Gypsies have always fascinated many, and apparently continue to do so, as is evident by the steady supply of written and filmed stories surrounding them. From the ominous warnings uttered by Bela Lugosi at the beginning of the Wolf Man, to King’s cinematic flop ‘Thinner’, which took a somewhat comical over the top approach to the traditional curses, some rules – as with vampires, werewolves, etc. – remain consistent. Deborah LeBlanc, in her second novel, opens Grave Intent with a desperate mother cradling her young baby, mindfully resentful toward her husband, who is about to bestow upon their daughter an act she feels is unjust and unneeded. Forced to participate in the hideous ritual, the novel then charges up with modern-day events, introducing the reader to the main characters, and from there propelling toward relentless horror, strange occurrences, and explorations of the all too common human trait: greed, and it’s eventual result: revenge.

Characters are believable and to be cared about on multiple levels, with dialogue being rich and convincing, particularly when showcasing the southern culture. The plot itself works, fitting like a comfortable and slightly familiar shoe. Events were paced quickly, not pausing overly much, keeping the book open in my hands. There were enough creepy moments to signal this is rightfully a horror novel, but nothing blood-curdling. (Then again, getting the blood-curdling effect from horror books can be hard once you’ve read enough of them. The old jaded effect, ya know).

Suspense is backed with ample build-up and well-sketched tension, not feeling out of place. It always helps that it’s easy to relate to the characters when something does happen (or almost does). Sadly, suspense and horror aren’t there from the start, having the reader needing to exert a bit of patience to get there. There are some aspects of the novel that are slightly melodramatic and overdone, as well as the ‘hauntings’ themselves – slightly over-the-top with the aftertaste of Kraft. Most chapters end with cliffhangers, which is effective with R.L. Stine and children/teen novels, but can grow tiresome and predictable with the adult crowd after so many years of seeing it.

Overall nothing too memorable – you won’t remember plot details a year from now – but it’s a good way to pass the time, especially for those who enjoy the classic gypsy curse type atmosphere. LeBlanc continues to please with her writing, earning her title as a Bram Stoker nominee. I’m eager to give her next book a shot.

( )

This was actually very scary and would make an excellent movie...although it did kind of remind me of Drag Me to Hell, but that could have just been the gypsy curse part.

The King of the gypsy's nineteen year old daughter dies and they choose a funeral home and lay her to rest. However, a golden coin that is supposed to pay for her safe passage is stolen out of her casket. All hell breaks loose.

Some genuinely scary moments. If you like horror, pick this up and give it a try. ( )

Grave Intent starts off with a creepy introduction into gypsy folklore and proceeds into a race against time action story to reverse of a curse. The author invests enough time for character development creating characters you both like and dislike. There are some chilling scenes of horror and action from beginning to end. However, much of the gypsy characters are left out of the story once the action begins leaving you wondering a little about the curse that underlies the intent of the action. More time spent with the gypsy subplot could have enhanced the storyline's spooky atmoshphere. Overall though, this was an entertaining read and I look forward to reading more of Leblanc's novels.

BTW, Deborah Leblanc has joined forces with Sarah Langan, Alexandra Sokoloff and Sarah Pinborough in a writing group called MUSE. I've read books by both Langan and Pinborough as well and if you like this book you will enjoy both of these authors as well. ( )