Book Review: The Vines by Christopher Rice

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: The Vines
Author: Christopher Rice
Heroine: Caitlin Chaisson
Genre: MF Horror
Length: 214 Pages
Publisher: 47 North
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The dark history of Spring House, a beautifully restored plantation mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans, has long been forgotten. But something sinister lurks beneath the soil of the old estate.

After heiress and current owner Caitlin Chaisson is witness to her husband’s stunning betrayal at her birthday party, she tries to take her own life in the mansion’s cherished gazebo. Instead, the blood she spills awakens dark forces in the ground below. Chaos ensues and by morning her husband has vanished without a trace and his mistress has gone mad.

Nova, daughter to Spring House’s groundskeeper, has always suspected that something malevolent haunts the old place, and in the aftermath of the birthday party she enlists Caitlin’s estranged best friend, Blake, to help her get to the bottom of it. The pair soon realizes that the vengeance enacted by this sinister and otherworldly force comes at a terrible price.

Review:

This was my first foray into the world of Christopher Rice, and for the most part, I was thoroughly impressed. His writing is very clean and precise; his words flow almost like a poet, and that’s an amazing feat when one is writing horror. I am a huge horror fan and was excited to see what this author had to offer. The subject matter wasn’t new, but the historical aspects were, and that’s what made this story so engrossing. I loved reading about the history of the plantation and the slavery aspects, but the jump between the past and present was a little difficult to follow.

The main concern for me was the numerous characters and multiple story lines. All came together at the end, but getting there caused my head to spin. We have quite a few main characters, and each has a story of their own. Considering this is not a long book, what you end up with is a whole lot of information being thrown at you from many angles. The information was all relevant, but it was a lot.

The paranormal aspects, including the vines, the flowers, the bugs, etc…weren’t scary to me. When I read horror, I want to be on the edge of my seat. I wasn’t. I kept expecting something exciting to happen, but it didn’t. I need the thrills and chills that I associate with a good horror story, but what I got was a story that seemed to be more about racial conflicts and home wreckers. I also need a lot more action and dialogue. This story, though extremely well written, left me wanting more. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat and wanted to care, but it never happened.

This is more of a personal preference, so please take that into consideration if this book is on your radar. The writing itself is worth making this a book to read if horror is your thing, because the author obviously has talent, but the story fell a little flat for me, and unfortunately, my expectations were high.

Overall Impression: I liked it

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*