The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Hardcover, 408 pages

Published April 7, 2020 by Quirk Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-68369-143-3

(2 reviews)

Steel Magnolias meets Dracula in this '90s-set horror novel about a women's book club that must do battle with a mysterious newcomer to their small Southern town, perfect for murderinos and fans of Stephen King.

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 …

Steel Magnolias meets Dracula in this '90s-set horror novel about a women's book club that must do battle with a mysterious newcomer to their small Southern town, perfect for murderinos and fans of Stephen King.

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.

7 editions

Catship reviewed The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

This one is good

No rating

I like this a lot, but it did get more heavy than I expected. It starts out feeling like a "hah, these are tough housewives, of course they can defeat the vampire" story, but their own racism as well as their surroundings' sexism make everything go to a pretty tragic direction.

BDaggerhart reviewed The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Women slay vampires

3 stars

Various thoughts while reading the book (there may be spoilers):

A few dozen pages in, this book is about 50% pretty good, 20% really good, and 30% cute.
Neat vampire concept. According to his podcast, Super Scare Haunted Homeschool, he spent a ridiculous amount of time studying vampire lore history, and it shows. He took a very unique approach to the vampire, while at the same time, keeping it very obviously a recognizable vampire.
Overtly sexual without being sexy. The transfer of fluids in a very specific bodily location increases the rape-yness that vampirism already exemplifies.
About 2/3 of the way through, the book is 60% pretty good, 30% really good, and still 10% cute.
All the husbands in this book suck. Not a single one is a redeemable character.
Time jump! Finding it hard to believe in the 3-year gap, maybe it will pay off in some way.
COCKROACH …

Various thoughts while reading the book (there may be spoilers):

A few dozen pages in, this book is about 50% pretty good, 20% really good, and 30% cute.
Neat vampire concept. According to his podcast, Super Scare Haunted Homeschool, he spent a ridiculous amount of time studying vampire lore history, and it shows. He took a very unique approach to the vampire, while at the same time, keeping it very obviously a recognizable vampire.
Overtly sexual without being sexy. The transfer of fluids in a very specific bodily location increases the rape-yness that vampirism already exemplifies.
About 2/3 of the way through, the book is 60% pretty good, 30% really good, and still 10% cute.
All the husbands in this book suck. Not a single one is a redeemable character.
Time jump! Finding it hard to believe in the 3-year gap, maybe it will pay off in some way.
COCKROACH IN THE EAR BURN IT WITH FIRE
Oof, turning the kids’ situations into what could easily be viewed nowadays as “grooming” makes it even creepier.
There is no way Grace would have come through in the end, based on how she acted the rest of the time. Probably the only part of the book where I had a legit problem w/ where Hendrix took the plot.
3-year gap not really paid off, would have probably made more sense with one year.
Book’s over. I go back to the original statement – 50% pretty good, 20% really good, 30% cute.

Not bad over all. I would give it it 6-out-of-10 Cockroaches wriggling their way into your ear. You’re welcome for the image.