megs_bookrack's Reviews > The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Patricia Campbell has a full life, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's fulfilling.

With the majority of her time being dedicated to her family, the one thing she has for herself are the evenings she spends with her friends, the ladies of the Murderinos Book Club.



The Club consists of like-minded Southern housewives, who discuss True Crime and other socially unsavory topics.

Cleverly, different sections of the book are titled after real-life True Crime books. These are based upon what the Club is reading during the period of time we are following in the novel.

Thank you, Grady Hendrix, for adding to my already infinite TBR with some of these True Crime titles.



It's the early-1990s and in their conservative neighborhood, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina, it sounds better to say their Club is a Bible Study. So, that's exactly what they say.

It raises a lot less eyebrows that way.



When a handsome stranger moves to town, Patricia is intrigued and oddly enough, he seems interested in joining the conversation.

Patricia, in good-neighborly spirits, invites him along to her Book Club. After all, how much harm could his presence bring?



The closer Patricia gets to James Harris, the more she notices that something's not quite right with him.

Patricia's live-in mother-in-law seems to take an instant dislike to him; seeming to confuse James with someone from her past. It's possibly simply a symptom of her dementia, but there are other things too.



As local children start disappearing, rumors of a Boogie Man luring them into the woods begin to surface.

Patricia, spurred on by the woman who once offered care to her mother-in-law, begins an investigation of her own. She suspects James may be behind the terrible happenings, but will anyone believe her?



Luckily, Patricia does have some true friends within her Book Club and the ladies team up to get to the bottom of the mystery that is, James Harris.

Guys, I LOVED this book so much!



The dynamics amongst the ladies in the Book Club gave me life! I adored their friendships, Southern charm and humor, as well as the early-90s setting.

Hendrix writes Horror Comedy so well, somehow making it lighthearted, yet horrifying at the same time. It's really quite a skill.



There was also a certain scene in here, occurring during Patricia's investigation, that was hands down, one of the most cringe-worthy scenes I have EVER read in my life.

That sh*t would make Stephen King proud. It was legit, skin-crawling, gagging, exclaiming while I'm reading, good.



I listened to the audiobook for this read, having since purchased a hard copy. I know I will be reading this again.

Side note, it just so happens, which I didn't know going in, that this is voiced by my favorite narrator of all time, Bahni Turpin, who is an absolute goddess!



If you are considering listening to the audio, I absolutely recommend it. A++ performance!

Overall, this book knocked it out of the park. An easy 5-stars from me. Believe the hype.