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It almost rare to see a combination of dark humor with blood-soaked horror and spine-chilling thriller but The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires manages to get it just right.

Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt duller. Her family is busy in their own world and she’s always busy with endless chores. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of women united by their love of true crime. One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor’s handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life.

James is well-traveled and well-read. But soon the mysterious stranger turns out to be much more than imagined and Patricia’s life takes an inconceivable turn.
The story starts out well with a light and engaging tone. The characters are unique and the plot feels like a slice of real life. The author manages to craft the brilliantly layered story with dark humor, horror, and several twists and turns that will keep you hooked. The story manages to deliver several underlying messages including sexism, patriarchy, and domestic abuse. There is lots of blood and gore violence but the book manages to keep the story emotional and light, most of the time. Overall, the story starts as a fun read and it manages a nice mix of dark humor and horror till the end.

Hendrix gets most of the characters spot-on, From Patricia and her family to the lives of the five-book club members (Patricia, Grace, Maryellen, Slick, and Kitty) and their families. They might start off as typecasts but slowly they evolve into distinct characters of their own. I quite enjoyed the camaraderie between the women and I felt the book could have focused a lot more on the book club.

The book starts with a light and funny tone and slowly becomes more and darker as it reaches the end. Which in a way is disappointing because I was expecting it to stay light, unlike most horror stories. The author touches on several issues like sexism, child abuse, domestic abuse, etc. I wish the book had focused more on the characters in the book club because it feels like drifting away from the main story whenever it wasn’t. As a note of caution, the blood and gore in this book (quite graphic at times) may not be suitable for everyone’s tastes.

Overall, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires is a fun book, full of quirky characters, blood, and gore with a unique story. It’s full of dark humor and some dark disturbing horror. If you are looking to read a horror story with a twist, this one is a must-read.

Many thanks to the publishers Quirk Books and Edelweiss for the ARC.