Evil Ways

Morris & Chastain Investigation #2

by Justin Gustainis

A Quincey Morris supernatural investigation.

Supernatural investigator Quincey Morris and his partner Libby Chastain, investigate a series of murders where white witches are being hunted and killed - and Libby may be next on the list. From Iraq to America, a trail of clues is pointing to eccentric billionaire, Walter Grobius, a man fascinated with a devastating evil that can be traced back to biblical times. What's more, it seems he may well be involved in a sick scheme for white supremacy across the USA, and Morris and Chastain find themselves in their most epic case as they look to prevent the apocalypse from being released.

Evil Ways continues the electrifying new series of supernatural thrillers following the exploits of investigators Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Supernatural, Mystery, Witches

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Justin 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

Reviews

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the first book was better, and the main reason was this second book just felt very sexually exploitative to me. Some of the dialogue and scenes were downright cringe-worthy. As far as the story ideas, that was interesting, but I wish that it had gone a different way. I don't think I'm extremely prudish, but the way this book made me wince made feel like the author was out to be as transgressive as he could get away with. Yeah, if you have some sexual content triggers, give this one a pass.

This book is definitely not for readers who like urban fantasy free of sexual subject matter. Sometimes, it's about dialogue that just does not feel authentic or corny, and not so much the subject matter. I definitely felt like the dialogue was way corny in parts. I like Quincey a lot, but some of his lines are really hackneyed. I would literally wince at times.

Honestly, I don't think the fact that Libby is bisexual is handled well. It's played as something titillating as opposed to an authentic aspect of who she is as a person. It's not so much Libby, as she's a very mature, centered person who is confident of who she is, but how other characters interact with her in light of her sexuality. It was another thing that bothered me about the book.

I know this review is kind of harsh. I just wanted better, since I quite enjoyed the first book. I think the author just got in his own way with this book and how he handled the subject matter.

It could be a YMMV kind of thing. If a reader likes this take on magic and sexuality, then that's great. I'm not really looking for that sort of thing in my urban fantasy. I really like urban fantasy with evil witches, but can I get without all that mess please?

I should probably give this 2.5 stars, but I'm rounding up to three.

[Kelly]

I enjoyed Justin Gustainis's debut novel, Black Magic Woman, quite a bit. Highlights included the partnership between protagonists Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain, the originality of using a wide variety of world magical/religious traditions in the story rather than focusing on just one, and the tangled ethics of witch-hunting when the "witch" is real and malevolent. Gustainis worked all of these elements into an action-packed plot that held my attention from beginning to end. I was looking forward to seeing what he did next.

Unfortunately, the sequel, Evil Ways, is missing almost everything except the action. The exploration of diverse magical paths is gone. The ethical quandaries are gone; good guys are Good and bad guys are Bad. Even the Morris/Chastain partnership is missing some of its zing. Both characters seem flatter than they did in Black Magic Woman. What's left is nonstop action, and so you may enjoy Evil Ways if what you're after is simply that. It goes kind of like this: Bad guys attack redshirt good guys. Redshirt good guys die. Bad guys attack important good guys. Important good guys fight them off and survive. Lather, rinse, repeat. Sometimes, for variety, the bad guys kill each other instead of the good guys.

And the bad guys kill children. If you've read Black Magic Woman, you may recall that the baddies murdered children for their organs. That plotline gets recycled in Evil Ways. Use child-murder once, and it's shocking. Use it again, and it starts to feel like shorthand. (See how bad these guys are? They kill kids!) Maybe Gustainis wrote himself into a corner by putting child-murder in the first novel. After that, what can you do to tell the reader that this new crop of baddies is even worse than the last?

I'm only halfway through the book, and despite the constant shooting, hexing, and mutilating, I'm bored. I give up.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Rating* 4.0
*Genre* Dark Fantasy/Demons/Witches/Other

*Review*

Evil Ways is the second story in the Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation and follows a really nasty warlock named Pardee and his ultra-rich boss Walter Globius, as they ready themselves for the coming of Walpurgis Night and the event that will change the course of history. Globius was first introduced in Black Magic Woman as the man behind the scenes guiding his murderous followers in their attempt to gather body parts for his ceremony.

Pardee has declared war against the Sisterhood of the Right Hand--also known as white witches because he doesn’t want them to interfere in his world domination plans. One of his main targets happens to be Elizabeth (Libby) Chastain who he had a prior confrontation with; one that ended badly for Pardee.

In the meantime, Quincey Morris is taking care of some business at the home of a warlock that has been killing children and ends up being blackmailed by FBI Special Agent Dale Fenton and his new white witch partner Colleen O'Donnell into helping them with their case. Since the two cases are related, Quincey agrees.

My favorite character over the course of this story was Hannah Widmark. Hannah, nicknamed the Widowmaker, hunts down and kills anyone, including supernatural beings that have harmed humans. She also has a personal stake in this story since Pardee took something truly valuable away from her. Hannah, Quincy, and Libby also have a prior history together which leads to differences of opinions on how to handle Pardee’s threat.

The one thing that actually puzzled me over the course of this story was the fact that Pardee and his hired killers were able to sneak up on the white witches and eliminate nearly a dozen of them before the realization that something apocalyptic was happening around them. They didn't somehow didn't even realize that a major event was happening and they may have to be ready for it. In this case, Gustainis made the villains much smarter than the goody guys.

In Evil Ways, the villains are already known to us from the first few chapters of the book. We know Grobius from Black Magic Woman and his intentions to lengthen his life. We know why they are going after a certain bunch of people and what Pardee has in store for Chastain when he captures her.

We can only hope that the good guys show up in time to stop really bad things from happening before it’s too late to stop it. We also wonder to ourselves how many will fall by the wayside before the villains are finally stopped in their tracks.

I often find myself surprised when I come across a story that has nearly everything I want and enjoy out of my reading: suspense, mystery, fantastic lead protagonists, big bad villains that are hard to kill, and an ending that leaves me chasing after the next book in the series to see where Quincey and Libby go from here.

Then I wonder if I am reading the same book as others after seeing DNF or ratings less than 2 stars or those who say to avoid the series at all costs because it’s nasty and dirty. I guess we all strive to get something out of the books we read, and when we don’t, like constant sexual escapades between the two main characters, we turn away from the series and attack it. I respect your opinions; always will. We can just agree to disagree on this series and move on.

Gustainis definitely knows how to create a dark universe with fun and interesting characters who struggle against the dark forces surrounding them. I would wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the Dark Fantasy genre, yet at the same time, warn that there may be some disturbing aspects to this storyline.

Justin Gustainis
Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation
1. Black Magic Woman (2008)
2. Evil Ways (2008)
3. Sympathy for the Devil (2009)

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

a bit more cohesive than the first one, and Morris doesn't say Pohdna has much. Toned that down so palatable. Crazy storyline, and these people don't hesitate to do what is necessary. can be pretty gnarly. Look forward to the next one

[Angela]

28 January 2016: $2.99 on Kindle

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as strong as the first book and some villain clichés get pushed but still highly enjoyable.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading this, I had a feeling that I am supposed to watch this, not read it.
Each scene has different set of characters: Libby and Quincey are trying to figure out who or what is trying to kill Libby and later figuring out how to stop the bad guys, Colleen O'Donnell and Fenton are investigating murders similar to the ones from the first book, Pardee and Grobius are preparing for a special ceremony and so on. It would look great if it were a film. It was certainly written as if it is supposed to be watched.
Hanna wasn't in the first book. I found her one-dimensional. Quincey hired her to be Libby's bodyguard. She hunts monsters, but we didn't get any other side of her.
One disturbing thing was what Colleen did to find out the name of Pardee's boss. I get the explanation we got in the book, but I didn't buy it (they need it desperately?). She was abused by her father and I am supposed to buy 'Sisters taught me to exit my body while things are being done to it, so I won't feel it' is enough. That alone should have made Fenton beg her not to do it. Maybe I am wrong, but it just didn't sit well with me. Other than that, I liked her. Hopefully, she will appear in the next book too.

[Nuranar · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the first book, Evil Ways was somewhat a disappointment. Once again, although these are billed as "Morris and Chastain" adventures, only half of the book is actually about Morris and Chastain. The rest follows agent Fenton once again (with a new partner), and again, more bad guy POV.

The plot itself was stronger than the first book's, partially because the first book's function was to set up this one.

I was left disappointed, though, and I think it's because the author isn't really delivering much of a climax. It was true of the first book - it was over way too quick - and this one, although having one heck of an Evil Plot, was taken down with way too much ease. These books start great, with Quincey in action, and then giving Libby her turn. But although there's good action along the way, the story is dividing too strongly into separate threads, and the conclusions just don't justify the complexity.

I'll be reading the third and hope to get a pleasant surprise - I'm an optimist!

[Schnaucl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think this book was as strong as the first book but I still enjoyed it. The last book had a stronger emphasis on the maturity of the main characters and that was on of the things that made it really stand out from other urban fantasy series.

There was a brief crossover with Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series which didn't really have a purpose but I thought was still enjoyable. Understandably, Harry couldn't make an appearance, but one of the characters does know him and they had a drink at Mac's bar. It also messed up the magic system a little since under Butcher's system all magic users fall under the rule of the Council, but oh well. It's worth it just to have them almost cross paths.

There was a little too much jumping around between points of view for me. I wish he'd just focus on Quincy and Libby.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that Justin wrote a great book. I like the secondary characters and wonder if we will see them anymore in the future books. It was very sad to read his dedication to his wife...

[Arabis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was less keen on this than 'Black Magic Woman'. Not sure I'd bother with the next in the series when it comes out.

[Jeremiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a better buildup to the finale, but the finale itself was a huge let down. In some ways it seemed like the whole thing was a ripoff of The Princess Bride. (and considering how much other pop culture Gustainis has plundered, maybe it was!)

These books would be much better served if they focused on the main characters, but they are barely in the book! The villains are given as much weight, if not slightly more.

Another thing I'm noticing more, is that Gustainis does not have a good ear for dialogue. Most of the time when I'm bored in a book, I skim and look for dialogue, but his books cause me to skim the dialogue! Conversations seem to take twice as long as they need to.

I will still go on to the third book, but after that, who knows...

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is too long for the amount of plot in it -- two sets of investigators working a puzzle from either end, plus all the villain's-eye-view stuff, makes for a very slow third act. While the namedropping of other fictional wizards is amusing, there's not very much character development. Also, I found it so unlikely that an FBI agent would do what she did to get some information. I wanted to like this book, but it was too difficult.

[Duane Gosser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second installment of the series keeps up the pace and fun. As an aside, the series seems so far to have been misnamed as Libby does the vast majority of the heavy lifting. Quincey is an excellent sidekick.

[Carey Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent second novel in a series. It was paced well and introduced some new characters while including characters, besides the main two, from the first book. We learned more about the antagonists this go round. It's more an adventure or mystery than a horror story.

[Lucie Aran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do této série, se mi nějak nedaří začíst. Už s prvním dílem jsem trochu bojovala a i když je druhá kniha napsaná čtivě a příběh poměrně zajímavý, nějak se mi to stále nedaří. Prostě to není ono. Vzhledem k tomu, že do češtiny byly přeloženy jen tři díly, přečtu si časem i ten poslední, ale spíš jen proto, že nerada nechávám rozečtené série.

[Ivona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Další zajímavá a napínavá oddechovka. :)

[alansplace · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are 6 books in this series and I plan to read them all.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting, thrilling, full of blood and gore, just as I like it!

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. První díl se mi líbil víc. Tento byl na mě až příliš akční, mám ráda komornější příběhy. Třetí díl (poslední vydaný v češtině) si asi ještě přečtu, ale zbytek už nechám plavat.

[Milo · Rating 3 out of 5]

After relatively enjoying Black Magic Woman, the first novel in the Morris and Chastain Investigations, I delved into Evil Ways and got, more or less a similar quality of writing from Gustainis.

Almost a year after the events in the previous book, we rejoin the Private Investigator Quincey Morris along with characters first introduced in Black Magic Woman, with Agent Fenton of the FBI returning to steal some of the attention away from Morris and Chastain, and keep the same problem that I had with the first book still lingering around, it’s a Morris and Chastain investigation, but we want to learn more about Fenton than we do Morris and Chastain.

White witches are being hunted down and killed and seems as though Libby is next on the list. Quincey Morris however, finds himself on the trail of a series of murders were young children are having their eternal organs taken from them. With the aid of Fenton and some other colleges, they must track down the source of the persons responsible, and all clues seem to lead to the mad, dying billionaire Walter Grobius, who hopes to make himself immortal.

And as Walpurgis Night draws closer, time is running out.

The characters are, like with the first instalment, intriguing, the banter between Libby and Quincey is still there, although not as much – and there is also a visit to Chicago, where a character from another popular urban fantasy (Cough Dresden Files Cough) is mentioned, with the permission of Jim Butcher of course.

I avoid urban fantasy like the plague normally, and I there are very few exceptions, as I don’t particularly like the ‘two people from different backgrounds where one is normally some sort of supernatural being fall in love’ storyline that seems to be popular with urban fantasy nowadays, but to those that are looking for a change in the genre, Evil Ways provides a refreshing break and is enjoyable particularly if you are a fan of the Dresden Files. After all, there is a visit to Chicago.

The locations in this story play as much part as the characters themselves. Chicago is not only the sole destination for the characters in this novel as the storyline takes to places as varied and as a wide as Iraq. This helps the change the pace in the storyline and adds to the sense of danger involved in this novel, which Gustainis has done a brilliant job of inventing, with short points of views from the attacked witches as well as the bad guys themselves.

Evil Ways is a dark and violent urban fantasy, with a quick read made enjoyable by Gustainis’ mostly strong prose and, when combined with the fact that you don’t have to read Black Magic Woman before you read Evil Ways, which makes it a nice touch particularly if you’re looking to start Gustainis’ series.

From the way that Gustainis dropped a load of spells, rituals, symbols and certain set of rule-abiding incantations, you can tell that he did a large amount of research into the occult during the process of writing the novel, making Evil Ways seem more ‘real’ in a sense than some of the other urban fantasy stuff on the market.

There is a lot of action in here as well, that keeps the novel moving despite the fact that there aren’t that many twists involved. The next fault that I’m going to say here isn’t Gustainis’s, but it’s more of mine, and that’s because I picked the series up late, thus making the story more predictable than it would’ve been if I hadn’t had read it upon its release date.

All that said though, bring on Sympathy for the Devil! The excerpt attached to the back of the book makes it look more entrancing than it first was, and the third book’s blurb was what made me want to pick up this series, other than the fact that it was by Justin Gustainis, whose Hard Spell novel was immensely enjoyable. And on that bombshell:

Rating: 3.5/5

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children are being ritually killed again, and white witches are being assassinated. Quincey and Libby join forces to try to stop the killings, and wind up uncovering a plot that could destroy the world. Crossed over with Dresden Files a bit.

[Shomeret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amy Lane, who is one of my favorite authors, recently wrote a blog essay complaining about the number of times reviewers in the blogosphere admonish authors to "Show don't tell" when that isn't what they mean at all. They often mean that the book is written in omniscient perspective when they prefer first person. She then illustrated how it's possible to show instead of telling through omniscient narrative. It's absolutely true that a good writer can manage this very well, but many of those who use the omniscient perspective skimp on descriptions of the characters' experiences.

For example, in this novel Gustainis tells us that a witch character "uttered a quick invocation against panic". He didn't tell us anything about the invocation. An invocation means that a power is invoked. What power does this character work with? This is a fairly important matter when it comes to witches. I get much less of an impression of who this character is and where she's coming from without this information. So she's a witch, but what sort of witch? Witches come in more flavors than the two mentioned in this book (white and black). That's a vast over-simplification. Based on this book, I think that Gustainis' concept of "white" magic is somewhat vague and abstract.

Gustainis does describe "black" magic in great detail, but they are all cliches from bad novels and horror movies. There is an excerpt from the next book in the series that is more of the same. I think I'll give it a miss.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evil Ways is the second book in a supernatural detective series. Quincey and Libby are once again investigating some wicked magic. As before, it takes a combination of magical and non-magical know how to get them through. I like this series because it’s a little different in the world of Urban Fantasy. Male POVs are hard to come by in this genre, especially an all human one. Quincey Morris is a likable normal guy, holding his own amidst unnatural circumstances. Qunicey’s magic tricks are compliments of trusted partner Libby Chastain, a refreshingly well-balanced white witch. The storytelling style of this series is also a bit unique. The shifting POVS lend a police procedural feel to the supernatural suspense. It takes a little getting used to, but it’s a nice change of pace.

I liked the 2nd book in the series even better than the first, mainly because I found the secondary characters more compelling, and the connections between all of the characters more satisfying. For anyone missing their damaged, kick-butt heroine, there’s a bit of Hannah Widmark to fill the gap. And bonus points for the Dresden Files crossover. Great fun for Dresden addicts, without adversely impacting the unfamiliar readers.

Quincey and Libby make a great team. Hopefully the author will continue in the “Morris and Chastain” direction, as the understated yet convincing partnership is one of my favorite aspects of the series.

[Lori S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evil running amok, killing little kids for their organs, a Black Magician who comes across as a spoiled little boy who did not get his way and several people intent on stopping the coming of, well, the END. Though Gustainis writes a fairly good story, his dialogue can be quite clunky and awkward at times and I think he tries too hard to explain stuff that should be obvious to the reader. Still, I enjoyed this book.

This is the name dropping book and I found myself wondering just how close to copyright you can skim before tipping over the edge ...

~The characters go to Chicago chasing leads down and with the intent to speak with Harry "Chicago's resident wizard" Dresden. They also visit Mac's Bar. While in Chicago, Morris tries to get in touch with Carl Kolchak but Tony is less than cooperative. LOL

~Hannah Widmark, the woman Morris hires to watch his and Libby Chastain's backs, was trained to shoot Colt .45s by a guy named Cranston ... cue eerie laugh.

~Even the X-Files gets named checked!

I'm not to sure who Frank in the text is, or what the whole fist shake he shares with Hannah is, though it could be just Gustainis' own addition to his universe. I kind of wonder if he wasn't trying for a reference to Supernatural.

I'm beginning to think there ought to to be a convention of wizards, magic workers, monster hunters etc. including Harry, Alex Verus, Quincy Morris & Libby Chastain, Peter Grant, the Winchesters ...

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVIL WAYS is a fab mixture of grim and humor, just the way I like my UF. A little snark, a lotta magical mayhem. And the good guys to step in and stomp on Evil after proving to the nonbelievers that Evil, magical Evil, exists and it needs eradicating.




I had a difficult time with an aspect of the story, the child mutilations and murders. It was handled as well as could be expected and I kind of skimmed those.


This is one of the best UF series out there. Justin Gustainis adds these neat little touches thoughout the book. Like the mention of Harry Dresden when Morris and Chastain reach Chicago as well as meeting in Mac's pub that Harry likes to frequent.


Or that news reporter in Chicago, Carl, is mentioned. A reporter who investigates supernatural stories when his boss isnt' sending him out to cover flower shows. Could this be Kolchak?


Black witch, Christine Abernathy, mentioned....she died of snake poison, but no snakes anywhere....from BLACK MAGIC WOMAN. *shudder*


I do love this series and can't wait to read the third, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL. As well as really anything that Justin writes. http://www.justingustainis.com/ to keep up with his goin's on.




Five Evil stompin' beans.....

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second case for Morris and Chastain ramps up the intensity of the first case. Someone, in fact a group of someones, are killing children and harvesting their organs. Morris is blackmailed by FBI Agent Dale Fenton and his new white witch partner Colleen O'Donnell to investigate the case. Meanwhile, someone is targeting and killing white witches and have made a few unsuccessful attempts to kill Libby Chastain.

Quincey has Libby join him to help with his investigation and to protect her too. To provide additional protection, he enlists Hannah Widmark who is another very dangerous character. Both the FBI investigation and Quincy and Libby's investigation start pointing the same direction. A black magician named Lewis Pardee is planning something big. Like, lay waste to the Earth big.

Pardee is funded by zillionaire Walter Grobius who is hoping for healing from his terminal illness and extended life. Pardee has other goals. The action is tense in this one. I love the relationship between Quincey and Libby. They are friends and partners but have no romantic interest in each other. Both respect the other's competence and together they are a very formidable team.

This was another great urban fantasy that was filled with action and adventure.

[Deborah Replogle · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this novel had promise, it really wasn't as strong as his first book Black Magic Woman. The idea was good, and the plot followed through in a believable manner up to a point. But his descriptive narrative really needs some work. There were several pieces brought in that really weren't necessary to the plot - for example the need for the white witches to take three buses instead of two. The part of the story that really made me wonder what was going through his mind was when the White Witch Libby, lying naked and supposed unconscious on the marble alter, draws a wand out of her vagina to aid in her escape. That's really a stretch for an escape mechanism. While the author doesn't say one way or another, I am quite sure no woman in her right mind would put an inflexible item such as that in her vagina. They'd be looking at a case of a perforated vaginal wall or uterus. And it couldn't have been very long, either, as I don't believe any woman's vagina is all that long - Netdoctor. states they are probably around 4 inches long. It really just blew the suspension of disbelief for the story.

[Joseph Farand · Rating 4 out of 5]

EVIL WAYS is the second book in Gustainis's Morris and Chastain Investigation series. Quincy Morris in "persuaded" to help the FBI when the ritalistic killing of childrens expands nationwide, implying some sort of conspiracy. A more open-minded Agent Fenton is put in charge of the case and his new partner is an agent with "special abilities". Meanwhile white witches are being killed and Libby seems to be a special target. We also see the return of the mysterious billionaire Grobius from BLACK MAGIC WOMAN and his diabolical plan is finally revealed. This novel is more fast-paced, exciting than the first and both story lines converge for a climatic supernatural showdown. Also returning are the references to other supernatural/horror books and shows. Fans of the Dresden Files will recognize a certain bar and they get information from Frank Black from the Millenium TV series. I highly recommend this series.

[Fred Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 2nd entry in this series. Not bad, but nowhere near as good as the 3rd entry, "Sympathy for the Devil". I suppose this author is to be congratulated for creating a series that only improved as it went on. This particular novel suffered from something that has been bothering me lately about a lot of horror stories: The writers seem to think that they need lots of cute and sarcastic banter. I find it distracting and annoying and takes away from the realism that the characters are facing evil and the possible loss of their lives. I also could not follow how the "good guys" figured out where the "bad guys" were operating geographically, and I flipped through the book in frustration to see what I missed. In short, if you only want to read one book in this series, pick "Sympathy for the Devil", but I won't go so far as to say this one is a waste of your time.