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abigcoffeedragon's review
5.0
Known Devil is by far one of the best occult fantasy stories that I have read to date. I enjoy Dresden with his deadpan snarky attitude, and his approach to fighting and dealing with being a wizard and a detective. Markowski trumps that with Known Devil.
Reading this is like a new millennium version of the old Noir films. Told in the first person point of view of the Detective Sergeant from the Occult Division of the Scranton Police Department, this novel has all the hallmarks of the classic detective stories with all of the relevant pop culture references.
This alternative universe has Vampires, trolls, werewolves, and elves, in a modern day world, and everything works. With police doing what the cops would really do, and mobs of humans and Supes alike, (Supes being supernatural beings). Like any good detective novel, there is the main character, the partner, the chief, the family, every element that needs to make its way into the character. Even though there are things the reader must be told about the world, they are never spoon-fed like you are a child, nor are they info dumped for the sake of you needing to know.
This is book three of the series, and I have not read books one and two as of yet, but after reading this one, I will definitely go back and read the first two, as well as the other series that Mister Gustainis has written.
Action = 10. There are gun fights, but there is also ‘detecting’, which is a must in an Occult Detective novel.
Occult = the myths and legends of the creatures (Supes) involved are not re-written for the purpose of the story, but are worked into the pages with a suspended believability.
Humor = 10, meaning there is enough to be funny, but this is not a comedy.
Detective Story = 10. The pieces are not given to the reader, and once the main character figures something out, so does the reader, so the suspense holds throughout the 200+ pages.
I 100% enjoyed this book, and actually lost sleep trying to read ‘a few more pages’ before going to bed. Anything that makes me wake and read is a fun read, and this is a must for anyone that enjoys Dresden, Nightside, Felix Castor, Hellblazer, Grimm, or the early seasons of Supernatural.
Reading this is like a new millennium version of the old Noir films. Told in the first person point of view of the Detective Sergeant from the Occult Division of the Scranton Police Department, this novel has all the hallmarks of the classic detective stories with all of the relevant pop culture references.
This alternative universe has Vampires, trolls, werewolves, and elves, in a modern day world, and everything works. With police doing what the cops would really do, and mobs of humans and Supes alike, (Supes being supernatural beings). Like any good detective novel, there is the main character, the partner, the chief, the family, every element that needs to make its way into the character. Even though there are things the reader must be told about the world, they are never spoon-fed like you are a child, nor are they info dumped for the sake of you needing to know.
This is book three of the series, and I have not read books one and two as of yet, but after reading this one, I will definitely go back and read the first two, as well as the other series that Mister Gustainis has written.
Action = 10. There are gun fights, but there is also ‘detecting’, which is a must in an Occult Detective novel.
Occult = the myths and legends of the creatures (Supes) involved are not re-written for the purpose of the story, but are worked into the pages with a suspended believability.
Humor = 10, meaning there is enough to be funny, but this is not a comedy.
Detective Story = 10. The pieces are not given to the reader, and once the main character figures something out, so does the reader, so the suspense holds throughout the 200+ pages.
I 100% enjoyed this book, and actually lost sleep trying to read ‘a few more pages’ before going to bed. Anything that makes me wake and read is a fun read, and this is a must for anyone that enjoys Dresden, Nightside, Felix Castor, Hellblazer, Grimm, or the early seasons of Supernatural.
willac's review
3.0
Stan Markowski is a Scranton cop who carries a gun loaded with silver bullets, has a vampire partner, and a vampire daughter, who was turned by said partner. The police station has a resident witch, the local rock band is fronted by a siren, and the elves are high on drugs. Just another typical police procedural . . .
There's a turf war in Scranton between two warring factions. The local vampfather (yes, the Mafia is run by vampires now) is trying to keep hold of the situation, but vampires from another jurisdiction want to take over the turf.
I enjoyed this, but found it a little harder to get into than the previous books in this series. I think it was just too much politics and gang warfare for me, but it was still good, and a good book to move the series forward.
I received this book from NetGalley in return for a review; I was not paid for this review, nor required to post a positive review.
There's a turf war in Scranton between two warring factions. The local vampfather (yes, the Mafia is run by vampires now) is trying to keep hold of the situation, but vampires from another jurisdiction want to take over the turf.
I enjoyed this, but found it a little harder to get into than the previous books in this series. I think it was just too much politics and gang warfare for me, but it was still good, and a good book to move the series forward.
I received this book from NetGalley in return for a review; I was not paid for this review, nor required to post a positive review.
old_tim's review
3.0
Starts off strong, but just doesn't live up to that potential.
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2014/01/surprisingly-not-single-reference-to.html
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2014/01/surprisingly-not-single-reference-to.html
alishacostanzo's review
5.0
I highly recommend this novel.
Known Devil sent Sergeant Markowski and his undead partner Karl Renfer on a hell of a ride, pun intended. Markowski’s ultimate goal is to keep the town of Scranton safe from a variety of supernatural creatures ranging from vampires and werewolves, to pixies and ogres, witches and demons, and a butt load more nasty creatures.
Book three of his Occult Crimes Unit Investigations series, Gustainis’ protagonist focuses on three main groups: vampires, elves, and the Patriot Party—a conservative anti-supe political party who believes supernatural beings shouldn’t maintain the same rights as humans, which they do in Gustainis’ world.
Our inciting incident comes within the first few pages when two elves hold up the diner Markowski and Renfer frequent for their nightly coffee breaks. It doesn’t take long for these two detectives to drive chest deep into shit, making their nightly shifts consumed with bombings, shoot-outs, drug dealers, a vampire-mafia war, and far more scary situations.
Fortunately, with the world in full-motion, Gustainis is still able to bring us into Markowski’s world with well-placed details and a dry, sarcastic wit of the narrator. The mood of the novel reflects the narrator’s flat jokes and lack-luster sense of humor, but he’s quick as the pacing, knowledgeable, and stubborn as all get out. Frankly, he reminds me of my father—sweet and sensitive without anyone wanting to know, he cares about his daughter, and he works his damn ass off and takes on too much responsibility for his position. Really, he’s the best protagonist for this novel. I couldn’t help but feel connected to him and root for him to succeed.
Another great thing about this novel is that it completes the two goals for fiction—to entertain and to teach. Knowing him as a professor of Communications, I followed the dips into propaganda, rhetoric, politics, and history. These help give Markowski depth and connects the story back to the readers’ reality.
Do be warned, this is satire, so several clichés and tropes are present, but Gustainis addresses them with small variations and plenty of humor.
Known Devil sent Sergeant Markowski and his undead partner Karl Renfer on a hell of a ride, pun intended. Markowski’s ultimate goal is to keep the town of Scranton safe from a variety of supernatural creatures ranging from vampires and werewolves, to pixies and ogres, witches and demons, and a butt load more nasty creatures.
Book three of his Occult Crimes Unit Investigations series, Gustainis’ protagonist focuses on three main groups: vampires, elves, and the Patriot Party—a conservative anti-supe political party who believes supernatural beings shouldn’t maintain the same rights as humans, which they do in Gustainis’ world.
Our inciting incident comes within the first few pages when two elves hold up the diner Markowski and Renfer frequent for their nightly coffee breaks. It doesn’t take long for these two detectives to drive chest deep into shit, making their nightly shifts consumed with bombings, shoot-outs, drug dealers, a vampire-mafia war, and far more scary situations.
Fortunately, with the world in full-motion, Gustainis is still able to bring us into Markowski’s world with well-placed details and a dry, sarcastic wit of the narrator. The mood of the novel reflects the narrator’s flat jokes and lack-luster sense of humor, but he’s quick as the pacing, knowledgeable, and stubborn as all get out. Frankly, he reminds me of my father—sweet and sensitive without anyone wanting to know, he cares about his daughter, and he works his damn ass off and takes on too much responsibility for his position. Really, he’s the best protagonist for this novel. I couldn’t help but feel connected to him and root for him to succeed.
Another great thing about this novel is that it completes the two goals for fiction—to entertain and to teach. Knowing him as a professor of Communications, I followed the dips into propaganda, rhetoric, politics, and history. These help give Markowski depth and connects the story back to the readers’ reality.
Do be warned, this is satire, so several clichés and tropes are present, but Gustainis addresses them with small variations and plenty of humor.
raygina's review
4.0
I really like this series. It's like "Criminal Minds" and "Supernatural" had a bad-ass baby.
diane's review
3.0
I've read several of Gustainis's books, including the first two books in this series. This one was disappointing: the main character's constant joking wore thin, and the solution to the mystery depended on a character I don't even remember from previous books. I liked some of the details, but as I usually ask when a book presents vampires as bring ridiculously powerful: why haven't they taken over the planet?
Also, two young, hot women interested in the middle-aged, rumpled MC annoyed me.
Not his best.
Also, two young, hot women interested in the middle-aged, rumpled MC annoyed me.
Not his best.
brewergnome's review against another edition
3.0
Not as fun as the first one, though still enjoyable.
carol26388's review
2.0
With Hard Dark, I had the impression Gustainis was having fun. Enjoying the hell out of himself, in fact, and the enthusiasm translated to an entertaining read. This time, the writing feels forced, rote instead of fun. World-building, characterization and writing all left me left me wishing I had picked up my academic reading instead.
The third installment in the Occult Crimes Unit series begins in a local diner where Detective Sergeant Stan Markowski and his partner, Karl Renfer, are having a coffee break–or blood break in Karl’s case. Karl’s musings on the latest James Bond flick are interrupted by a pair of elves holding up the patrons. The elves are behaving like strung-out drug addicts, but everyone knows supernaturals can’t get addicted to drugs, with the exception of those pesky goblins and their meth problem. Unfortunately, Renfer and Mark are about to discover a new drug that works on supes has made its way to Stanton. Before they can follow-up, they’re diverted to a mass shooting where members of a local vampire crime family are permanently dead, murdered by an out of town gang moving in on their territory. A supernatural drug, a local gang war, and the growth of the local Patriot Party all add up to trouble. Could they possibly be connected?
Review finished at: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/known-devil-by-justin-gustainis/
where I criticize the writing and speculate on the success of my study-diversion technique.
The third installment in the Occult Crimes Unit series begins in a local diner where Detective Sergeant Stan Markowski and his partner, Karl Renfer, are having a coffee break–or blood break in Karl’s case. Karl’s musings on the latest James Bond flick are interrupted by a pair of elves holding up the patrons. The elves are behaving like strung-out drug addicts, but everyone knows supernaturals can’t get addicted to drugs, with the exception of those pesky goblins and their meth problem. Unfortunately, Renfer and Mark are about to discover a new drug that works on supes has made its way to Stanton. Before they can follow-up, they’re diverted to a mass shooting where members of a local vampire crime family are permanently dead, murdered by an out of town gang moving in on their territory. A supernatural drug, a local gang war, and the growth of the local Patriot Party all add up to trouble. Could they possibly be connected?
Review finished at: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/known-devil-by-justin-gustainis/
where I criticize the writing and speculate on the success of my study-diversion technique.
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