Horror Book Club
The Lebo Coven
by Stephen Mark Rainey
Buy book: $17.40

After a ten-year absence, Barry Riggs returns to his hometown of Aiken Mill, Virginia, in search of his brother, Matt, who has mysteriously disappeared. Not only is the younger Riggs missing, but his house has been ransacked--and branded with the strange word "LEBO," painted in blood on the bedroom wall. Faced with a local sheriff whose efforts to solve the crime are considerably less than devoted, Barry sets out on his own to discover the truth.

I can see some twisted family dynamics behind this tale. It will be interesting to see if there is resolution of them between the two brothers if Matt is still alive.

It's because of writing like this why I don't read the "Horror" genre. Although I really want to because I used to love horror.

When I was 12 and reading "Carrie" by Stephen King for the first time I may have given "the Lebo Coven" a read beyond the first page. But now at 42 most horror is somehow a derivative of King's. And I find it boring. Re-reading "Carrie" or "Night Shift" would be more entertaining.

It may be the kind of writing that sells horror books these days, but "The LEBO Coven" just is not intense enough to get me back into the horror genre. If it doesn't grab me in the first paragragh, I don't want to read it. I've wasted too much time reading a book in hopes it will turn out to be a good story and it never does.

Maybe this is what sells in the horror genre these days, but from this small part I've read I'm not impressed.

The beginning is working for me, I'm not seeing it as derivative of Stephen King or anything. Too early to tell, but I think the setup suspense is fine, especially with the mystery of the brothers. Will want to see more.

Too early to tell if it's a good book our not. It will be interesting to see wear the book will lead if matt is still alive, considering the brothers bizarre relationship.

Shannon