First the good..
This was a creative and creepy tale with a decent back story that tells the legend of this cursed village. Personally I love stories about creepy little towns with strange inhabitants who are all in on a secret that leaves the newcomers in peril.
This picturesque town of Clervaux delivers that along with a demonic being who will take revenge on anyone who kills a cat. The main characters are Aidan, a controlling, selfish, yet weak willed veterinarian who expects his wife to just go along with every whim he has, and Jess the put upon wife who can't be bothered to stand up for herself..
The not so good..
The characters behavior sometimes came across as unnatural. There were some strange choices that defy the logic of what someone would do in certain situations. Some things just lacked a natural flow and resolution, like angry villagers chasing you with murderous intent but then you get home and..nothing. I guess they gave up and went home. It didn't really say.There were also some strange bits of narrative, for example "He plucked a strand of hair from behind her face and put it tenderly behind her ear."
All in all not a bad story, and some very creative ideas.

I received a complimentary copy for review. ( )

Review also posted on my blog: https://bennilovesbooks.wordpress.com/2018/06/23/review-clowders-by-vanessa-morg...

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This book has content warnings for cat death, human death, gore, car accidents, physical violence, and toxic relationships.

This book was a mixed bag for me because while I thought the premise was fascinating and thought that the horror aspects of the book were really good and creepy, I felt frustrated with much of the rest of the book. To start with, I could not stand Aidan. After the move to Clervaux he almost immediately started cheating on Jess, whom he dragged to a different continent with him. (I also had a LOT of issues with the woman that Aidan was "seduced" by being a Latina-coded, stereotypical homewrecker. She was the only person in the book that was coded as a person of color, and that felt very icky to me because OF COURSE the cheating isn't the white man's fault...) His tone was also irritating and he was overall pretty boring. Jess was a little better, but not by much; it was clear that she cared about her child and her relationship, but her behaviors bothered me a lot and she was also difficult to read.

I also had issues with literally every other character in this book that was not either a child or a feline... Eleonore was fine and didn't bother me because she acted like a small child could be expected to. Everybody else got on my nerves at all times. What frustrated me the most, I think, was how literally no one bothered to even try to explain to the newcomers (Aidan and Jess) why the town had rules against killing cats. This was written off as "too difficult to do" by one of the characters, but it just seemed silly because it's written in the book description and telling someone a legend should not be that difficult. This really weird aversion to actually explaining what was going on to these characters was an okay mystery at first, but it got really tired really quickly and made the pacing feel very off.

I did enjoy the legend itself and the cats and the horror aspects of the book, but these didn't really shine through because so much effort was put into masking these elements and making the book feel more like a mystery than a horror story. I think I would have liked this book a whole lot better if all humans were removed from the book and it was just the cats. With this town's luck and history, it seems like this could be something that happens eventually anyway.

Final rating: 2.5 of 5 stars ( )

Clowders by Vanessa Morgan is a first-rate horror story. When Adrian Burns is offered a job as a vet in a cat clinic in Luxembourg, it seems a dream come true for his wanderlust. The little village of Clervaux is a cat lover’s paradise. People come from all over to see the cats.

But Clervaux hides a dark secret. Cats must die a natural death here. If humans cause the death of a cat, maliciously or accidentally, the guardian spirit that protects the cats will retaliate by taking the lives of nine humans in return. When Jess hits a cat on the way back from a party, its death releases the curse upon the tiny town once more.

I really enjoyed this story. It reminded me of Thomas Olde Heuvelt's HEX. Morgan did a marvelous job with Jess’ emotions and psychology. Moving is difficult, especially if you do so reluctantly. I felt so bad for her as Aidan didn't seem to appreciate the sacrifice she made for him by going along with this move. She's an introverted person, and, well, we handle change about as well as Clervaux’s cats. We don't like it. I really didn't like Aidan at all. That he would so readily be willing to cheat on Jess at all, and that he ignores her messages and is inconsiderate by breaking commitments, gives the impression of a shallow personality.

I was a bit confused by the legend surrounding Clervaux, with the guardian spirit of the cats being a beastie from Japanese mythology. Especially since said beastie is more associated with birds. The description and behaviour seem reminiscent of the cait sidhe of Celtic lore. Aidan’s Irish heritage further supports this. I am not as familiar with Belgian or Luxembourg lore, though, and it could that it's a being with a similar name. I would also like to know why the creature is here. However, as an entertaining horror tale, Clowders fits the bill. You won't look at a cluster of cats the same way again!

***Many thanks to Silver Dagger Tours and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

Talk about a unique story! I love a good thriller, that is based round local legend. This book is just such a read, and gives you so much detail that you are left completely engrossed in the story, wondering what will happen in the mysterious story and how it might affect the local community.

I did find the book took a little bit to get moving, but once it started rolling, you were thrown into it so deep that you wondered if the clowders might get you as well. The detail and depth in which the author contributed to the story and legend were excellent.

I loved getting to know the characters, filled with a love and hate for them, depending on the time and place. I also liked guessing whether or not pieces of the puzzle were real or just part of the crippling fear that gripped the community.

Overall, this was a great and very interesting read. I think a lot of thriller lovers would enjoy it, especially those who are interested in mythical/legend thrillers. ( )