Hard Spell (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation)
“A cool mix of cop show and creature feature. Gustainis had me at ‘meth-addicted goblins’.” - Marcus Pelegrimas, author of the Skinners series“A magical mystery tour of a murder case rife with supernatural suspects. Sit down for an enchanted evening of otherworldly entertainment!” - Laura Resnick, author of Unsympathetic Magic & Vamparazzi“Hard Spelldeals with hardened professionals looking for supernatural things hiding under rocks, and then dragging them out and giving them a good kicking. The cops act like real cops, the vampires act like real vampires, and the monsters aren’t messing about. The plot twists and turns like a twisty turny thing, and moves like a weasel on speed. The real things feel real, and the supernatural things feel like they might be. The prose is a joy to read, and the whole thing was more fun than is probably legal.” - Simon R Green“Punchy dialogue, a fun alternate history, explosive action, and a hero whose monsters haunt him even beyond the job… Gustainis has given us a fantastic supernatural cop story that just dares you to put it down!” - Chris Marie Green, author of theVampire BabylonandBloodlandsbooks“I enjoyed every page ofHard Spell. If Sam Spade and Jack Fleming were somehow melted together, you’d get Stan Markowski. I can’t wait to see what Gustainis does next.” - Lilith Saintcrow, author ofNight ShiftandWorking for the Devil“A winning mix of urban fantasy and hard-boiled detective fiction.” - Jennifer Estep, author of theElemental Assassinseries"If you’re looking for an author who does gritty cop thriller blended with film noir accompanied by a good helping of Urban Fantasy then you really can’t do better than Justin Gustainis." -Falcata Times"I was hooked on the very first page." -Lesa's Book Critiques"Gustainis has had plenty of practice with his art, and here he shows off his exemplar writing skills in a truly entertaining novel." -Theresa Derwin, www.terror-tree.co.uk"Hard-hitting, gritty detective novel meets the paranormal in a witty and entertaining read." -www.fluidityoftime.blogspot.com"Hard Spellis hugely entertaining, enjoyable and just downright awesome." -www.walkerofworlds.com"Hard Spellis a very good read, one I recommend to fans of Urban Fantasy, paranormal, or even cop dramas." - www.booksavvybabe.com"This is definitely a book I will read over and over again!" - The Bibliophilic Book Blog"Genre mash-ups seem to be all the rage these days, and Justin Gustainis'Hard Spellis a perfect example of how to do them right." - Kate Sherrod, www.kateofmind.blogspot.com"...non-stop cop drama with a nice dose of paranormal." - Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog"This is a really fun read, and is a great start to a new urban fantasy series..." - Suzanne Johnson, author of the upcomingRoyal Street"Hard Spellis a good bit of paranormal fiction that is more crime novel than paranormal one. The two elements are mixed well together, and I would certainly enjoy reading another mystery of the Occult Crimes unit in the future." -John Ottinger, www.graspingforthewind.com"Justin Gustainis has given us one of the best supernatural cop stories I’ve ever read." -www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com"Full of suspense, drama, and magic, Gustainis has created another fine fantasy series with interesting characters and riveting mystery. With fast-paced adventure and plenty of twists, the novel was impossible to put down. This new series debut is a must-read for urban fantasy fans." -www.scifichick.com"Much to my surprise, this was a story that worked well as both an urban fantasy and as a police procedural. Take away the supernatural elements, and there is still a good detective story here, but it's the mix of the two that make this such a great read." -www.bibrary.blogspot.com"Gustainis writes with the kind of economy that you might expect in the more standard brand of hard-boiled tale, but he also has a knack for invoking the eerie menace of the supernatural – without going all florid and purple prose on the reader. He skillfully introduces the history of his world’s supernatural elements and brings together his cast of characters in a way that would make Dashiell Hammett or Robert B. Parker proud. His villain’s plan is audacious and well thought out." -Sheldon A. Wiebe,Eclipse Magazine