Black Magic Woman - Justin Gustainis

A pleasant surprise, with bonus. In fact, still thinking about this long afterwards, this is one of the cases where quite a while later, the score gets an upgrade.

The bonus being there is a short story included at the beginning, as an introduction to Mr. Morris. Yes, he is a descendant of the original, and there is a cool little scene 'from' Dracula showing the surviving characters learning about a child that he had. Our hero here, too, is a Texan, of rather more understated character than usual.

Actual monster hunting here, the only people involved in sex with the undead or demons are really not very nice.

The cover here actually shows two characters, and both their heads, Solaris having a different focus to the run of the mill urban-fantasy-for-women books being produced elsewhere. So, the picture implies a partnership.

This is what you get: Morris, the 'supernatural interventionist', who is just a competent, well trained and read human, and a consulant he uses named Elizabeth Chastain. She is a white witch, and can do the fairdinkum magic stuff, as well as being his friend.

The book is certainly into horror territory, with the plot being revenge tied into the execution of a woman in Salem witch times, and a family feud. A black witch is trying to destroy the family line, completely, of those who executed her ancestor. Women, children, and budgies if they had any included. The family hires Quincey to help them stop the attacks.

The different bit is the hiring of an African woman to make a powerful fetish to help the black witch involved destroy her enemies. This involves some very nasty crimes.

Along with the Morris and Chastain main storyline, the hunting down of the African and her partner by a South African member of their Occult Crimes squad and an FBI agent is the major subplot.

This is apparently the author's second novel, and feels rather polished to me.

Vampires, demons, werewolves, witches, voodoo, and more are to be found packed into this book that thankfully does not suffer from any bloat or padding whatsoever.

There's a stringpuller in the background who presumably we will find out about in later books, and this one does end with a preview section from the next novel.


4.5 out of 5