The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
I would like to think Jamie Lee for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher – Quirk Books
Published – Out Now
Price - £18.99 hardback £12.34 Kindle eBook
Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families.
One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor's handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in.
Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.
I’ve heard it said that horror is about something from outside attacking us. The force of evil chaos attacking the order of our lives; possibly those tales are designed to make us appreciate our own world more. But true horror can be actually insidious embedding itself into our communities, corrupting us and makes us agree with its views – creating the other to fear and put a wall up against it. I definitely found myself looking at this idea while reading the superb The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix which takes us to Charleston 1988 and then walks us through the early nineties as a group of women find themselves up against an evil force within their own community that their families and partners refuse to take their side against.
Patricia Campbell is living the life of the stay at home mom; two children; an ambitious husband; elderly mother in law and a dog. She is part of a community where every family wants to show they are in control – mistresses of their domain. Status is key but Patricia is overworked, unpaid and does not have the time to read the assigned text in Marjorie Fretwell’s literary fiction book group – a fact Marjorie takes delight in embarrassing Patricia about in front of everyone; and then Patricia finds no one else in the group had the time either. Patricia finds herself outside with the rest of the group and realises no one wants to read that kind of book they want something meatier and perhaps a more exciting – true crime; suburban thrillers and a new group forms comprising Patricia; the chaotic Kitty; the religious but well-meaning Slick; lawful Maryellen and the prestigious Grace. As well as spending nights discussing the darker side of life; they also start to support each other; they find a friendship they were all missing and then one-night Patricia gets brutally attacked by an elderly neighbour. Their lives and relationships ae about to change substantially and not all for the best.
After this attack Patricia that finds her neighbour’s relative James Harris has now moved into the family home. Good looking, affable and easily creating a bond with her children he’s someone everyone wants to help join the neighbourhood. Overlooking his changing choice of home state, lack of ID and bag full of money. He’s the kind of guy you want to be your friend – only Patricia’s elderly and weak mother in law has an inexplicable reaction to him -and then another deadly attack ends up making Patricia aware of trouble in the nearby poorer region of Six Mile where young children are changing behaviours and becoming suicidal. Evidence starts to point towards the wonderful James Harris but suddenly Patricia finds her friend and family are not prepared to take a stand.
This is a story of the horror of the cuckoo in the nest. The one that takes your shape; your relationships and influences all those around it. A predator that disguises itself with a winning smile that kids love. Hendrix is very clever creating a suburb you can easily imagine and then pulling it apart with mistrust, deceits and betrayals. As the story builds with the encounters with the weird and the dark scenes escalate from attacks from creatures to night-time chases through the wood and then tense confrontations in each other’s homes. I was really impressed how the tone would shift to something a lot nastier and terrifying – building tensions and suspicions. I also loved the exploration of the toll of evil on people. Patricia is left physically scarred but more horrifyingly mentally drained by the attacks and the esay no one ants to take her side. This novel goes to darker places and themes.
As with most of my age group the 90s don’t feel that far away and yet taking this trip to THIRTY years ago is a shocking reminder of how attitudes have shifted in just three decades. We tend to think of the end of the 20th century as enlightened but Grady Hendrix uses the story to remind that women with children were even in 1988 often expected to just know their place. Their husband makes the financial decisions while they focus on children and making the home look right. Go too far out of those boundaries you are set; or else and you may find medication being ordered for you. The women here are expected to do this alone; in a strange form of competition with each other and tolerate/obey the husband being absent; going on holiday with friends and making the decisions for the family.
At the same time Hendrix intelligently looks at the imbalances in society as it becomes obvious that racism is also at play. The people of Six Mile are predominantly black; and their children’s deaths are being not reported in the main press; the police prefer not to investigate and accusations that threaten a white rich man will not be tolerated by Patricia’s family and friends who all want to get wealthier themselves. Its only when things get closer to home that we seem even some people are prepared to act. While people like to think we have moved on in 2020 I did find myself wondering exactly in what way would things have changed and sadly wasn’t sure it would have moved on too much at all.
This was my first experience of Hendrix’s writing but very much not my last. It’s a powerful story that balances a look at how the suburbs operate; the lives of women and then weaves within that a powerful tale of an evil that really wants it all for itself. Excellent worldbuilding; wonderful characterisation and a story that will make you look at all those nice suburban streets with a shiver wondering who is watching you.
