembers Quincey Morris?) Like the back copy says "Quincey Morris and his "consultant", white witch Libby Chastain, are hired to free a family from a deadly curse that appears to date back to the Salem witch trials."
Not mentioned is a parallel story about African American FBI agent Dale Fenton, and his visiting counterpart from the South African police force Van Dreenan, who are searching for the agent behind a string of child murders and mutilations.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
So why didn't I like it? I think in part because the book presupposes a world view I don't share. I am uncomfortable with the very title of the book: Black Magic Woman? It seems to suggest a sort of exotic 'she', the unknowable and mysterious feminine.
Although Van Dreenan and Fenton don't know this, the children are being murdered by a South African woman, in order to extract various organs to make fetishes. (Not the sexy kind.) When you have a white South African as the agent of justice, law, and righteousness, and a Black woman as the agent of superstition, perversion, and evil, I'd like at least an acknowledgement from the book that this is sort of problematic.
And then there are the Salem witch trials, which in this book condemned at least one guilty woman, and it seems to hint, perhaps more. In urban fantasy, it makes sense that at least some historical instances of suspected witchcraft would be actual witchcraft, and yet this didn't sit well with me.
So, basically, I seem to be saying I didn't like this book because it failed to conform to my worldview, which seems very petty of me, but there you go.
Morris is a sort of modern Van Hellsing, or more accurately, a modern Quincey Morris, Van Hellsing's American counterpart. (But really, who remembers Quincey Morris?) Like the back copy says "Quincey Morris and his "consultant", white witch Libby Chastain, are hired to free a family from a deadly curse that appears to date back to the Salem witch trials."
Not mentioned is a parallel story about African American FBI agent Dale Fenton, and his visiting counterpart from the South African police force Van Dreenan, who are searching for the agent behind a string of child murders and mutilations.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
So why didn't I like it? I think in part because the book presupposes a world view I don't share. I am uncomfortable with the very title of the book: Black Magic Woman? It seems to suggest a sort of exotic 'she', the unknowable and mysterious feminine.
Although Van Dreenan and Fenton don't know this, the children are being murdered by a South African woman, in order to extract various organs to make fetishes. (Not the sexy kind.) When you have a white South African as the agent of justice, law, and righteousness, and a Black woman as the agent of superstition, perversion, and evil, I'd like at least an acknowledgement from the book that this is sort of problematic.
And then there are the Salem witch trials, which in this book condemned at least one guilty woman, and it seems to hint, perhaps more. In urban fantasy, it makes sense that at least some historical instances of suspected witchcraft would be actual witchcraft, and yet this didn't sit well with me.
So, basically, I seem to be saying I didn't like this book because it failed to conform to my worldview, which seems very petty of me, but there you go.
September 22, 2017
I don't write reviews. I find the reading of books to be intensely personal and unless pressed I keep the experience close to my chest. However, the ratings for this book are so surprising I felt it deserved something more from me for all it gave to me. I nearly skipped reading it, and as I am actually on the cusp of giving it 5 stars, I can't just leave a rating without an explanation.
The story is compelling and intense, and the storytelling was masterful. Perhaps others had different expectations for it based on where it was shelved or the blurb, and thus were disappointed, but I went in blind...and enjoyed it thoroughly. I don't presume to know why others have been so disappointed. I only know that I am unabashedly a fan. So much so that I purchased the next book in the series before I completed the first. I can't wait to continue on what is doubtless going to be a meticulously plotted journey of Morris and Chastain, and hopefully also van Dreenan.
Make no mistake, this tale is not for the easily distracted. The POV is fluid, which allows for the perspective of good and evil alike. The story winds a little throughout time as well as location. It doesn't fit any particular genre to me, but because I spend time in thrillers, mysteries, UF, Paranormal, horror, true crime, etc, it pleased me on a variety of levels. I can't wait to be kept up past my bedtime by book 2!
The story is compelling and intense, and the storytelling was masterful. Perhaps others had different expectations for it based on where it was shelved or the blurb, and thus were disappointed, but I went in blind...and enjoyed it thoroughly. I don't presume to know why others have been so disappointed. I only know that I am unabashedly a fan. So much so that I purchased the next book in the series before I completed the first. I can't wait to continue on what is doubtless going to be a meticulously plotted journey of Morris and Chastain, and hopefully also van Dreenan.
Make no mistake, this tale is not for the easily distracted. The POV is fluid, which allows for the perspective of good and evil alike. The story winds a little throughout time as well as location. It doesn't fit any particular genre to me, but because I spend time in thrillers, mysteries, UF, Paranormal, horror, true crime, etc, it pleased me on a variety of levels. I can't wait to be kept up past my bedtime by book 2!
February 22, 2009
Er I dunno. I WANTED to like this book a lot. It started out well. I can't put my finger on WHY I didn't get hooked in. I think it was the character work, we never went very deep with the two lead characters in a way that felt a bit shallow to me. It was as if he was deliberately trying to avoid anything intimate between the two of them. I understand trying to avoid all the sex and stuff that's normally in books like this, but no tension at all? And if not between them, maybe between them and OTHER people? A little humanity goes a long way.
I think since there was no conflict between them, and really anything personal at all they were grappling with, that is why I ended up not really caring about them at all.
The procedural story was good, the mechanics were interesting. But honestly, everything is driven by character for me, and these two characters felt very hollow. I already bought the next book though, so I'll give it another try. The plotting was excellent, but that doesn't do it for me :(
I think since there was no conflict between them, and really anything personal at all they were grappling with, that is why I ended up not really caring about them at all.
The procedural story was good, the mechanics were interesting. But honestly, everything is driven by character for me, and these two characters felt very hollow. I already bought the next book though, so I'll give it another try. The plotting was excellent, but that doesn't do it for me :(
January 14, 2019
Two loosely connected adventures that confront a single evildoer; it's quickly paced and violent with extremely gruesome deeds that could well be a trigger (children murdered by vivisection to harvest living organs for black magic fetishes; however, the details are only described after the fact and secondhand).
For a fee, Quincey Morris takes care of paranormal sources of harm, sometimes teaming up, as he does here, with Libby Chastain, a white witch who has a wide range of delightful spells. Hired by the LaRue family to eliminate life-threatening, poltergeist-like attacks, they soon find that something truly evil is targeting the family. As the blurb says, they track the evil back to Salem, Massachusetts, and connect it with the 1692 witch trials there; a modern black witch with formidable magic powers is taking revenge on her ancestor's accuser's descendants. (I hope that's clear so far.)
Detective Sergeant Garth van Dreenan of the Occult Crimes Unit of the South African police arrives in New York as a consultant with Special Agent Dale Fenton of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit to work on the above-mentioned child murders, which are being perpetrated (not a mystery to the reader) by a powerful Zulu sorceress and her nasty but dim-witted American accomplice on a kind of contract with that black witch in Salem. She has two irons in the fire, you see.
In the only contact between these two investigative teams, van Dreenan consults with Libby one day and receives a magical tool to help them track the sorceress. Otherwise, the book offers (1) an adventure full of good and evil spells and vicious attacks on Quincey and Libby and (2) a separate police procedural that gradually crosses into the paranormal. The narration switches back and forth between (1) and (2) and leads to two distinct climaxes, both of which make good suspenseful reading.
Quincey and Libby's adventure drags quite a bit on its way to the climax, and anyone wanting to read about romance will be very disappointed; they're professionals who know and respect each other and, of course, will save each others' lives, but no hanky panky at all! Sex enters the story only as a weapon wielded by evildoers. Fenton and van Dreenan are equally professional, and their developing friendship hits a big bump but seems to survive; their story is much more tightly written.
Even though the rapidly changing viewpoints of the narration take us into the thoughts of all the principal players, both good and evil, I never felt I got a good sense of them as people; you might say they kept me, too, at a professional distance. Not quite two-dimensional, because the description of past traumas deepened several of the characters for me, and the revenge motive was often intense. Still, for a rather enjoyable paranormal action tale, it was oddly disjointed.
For a fee, Quincey Morris takes care of paranormal sources of harm, sometimes teaming up, as he does here, with Libby Chastain, a white witch who has a wide range of delightful spells. Hired by the LaRue family to eliminate life-threatening, poltergeist-like attacks, they soon find that something truly evil is targeting the family. As the blurb says, they track the evil back to Salem, Massachusetts, and connect it with the 1692 witch trials there; a modern black witch with formidable magic powers is taking revenge on her ancestor's accuser's descendants. (I hope that's clear so far.)
Detective Sergeant Garth van Dreenan of the Occult Crimes Unit of the South African police arrives in New York as a consultant with Special Agent Dale Fenton of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit to work on the above-mentioned child murders, which are being perpetrated (not a mystery to the reader) by a powerful Zulu sorceress and her nasty but dim-witted American accomplice on a kind of contract with that black witch in Salem. She has two irons in the fire, you see.
In the only contact between these two investigative teams, van Dreenan consults with Libby one day and receives a magical tool to help them track the sorceress. Otherwise, the book offers (1) an adventure full of good and evil spells and vicious attacks on Quincey and Libby and (2) a separate police procedural that gradually crosses into the paranormal. The narration switches back and forth between (1) and (2) and leads to two distinct climaxes, both of which make good suspenseful reading.
Quincey and Libby's adventure drags quite a bit on its way to the climax, and anyone wanting to read about romance will be very disappointed; they're professionals who know and respect each other and, of course, will save each others' lives, but no hanky panky at all! Sex enters the story only as a weapon wielded by evildoers. Fenton and van Dreenan are equally professional, and their developing friendship hits a big bump but seems to survive; their story is much more tightly written.
Even though the rapidly changing viewpoints of the narration take us into the thoughts of all the principal players, both good and evil, I never felt I got a good sense of them as people; you might say they kept me, too, at a professional distance. Not quite two-dimensional, because the description of past traumas deepened several of the characters for me, and the revenge motive was often intense. Still, for a rather enjoyable paranormal action tale, it was oddly disjointed.
November 30, 2007
I was given this book to check out. It only got finished as I was short of reading material and it ended up in the bag on a couple of train journeys. I wanted to see what happened in the end which is probably the best thing I can say about the book. Meandors from start to finish, with probably the biggest anti-climatic finish of any book I've ever read. You read the climatic chapter and think "ah there'll be a twist... er no", and the tidy clean up of the plot at the end is almost comical, as if the author's mum was calling him for tea and he had to finish it quickly.
Simplistic writing, plot and cliche ridden. Dig out an old Buffy episode you'll have more fun.
Simplistic writing, plot and cliche ridden. Dig out an old Buffy episode you'll have more fun.
May 13, 2009
Gave up on it around page 70 or so.
1. People in Texas do not talk like that.
2. Exposition much?
2b. Show me, don't tell me.
3. Podner? Seriously. See #1.
1. People in Texas do not talk like that.
2. Exposition much?
2b. Show me, don't tell me.
3. Podner? Seriously. See #1.
July 26, 2011
*Rating* Still debating between 3, 3 1/2 and 4 stars.
*Genre* Dark Fantasy
*Review*
Black Magic Woman is the first book in the Quincey Morris series by Justin Gustainis. Even though the story is clearly supposed to be about Morris and his white witch friend and partner Elizabeth “Libby” Chastian, Gustainis ends up folding two separate stories into one bringing in several other characters that have their own investigation to deal with.
Morris is an occult investigator and private contractor who, when we first meet his character, takes on a colony of vampires in Lindell, Texas at the behest of another vampire hunter named Jack. Morris’s great-grandfather Quincey Morris, was part of the crew that chased down Dracula and helped slay him at the cost of his own life.
*Every time I read the name Jack in association with vampires, I think of James Woods in Vampires. He played a vampire hunter, who like this Jack, has found himself in a pond full of crocodiles with no way out.
Morris calls himself an interventionist and consultant of the supernatural. Morris is approached by the LaRue family asking for his help in saving his family from what he believes to be Poltergeists. Morris, upon visiting the house, immediately calls on Chastian to help him with the case and rules out ghosts entirely. No, it's much worse and alot more dangerous.
Chastian is a white witch who also debunks fake claims of spiritualists for the Society of the Advancement of Rational Thought. She ends up revealing the outrageous lies behind a fake preacher and his overbearing wife in front of an audience that is not only shocked, but appalled at his deception.
Chastian and Morris have worked other cases before, but this case may be their most challenging yet. Chastian realizes that the LaRue family has been targeted by a black witch, and after further investigation, it is learned that they are the descendants of an accuser during the Salem Witch Trials.
Gustainis takes the reader on a brief sojourn to 1692 Salem, Massachusetts and the Salem witch trials. The place where the conflict started between the two families after one accused the other of practicing black magic. I would have loved to see how this progressed further over the years, instead of delving into other areas, but I’m just a reader, not the writer.
We are then introduced to one of the more interesting characters of this book named Detective Sergeant Garth Van Dreenan. Van Dreenan is an agent of the Occult Crimes Unit from South Africa. He is a hunter and a specialist of the occult. He comes to the US as part of an FBI investigation into the murder of children. Van Dreenan, it seems, has been chasing the witch who is responsible for the children's murders. He also has a personal vendentta against her as well.
This book contains some dark moments, and probably should be considered a dark fantasy novel. There are children being gutted for their body parts. There’s even a part where Chastian is nearly raped by an incubus/succubus demon and Morris is nearly lured into being taken as well. Morris later has to find a way to deal with his phobia of poisonous snakes before ending up bitten, while Chastian fights for her life after the black witch makes it her mission in life to kill them both.
There are vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, a voodoo queen, white and dark witches, as well as a behind the scenes power grab by an unknown power broker who is looking forward to the Great Cleansing. I guess we will need to read the next book in the series to find out more about Walter Grobius.
I find myself struggling to rate this book because I truly believe that it would have been better to have combined Morris/Chastian with Van Dreenan and his FBI partner Dale Fenton to stop the madness and the villains from killing the children. They do cross, however briefly, and it ends up with Van Dreenan exacting some revenge on a witch named Mbwato who killed his only daughter.
There’s no romance to speak of between the main two characters Morris and Chastian but they do have feelings of trust and friendship. They’ve worked together before and are comfortable doing so. But, at a certain point in the story, Morris feels almost giddy learning a secret about Chastain’s sex life after she is nearly raped by a demon. He can't let it go either which truly annoyed the hell out of me.
Gustainis also does a sort of shout out to occult classics like the Amityville Horror, and the Exorcist when introducing Quincy Morris and the cases he has worked in the past. He takes the reader from Texas, to Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco, New York City, before finally ending it all in Salem.
I will have to see how this series plays out when I pick up the next book Evil Ways, but I truly want to see more of the Chastian next time around.
Justin Gustainis
Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation
1. Black Magic Woman (2007)
2. Evil Ways (2008)
3. Sympathy for the Devil (2009)
*Genre* Dark Fantasy
*Review*
Black Magic Woman is the first book in the Quincey Morris series by Justin Gustainis. Even though the story is clearly supposed to be about Morris and his white witch friend and partner Elizabeth “Libby” Chastian, Gustainis ends up folding two separate stories into one bringing in several other characters that have their own investigation to deal with.
Morris is an occult investigator and private contractor who, when we first meet his character, takes on a colony of vampires in Lindell, Texas at the behest of another vampire hunter named Jack. Morris’s great-grandfather Quincey Morris, was part of the crew that chased down Dracula and helped slay him at the cost of his own life.
*Every time I read the name Jack in association with vampires, I think of James Woods in Vampires. He played a vampire hunter, who like this Jack, has found himself in a pond full of crocodiles with no way out.
Morris calls himself an interventionist and consultant of the supernatural. Morris is approached by the LaRue family asking for his help in saving his family from what he believes to be Poltergeists. Morris, upon visiting the house, immediately calls on Chastian to help him with the case and rules out ghosts entirely. No, it's much worse and alot more dangerous.
Chastian is a white witch who also debunks fake claims of spiritualists for the Society of the Advancement of Rational Thought. She ends up revealing the outrageous lies behind a fake preacher and his overbearing wife in front of an audience that is not only shocked, but appalled at his deception.
Chastian and Morris have worked other cases before, but this case may be their most challenging yet. Chastian realizes that the LaRue family has been targeted by a black witch, and after further investigation, it is learned that they are the descendants of an accuser during the Salem Witch Trials.
Gustainis takes the reader on a brief sojourn to 1692 Salem, Massachusetts and the Salem witch trials. The place where the conflict started between the two families after one accused the other of practicing black magic. I would have loved to see how this progressed further over the years, instead of delving into other areas, but I’m just a reader, not the writer.
We are then introduced to one of the more interesting characters of this book named Detective Sergeant Garth Van Dreenan. Van Dreenan is an agent of the Occult Crimes Unit from South Africa. He is a hunter and a specialist of the occult. He comes to the US as part of an FBI investigation into the murder of children. Van Dreenan, it seems, has been chasing the witch who is responsible for the children's murders. He also has a personal vendentta against her as well.
This book contains some dark moments, and probably should be considered a dark fantasy novel. There are children being gutted for their body parts. There’s even a part where Chastian is nearly raped by an incubus/succubus demon and Morris is nearly lured into being taken as well. Morris later has to find a way to deal with his phobia of poisonous snakes before ending up bitten, while Chastian fights for her life after the black witch makes it her mission in life to kill them both.
There are vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, a voodoo queen, white and dark witches, as well as a behind the scenes power grab by an unknown power broker who is looking forward to the Great Cleansing. I guess we will need to read the next book in the series to find out more about Walter Grobius.
I find myself struggling to rate this book because I truly believe that it would have been better to have combined Morris/Chastian with Van Dreenan and his FBI partner Dale Fenton to stop the madness and the villains from killing the children. They do cross, however briefly, and it ends up with Van Dreenan exacting some revenge on a witch named Mbwato who killed his only daughter.
There’s no romance to speak of between the main two characters Morris and Chastian but they do have feelings of trust and friendship. They’ve worked together before and are comfortable doing so. But, at a certain point in the story, Morris feels almost giddy learning a secret about Chastain’s sex life after she is nearly raped by a demon. He can't let it go either which truly annoyed the hell out of me.
Gustainis also does a sort of shout out to occult classics like the Amityville Horror, and the Exorcist when introducing Quincy Morris and the cases he has worked in the past. He takes the reader from Texas, to Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco, New York City, before finally ending it all in Salem.
I will have to see how this series plays out when I pick up the next book Evil Ways, but I truly want to see more of the Chastian next time around.
Justin Gustainis
Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation
1. Black Magic Woman (2007)
2. Evil Ways (2008)
3. Sympathy for the Devil (2009)
January 12, 2011
I found myself eating through this book like chocolate at the beginning. I was savoring the little bits about Quincy's past, and enjoyed the prologue. The LaRue family haunting was interesting, as well as the run in with a house of vamps. All of that set up for a great book, but it turned out to be a long drawn out chase scene in the end. I loved the investigation that lead Quincy and Libby around from Satanic cults to demon infested investigation agencies. Unfortunately, when it came time to actually find the bad girl, I was a bit let down.
I disliked the other main character team of two cops/detectives, and found myself skimming through their dialogue. A typical cop who doesn't believe in the supernatural and a detective who has a vendetta against a witch he had a run in with previously. They didn't add much to the story, except to take down a few bad guys. Quincy and Libby weren't very developed characters. Most of the story was about chasing down bad guys, not getting to know our characters. I was extremely disappointed that the last 100 or so pages of the book were like a chase scene from a bad action movie. I figured good would triumph over evil in the end, and I couldn't see the point in reading 100 pages of car chases. The killing of the bad guy was another let down-it was over in a paragraph or so. I definitely won't be reading the next book in this series.
I expected this to be a bit more about uncovering facts from the Salem witch trial presented in the prologue. However, we never revisit the past and all of our information is given to us by other characters. There is no mystery at all. We get all of the details very early in the story. We also figure that the good guys will win. That takes away much of the motivation I had for finishing the book, but I worked my way through it. If you are a fan of detective type books where it's not so much of a mystery as having the main characters led around and about until they kill the bad guy, then you would probably like this book.
I disliked the other main character team of two cops/detectives, and found myself skimming through their dialogue. A typical cop who doesn't believe in the supernatural and a detective who has a vendetta against a witch he had a run in with previously. They didn't add much to the story, except to take down a few bad guys. Quincy and Libby weren't very developed characters. Most of the story was about chasing down bad guys, not getting to know our characters. I was extremely disappointed that the last 100 or so pages of the book were like a chase scene from a bad action movie. I figured good would triumph over evil in the end, and I couldn't see the point in reading 100 pages of car chases. The killing of the bad guy was another let down-it was over in a paragraph or so. I definitely won't be reading the next book in this series.
I expected this to be a bit more about uncovering facts from the Salem witch trial presented in the prologue. However, we never revisit the past and all of our information is given to us by other characters. There is no mystery at all. We get all of the details very early in the story. We also figure that the good guys will win. That takes away much of the motivation I had for finishing the book, but I worked my way through it. If you are a fan of detective type books where it's not so much of a mystery as having the main characters led around and about until they kill the bad guy, then you would probably like this book.
April 27, 2008
Being a Jim Butcher fan, it was hard to ignore the Butcher quote on the cover "Best manuscript I've ever been asked to read".
Perhaps I expected too much. I did enjoy the book. Gustainis created two strong characters in Quincy Morris--descendant of the Morris who hunted Dracula--and Libby Chastain, white witch.
I think Butcher gave the book such praise because, well, the book "felt" like one of his own early novels. Which is not a bad thing, mind you. Though a bit cliche in parts, something getting more difficult to avoid in the overcrowded urban fantasy explosion, I think the novel works. I'll definitely read Gustainis's next book, expecting his writing to continue to grow. He's already produced a book better than much of the dreck coming out in this overcrowded genre. Here's hoping his next book takes another big step forward.
Perhaps I expected too much. I did enjoy the book. Gustainis created two strong characters in Quincy Morris--descendant of the Morris who hunted Dracula--and Libby Chastain, white witch.
I think Butcher gave the book such praise because, well, the book "felt" like one of his own early novels. Which is not a bad thing, mind you. Though a bit cliche in parts, something getting more difficult to avoid in the overcrowded urban fantasy explosion, I think the novel works. I'll definitely read Gustainis's next book, expecting his writing to continue to grow. He's already produced a book better than much of the dreck coming out in this overcrowded genre. Here's hoping his next book takes another big step forward.
July 3, 2009
This was a good first novel. I enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading the next in the series. However, there were a couple things that really didn't sit well with me. First, Qunicey calls some of his clients "podner". As a Texan, I don't know ANYONE who calls anyone "podner". How fake is that?
Another thing that didn't quite fit were the remarks made about Libby's sexuality. The timing and "banter" about her bisexuality seemed very contrived.
I also would have liked more links between the two investigative teams. The South African/African American investigators were an interesting combination. I don't know if they will return in later books but I found FBI agent Fenton and South African Occult Crimes investigator Van Dreenan to be a very unique pairing. I would like to read more about them and more on how Libby met Van Dreenan.
Another thing that didn't quite fit were the remarks made about Libby's sexuality. The timing and "banter" about her bisexuality seemed very contrived.
I also would have liked more links between the two investigative teams. The South African/African American investigators were an interesting combination. I don't know if they will return in later books but I found FBI agent Fenton and South African Occult Crimes investigator Van Dreenan to be a very unique pairing. I would like to read more about them and more on how Libby met Van Dreenan.
October 25, 2010
I was a little annoyed with the "Texan" accent in the first few pages. Then the "podner" affectation was like nails on a chalk board. Followed by the smarmy comment about string ties. However, what put paid to trying to read this pile of crap was a single word: Wiccunt. Seriously? Wiccunt. That's really beyond obnoxious. Save your money and your time. Don't bother reading this.
Attempted 10-24-2010
Attempted 10-24-2010
April 27, 2023
Kind of a disappointment with this one. I was hoping for a fun Urban Fantasy adventure, and it started out very promising, but it all went downhill after that. Our main characters, the ones the series is named for, disappear for about 70 pages at one point. And the resolution seems really rushed when we finally get to it. And almost laughable. It is ok, but just kind of messy.
March 19, 2022
Tahle kniha slučuje témata a místa, o kterých nesmírně ráda čtu. New Orleans, magie, voodoo... Přesto mě nezaujala tak moc, jak jsem doufala. Vůbec ale není špatná! Oblíbila jsem si oba hlavní hrdiny, zvlášť Libby, a jsem zvědavá, jak to s nimi bude dál.
Tři a půl hvězdy.
Tři a půl hvězdy.
July 28, 2020
Dark and interesting. I liked it enough to try the next one.
April 18, 2022
This was a wonderful ride and felt new and fresh to the urban fantasy genre. It balanced the three different narrative views.
January 3, 2023
No se besan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2011
I gave it a 3, but it's a weak 3. It was just really weird, because it's really two almost entirely unrelated books, making each part feel incomplete. First you have the parts with Quincey and Libby and their paranormal investigation. It started off way too slow, with way too much background on Quincey and just took forever to get into their "case" and to introduce Libby, at least for a book that was billed as being about "the exploits of investigators Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain." I thought both characters had potential, but they weren't well enough developed because not enough time was spent with them with so much time being spent on the second story line. I really liked Libby's good humor and fierce loyalty even more than Quincey's forced good guy personality (podner was an annoying catchphrase), but she was clearly second banana, I hope she's used more in future books. And the paranormal story was a little weak and derivative. It wasn't anything special.
And then at least half of the book, and the most compelling half, was about an FBI agent and his South African counterpart chasing down an occult serial killer. It seemed like it might eventually have something to do with Quincey and Libby's investigation, but it actually never really did. The South African cop, Van Dreenan, called Libby and left her a message on her answering machine at around page 200, and she later did a spell of him without us even seeing it, but the characters never even actually interacted. The reader knows there was a connection between the two stories but the characters never had any idea. I just don't get it at all. The story with Van Dreenan was a decent police procedural and I did enjoy it but I just don't get the point of including it in a Morris and Chaistain book, I wanted to actually read about his heroes. It really was a bizarre choice.
I really liked Gustainis' new book Hard Spell and really recommend you try that one, and I have a feeling that the next book in this series is a lot better as well. In fact, I have a feeling that skipping this one and going right to that one might be a good choice. Although there is some background on the characters in this book, I doubt there is anything that won't be repeated in the next book and I don't think you'll be missing anything by skipping this, as much as I'm usually one for reading every book in a series. I'll try to remember to come back and edit in my comments after I read that book and note if I still agree with that opinion.
And then at least half of the book, and the most compelling half, was about an FBI agent and his South African counterpart chasing down an occult serial killer. It seemed like it might eventually have something to do with Quincey and Libby's investigation, but it actually never really did. The South African cop, Van Dreenan, called Libby and left her a message on her answering machine at around page 200, and she later did a spell of him without us even seeing it, but the characters never even actually interacted. The reader knows there was a connection between the two stories but the characters never had any idea. I just don't get it at all. The story with Van Dreenan was a decent police procedural and I did enjoy it but I just don't get the point of including it in a Morris and Chaistain book, I wanted to actually read about his heroes. It really was a bizarre choice.
I really liked Gustainis' new book Hard Spell and really recommend you try that one, and I have a feeling that the next book in this series is a lot better as well. In fact, I have a feeling that skipping this one and going right to that one might be a good choice. Although there is some background on the characters in this book, I doubt there is anything that won't be repeated in the next book and I don't think you'll be missing anything by skipping this, as much as I'm usually one for reading every book in a series. I'll try to remember to come back and edit in my comments after I read that book and note if I still agree with that opinion.
June 3, 2009
There’s a quote from Jim Butcher on the cover of this book. And since I’m a Harry Dresden (and Harry Potter) addict, a favorable quote from Jim Butcher has to catch my eye. “Keep an eye on Justin Gustainis,” he says. I certainly will. And I’ll be looking out for more in this series.
…So anyway, there was this American called Quincy Morris chasing Dracula long, long ago, and somehow I’d forgotten him. But now his descendant chases evil across America, with the aid of an intriguing white witch called Libby Chastain. They’re fascinating characters in a nicely realized world, with neither antipathy nor loyalty to faith, of Christian or any other ilk, but a deep, and thought-provoking, determination to do what’s right.
Gustainis introduces his characters with finely drawn back stories revealed through intriguing scenes. Even evil characters have backgrounds as well as surprises, but there’s no question at all that evil is wrong. “Believers” and “non-believers” struggle to collaborate, communicate and coexist as the plot thickens. And America’s own Salem witches follow the paths laid out in history, while a white south-African policeman offers aid to the FBI.
I really enjoyed the interplay of Gustainis’ characters, the slow revealing of secrets, and the final surprises in this book. Gustainis has created something really intriguing, and I can imagine searching for his future books just as eagerly as I already look for Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. If you like Harry Dresden, or if you’re looking for a grown-up Hermione Grainger, this is the book for you.
…So anyway, there was this American called Quincy Morris chasing Dracula long, long ago, and somehow I’d forgotten him. But now his descendant chases evil across America, with the aid of an intriguing white witch called Libby Chastain. They’re fascinating characters in a nicely realized world, with neither antipathy nor loyalty to faith, of Christian or any other ilk, but a deep, and thought-provoking, determination to do what’s right.
Gustainis introduces his characters with finely drawn back stories revealed through intriguing scenes. Even evil characters have backgrounds as well as surprises, but there’s no question at all that evil is wrong. “Believers” and “non-believers” struggle to collaborate, communicate and coexist as the plot thickens. And America’s own Salem witches follow the paths laid out in history, while a white south-African policeman offers aid to the FBI.
I really enjoyed the interplay of Gustainis’ characters, the slow revealing of secrets, and the final surprises in this book. Gustainis has created something really intriguing, and I can imagine searching for his future books just as eagerly as I already look for Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. If you like Harry Dresden, or if you’re looking for a grown-up Hermione Grainger, this is the book for you.
April 17, 2012
This is the first book in the Morris & Chastain investigation series, a step into a the dark side of human nature, where a few uncommon folks face off against the sort of persons that live breathe and risk death to inflict pain, terror and death in the name of family feuds and a grasping for power and money.
It's an urban horror setting, where vampires might try to wipe out an entire small Texas town and turn them into ravenous monsters to serve their needs or a witch descendent from the early days of colonial America might seek kill every last living descendent of a woman who testified against hers at the Salem Witch Trials or a South African practitioner might go about murdering children to make an item of power to sell to a rich American businessman.
Quincey Morris is the great grandson of the Quincey Morris that helped destroy Dracula. Libby Chastain is a 'wiccan' white witch that helps strip conmen, fake spiritualists and fraudulent 'healer' priests naked in front of their audiences as the tricksters and cheats that they are, while wielding a small amount of knowledge and power of the real world magics that lie hidden from view. Together they fight evil.
Once you accept the magical conceit of the setting the book becomes interesting, though slightly predictable. It works as a standalone tale, but obviously has the build in hooks for the next novel in the series. It does suffer slightly from the 'sometimes to move the plot, a character has to do the obviously stupid thing' syndrome.
Overall enjoyable and quite readable.
It's an urban horror setting, where vampires might try to wipe out an entire small Texas town and turn them into ravenous monsters to serve their needs or a witch descendent from the early days of colonial America might seek kill every last living descendent of a woman who testified against hers at the Salem Witch Trials or a South African practitioner might go about murdering children to make an item of power to sell to a rich American businessman.
Quincey Morris is the great grandson of the Quincey Morris that helped destroy Dracula. Libby Chastain is a 'wiccan' white witch that helps strip conmen, fake spiritualists and fraudulent 'healer' priests naked in front of their audiences as the tricksters and cheats that they are, while wielding a small amount of knowledge and power of the real world magics that lie hidden from view. Together they fight evil.
Once you accept the magical conceit of the setting the book becomes interesting, though slightly predictable. It works as a standalone tale, but obviously has the build in hooks for the next novel in the series. It does suffer slightly from the 'sometimes to move the plot, a character has to do the obviously stupid thing' syndrome.
Overall enjoyable and quite readable.
April 8, 2011
When I read the title of this book I had my doubts "Black Magic Woman"? That's a pretty poor title for the book, and that picture on the front? After reading the book I still can't figure out who that is supposed to be. The title and picture did not accurately portray what the book was about, BUT I can get past that. The one thing that gave me hope that the book might not be so bad was the endorsement on the front by Jim Butcher, and reading in the acknowledgments section that Gustainis aspires to write books like Butcher's. Having read many of Butcher's books I'd say that this book is in a definitely similar style to Butcher's "The Dresden Files". And Mr. Gustainis is well on his way to his goal.
It offers mystery, intrigue, supernatural beings, all the things I love. There are also several different plot lines seen from the perspectives of several different characters in different settings. All the different plot lines are connected and tie together at the end. I think this element was what I liked best about the book, it was more complex in that regard then some of the books I've read lately. The one thing missing was romance, this book is really a supernatural detective novel. Not having romance wasn't a bad thing, but if that's what you're looking for, you might be disappointed.
Bottom line: An entertaining read, plenty of action and adventure. I would recommend it for fans of Jim Butcher and The Dresden Files.
It offers mystery, intrigue, supernatural beings, all the things I love. There are also several different plot lines seen from the perspectives of several different characters in different settings. All the different plot lines are connected and tie together at the end. I think this element was what I liked best about the book, it was more complex in that regard then some of the books I've read lately. The one thing missing was romance, this book is really a supernatural detective novel. Not having romance wasn't a bad thing, but if that's what you're looking for, you might be disappointed.
Bottom line: An entertaining read, plenty of action and adventure. I would recommend it for fans of Jim Butcher and The Dresden Files.
November 21, 2011
I picked this up after reading the quote from Jim Butcher 'Best manuscript I've been asked to read'. Either Jim Butcher was drunk when he wrote this or he has not been asked to read a lot of manuscripts!
The story itself was kind of bland. A supernatural investigator (Descendent of a hunter of Dracula) and his white witch associate are called in to protect a family who, thanks to the wife, are at the mercy of a black magic practitioner. The wife is descended from a white witch who during the salem witch trial era outed a black witch after she saw her praying to the devil. The black witch's daughter swore vengeance and since then her and her descendents have tried to kill off the white witch's line.
To make the story a little more unique the evil witch hires a south african witch to create a powerful curse for her.
There really isn't anything that hasn't been done before. The main character could be someone interesting but other than finding out that he is the descendent of the character 'Morris' in Dracula the author does not elaborate any further. Even though the story is bland, the investigator and his white witch associate are interesting characters. The story is well written, especially the dialogue between the two lead characters. I would have preferred if the case were secondary and the story of Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain was the primary tale being told. I would recommend this but only if you can pick up a copy at your local library
The story itself was kind of bland. A supernatural investigator (Descendent of a hunter of Dracula) and his white witch associate are called in to protect a family who, thanks to the wife, are at the mercy of a black magic practitioner. The wife is descended from a white witch who during the salem witch trial era outed a black witch after she saw her praying to the devil. The black witch's daughter swore vengeance and since then her and her descendents have tried to kill off the white witch's line.
To make the story a little more unique the evil witch hires a south african witch to create a powerful curse for her.
There really isn't anything that hasn't been done before. The main character could be someone interesting but other than finding out that he is the descendent of the character 'Morris' in Dracula the author does not elaborate any further. Even though the story is bland, the investigator and his white witch associate are interesting characters. The story is well written, especially the dialogue between the two lead characters. I would have preferred if the case were secondary and the story of Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain was the primary tale being told. I would recommend this but only if you can pick up a copy at your local library
March 13, 2011
I liked the vampire hunting part at the beginning of the book and I think I'd have liked this book if that had been what his cases were. I liked the Salem witches link. I liked our hero.
So why then did I abandon the book?
Well the second story about the South African agent hunting down the voodoo woman totally bored me and I wanted to skip these sections every time they appeared. The two cops were one dimensional with no personality and the plot died with every appearance by the Chuckle Brothers.
It also took a long time before the heroes tackled the haunted house and it was just very slow. This book had potential and maybe I'll read later books in a series like this if the vampires are back.
So why then did I abandon the book?
Well the second story about the South African agent hunting down the voodoo woman totally bored me and I wanted to skip these sections every time they appeared. The two cops were one dimensional with no personality and the plot died with every appearance by the Chuckle Brothers.
It also took a long time before the heroes tackled the haunted house and it was just very slow. This book had potential and maybe I'll read later books in a series like this if the vampires are back.
April 11, 2010
I've been looking for a truly good dark fantasy-type of book, and I'd just about given up hope until I came across Black Magic Woman. Gustainis' novel has it all - intrigue and suspense; some truly creepy moments; and dark, biting humor. What truly impressed me was how real Quincy and Libby seemed, not only on an individual basis, but in their interactions with each other. They're flawed people with good intentions and dry wit, which is always a good combination, in my view. The plot itself was original and fast-paced, and never predictable. I truly enjoyed the book from start to finish, and I can't wait for the next installment in the series.
December 10, 2013
I enjoyed this book immensely despite some initial misgivings. My issue with the book is that it threw a great deal at readers early and it is almost too much. In the first 30-40 pages we are being introduced to multiple characters and two main story lines. I frequently found myself wondering exactly who this character was or how that person related to the story. It made for some hard reading. The good news is that if you stick with it you are in for a real pleasant reward. The book's two story lines come together and the characters all fall into place. At times I couldn't put the book down. It was riveting in places.
September 3, 2015
A woman is killed in the Salem witch trials. She vows that all in the line of her accuser will die. Present day, a family is being terrorized in their home. They turn to Quincey Morris, and occult investigator for help. With the help of Libby Chastain, a powerful white witch, they promise to find who's responsible. Meanwhile, the bodies of children with their organs removed are turning up. Are they connected? Are Morris and Chastain powerful enough to stop them? I saw that this book didn't get the best of ratings, but tried it anyway. I'm glad I did, because I thought it was really good and plan to read more in the series.
December 3, 2008
I ran across Black Magic Woman online quite by accident. This is the first book in the Quincey Morris supernatural investigator series. Honestly, I tend to gravitate towards female paranormal authors first (sorry guys), yet something about the title just grabbed my attention...
For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal Review site on the web, Bitten By Books for the review of Black Magic Woman in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.
For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal Review site on the web, Bitten By Books for the review of Black Magic Woman in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.
March 26, 2009
#1 Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation UF series
Vampires, curses, demons, witches (black and white), voodoo, werewolves ... you name the supe, the reader will most probably encounter it in Black Magic Woman.
Quincey Morris and white witch Libby Chastain investigate a Wisconsin family's evil ghost/poltergeist/entity, and must deal with a whole host of exciting creatures.
Very good UF - I'm looking forward to #2 Evil Ways.
Did I mention toads raining from the sky?!
Vampires, curses, demons, witches (black and white), voodoo, werewolves ... you name the supe, the reader will most probably encounter it in Black Magic Woman.
Quincey Morris and white witch Libby Chastain investigate a Wisconsin family's evil ghost/poltergeist/entity, and must deal with a whole host of exciting creatures.
Very good UF - I'm looking forward to #2 Evil Ways.
Did I mention toads raining from the sky?!
March 16, 2015
My introduction to the works of Justin Gustainis was through his three-part "Occult Crimes Unit Investigation" series. I was impressed enough with that series to devour them back to back.
So, at the outset of a another Gustainis series, I have to say that my sentiment is much the same. I am thoroughly impressed! I am looking forward to working my way through this series with the same zeal in which I tackled the previous.
A fine start to another series!
4 STARS
So, at the outset of a another Gustainis series, I have to say that my sentiment is much the same. I am thoroughly impressed! I am looking forward to working my way through this series with the same zeal in which I tackled the previous.
A fine start to another series!
4 STARS
June 11, 2009
I'm afraid this book goes into my toss pile. I didn't find it all that original and it seemed the author was trying too hard to be all things to all readers. The secondary characters were by far the most interesting and it's too bad he didn't give them more space in the book. The ending was rather lackluster and predictable as well.
October 8, 2009
I wasn't that impressed. If you want another magic detective with witch helper...you might find it your cup of tea. I got through it. Readable.
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