Clowders aka The Cats is an interesting horror novel that is an interesting read but at times the characters let it down somewhat. Starting off with a superstition that piques the interest of the reader about a small town in Europe that celebrates cats and the consequences of those, that do not honour their fur babies.

Mason has done an excellent job setting up the rules and folk tale of this community. She has a fully realised feel for the environment and the town itself. Even her supporting characters come across as organic to the small town for which they live. Mason excels in this aspect.

Unfortunately, her main characters at times don’t always come across as very unlikeable and this created a little bit of a problem for me. Interestingly enough, Jess at the beginning of the story I found irritating and her personality was one of constant disappointment with lack of drive. Aiden’s character was a bit more likeable but interestingly enough, these roles midway through the story switch and Aiden becomes a deplorable character. This set up a personal problem with me because without revealing spoilers, the conclusion didn’t hit me the same way if the characters were more likable.

My hats are off to Mason for her ending. She didn’t settle and she hit the right plot points to really give a fantastic ending. I admire an author that doesn’t settle but in fact, hits the subject hard in which she does do convincingly.

Overall, Chowder is a good read with interesting plot, well developed background with secondary characters that drive this to an enjoyable horror thriller. The main characters are well intentioned and at times, on a personal level, a bit irritating but the plot more than makes up for this. If you are looking for a good horror with a folklore backing, then this is for you. I recommend this for anyone who wants a good intelligent scare.

This was such a wonderfully quirky horror novel involving a small town held captive by an ancient presence. Given the synopsis, one could easily underestimate this story. I initially expected a campy creature feature involving crazy cat ladies. Instead, this was an intelligent piece of classic horror with a family at the heart of the story.

Written in a clean style, I found the narrative to be quite engrossing. The main characters were well developed with relatable motivations and flaws. This was my first experience reading this author's work and I was thoroughly impressed by her storytelling abilities. I look forward to reading more from this (new-to-me) female horror author.

Whether you are a cat-lover or cat-hater, I would recommend this entertaining horror novel to anyone who looking to read an engaging story of a town haunted a demonic feline curse.

I receive an e-copy of this book via Netgalley.

A town being run, first and foremost, by keeping all the cats safe and healthy or else. I found this story to be very creepy and creative. In league with Stephen King or Dean Koontz? No. But it was interesting and atmospheric.

Clervaux, the land of cats! Cat lovers rejoice! Or....do they?

This is a good, old fashioned horror novel, with strange noises, creepy townspeople, a new living situation and cats, cats and more cats!

At the heart, we have Aidan and Jess and their daughter Eleonore. They've recently relocated to Luxembourg when Aidan joins the local veterinary practise. Jess finds herself hating their new house and new town. Strange noises at night, stories of a little girl who follows people around and a cat festival that brings our story to the climax.

Thanks to Vanessa Morgan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

There is a town in Luxembourg where cats in their dozens roam the streets freely, the lives of the feline residents valued more highly than those of the humans living there. Superstition says that the town of Clervaux is cursed.

Veterinarian Aidan and his wife and daughter, Jess and Eleonore (and Eleonore's cat Avalon), move to Clervaux from the USA as Aidan has secured a job at the local cat clinic. When a seriously ill cat is brought in to the clinic Aidan is shocked at the reaction of the owner when Aidan suggests that the kindest thing would be to put the poor animal out of its misery. But this is not the way things work in Clervaux. Cats must be saved at all costs, otherwise the townsfolk will pay the ultimate price.

I really wanted to love this book but an awful lot of time is spent describing extremely mundane, tedious family life and the actual 'horror' story is very sparse and basic, though it does pick up a little in the last quarter. There are also some very strange phrases and misused words in the writing every now and again. Editing hiccups perhaps but this was very distracting and off putting and even made me wonder whether the book was originally written in a different language, maybe, and has not been translated as well as it might have been. I don't know. On a positive note, the author has succeeded admirably in writing a cast of thoroughly unlikable characters (with the exception of Eleonore who is, mostly, a very sweet child) and it is a pleasure to watch them fear for their lives, looking over their shoulders at every turn.

The idea of this story is a very original one and I was expecting something wonderful. In the end it was an okay read but instantly forgettable.

This was a novel with an exceptionally intriguing idea! While it could have been finessed more - perhaps another pass with an editor? - I thought this was a well executed, and at times quite terrifying novel.

First the good..
This was a creative and creepy tale with a decent back story that tells the legend of this cursed village. Personally I love stories about creepy little towns with strange inhabitants who are all in on a secret that leaves the newcomers in peril.
This picturesque town of Clervaux delivers that along with a demonic being who will take revenge on anyone who kills a cat. The main characters are Aidan, a controlling, selfish, yet weak willed veterinarian who expects his wife to just go along with every whim he has, and Jess the put upon wife who can't be bothered to stand up for herself..
The not so good..
The characters behavior sometimes came across as unnatural. There were some strange choices that defy the logic of what someone would do in certain situations. Some things just lacked a natural flow and resolution, like angry villagers chasing you with murderous intent but then you get home and..nothing. I guess they gave up and went home. It didn't really say.There were also some strange bits of narrative, for example "He plucked a strand of hair from behind her face and put it tenderly behind her ear."
All in all not a bad story, and some very creative ideas.

Clowders by Vanessa Morgan is a first-rate horror story. When Adrian Burns is offered a job as a vet in a cat clinic in Luxembourg, it seems a dream come true for his wanderlust. The little village of Clervaux is a cat lover’s paradise. People come from all over to see the cats.

But Clervaux hides a dark secret. Cats must die a natural death here. If humans cause the death of a cat, maliciously or accidentally, the guardian spirit that protects the cats will retaliate by taking the lives of nine humans in return. When Jess hits a cat on the way back from a party, its death releases the curse upon the tiny town once more.

I really enjoyed this story. It reminded me of Thomas Olde Heuvelt's HEX. Morgan did a marvelous job with Jess’ emotions and psychology. Moving is difficult, especially if you do so reluctantly. I felt so bad for her as Aidan didn't seem to appreciate the sacrifice she made for him by going along with this move. She's an introverted person, and, well, we handle change about as well as Clervaux’s cats. We don't like it. I really didn't like Aidan at all. That he would so readily be willing to cheat on Jess at all, and that he ignores her messages and is inconsiderate by breaking commitments, gives the impression of a shallow personality.

I was a bit confused by the legend surrounding Clervaux, with the guardian spirit of the cats being a beastie from Japanese mythology. Especially since said beastie is more associated with birds. The description and behaviour seem reminiscent of the cait sidhe of Celtic lore. Aidan’s Irish heritage further supports this. I am not as familiar with Belgian or Luxembourg lore, though, and it could that it's a being with a similar name. I would also like to know why the creature is here. However, as an entertaining horror tale, Clowders fits the bill. You won't look at a cluster of cats the same way again!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.