Northern Irish author Stuart Neville has primarily made a name for himself as a crime writer, but his writing has always delved into the more intriguing hinterlands of that genre, mixing literary, supernatural and horror influences into the bargain. On the surface his latest novel, Blood Like Mine, looks like a serial killer thriller set in the huge spaces of the American wilderness.
FBI agent Marc Donner has been tracking a killer for two years, the victims all men, their throats opened, their bodies bled out and their spinal cords severed. Rebecca Carter and her daughter are travelling across the American west, staying out of sight and trying not to interact with anyone. But they are also catfishing bad men on the internet, targeting them so that they can eat, because both of them are vampires. The fact that the word ‘vampire’ is never used in Neville’s heart-pounding thriller is an indication that this is a modern and empathetic take on the ancient horror trope, one that focuses on the emotional impact rather than conforming to the cliches that might exist within this area.
Blood Like Mine is beautifully constructed and it moves at an electric pace. As Donner begins to close in on the pair the tension is raised to nerve-shredding levels, and it all builds to a terrific climax. But what sets Blood Like Mine above the pack is the time taken to really delve into the mindsets and feelings of the book’s central characters. There is an inherent pathos in Neville’s story set-up and he really delivers on it, packing a deeply emotional punch by the end.
Doug Johnstone is an author and journalist.
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Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville is out now (Simon & Schuster, £18.99). You can buy it from The Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.
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