Hard Spell (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation) (edizione 2011)

Conceptually I really enjoyed this one and the ideas behind it, because I've always been an urban fantasy fan, but overall I felt like it was too heavy on the exposition and too light on the characterization. Still, for a fun read I'd pick up more in the same universe.

I used to be a Law & Order junkie. I watched every incarnation of the show. As soon as I started reading this book, I had to laugh, as it immediately struck me as Law & Order detectives investigate the paranormal. The voice is thick and heavy, abounding with profanity and dry wit, with a gravelly noire feel. Sure, it's a cliche, but one that has some truth to it from what I've seen. Plus, why mess with a good formula? You have a cop who recently lost his partner. You have the new partner, who you're not sure about trusting yet. There's the boss who's about as prickly as a porcupine. Family drama. A loathing of vampires, and yet a case now where the vamps are the murder vics--so you have to set aside your prejudices and do the damn job.

Really, the fun of the book is because it does follow the cop show tropes, yet subverts them with paranormal twists every so often. Like the acronym SWAT: Sacred Weapons and Tactics Unit. They bring along holy water, silver bullets, a cop with samurai swords, a flamethrower, and a minister, rabbi, and Jesuit to pray together and nullify any nasty black magic.

I read a lot of urban fantasy. I can be jaded about the genre at times. This one is fresh and fun. It reminds me of what I loved about Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander, where a nurse works the hidden paranormal wing of a hospital. ( )

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A suspense filled supernatural detective story, with a little day-to-day realism thrown in for good measure.

Opening Sentence: This is the city – Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The Review:

Here is what I like about Hard Spell; the detectives come across like their real counterparts. Real police officers have to put themselves into real danger, and are forced to make split second decisions with lasting consequences. Given their inherently important jobs, I still like to think of them as everyday people that also have to deal with everyday mundane issues. Hard Spell is a story of a supernatural cop’s life. His every action feels genuine. Stan Markowski has problems relating to his daughter, has a crush on a co-worker, and tries doing his best while on the job. Can’t ask for more “real” than that.

In Markowski’s world, supernaturals are an everyday occurrence; and like all good citizens, there are the police that are there to uphold the law. So when its looks like a string of murders are tied to a missing powerful and forbidden grimorie, the men in blue are on the job. With the help of a witch consultant, an enigmatic and influential vampire, and old-fashioned crime solving techniques, Markowski and his partner, Karl Renfer, are on the hunt. They have to stop a potentially deadly incantation that may “spell” doom for humans and supes alike.

This story is very similar to the movie, Blade 2. Supernatural and human banding together to stop a “super” supernatural that threatens both factions. Though the story isn’t new, the delivery and prose are. Each character has very “human” flaws that make them relatable: Markowski harbors an unnatural hatred toward vampires, which his daughter happens to be, Christine looks for her father’s acceptance of her newly undead nature even though he is the one responsible for her becoming a vampire in the first place, and Vollman the vampire withholds vital information on the case for very personal reasons. Even Markowski’s relationship with his new partner, Renfer, exhibits the tentative but growing trust between men that occur when you are responsible for each other lives.

Even though there is no real love interest, Markowski is still a guy. He makes mention of a certain lovely married lady that he appreciates visually but refuses to go any farther with. He is a man of ethics and fortitude. I like the fact that he notices her without making it more than what it is; a fantasy. Good man.

The other thing to make a note of in this book is the world itself. Supernaturals are a large part of their world. They are accepted much like racial, sexual, and religious differences are for us in this day in age; not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. Discrimination is still prevalent, but not government sanctioned. City and government officials take their special abilities into account and apply the law accordingly. I really enjoyed the new take on the S.W.A.T. team: Sacred Weapons and Tactics. Classic!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this paranormal crime story. A perfect blend of criminal justice and paranormal mayhem. This is a gem found among the multitude of similarly themed books.

Notable Scene:

A hundred feet or so ahead, a black cat was just starting to lead three of her kittens across the wide street. I’m fond of animals, so I figured I’d better speed up a little- that way, I’d be past them and gone before they reached my side of the road. I could’ve just slowed down and let them go first, but that would mean a black cat – hell, four of them – would be crossing my path. I’m not superstitious or anything, but I still thought that was a bad idea.

Turned out I was right.

Because if I hadn’t speeded up right about then, the dead body that fell on top of us would have gone right through the windshield, instead of just putting a humongous dent in the roof.

Close to two hundred pounds of dead weight moving that fast – it might well have killed one or both of us if it had gone through the glass, or at least hurt us pretty bad.

But we were fine. Being scared shitless doesn’t count. Or so they tell me.

FTC Advisory: The author provided me with a copy of Hard Spell. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payments I receive are hugs and kisses from my little boys. ( )

Fairly standard sort of stuff. Experienced cop - at least in somewhere slightly different - although it is ho-hum USA again - has to deal with supernatural people as part of his job. Your vampires, werewolves, witches, etc.

Lose a partner, have a colleague get possessed and a daughter monsterised, that sort of thing. Certainly not up to the standard or interest of the Morris and Chastain novels, unfortunately.

http://freesf.strandedinoz.com/wordpress/2012/03/hard-spell-justin-gustainis/ ( )

Scranton is a good place to raise a family with a “live and let unlive” relationship with its vampires, werewolves, ghouls, wizards and occasional demons. When the supernatural element gets out of control, Stan Markowski will be hot on their trail. American as a whole has been coming to terms with the supernaturals and it has been a bumpy ride. Scranton is a hotbed for the supernatural community because of all the intersecting ley lines. Markowski and his partner Paul di Napoli, as part of The Occult and Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit, deals with meth-head goblins and others on a daily basis. Sometimes and it can go very wrong which it did one night and the result is Paul’s death.

Now Markowski is put with a newbi, Karl Renfer, and together they are out spelling zombies and crashing occult summoning rituals. On one such run, Renfer proves himself to Markowski by saving his life. Now, they must work together because there is a big bad spell being worked on from the Opus Mago and it involves five sacrifices and the body count is already climbing. When they try to have their local witch, Rachel Proctor, summon the wizard originally entrusted (and murdered) with the Opus Mago, the wizard possesses Rachel and is out for his own revenge against his torturer.

Loved the CSI/Supernatural old time detective theme. Markowski is a tough detective but as you learn more about him, you find out that he is a complicated man with mixed emotions about supernaturals (his daughter is a vampire). Storyline keeps moving and there are twists that keep the reader’s interest. Justin Gustainsis did a superb job in crafting all his characters and I look forward to reading Evil Dark when it is released. If you love a hard nose detective novel but want a mixture of the creature factor, Hard Spell is a good read for you. ( )