Eve's Rib

I bought this book when I attended the Eden Mills Writers Festival back in September. I enjoyed listening to the author panels, especially the trio of suspense authors that included Samantha Bailey, Jennifer Hillier, and new-to-me author, C.S. O'Cinneide who spoke about their recent books.

I went into Eve's Rib blind and didn't realize it was a slow burn read. I am the first to admit that I do not do well with slow burns. This is a story that centres around a highly dysfunctional family who is in turmoil and explores what happens when you make a deal with dark forces. 

The story begins with a wonderful sinister feel as readers learn what Eve did to make their family. We are introduced to the three family members - Eve, her husband Richard, and their teenage daughter Abbey - who each share their perspectives. Each family member was equally interesting, unlikeable, and unreliable leaving readers to wonder if they're telling the truth or if their perspectives and perceptions are so stilted from their own pain that they have become distorted.

I loved the initial eeriness of the dark magic element but was disappointed when the supernatural creepiness was overshadowed by familial angst and an over-the-top surly teen. The story ends with a solid twist but overall, this book fell short of my expectations and felt more about domestic issues than the creepy, dark magic/horror read I had anticipated. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: C.S O'Cinneide

Genre: Domestic Suspense, Supernatural

Type and Source: personal Trade Paperback copy

Publisher: Dundurn Press

First Published: September 20, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: After losing her young son in a tragic accident, Eve struggles to protect the one child she has left, a teenage daughter who just might be pure evil, in this unputdownable domestic thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware

There is a deep chasm that runs between the natural ebb and flow of female magic and the charismatic power of the Ragman. Nobody knows that better than Eve. Desperate for a child, she called on that cunning conjurer eighteen years ago. Her daughter, Abbey, was the result.

After Abbey’s younger brother dies in a fall, Eve fears the worst about her daughter. Five years later, she still battles her guilt and grief over what happened that day. Her husband, Richard, doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know the truth about Abbey; and besides, he has secrets of his own to keep.

But when terrible things begin to happen to those who get in Abbey’s way, Eve must overcome her own pain and loss and find the strength to deal with what she fears most — a teenage daughter she can no longer control and a past that could come back to haunt her in the most monstrous of ways.