Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher

 

I don’t like horror - or at least I thought I didn’t. I never wanted to watch scary movies as a kid. I got nightmares from E.T. so I never saw anything with Freddy or Jason. But after reading and enjoying The Twisted Ones and The Holllow Places by T. Kingfisher, I realized that I can enjoy horror by the right author. After all, T. Kingfisher is also Ursula Vernon, the author of the Hamster Princess books, which my daughters and I love, as well as the Saint of Steel series, Thornhedge, Nettle and Bone, and a bunch of other books I have adored in recent years. So of course I was going to request an eARC of her new novel, Snake Eater from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And I am SO glad that I did because it was fantastic. Like the Twisted Ones, the protagonist is a woman with a dog who moves to a small town and ends up living someplace a bit creepy where creepy things start happening. There is a delightful cast of oddball supporting characters and the dog, of course, is a very good dog who is just fine in the end. 

Like in The Hollow Places, the characters are amazingly detailed and feel so real and the fantastical elements impinge on the story so gradually that you never lose your suspension of misbelief. The mysteries are meaty and satisfying, though the final reveal felt a little out of left field. Only a little though - the wackiness of the museum of oddities setting did help sell it. It worked in the context mostly, but it was the only  weak point in an otherwise excellent novel. I’m so glad I read this book! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!