Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan delivers a compelling blend of Southern gothic charm, family legacy, and supernatural suspense, all wrapped in a narrative that feels as humid and haunting as a Texas summer night. It’s a story about grief, grit, and grave-digging — literally — and Ryan brings it to life with vivid atmosphere and a cast of strong, complicated women.

The Evans family has spent generations keeping the dead where they belong, and Ryan doesn’t waste time reminding us that in their cursed corner of southeast Texas, that’s no easy task. Following a tragic double burial, matriarch Lenore and her granddaughter Luna are left to pick up the pieces. But the dead don’t stay down for long — and soon, something darker than they’ve ever faced is clawing its way to the surface.

Luna and Lenore’s dynamic is the heart of the story. There’s love, resentment, and history between them — all tangled up in the Evans family duty. Their grief feels raw and real, which helps ground the more fantastical elements of the plot. The addition of the new sheriff adds a fresh perspective and a steady anchor as things spiral from eerie to downright apocalyptic.

Ryan’s writing is punchy and evocative, peppered with humor that lands more often than not, and enough twists to keep you guessing. That said, there are moments where the pacing drags, especially in the middle, and a few plot threads feel underdeveloped by the end. Still, the emotional weight and rich setting more than make up for it.

If you like your horror with heart, your magic steeped in family blood, and your heroines covered in grave dirt and sarcasm, Another Fine Mess is well worth digging into.

Lindy Ryan is serving ‘The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Hunting Vampires’ vibes with the Bless Your Heart series. Take some humor and wit and mix in some gory horror, and Another Fine Mess is the fun escape you need! Ryan has created a fun world with the Evan’s family at the heart of it. If you thought the family was unconventional before, hang on because they’re back in ways you won’t believe. Ryan did a great job of giving lots of information so if you didn’t read the first book you can jump right into this one. This is definitely a fun series worth getting into!

In the second book in the Bless Your Heart Series, there are only two Evans women left - Lenore and her granddaughter Luna. They thought their troubles were over - the undead that killed Lenore's mother and Luna's mother along with several townspeople are dead and buried. However, the dead don't always stay dead, and when the full moon finds another victim, it’s clear their trouble is far from over. Now Lenore, Luna, Luna's boyfriend Crane and the new sheriff—their biggest ally—must dig deep down into family lore to uncover what threatens everything they love most. As the body count rises, the most unexpected dead will rise–forcing Lenore and Luna to face the possibility that the undead aren’t the only monsters preying on their small town.

I love this series. You have strigoi, or the undead (do not call them zombies - Grandma Ducey hates that word!), there is lots of witty repartee, and then the mystery of who or what is out there killing all of those people. If you love fantasy fiction with a bit of humor, in a southern setting, then this is the perfect book for you!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Another Fine Mess!

4.5 rounded down to 4.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025! I LOVED Bless Your Heart, so I was nervous to start this one. But it lived up to all of my expectations! It falls just a teensy bit behind Bless Your Heart for me, in terms of rating, but honestly I loved this one too.

We have, essentially, the same cast of characters and the story picks up about where the other one leaves off. I read Bless Your Heart a while ago, so this is where I struggled. I didn't remember some of the details that I needed to remember. I don't feel that it did a great job of recapping what we needed to remember.

BUT...Another Fine Mess was so exciting, just as fast-paced as the first. (I'm sorry I keep comparing. I'll try to stop.) We have again have the Evans family at the center of this story. There's a new mysterious, unknown monster that is terrorizing the town and it's again up to the Evans women to figure out what the heck is going on. This is not for those that have a weak stomach. There's lots of gross. And the twist of the monster is crazy and unexpected. Campy horror (or fun horror) is one of my new favorite genres and this one is just that! Fun, campy horror! If you loved the first one, I think you'll love this one as well!

This is gory, over the top, and because I didn't read the first book, a bit confusing. Luna and Lenore run a funeral home and battle the undeasd which isn't as easy as it might seem. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. While this wasn't for me (again, missed the first one), I'm sure others will enjoy it.

This is book two in this series. It seems to pick up not long after the first one ended. I would suggest you read that one first. I did think it started out a little slow. It took me a few chapters to get really interested in the story. It was kinda gruesome at times. I was surprised by the ending too. Definitely recommend

I had high hopes for this book because the first book, Bless Your Heart, was packed full of hilarious characters that ran a funeral parlor in a town where the dead never really stay dead.⚰️

Another Fine Mess was rough to get through. After all the death from the first book, this one felt depressing and slow. It started picking up around 60% but the storyline felt jumbled, repetitive, and a little too YA for me.

Prepare for another bloodbath of epic proportions!!

Lindy Ryan returns to the Evans women with Another Fine Mess! Following Bless Your Heart, this story is genuinely full of heart, mystery, and cold-blooded terror. Luna & Lenore are picking up the pieces of their family and carrying on, while the new Sheriff attempts to keep it together in the face of a town full of monstrous undead.

Lindy Ryan knows how to write a story with lots of emotional damage. Genuinely she has ripped my heart out at least 4 times in this series already. I’m genuinely petrified for book 3 because no character is safe. However, this also means that Ryan is excellent in her characterization. She has given readers four distinct generations of Evans women and each generation has a distinct voice and flavor, and the side character breath even more life into the story. This characterization is so enjoyable and kept me hooked!

The mystery in this story is amazing. It’s got notes of Gingersnaps, True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse, Buddy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural (TV). It’s gritty but also knows when to poke fun at itself. I found it engaging and even though there are some similarities between this book and the first the series, new twists ensured nothing ever ran stale.

This story is not for the faint of heart. Lindy Ryan writes BLOODY good horror. It’s devious and twisted. Readers should also never get TOO attached to a character. You never know who is going to survive the final bloodbath. And the end of this story gives epics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Carrie a run for their money.

You do not want to miss this story because Lindy Ryan pulled out all of the stops as she continued this epic series!

Another Fine Mess is the second book in the ‘Bless Your Heart’ series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This story picks up about a month after the events of the first book, diving right back into the chaos. I liked this book just as much as the first one. Once again, it delivers a great mix of humor, horror, mystery, and heart.

Like ‘Bless Your Heart’, this book doesn’t shy away from the gruesome stuff… be aware this time there’s quite a bit of animal death. Still, the story is incredibly entertaining. I adore the main characters and even some of the side ones, especially Crane and Kim. I also love that the series is set in the late ’90s, with little details and references that really ground it in that time period.

While there were a few predictable moments, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. It was still a blast to follow these characters on another wild ride.

The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m really hoping there’s a third one on the way. I just love this author’s writing and storytelling style.

If you’re in the mood for a book series packed with dark humor, zombie-esque horror, and badass female leads, I highly recommend giving these books a shot.

This was a fast paced horror mystery that I enjoyed from start to finish! Gotta love a book with strong, sassy fmc.
Thank you St.Martin’s Press for the arc!

I loved the first book of this series & I’m so happy that it’s got a sequel. It’s like The Lost Boys, meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, meets Steel Magnolias. Yet completely original. The town is recovering from the events of book one, but the deaths & supernatural escapades are far from over. Lenore & Luna, the last two Evans women are having to cope with their grief as well as continue to hide what’s happened/happening. The Evans women have been saving this town from the undead for generations & unfortunately their work is still needed. They also start sharing the truth with a few more characters, Kim Cole, being my personal favourite. This is a dark, clever, blunt & humorous book. And more mysterious this time, as both we & the characters don’t know what they’re actually up against unlike the first book where we did. There’s a crazy, wonderful ending but it will leave you wanting more (in a good way).

If we’re lucky there’s many more books to come. This is easily one of the best series I’m currently invested in. Can’t wait for more!

🌕

Read if you like:
* Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
* Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris
* The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

I finished this book late last night and it solidified the Bless Your Heart series as one of my most favorites. If you read the first one and like me, considered it more on the side of cozy horror, buckle up because this one kicks it up several notches and brings on the all-out horror, gore and all.

The book picks up after the events of book one and I really don't want to spoil too much but be warned, it may happen. Luna and Lenore are running the town funeral home by themselves and praying that this time around, the dead stay dead. Those prayers aren't too successful though because before you know it, the bodies start piling up and they have to rely on a reluctant town sheriff to figure out what is going on and who or what is really killing off the townspeople in extremely gruesome fashion. Hint, it's not the mysterious "ghost-wolf" they are selling it to be.

This story is told from several POVs which consist of the Evans women, Sheriff Taylor, the rookie Deputy and a few others here and there. It worked well and fully immerses the reading in everything happening with smooth transitions. The beasts are fun and exciting (well, for a horror lover) and Ryan has done a terrific job of adding some not-so-relied-upon elements to some old supernatural favorites. I will warn people there is an animal death pretty early on but I think Ryan handled it respectfully and it really did incorporate into the meat of the tale. Also, there is a wonderful hunting dog named Belle who may or may not be dead but who also works to save the day.

If you loved book one, I'd be shocked if you didn't fall in love with this installment as well. Ryan crushed my soul at the end but has left me impatiently wanting more.

Taking care of the restless dead is the family business at Evans Funeral Home. After the bloodbath that took place in Bless Your Heart, teenage Luna and her grandmother Lenore are the only Evans women left. Death isn’t done with their rural Texas town though, and although the attacks are initially attributed to a wolf, it soon becomes clear that the murder and mayhem is the work of the undead.

Is cozy horror a thing? Horror with humor and heart? Because that’s what this series is! While there’s definitely some blood and guts and gore, the characters are what really make this series so good. The Evans women are smart, sassy, and strong-willed, and I love how they’re starting to gather a little found family around them. The climactic scene at the high-school dance is Carrie-esque in its gore and horror but also contains some heart-wrenchingly emotional moments.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Lindy Ryan returns with Another Fine Mess, the second book in the Bless Your Heart series. This horror novel manages to combine mystery, humor, and compassion for others into a thrilling novel. The Evans women have kept the undead from rising in their southeast Texas town for over a century. However, sometimes the dead rise so quickly it can be overwhelming.

Lenore Evans and her granddaughter, Luna, are the only women left alive in the Evans family after losing the others recently. With limited information and a new victim, Lenore, Luna, and the new sheriff Roger Taylor must work to understand the family legends and put the dead to rest. As the body counts increase, the pressure is on to solve the problem and save the town. The Evans family runs the local funeral parlor, but they are missing vital information needed to defend the living from the dead. There’s more than one type of monster around.

This version of a vampire-like story is atmospheric and unique. It full of family drama, friendships, trust issues, and secrets that shouldn’t have been secrets. While horrifying deaths are a part of the story, there are also tender, heartwarming, and heartbreaking moments scattered throughout the novel along with bits of humor.

The intriguing prologue is set seventeen years ago and features the family matriarch Priscilla Evans. It pulled me into the story and then cuts to a newspaper article in 1999. The novel is told from multiple points of view. While this worked part of the time and built suspense, at other times it felt choppy and adversely affected the pacing. Despite this, the book became a page turner with main characters that readers can empathize with and want to succeed. The fascinating plot had a few twists and turns and the characters had depth and came to life. There are also some devastating scenes for the main characters. While I guessed some of the items related to the mystery, this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. There are still some unanswered questions in my mind. Will they be resolved in a third novel?

Overall, this is a dark, clever, and unsettling novel that was a fast read. Readers looking for a horror novel with shocking and disturbing details plus excellent characterization, secrets, and the supernatural will likely enjoy this novel. I recommend reading the first book in the series to fully understand the background events that are referred to in this one.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Lindy Ryan provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 15, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan is a fast-paced horror mystery. I haven't read the first book so the characters are new to me. The family of strong women is interesting especially as they deal with the horrors that are afflicting the town. They deal with spirits and some woo woo stuff with grace.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

Book #2 in the Bless Your Heart series finds the Evans women cleaning up another supernatural catastrophe in their Texas hometown. The dead keep rising and its up to the Evans women to keep them down. This time, the horror is more animalistic and closer to home. I would say you absolutely should read Bless Your Heart before diving into this one. It helps for context. Hopefully, this series keeps going for years to come because the Evans family is fascinating, hilarious and badass!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this digital e-arc.*

Honestly, I didn't realize this was a sequel and ended up not finishing it because I want to read the first book then came back to this one. That being said, I did enjoy the small bits that I did read and I think I might end up really liking this book.

Chaos ensues around the strong women characters the author creates, yet they remain strong and deal with it all head on. The plot was creepy and had goose bumps inducing vibes. I liked that the author added some new horror monsters to the plot, while continuing with the monsters she had already developed. It help to keep the plot fresh and exciting.

This review is entirely voluntary and reflects my personal opinions.

This was an enjoyable follow up to Bless Your Heart, taking place one month after we left the Evans women, funeral home proprietors, down two in their fight against the town's restless dead. I love the strong family ties between the women, as Luna and her grandmother, Lenore, come to terms with each of them losing their own mother, and Lenore her daughter to boot. But the dead don't stay dead in their tiny Texas town, and now a werewolf-like creature is wreaking havoc, eating pets, wildlife, and finally, townsfolk. The plot twist of the pricoloci was rather predictable, because hell hath no fury and all that, but there were some other plot twists that left me MAD. I'm definitely invested in book 3 now because I need to see how that will be resolved and hope Luna gets some closure and happiness.

🎧 Audiobook +📗 eBook: Another Fine Mess -Bless Your Heart #2

✍🏾 Author: Lindy Ryan-Read and gave Bless Your Heart 5 ⭐

📃Page Count: 304

📅Publication date: 4-15-25 | Read: 4-7-25

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:46

🌎 Setting: Texas

👆🏾POV: 3rd multiple

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Adult Fic

Tropes: supernatural beings, small town, family drama

⚠️TW: death of loved ones, grief, gruesome killings


🗣️Narrator: Stephanie Nemeth-Parker voices all the characters with standouts from Lenore, Luna, and Ducey. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.


Summary: Grace and Ducey both died saving their daughters, and Luna's boyfriend Andy met his end after killing the townspeople. A new killer starts another murder spree, and people are resurrected with the Evans women running the funeral parlor.


👩🏾 Heroine: Lenore Evans

👩🏾Heroine: Luna Evans


🎭 Side Characters:
*Ethel "Ducey" Evans-Lenore's mother, deceased
*Priscilla "Pie" Evans-Ducey's mother-deceased
*Grace Evans-Luna's mother-deceased
*Sheriff Roger Taylor-newly appointed, was in love w/ Grace
*Deputy Brandon Hinson-dating Kim Cole for 4 yrs
*Crane Campbell-Luna's friend in high school
*Kim Cole-hired at the Evans funeral parlor


🤔 My Thoughts: I love this paranormal series with a slice of life small town living. The surprise resurrections and reveal at the end was awesome. This reminded me of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, which was a classic urban fantasy.


*Spice: 0/5 🌶️
*Rating: 5/5 ⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Lindy Ryan for this ARC & ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.