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.

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.

This wasn't what I expected, which was a funny horror story about typical book club ladies taking on the undead. It is a dark and very human story about a group of Southern women whose children are threatened by a seemingly unbeatable villain, a man who has ingratiated himself into their world down to the roots. This is not your typical vampire tale.

This book started off really strong for me. I couldn't put it down. But it lost momentum for me around the time Miss Mary died and I just couldn't stick with it. I've read over 50% and just don't want to read any further. I really appreciate the opportunity to preview this title. Thank you.

Patricia lives an idyllic, southern lifestyle in a quiet suburb. The only real excitement she gets is from her book club and the true crime books they read. When a mysterious man moves into the neighborhood, Patricia is awakened to what she is capable of and what she’s been avoiding her whole life.

I’m not a huge horror fan, so this wasn’t my cup of tea. However, I think those that do love horror would really enjoy this.

DNF for me at 15%. Not to my reading taste. I found it too gruesome and could not connect with the characters.

I requested a copy of this at Halloween when I was in a mood for monster/spooky reads. Unfortunately that desire passed before I got to this one. Can't get into it.

This book was thoroughly engrossing and deeply upsetting. At its core, it's about men who care only about their own power at the expense of the women and children in their lives. I hated the men in this book so much--this can't be understated! I think it hit me super hard because even though the book is about vampires, yes literal vampires, it is completely believable in every other way. I don't want to say much more about the story except that it's set in the 90s in South Carolina and the central character, Patricia, is a housewife in an upper middle-class neighborhood in the suburbs. Patricia is part of a book club with a handful of other women, and they read true crime and creepy novels. Then, actual creepy stuff starts happening and Patricia tries to protect her family. You should read this, but not if you have high blood pressure or are prone to fits of rage. I think I now have both problems.

Fun reward! The characters, plot, settings and descriptions were superb, looking very forward to reading more from this author!

I didn't really know what i was getting into when I started, but whoa... This is full on horror. Visceral, terrifying, and compelling. I HAD to know what happened at the end and I read so fast I got a headache. A must read for horror fans.

When I saw all the wonderful reviews written about this book I couldn’t wait to read it. What a hoot! I loved this book, the very original storyline, the characters, and the wonderful way Grady Hendrix writes and describes things. I intend to read all of her other books. I can’t wait for others to enjoy this as much as I did.