Publishers Weekly
02/26/2024
Rue Morgue contributor Ryan melds mystery, horror, and family drama in her sharp solo debut about the descent of ancient ghouls on a small Texas town. In the summer of 1999, the women of the Evans family—matriarch Ducey; her daughter, Lenore; her granddaughter, Grace; and her great-granddaughter, Luna—witness recently deceased busybody Mina Jean Murphy rise from the dead, setting off alarm bells in Ducey and Lenore’s heads: for the first time in 15 years, the bloodthirsty, undead strigoi (“sort of like zombies and vampires combined”) have returned to Southeast Texas. But why? As the number of strigoi multiplies and the sheriff starts asking questions, the elder Evans women reveal bits and pieces of family history to the younger ones. Before long, it becomes clear that they may be the only family in the region who are equipped to stop their new, blood-starved neighbors from sucking the state dry. Ryan lays the mythology on thick, relishing details big and small about both the strigoi and the Evans family, sometimes at the expense of brisk pacing. Still, it’s a pleasure to spend time in her carefully rendered world, and she packs plenty of bloodshed among the copious exposition. This has bite. (Apr.)Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the author’s role at Rue Morgue and was missing part of a character’s name.
From the Publisher
"Ryan melds mystery, horror, and family drama in her sharp solo debut... This has bite." - Publishers Weekly
"Incorporating just the right amount of Southern sass, this gruesomely descriptive yet heartrendingly poignant tale will leave horror fans hungry for the next installment." - Booklist (starred review)
“Such a brilliant blend of banter and dread. Authored with the confidence of a storyteller who knows every inch, cadence, and beat of their tale. Instantly cinematic. And if you’re anything like me, you’re going to wish you were part of the Evans family, working at the Evans Funeral Home, just so you can spend more time with these people. Lindy Ryan is on fire with this book.” -Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Daphne
"The Evans women have arrived and these southern belle slayers are carving out a spot in our undead hearts. Lindy Ryan has harnessed the charm and horror of a Romero-helmed Steel Magnolias, equal parts Carson McCullers and Bram Stoker. Bless her heart." —Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters
"Lindy Ryan is among the most electrifying voices in the horror genre today. Her writing is devastating, beautiful, and horrifying in all the best ways. With her new novel, she's created a group of characters you won't ever forget set in a world that's sure to get under your skin. Bless Your Heart is everything you could want in a horror novel and more. Highly recommended." –Gwendolyn Kiste, Three-time Bram Stoker Awards®-winning author of The Rust Maidens and Reluctant Immortals
"A flesh-ripping, heartfelt good time. Lindy Ryan has crafted a matriarchal line in keeping with Practical Magic but with the added gory fun of Dead Until Dark. I was utterly charmed and can only hope I haven’t seen the end of the Evans women." —Kristi DeMeester, author of Such a Pretty Smile
"If you don't think a horror novel can somehow feel like Steel Magnolias meets Buffy with a dab of Straub's Ghost Story, well . . . Bless Your Heart. Lindy Ryan's debut novel is a bloodsoaked blast, packed with delightful characters and shockingly gruesome mayhem. And its ending seems to imply further adventures involving the Evans women, something I would welcome like a glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day."
- Nat Cassidy, author of Mary: An Awakening of Terror and Nestlings
"A gloriously gruesome, compulsively readable debut that is as grizzly as it is clever and heartfelt, offering an inventive, poignant, and thoroughly entertaining exploration of legacy. Absolutely brilliant." - Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth
“Lindy Ryan’s debut, Bless Your Heart, is a delight! Small-town, multi-generational horror about a family of monster-hunting women who make sure the dead can rest, it’s a creepy romp that begs for sequels. Check it out!” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and All Hallows
“Gory, spine-chilling, and deeply Southern, Bless Your Heart is a women-led fight against the rising dead. An absolute must-read for anyone who likes their horror with bite.” –Darcy Coates, USA Today best-selling author of THE HAUNTING OF ASHBURN HOUSE and GALLOWS HILL
"Sparkling with magic and Southern charm, Bless Your Heart is a witty and compulsively readable story about family, duty, and the power to protect the ones we love the most. I was delightfully charmed by the women of the Evans family!" —Maureen Kilmer, author of Suburban Hell and Hex Education
"Ryan’s compelling horror/mystery hybrid is bursting with serious scares, humor, and Southern charm. Fans of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison will appreciate." - Library Journal
"A tale of sacrifices, danger, and above all, love, Bless Your Heart...effortlessly stole my heart. If there’s any complaint to be had, it is that I have not spent nearly enough time with the Evans women." - FanFiAddict
"Let Ryan pour some sunshine into your TBR...charming, as this novel has plenty of local color and turns of phrase. However, what elevates Bless Your Heart beyond pastiche is Ryan’s willingness to revel in full-on gore and to follow through on some genuine, last-minute emotional stakes." - Esquire, Best Horror of 2024
"A bloody, blistering, bracing and bold foray." - Booktrib
Library Journal
01/01/2024
It's 1999 in a small southeast Texas town where everyone knows each other's business and the Evans women run the only funeral parlor. When the presumed-dead town gossip rises from her casket, the Evans women do what they have for generations, protect the town from the powerful ancient Strigoi by staking her through the heart. This is merely the start of a violent string of bolder and bolder attacks. As the bodies pile up, it is getting harder for them to deny that this onslaught may be tied to Luna, the youngest of the Evans women, and the horrors that befell their family 15 years ago, soon after Luna's birth. Told via multiple points of view, a well-developed and utterly unforgettable cast of characters, and an engaging narration that draws readers in immediately, this novel will make readers root for the Evans women to beat back both the ghouls and the family secrets that haunt them. VERDICT Ryan's (Throw Me to the Wolves) compelling horror/mystery hybrid is bursting with serious scares, humor, and Southern charm. Fans of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison will appreciate.
