Those Across the River- Review

Title:  Those Across the River
Author:  Christopher Buehlman
Source: Librarything

Goodreads Summary:

Failed academic Frank Nichols and his wife, Eudora, have arrived in the sleepy Georgia town of Whitbrow, where Frank hopes to write a history of his family's old estate-the Savoyard Plantation- and the horrors that occurred there. At first, the quaint, rural ways of their new neighbors seem to be everything they wanted. But there is an unspoken dread that the townsfolk have lived with for generations. A presence that demands sacrifice.

It comes from the shadowy woods across the river, where the ruins of Savoyard still stand. Where a longstanding debt of blood has never been forgotten.

A debt that has been waiting patiently for Frank Nichols's homecoming...

My thoughts:

Frank and Dora are a cute couple, in love, trying their own thing.  Frank was a very together character - trustworthy, brave, devoted.  Maybe not too quick to catch on to the fact though, that the town was headed for trouble.  Pay close attention to the town forum part of this book, this is the event that sets the rest of the book in motion, although you might not realize it while reading it.  I was a little bored at this stage in the book, and didn't read it too closely, and then later went back to reread it.  There is a definite slow build to action, but I ended up loving this book so much, that I immediately gave it to my brother to read when I was done.

It took me some time to get into this book.  I kept picking it up, reading a little, then putting it back down for a few days.  I just thought the first half was so slow, and not that scary.  However, once it hit the halfway mark, I couldn't put the book down!  It was creepy, scary, everything I wanted and expected.  One of the spookiest parts for me is when the main characters need help, they are alone on the street, and the rest of the townsfolk lock their doors and windows against them, unwilling to help.  It was just so coldhearted, it creeped me out.  There are also seriously gross descriptions, and scary situations throughout.  And I loved every minute of it.

Much like the Krewe of Hunters series, I found myself wanting to know more about what exactly happened at the Savoyard Plantation all those years ago.  It is explained in bits here and there, and the reader can read between the lines and put the whole story together, but I wanted more explanation on it. This seems to be a big thing for me in books.  I think if an author is going to allude to something in the past, I think they should fully explain it. Maybe it is the history buff in me, I don't know.  I have a degree in History, so maybe that is why I need/want to know more. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this book! It was a slow started, but had a big finish!