The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires Published by Quirk Books by Grady Hendrix
on May 25, 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Vampires, Supernatural, Thriller
Pages: 424
Source: Borrowed, Libby
Format: eBook
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Goodreads
Also by this author: My Best Friend's Exorcism
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ISBN: 1683692519
Rating:
Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.
Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood.
But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she--and her book club--are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.
Oh, this book. I can say, in all honesty, that I loved it so much that as soon as I was finished, I went and picked up another Grady Hendrix novel. These are the kind of horror/thriller/suspense books that I’ve been missing in my life.
There was so much more to this story than a scary vampire-creature eating people… Okay, I mean, that’s scary enough, yes. But, what is really horrifying, is when you have proof (or at least some pretty strong evidence) that a vampire-creature is eating people and no one believes you–or wants to believe. Why? Because either it’s the men in your life, telling you you’re just a crazy woman who needs to calm down… Or, it’s a fellow housewife who is afraid of those husbands and what will happen when you go against the status quo.
Patricia Campbell, amazing housewife, mother of two children, and long-standing member of a southern book club. This novel takes place in the ’90s, when being a housewife was still pretty darn normal–and also came with certain expectations. Like, you stay in your lane, woman.
Patricia inadvertently comes upon a vampire–a vampire who takes a chunk out of poor Patricia. From there, the story just gets stranger and stranger… And more addicting.
There were several moments when I felt on the edge of my seat–just so intense with emotions.
But, in the end–this was a story of how your average, everyday housewife can be so much more–even if it means sacrificing everything.
The subtext of this story hit home and left me completely enthralled with this story that was so much more than horror.
About Grady Hendrix
Grady Hendrix is the author of the novels Horrorstör, about a haunted IKEA, and My Best Friend's Exorcism, which is like Beaches meets The Exorcist, only it's set in the Eighties. He's also the author of We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and the upcoming (July 13!) Final Girl Support Group!
He's also the jerk behind the Stoker award-winning Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the 70's and 80's horror paperback boom, which contains more information about Nazi leprechauns, killer babies, and evil cats than you probably need.
And he's the screenwriter behind Mohawk, which is probably the only horror movie about the War of 1812 and Satanic Panic.
You can listen to free, amazing, and did I mention free podcasts of his fiction on Pseudopod. He also does a podcast called Super Scary Haunted Homeschool.
If you're not already sick of him, you can learn all his secrets at his website.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! I’ve been wanting to try Grady Hendrix’s books for a while now because I’ve been hearing great things about the books.
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…If You Love These Books, Listen To This Podcast!
I read HorrorStor, and while I enjoyed it, I wasn’t blown away and I think that’s why I’ve hesitated on his other ones. Glad to hear this was a good one, I’ll have to look into it in the future. Great review!
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