Book Review: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
by Grady Hendrix (Hendrix)

Having read both Horrorstor and Paperbacks From Hell, also by Grady Hendrix, I was intrigued by The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires when I saw it on the new books display at the downtown library, and decided to give it a try — figured it couldn’t go wrong with a Southern-flavored vampire story.

 

This is an interesting amalgamation of “southern fiction”, horror story and historical fiction (events in this book are set from the late 1980s to the late 1990s). The central character is Patricia Campbell, a slightly nervous and unfulfilled wife in a tradition southern marriage, with a somewhat inattentive husband and two kids who are moving into the “troublesome” years. Looking for some variety in her life, Patricia joins a book club — first with a bunch of stuffy women reading overly pretentious novels, then with a group of friends, who all want to read True Crime non-fiction volumes.

 

When an elderly neighbor lady goes insane and attacks Patricia one night, it’s the first step down a dark and confusing path. The demented woman’s nephew moves to town and, despite his charming attempts to fit into local society, Patricia suspects him when a number of children disappear. Events rapidly escalate, and Patricia must convince her fellow book club members that James Harris is not only suspicious — he’s actually an inhuman monster — a vampire.

 

This book is far less about the “horror” elements, though they are certainly present. It is, rather, a marvelous little look at the relationships between a bunch of Southern belles in a book club, and their awkward and uncomfortable relationships with their husbands and children. There’s a lot of humor, mixed liberally with some stark terror. The last 50 pages are particularly…disturbing. Yet, I enjoyed it, and recommend it to horror fans who like a bit of humor, or to “southern fiction” fans who don’t mind a bit of horror.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Horrorstor or Paperbacks From Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction, both also by Grady Hendrix.]

[ official Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires web site ] | [ official Grady Hendrix web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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