4 stars to this vampire hit!

I was not sure what to expect going into this read but was pleasantly surprised with the dark, gory nature juxtaposed with the southern belle-esque 1990's setting. Patricia was great as a narrator/heroine and James Harris was brilliantly portrayed as the vampire villain whose suave charm hides his inner bloodlust. The story moves along at a nice pace and takes place over the course of several years, which helps with the realism factor, as big events aren't all happening around the same time. My main issue with the book is the lack of development of the other ladies in the book club, especially in the beginning. I often could not keep straight who was who and wasn't connected to any of their stories. I was also hoping for a bit more background on James and how he became a vampire. But overall, this was a great supernatural tale that I would recommend for any horror fan!

Ohhhhh Grady Hendrix! I've read and loved all your books but this one was something SPECIAL! I don't know how you figured out exactly how a mother would feel in the situation, but you did and it KILLED ME! Such a great book!

What did I just read?!?! The book was insane, funny, weird, and so messed up. I finished the book in one day. I loved it!! That's saying a lot since I rarely dip my toe in the horror genre. I strongly recommend this book.

A HUGE thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is my favorite Grady Hendrix book yet! The humor really resonated with me in this book. I was grossed out things and nervous for the characters. Other characters I felt a deep hatred for. This book really made me feel the range of emotions!

I was expecting this to be a buffy the vampire slayer type story, but quickly realized it would not be after reading the introduction from the author. While a little disappointed that it wouldn't be quite as nostalgic for me as I had hoped, I still found myself loving this story and loving even more that Patricia's character develops so well over the course of her experiences.

I Love, love, loved this book! Grady Hendrix is one of my very favorite writers and his newest tale was fabulous! I love vampire stories and his take on the genre was so creative. Pitting a monster against a ladies book club in the 90s, genius! I highly recommend this un-put-downable book. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this digital ARC!

Every so often a novel comes along that leaves you so overjoyed and immersed within the plot that the outside world no longer exists. This is one of those times and books. Hendrix’s novel is a prime example of a great book, plot and characters and a masterclass on how to bring all these together in a modern classic.

Firstly, I am a huge fan of Fanny Flagg. I devour every single book she writes and get a huge depression afterwards when I finish as I feel I have just lost a circle of friends that I have become very close to. This is the same with Hendrix’s last outing. I just want more and more and I cannot get enough of these characters. This is my third novel by Hendrix’s and I am on the cusp of becoming a super fan.

The characters are so endearing that you get such humanistic characters that are so well rounded, warts and all. You have a story about female empowerment in an 80’s setting who are strong willed but due to relationships, sometimes have to be stifled. You have strong relationships that falter due to periods of their lives and you also have people trying the best that they can.

The story is centred on Patricia and we see a unsure housewife through trial and error finds herself on a road of self-awareness and purpose. The friendships she forms are strong with very different personality traits that come alive on the page. When a stranger appears, friendships are tested along with their believably mind sets.

The plot is fantastically put together which totally absorbs the reader into every little detail. Starting out in the 80’s and moving its way to early 90’s, the author has laid down a realistic ground work in an artistic way. Sprinkling cultural references within the narrative, it gives a nod but at the same time, not over egging the plot with names to get the point across. The final conclusion is a heart racer and as I live and breathe, did not expect it to go where it went and I am thankful that every page held a surprise for me.

Overall, this is a great book that needs to capture a large audience. Although people tend to sing the praises of King and his spawn Hill, there is a richer world out there that really knows how to handle a beginning, middle and an ending which most contemporaries have difficulties with (especially endings – King I’m speaking to you). Hendry is a mastermind who always gives a full package which you will experience with this book. No easy answers and no easy endings but richly written passages that are real within the world of the plot.

Fanny Flagg as stated is one of my all-time favorites and anyone who can mix that tone with horror and come out on the other side with an excellent Southern fried vampire chiller has my vote. This is now one of my all-time favorites which I will purchase and re-read along with my Flagg books on regular intervals. This is definitely a must read and is our number one recommendation in our newsletter for the month of March 2020. EXCELLENT

I never thought Grady Hendrix would write a better novel than 2016's My Best Friend's Exorcism.

It's only 4 years later and I've already been proven wrong.

Despite the fun title, this book has several genuinely shocking scenes, plays with a few societal themes, and has lots of genuine heart. Don't be deceived: This is more FRIGHT NIGHT, and less Christopher Moore. In fact, take FRIGHT NIGHT, make it darker themed, replace the kids with book club women, add more family drama, and add gore. You know what...now that I think about it, it's actually better than FRIGHT NIGHT (gasp!). I just want to give you an idea of what to expect without giving away plot points. Nevertheless, this will give you a ballpark estimate of what Hendrix has accomplished here.

Prediction: This is the book that takes Hendrix from beloved indie horror writer to horror super-stardom.

Now you just have to wait until April to read it

I went into this expecting it to be a bit campy; gory, probably, but still a spoof of the genre and funny because Grady Hendrix is funny etc etc. And, well... It is funny, and it is SO gory, but somehow he's managed to write something that is both a horrific take on vampire stories (and I do mean horrific - parts of this are going to haunt me for a long time) and, at the same time, a heartwarming tale of female friendship. I was very impressed with the depictions of motherhood and marriage, too, because they're so well done, and I want to reiterate that the vampire is freaking monstrous and awful, as he bloody should be. It's very good, is what I'm saying, and it felt like a fresh take on a tired genre. Recommended.

This was a DNF at 46 % for me. It started off strong, but quickly lost its momentum. I usually love Southern Gothic novels, but the characters here fell flat for me. I really didn't like Patricia and I just didn't care where the story was going, so I decided to move on.

A very interesting twist on the vampire novel. Lots of suspense, as the community is taken in by a predator in their midst. Is the new neighbor truly a vampire, or just a blood-sucker in that he's preying on them economically? Most of the true horror aspect is fairly late in the story. Patricia's husband is as vampiric in his own way (soul-sucking) as the REAL vampire in the story..

Initially intrigued by the title, I was excited to read this. When I started it, though, I had a hard time finding the groove, so i set it aside and came back to it. After restarting and getting through the first two chapters, I devoured the entire book in one evening. Funny , yet gory and creepy, it was a frightening romp through the 1990s and a fresh take on vampire lore.

This book had a little bit of everything in it. It has women's fiction with the housewives in town being in a book club and talking about their overwhelmed lives as mothers and wives along with reading books and discussing them. A bit of mystery with children disappearing. A bit of supernatural with odd things happening when a new man shows up in town.

This was a good read, kept me interested but it did get a bit graphic at some points that may bother some readers.

I couldn't put this book down! A scary, page-turning read that puts a modern twist on an old classic- Dracula. Hendrix brilliantly tackles many different issues- racism, domestic violence, and social inequalities through horror. Which begs the question- who are the real monsters? Very well done. Would be a great pick for book clubs and those wanting to try reading horror.

An excellent retelling of the classic vampire story with rich, wonderful characters and a genuinely horrifying villain.

Grady Hendrix is a sneaky so-and-so. He starts out with a cast of funny, quirky Southern women who are slightly overwhelmed by their family responsibilities. Then he starts cranking up the pressure. You know, just like one does when placing someone's head in a vise. Or stretching them on the rack.

And things get <i>gross</i>. I have a low tolerance for gross-out imagery, and there are two scenes in this book that ratchet up the horror of garbage, insects, and getting small parts of you chewed off.

On the positive side, the villain is completely hate-worthy, and the semi-disgusting resolution (fewer bugs and adult diapers, so that was a plus) SO satisfyingly macabre.

I knocked off a star because there isn't a single normal, likable male character in the book. They're all pretty awful, with zero redeeming qualities. While the women are also pretty flawed, at least you have sympathy for what they suffer. I wish at least one male character was sympathetic.

If you are triggered by horrifying amounts of trash, crawly bugs, gaslighting, rape, domestic violence, and child death....you should not read this book. In fact, I'm sorry you got so far into this review. But if you like jokes in the beginning, feeling like your head will explode with fury in the middle, ended only by gouts of bloody catharsis, well pick this up ASAP.

Received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would describe this book as Buffy meets Fried Green Tomatoes. Read this! I couldn't put this down just like I couldn't put down My Best Friend's Exorcism.. Action-packed, a little creepy, a little funny and a little poignant. Good read.

Grady Hendrix and Quirk Books: such a nice coupling. They've got the blurbs, and he delivers--this lives up to "Steel Magnolias meets Dracula".

Not only does it live up to the blurb on the surface, there's a beating heart here. Patricia's new neighbor is very, very bad, and she must depend on her book club sisters to help address this threat to their own neighborhood.

Hendrix attacks issues of class and race organically in this tale of neighbors, bonded through a love of true crime, banded against a very real evil.

While the bad bad neighbor is a little one-dimensional (he's bad, he's just bad), the true focus here is really on sisterhood and the relationships that sustain these women as their lives evolve over time. Still, the physical manifestation of vampirism is super-creepy and more reminiscent of Del Toro/Hogan's The Strain than traditional fang-growing creatures. Hendrix's typical high-concept, attention-grabbing title is gripping and highly recommended for general fiction lovers, as well as horror readers.

Hendrix turns his eyes to vampires and the 1990s with this impressive suburban drama that asks the question, what would happen if a group of housewives had to take on the undead?
Aptly described as Fried Green Tomatoes meets Dracula, it's a twist on small town Americana, where the men make the business decisions and the women busy themselves with housework, gossip and book club.
But when the small town is threatened by a series of murders, it quickly becomes apparent that it's going to be up to the women to stop the killings.
It is a different kind of vampire story, one that unwinds slowly like a true crime case to a deeply satisfying conclusion.
Hendrix punctuates the mundane of everyday life with moments of severe violence and sex, moments that are used to drive the characters out of their suburban bubble and into a seedier, darker world.
But it's much more than just a monster story.
The book club members - particularly those of Patricia and Slick - are richly drawn and it is just as much a heartfelt story of friendship as it is a horror story.
In a market flooded by vampire novels, Hendrix proves that there's still room for originality.
Highly recommended.

What's not to love about a book about vampires? This book was a fun read and enjoyed it. If you like vampires and southern girls lifestyle, I would recommend it.