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Eve's Rib
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.
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.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2022
8 people are currently reading
4827 people want to read
About the author
C.S. O’Cinneide
7 books129 followersC.S. O'Cinneide (oh-ki-nay-da) is an Edgar nominated writer and a blogger on her website, She Kills Lit, where she features women writers of thriller and noir. Her debut novel, Petra’s Ghost, a dark thriller set on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in 2019.
She is also the author of the Candace Starr crime series, which follows the hard-boiled antics of a saucy, six-foot-three hitwoman of the same name.
C.S. O'Cinneide lives in Guelph, Ontario with her husband, an Irish ex-pat who remains her constant muse.
She is also the author of the Candace Starr crime series, which follows the hard-boiled antics of a saucy, six-foot-three hitwoman of the same name.
C.S. O'Cinneide lives in Guelph, Ontario with her husband, an Irish ex-pat who remains her constant muse.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 27, 2022
"Eve was able to move not only objects but circumstances with her will and a practiced incantation...could see for miles using her mind's eye...despite all the spells she knew...[she had no baby]." She learned the story of the Ragman. "[Eve] draws the pentagon on the attic floor then she lays down with her flat belly at it's chalky apex and bought everything the Ragman had to sell...".
Immeasurable tragedy. An horrific accident claimed the life of eight year old Michael. The grieving family suffered a breakdown of communication. Eve felt grief stricken and guilty. Was Michael's death payback for enlisting the aid of a conjurer? Husband Richard tried to display a stiff upper lip, leaving things unsaid. He seemingly lacked empathy. Teenage daughter Abbey complained in her diary that "Mom hovers around the house like a shell-shocked Gestapo just waiting for me to screw up, and she calls it caring." But...[Abbey] was not like other daughters. That's why Eve needed to protect her."
In alternating chapters, the reader is privy to the thoughts and emotions of Eve, Richard and Abbey, three unreliable narrators. Eve approached life "with a sadness that insulated her from the world", a stay-at-home mom who wrote gritty crime novels while watching out for the next disaster. Richard maintained a stony silence finding secret ways, outside the home, to deal with the loss of his son. Abbey's anger and fury were used as a coat of armor. Her BFF Selena seemed to have it all; a beautiful home with loving parents who were successful in the classical music world. Abbey and Selena were academic competitors and basketball teammates. Perhaps the Thompson Scholarship awarded to Selena would be transferred to Abbey as the result of Selena's precarious health. Abbey felt that "I'm only getting what is coming to me" since people get what they deserve.
"Eve's Rib" by C.S. O'Cinneide is a gripping domestic noir thriller. Eve seemed to have invoked the dark side of magic setting off a chain of frightening happenings. What was Abbey's role in these unfortunate events? A chilling family drama I highly recommend!
Thank you Dundurn Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Immeasurable tragedy. An horrific accident claimed the life of eight year old Michael. The grieving family suffered a breakdown of communication. Eve felt grief stricken and guilty. Was Michael's death payback for enlisting the aid of a conjurer? Husband Richard tried to display a stiff upper lip, leaving things unsaid. He seemingly lacked empathy. Teenage daughter Abbey complained in her diary that "Mom hovers around the house like a shell-shocked Gestapo just waiting for me to screw up, and she calls it caring." But...[Abbey] was not like other daughters. That's why Eve needed to protect her."
In alternating chapters, the reader is privy to the thoughts and emotions of Eve, Richard and Abbey, three unreliable narrators. Eve approached life "with a sadness that insulated her from the world", a stay-at-home mom who wrote gritty crime novels while watching out for the next disaster. Richard maintained a stony silence finding secret ways, outside the home, to deal with the loss of his son. Abbey's anger and fury were used as a coat of armor. Her BFF Selena seemed to have it all; a beautiful home with loving parents who were successful in the classical music world. Abbey and Selena were academic competitors and basketball teammates. Perhaps the Thompson Scholarship awarded to Selena would be transferred to Abbey as the result of Selena's precarious health. Abbey felt that "I'm only getting what is coming to me" since people get what they deserve.
"Eve's Rib" by C.S. O'Cinneide is a gripping domestic noir thriller. Eve seemed to have invoked the dark side of magic setting off a chain of frightening happenings. What was Abbey's role in these unfortunate events? A chilling family drama I highly recommend!
Thank you Dundurn Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2022
This book is B.O.R.I.N.G. The slowest of all slow burns with very little payout.
When I read the synopsis of a possible psychopathic daughter I was so intrigued, and it is partly about that, but more so it's about an unfaithful couple, which is a well worn trope and this one isn't even particularly well done. All the characters in this book are despicable and I couldn't have cared less about anyone. Abby the daughter is so crass, so annoying, so unappealing that she couldn't even pull off being an interesting psychopath. I honestly wanted to punch her in her smug little face the entire time I was reading this. This book also has magic and spells and those types of things are just too fantastical to ever work for me. So, unfortunately for me, the book was a big letdown. Bummer. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for my complimentary copy.
When I read the synopsis of a possible psychopathic daughter I was so intrigued, and it is partly about that, but more so it's about an unfaithful couple, which is a well worn trope and this one isn't even particularly well done. All the characters in this book are despicable and I couldn't have cared less about anyone. Abby the daughter is so crass, so annoying, so unappealing that she couldn't even pull off being an interesting psychopath. I honestly wanted to punch her in her smug little face the entire time I was reading this. This book also has magic and spells and those types of things are just too fantastical to ever work for me. So, unfortunately for me, the book was a big letdown. Bummer. 2 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for my complimentary copy.
September 11, 2022
Great read! I absolutely loved the setting. Growing up in southwestern Ontario I loved the references to some of the small towns in my old stomping grounds. Additionally, the multiple POVs worked well for this book and really kept me guessing. Overall, an engaging domestic thriller full of surprises. A great spooky fall read.
October 8, 2022
Eve’s Rib || CS O’Cinneide
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Eve’s Rib is a domestic noir story with elements of supernatural, family drama and mystery woven throughout. Told from three alternating perspectives; Eve’s, her husband Richards and their teenager daughter, Abbey. Through these narratives we get a glimpse inside at each character’s thoughts, motivations and secrets. Eighteen years prior to the start of the story, Eve, a witch called on the “Ragman” a dangerous entity when she was desperate to conceive a child. Now she lives with her husband and daughter where they are still recovering from the traumatic death of their youngest child. What follows is part-family drama about trauma, grief and relationship and part supernatural eerily mystery as strange things keep happening to anyone who gets in Abbey’s way.
This is my first book by this author. I enjoyed the deep themes and relationships between the characters. The supernatural elements gave this one a unique twist and depth making it more than just a family drama. The pacing felt slow-medium, however this wasn’t a bad thing allowing us to really get a detailed sense of this complex family with more than a few secrets going on. It was hard to decide whose perspective I enjoyed more as they all added something different and each had their own secrets, motivations making you unsure who to trust.
Overall, this was a fantastic and enjoyable read. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Eve’s Rib is a domestic noir story with elements of supernatural, family drama and mystery woven throughout. Told from three alternating perspectives; Eve’s, her husband Richards and their teenager daughter, Abbey. Through these narratives we get a glimpse inside at each character’s thoughts, motivations and secrets. Eighteen years prior to the start of the story, Eve, a witch called on the “Ragman” a dangerous entity when she was desperate to conceive a child. Now she lives with her husband and daughter where they are still recovering from the traumatic death of their youngest child. What follows is part-family drama about trauma, grief and relationship and part supernatural eerily mystery as strange things keep happening to anyone who gets in Abbey’s way.
This is my first book by this author. I enjoyed the deep themes and relationships between the characters. The supernatural elements gave this one a unique twist and depth making it more than just a family drama. The pacing felt slow-medium, however this wasn’t a bad thing allowing us to really get a detailed sense of this complex family with more than a few secrets going on. It was hard to decide whose perspective I enjoyed more as they all added something different and each had their own secrets, motivations making you unsure who to trust.
Overall, this was a fantastic and enjoyable read. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel.
October 20, 2022
For me, reading 'Eve's Rib' was like trying to move forward across the deck of a ship in a storm, I kept losing my footing and being taken by surprise. It was exciting and unsettling at the same time.
It's not that 'Eve's Rib' is difficult to read. It's a compelling, propulsive story told using clear narratives from three characters: Eve (an author of a humorous series of books about a tall hitwoman), Richard (Eve's husband) and Abbey (Eve's daughter). The feeling of being off balance came from my 'I know what genre this is' expectations being wrong more often than they were right. I kept mentally stepping unexpectedly into thin air as the plot shifted away from the formulae I expected and into something more original and unusual and much more explosive.
'Eve's Rib' is a genre-crossing story that has to be taken on its own terms. It's a unique blend of witchcraft and psychopathy, serial killers and domestic drama driven by guilt, doubt and love that creates a menace-laden tale.
The prologue set me up for a witchy tale somewhere between 'The Rules Of Magic' and 'Crossroads'. We have a witch struggling with a series of miscarriages and a deal made with the devil, or at least with the Ragman who sounds like a close associate.
Eve's initial narrative, set eighteen years later, sent me into 'strong wife in peril' domestic psychological thriller land. It starts with Eve alone at the ER with a broken rib and a set of secrets, one of which is how her rib was broken. When she returns home it's clear she's grieving for her five-years-dead child, struggling to communicate with her abrasive, dismissive adolescent daughter and frustrated with her emotionally absent husband who wants to tidy her away so that he doesn't have to watch her cope with the pain from her broken rib. Eve's narrative is full of small, closely observed details that feel real, like the transparent way Abbey manipulates her father to get what she wants and the dismissive way she treats Eve and how Eve has to move everything that Richard puts in the dishwasher to put them where they should be. I ended it thinking, 'I know where this is going.'
I didn't.
The next chapter was an extract from Abbey's journal and now I was somewhere else, somewhere closer to Demon Seed or The Omen. I loved Abbey's voice. It was bright, clever, entitled and spiky. But, from the very beginning, her journal felt performative and untrustworthy or at least, self-serving. Here's an example:
I’m starting this journal so I can set down the real story, and so I can say how I truly feel, and not keep it in like I always do. I don’t care if my mom reads it, or whether it’ll hurt her to hear the things I have to say. She should know who she is by now. She may think she’s the only writer in the family, coughing up those silly crime novels for her publisher every year, but she isn’t. She doesn’t even make any money at her writing, not really. She hasn’t earned out one of her advances. So selfish.
O'Cinneide, C.S. . Eve's Rib (p. 21). Dundurn Press. Kindle Edition.
The next chapter was from Richard's point of view and showed me a weak, self-pitying, damaged man cheating on his wife and incapable either of stopping or of facing up to what he was doing. I was back to betrayal and secrets and psychological thriller land but I knew there was more to it than that.
As the book continued, I started to understand that all three narrators were unreliable, either knowingly or subconsciously and that they all had secrets and unclear loyalties that they tended to lie to others and or themselves and that they were locked in a miserable family life, blighted by guilt and doubt and known but unacknowledged betrayals.
Yet this was more than an unflinching portrayal of family life. The magic was real and some of it was malevolent. There was a serial killer at work, who may or may not be one of the family. There was a slowly growing sense of dread and a promise of violence that was made more menacing by the shifting points of view and by the difficulty in being certain who was a hero and who was a villain.
I found 'Eve's Rib' disturbing because it sucked me into that atmosphere of guilt, doubt and betrayal and left me with the feeling that none of this would end well.
In the last third of the book, as secrets are revealed, the body count rises, and possible threats substantiate into fatal violence, I found myself wrapped up in the book as a thriller and I needed to read on and find out who would survive and how.
Yet, at the end of the book, I realised that not all the lies had been revealed and doubt and suspicion remained. I rather liked that.
'Eve's Rib' works perfectly well as a standalone novel but I hope that there will a sequel. I don't think I'm done with Eve and Abbey yet. They have one of the most compelling and plausible and fraught mother-daughter relationships I've come across. Richard? Yeh, him I'm done with.
It's not that 'Eve's Rib' is difficult to read. It's a compelling, propulsive story told using clear narratives from three characters: Eve (an author of a humorous series of books about a tall hitwoman), Richard (Eve's husband) and Abbey (Eve's daughter). The feeling of being off balance came from my 'I know what genre this is' expectations being wrong more often than they were right. I kept mentally stepping unexpectedly into thin air as the plot shifted away from the formulae I expected and into something more original and unusual and much more explosive.
'Eve's Rib' is a genre-crossing story that has to be taken on its own terms. It's a unique blend of witchcraft and psychopathy, serial killers and domestic drama driven by guilt, doubt and love that creates a menace-laden tale.
The prologue set me up for a witchy tale somewhere between 'The Rules Of Magic' and 'Crossroads'. We have a witch struggling with a series of miscarriages and a deal made with the devil, or at least with the Ragman who sounds like a close associate.
Eve's initial narrative, set eighteen years later, sent me into 'strong wife in peril' domestic psychological thriller land. It starts with Eve alone at the ER with a broken rib and a set of secrets, one of which is how her rib was broken. When she returns home it's clear she's grieving for her five-years-dead child, struggling to communicate with her abrasive, dismissive adolescent daughter and frustrated with her emotionally absent husband who wants to tidy her away so that he doesn't have to watch her cope with the pain from her broken rib. Eve's narrative is full of small, closely observed details that feel real, like the transparent way Abbey manipulates her father to get what she wants and the dismissive way she treats Eve and how Eve has to move everything that Richard puts in the dishwasher to put them where they should be. I ended it thinking, 'I know where this is going.'
I didn't.
The next chapter was an extract from Abbey's journal and now I was somewhere else, somewhere closer to Demon Seed or The Omen. I loved Abbey's voice. It was bright, clever, entitled and spiky. But, from the very beginning, her journal felt performative and untrustworthy or at least, self-serving. Here's an example:
I’m starting this journal so I can set down the real story, and so I can say how I truly feel, and not keep it in like I always do. I don’t care if my mom reads it, or whether it’ll hurt her to hear the things I have to say. She should know who she is by now. She may think she’s the only writer in the family, coughing up those silly crime novels for her publisher every year, but she isn’t. She doesn’t even make any money at her writing, not really. She hasn’t earned out one of her advances. So selfish.
O'Cinneide, C.S. . Eve's Rib (p. 21). Dundurn Press. Kindle Edition.
The next chapter was from Richard's point of view and showed me a weak, self-pitying, damaged man cheating on his wife and incapable either of stopping or of facing up to what he was doing. I was back to betrayal and secrets and psychological thriller land but I knew there was more to it than that.
As the book continued, I started to understand that all three narrators were unreliable, either knowingly or subconsciously and that they all had secrets and unclear loyalties that they tended to lie to others and or themselves and that they were locked in a miserable family life, blighted by guilt and doubt and known but unacknowledged betrayals.
Yet this was more than an unflinching portrayal of family life. The magic was real and some of it was malevolent. There was a serial killer at work, who may or may not be one of the family. There was a slowly growing sense of dread and a promise of violence that was made more menacing by the shifting points of view and by the difficulty in being certain who was a hero and who was a villain.
I found 'Eve's Rib' disturbing because it sucked me into that atmosphere of guilt, doubt and betrayal and left me with the feeling that none of this would end well.
In the last third of the book, as secrets are revealed, the body count rises, and possible threats substantiate into fatal violence, I found myself wrapped up in the book as a thriller and I needed to read on and find out who would survive and how.
Yet, at the end of the book, I realised that not all the lies had been revealed and doubt and suspicion remained. I rather liked that.
'Eve's Rib' works perfectly well as a standalone novel but I hope that there will a sequel. I don't think I'm done with Eve and Abbey yet. They have one of the most compelling and plausible and fraught mother-daughter relationships I've come across. Richard? Yeh, him I'm done with.
September 28, 2022
The perfect read for Fall! If you like dark and deeply unsettling, this one's for you!
Things I liked:
The Cover
the Setting
Multiple POVs
Solid Plot
Interesting Characters
Dark Magic
The ending absolutely gutted me. So disturbing. I'm not sure I'll be getting over it for awhile...
Thanks to Dundurn Press for this gifted copy!
Content Warnings: Miscarriage, Bullying, Suicide, Death Of Pet, Loss Of Child, Infidelity, Rape
Things I liked:
The Cover
the Setting
Multiple POVs
Solid Plot
Interesting Characters
Dark Magic
The ending absolutely gutted me. So disturbing. I'm not sure I'll be getting over it for awhile...
Thanks to Dundurn Press for this gifted copy!
Content Warnings: Miscarriage, Bullying, Suicide, Death Of Pet, Loss Of Child, Infidelity, Rape
December 23, 2022
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.
March 25, 2023
A domestic thriller with elements of the supernatural. Creepy and disturbing with an ending that will haunt you long after you've turned the last page.
August 15, 2022
Thriller meets magic - really enjoyable read that I finished in 24 hours. Some good characters throughout and written from 3 perspectives. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.
September 12, 2022
Oh wow I loved this. Like the ability to make me gasp on the second last page. Fabulous. I loved all the witchiness and murder. I loved not knowing who was actually the reliable narrator. The three points of view, especially the diary entries from Abbey really helped this. I truly had no idea where this book was going to go but I adored the journey it took me on. I’d highly recommend it for a spooky season read.
Thanks to Dundurn Press for a gifted copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Dundurn Press for a gifted copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
November 12, 2022
Really a 3.5. Super weird.
May 14, 2022
Since Eve lost her son, she has become ever more protective of her teenage daughter. More so because she knows Abby isn't like other teenagers. She was conceived dangerously, through magic that shouldn't have been used. Now Eve is certain this has impacted her daughter, that her daughter was the one who hurt her son. And she's desperate to protect her. But when animals turn up dead, and people linked to Abby start getting hurt, Eve questions how far she can go to protect Abvy, and how much worse can come...
I loved that this was a relatively quick book (for some reason the books on NetGalley so far have said they are like 500 and 700 pages?!).
This is another NetGalley early read that has kept me rooted to the spot, unable to put the book down. I devoured it. It was chilling, creepy and unpredictable. A horror-fan favourite, this is going to be one that will still in my mind for a long time.
I loved that this was a relatively quick book (for some reason the books on NetGalley so far have said they are like 500 and 700 pages?!).
This is another NetGalley early read that has kept me rooted to the spot, unable to put the book down. I devoured it. It was chilling, creepy and unpredictable. A horror-fan favourite, this is going to be one that will still in my mind for a long time.
November 1, 2022
Thank you @dundurnpress for sending me a copy of Eve’s Rib. It was the best book to read the week coming up to Halloween 🎃. As I finished it close to midnight last it was a proper spooky Halloween finale.
I have to admit that due to the nature of the final epilogue I laid in bed feeling a little disturbed and freaked out trying to process what it exactly meant. Is she? Isn’t she? Was was true? What wasn’t ? It took me awhile to fall asleep 💀😳.
The novel is written from three POV’s: Eve, Richard (her husband), and Abbey (her daughter). This novel very much leans into the unreliable narrator. I’m still not entirely sure what is true versus what the characters have made you think is true, which I very much like.
A huge thing that I love about this novel is, I’m not sure exactly how to phrase this, but how normal it was for Eve and Janet to exist in the world as witches. I love how rooted it felt in our world taking the Wicca of our time and then slowly turning up the volume as the novel went on. It felt like a good way to also explore as non witches how to trust our intuition, and take the tools we contain within us and use them to empower our lives. To believe in all the complicated magic we hold inside of us.
This is very much a feminist novel. I felt myself wincing at times as O’Cinneide explores all of the blatant and subtle ways one can be repressed, boxed in, not taken seriously, being denied the right to be who you are. The dynamics and abuses in relationships. The ways we are told to be a mother, or a daughter. The fraught nature of that relationship. How confusing it is to be a teenager, where the line of self absorption lays before it leads into cruelty/ something darker.
I also think Eve’s Rib does an excellent job at exploring the deep pit of grief, trauma, and depression. And how we all process differently. As well as some larger social issues: homelessness, mental health, and power dynamics.
Also, I grew up around Guelph so the descriptions of the landscape , and places like the Elora Gorge let my mind build this story in my head quite nicely . Certainly worth a read, particularly on the damp and stormy nights of fall! #readwithdundurn
I have to admit that due to the nature of the final epilogue I laid in bed feeling a little disturbed and freaked out trying to process what it exactly meant. Is she? Isn’t she? Was was true? What wasn’t ? It took me awhile to fall asleep 💀😳.
The novel is written from three POV’s: Eve, Richard (her husband), and Abbey (her daughter). This novel very much leans into the unreliable narrator. I’m still not entirely sure what is true versus what the characters have made you think is true, which I very much like.
A huge thing that I love about this novel is, I’m not sure exactly how to phrase this, but how normal it was for Eve and Janet to exist in the world as witches. I love how rooted it felt in our world taking the Wicca of our time and then slowly turning up the volume as the novel went on. It felt like a good way to also explore as non witches how to trust our intuition, and take the tools we contain within us and use them to empower our lives. To believe in all the complicated magic we hold inside of us.
This is very much a feminist novel. I felt myself wincing at times as O’Cinneide explores all of the blatant and subtle ways one can be repressed, boxed in, not taken seriously, being denied the right to be who you are. The dynamics and abuses in relationships. The ways we are told to be a mother, or a daughter. The fraught nature of that relationship. How confusing it is to be a teenager, where the line of self absorption lays before it leads into cruelty/ something darker.
I also think Eve’s Rib does an excellent job at exploring the deep pit of grief, trauma, and depression. And how we all process differently. As well as some larger social issues: homelessness, mental health, and power dynamics.
Also, I grew up around Guelph so the descriptions of the landscape , and places like the Elora Gorge let my mind build this story in my head quite nicely . Certainly worth a read, particularly on the damp and stormy nights of fall! #readwithdundurn
October 27, 2022
I usually love a good “bad seed” book, and I had hoped this was going to be one of those really screwed-up and mind-warping mommy issues horror novels I've loved in the past. Sadly, this was not meant to be, as “Eve’s Rib” just turned out to be for the most part just very slow and boring.
I kind of got the gist of what O’Cinneide was trying to put out there with this book, and I appreciated the effort, but the book wasn’t scary, and it certainly never reached the level of horror for me. I didn’t understand a lot of what was in the book had to be put in there, as it felt like filler material, and some of the writing was not only sloppy, but downright off-putting in both description and phrasing.
I’m finding it hard to put into words just how to more fully describe this book other than I’m sad it didn’t fulfill the potential of the plot and that with more work and editing this book could’ve been a better creature than it currently is.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for granting me access to this title. Due to personal policy, this review will not be posted to any social media or bookseller website because of the 3 star or under rating.
File Under: Occult Horror/Thriller/Psychological Thriller/Horror/Occult Fiction/Just Not For Me
I kind of got the gist of what O’Cinneide was trying to put out there with this book, and I appreciated the effort, but the book wasn’t scary, and it certainly never reached the level of horror for me. I didn’t understand a lot of what was in the book had to be put in there, as it felt like filler material, and some of the writing was not only sloppy, but downright off-putting in both description and phrasing.
I’m finding it hard to put into words just how to more fully describe this book other than I’m sad it didn’t fulfill the potential of the plot and that with more work and editing this book could’ve been a better creature than it currently is.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for granting me access to this title. Due to personal policy, this review will not be posted to any social media or bookseller website because of the 3 star or under rating.
File Under: Occult Horror/Thriller/Psychological Thriller/Horror/Occult Fiction/Just Not For Me
August 20, 2022
TW Child Death, Fertility Issues & Miscarriage; Bullying; Suicide; Violence to Animals
After losing her son under tragic circumstances, Eve has struggled to come to terms with his loss. Her marriage to Richard is on very rocky ground and her relationship with their daughter Abbey is very strained. Secrets from Eve’s past threaten to be revealed five years after her son’s death. How far will Eve go to protect her daughter? There’s always a price for dark magic… and the Ragman wants his due..
Told from the perspective of Eve, Richard and Abbey, this story initially is quite slow-moving, emphasising and echoing the extremely tense atmosphere in the household. I’ve never met three more unreliable protagonists and I found it really hard to like any of them. You question everything that comes out of their mouths and as the story develops, you won’t know who to believe. The author excelled at throwing in plenty of red herrings to keep you constantly doubting the characters’ motives and actions.
I enjoyed the supernatural/occult elements but would have loved to seen more of this within the story as I think it would have given the extra “umph” needed to make the book even more exciting and tense.
My favourite character (even though I thoroughly despised her) is young Abbey. Her diary entries are truly disturbing and I would be terrified of her in real life! She’s a selfish, self-centred egotistical little madam but I will still shocked at some revelations about her!
With the biblical symbolism in the title, the emphasis on Eve and Abbey’s tumultuous mother/daughter relationship was definitely delivered in this book. This is a book about the consequences of dark magic, grief and the loss of not only a family member, but also the fracturing of the family unit when all communication breaks down.
3 stars ( I would have loved a bit more magic… the ending was pretty epic 🫣)
Thanks to NetGalley & Dundurn Press for the arc. Eve’s Rib is out 18th October
After losing her son under tragic circumstances, Eve has struggled to come to terms with his loss. Her marriage to Richard is on very rocky ground and her relationship with their daughter Abbey is very strained. Secrets from Eve’s past threaten to be revealed five years after her son’s death. How far will Eve go to protect her daughter? There’s always a price for dark magic… and the Ragman wants his due..
Told from the perspective of Eve, Richard and Abbey, this story initially is quite slow-moving, emphasising and echoing the extremely tense atmosphere in the household. I’ve never met three more unreliable protagonists and I found it really hard to like any of them. You question everything that comes out of their mouths and as the story develops, you won’t know who to believe. The author excelled at throwing in plenty of red herrings to keep you constantly doubting the characters’ motives and actions.
I enjoyed the supernatural/occult elements but would have loved to seen more of this within the story as I think it would have given the extra “umph” needed to make the book even more exciting and tense.
My favourite character (even though I thoroughly despised her) is young Abbey. Her diary entries are truly disturbing and I would be terrified of her in real life! She’s a selfish, self-centred egotistical little madam but I will still shocked at some revelations about her!
With the biblical symbolism in the title, the emphasis on Eve and Abbey’s tumultuous mother/daughter relationship was definitely delivered in this book. This is a book about the consequences of dark magic, grief and the loss of not only a family member, but also the fracturing of the family unit when all communication breaks down.
3 stars ( I would have loved a bit more magic… the ending was pretty epic 🫣)
Thanks to NetGalley & Dundurn Press for the arc. Eve’s Rib is out 18th October
August 23, 2022
rated: 5 stars
this was actually a book written so perfectly for me with all my favourite tropes of complicated family relationships and an on the edge of your seat thriller and magic!!!! god i love a bit of magic
i absolutely devoured this - i thought it was excellently written and the changing of pov characters and tenses really suited the story and helped lay out exactly what was happening. the ending was a real switch up too which i really loved.
i will be thinking about this book for a while i think.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.
this was actually a book written so perfectly for me with all my favourite tropes of complicated family relationships and an on the edge of your seat thriller and magic!!!! god i love a bit of magic
i absolutely devoured this - i thought it was excellently written and the changing of pov characters and tenses really suited the story and helped lay out exactly what was happening. the ending was a real switch up too which i really loved.
i will be thinking about this book for a while i think.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.
October 6, 2022
Overall the thriller aspect of this was good. Normally I’m one to LOVE a witchy/thriller mash up, but the witchy parts of this one just felt a bit out of place. **spoiler** The last twist at the very end was a shocker in the sense that you get the o oriel twist and then assume the daughter isn’t as bad as you think and then BOOM.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2022
I was excited to read this book, intrigued by the cover, the inclusion of magic, and the use of unreliable narrators. Unfortunately I couldn’t stand ANY of these flat, dumb characters—they all make extremely irrational decisions over and over, not to mention there is very little character development, so I just didn’t care about them at all. The bad guy isn’t developed well enough to feel appropriately scary, so what was intended to be a big, dramatic climax felt contrived and quite dumb. Also, Abbey is SUCH a bitch, and Richard such a pig, that I didn’t care if they went over the cliff or not. Even Eve, our main character and eventual heroine (I guess), just didn’t do anything for me. Because of the title, and the constant mentioning of her broken rib, I kept expecting something very significant to come of that. But she just.. has a broken rib the whole book. I actually kept forgetting that this was a “magical” story; the use of magic feels like a prop that the author throws in when she needs to explain something away. Certain scenes essential to the story that should have been fleshed out more were confusingly concise. I see from the reviews that a lot of people have liked or even loved this book, but it was not for me.
July 12, 2022
Eve's Rib is a magical sad tale of a family struggling in not so productive ways in the aftermath of the son's death. Suspecting the daughter of being evil but loving her all the same, she fights to protect her, amidst everyone trying to deal with grief and heal. Everyone has secrets they are hiding, but the mom is all knowing. This book was suspenseful and kept me guessing. And it kept throwing bomb secrets every time you turn around. I like everyone is flawed, although most of these characters I did not like. Book had many funny parts too. I liked the 3 POVs, especially the journaling by the daughter. You get to see the overlap in information to put together the story. Great story. Book provided as an ARC via #NetGalley.
May 27, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC.
It's a bit daunting to describe this novel; it's a bit fantasy , a domestic noir thriller and gothic as well. But overall it's brilliant, so very different from most stories.
We get the p.o.v. of three family members: Mum Eve, Dad Richard and teenage daughter Abbey.
All of them coping in their own way with the terrible death of little Michael. Eve has lost her anchor, her ability to delve into her psychic abilities and is still utterly miserable. Richard has responded by diving into work and one of his co-workers. Abbey is disgusted by her mother and lets her know it constantly. But Eve is terrified for Abbey; didn't she conjure her up with magic and will therefore have to pay a terrible price, or has that price already been paid?
This is a heck of a read, unputdownable and definitely recommended!
It's a bit daunting to describe this novel; it's a bit fantasy , a domestic noir thriller and gothic as well. But overall it's brilliant, so very different from most stories.
We get the p.o.v. of three family members: Mum Eve, Dad Richard and teenage daughter Abbey.
All of them coping in their own way with the terrible death of little Michael. Eve has lost her anchor, her ability to delve into her psychic abilities and is still utterly miserable. Richard has responded by diving into work and one of his co-workers. Abbey is disgusted by her mother and lets her know it constantly. But Eve is terrified for Abbey; didn't she conjure her up with magic and will therefore have to pay a terrible price, or has that price already been paid?
This is a heck of a read, unputdownable and definitely recommended!
May 20, 2022
A dlow burning read that increases in pace as the tension in the plot increases. this book had everything I love in it, magic, suspense, mystrery and secrets. It was heart-wrenching at times but I loved it.
May 9, 2022
#netgalley
I was so intrigued by the summary of this story so of course I had to read it. This is the perfect afternoon read. A solid plot. Interesting characters. 10/10 would recommend it.
I was so intrigued by the summary of this story so of course I had to read it. This is the perfect afternoon read. A solid plot. Interesting characters. 10/10 would recommend it.
September 26, 2022
I was drawn to this book by the titles and the cover. I know, I know, generally not a good idea to go off covers but I figured it was worth it, especially when I read the description. And when I read the author's note at the beginning of the book, I was even more intrigued.
Eve's Rib is a solid domestic thriller/family drama with an added element of "magick" in the traditional sense - not stage magic or illusion, but honest to goodness witchcraft - and it is an element that is interesting, but I felt that the novel could have worked well without it in some ways.
That being said, it is there and it does have a part to play, particularly in the later parts, and especially as we reach the climactic scene near the end of the book.
This is a slow burn, told in alternating sections by three unreliable narrators. The story unfolds with small reveals throughout, and eventually all parts converge and we're shown the "truth" we've been seeking out. But in all that was good, I felt that a lot was lost, left behind, or flat out ignored. And on reflection, I think that was kind if the point. I think you have to read this novel and see the symbolism and metaphor within it to truly appreciate what the author is trying to achieve...
I don't want to spoil anything here for prospective readers. This can be read and enjoyed as a straightforward thriller, and my initial thoughts on it were from that perspective. Yet I find myself peeling back layers, connecting threads and considering the quite intense, deep themes that run throughout this book, along with the symbolism and metaphor, days after I gasped in shock-horror at the revelations on the final pages, which seemed, at the time to be far simpler than they have now become.
As a reader, I find that is a good thing, and hope it is the author's intention to provide a story that can be enjoyed both as a "standard" thriller and as something else entirely. If not, and you decide to give this one a go, you won't regret it either way.
My initial thoughts on this book were very superficial and that was reflected by my original rating for this as 3.5 stars, and an overall CAWPILE rating of 6.42. On reflection, my ratings are now as follows.
Star Rating: 4
CAWPILE Rating: 7.71/10
Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 8/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Eve's Rib publishes on 18th October 2022.
Many thanks to the author, Dundurn Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Eve's Rib is a solid domestic thriller/family drama with an added element of "magick" in the traditional sense - not stage magic or illusion, but honest to goodness witchcraft - and it is an element that is interesting, but I felt that the novel could have worked well without it in some ways.
That being said, it is there and it does have a part to play, particularly in the later parts, and especially as we reach the climactic scene near the end of the book.
This is a slow burn, told in alternating sections by three unreliable narrators. The story unfolds with small reveals throughout, and eventually all parts converge and we're shown the "truth" we've been seeking out. But in all that was good, I felt that a lot was lost, left behind, or flat out ignored. And on reflection, I think that was kind if the point. I think you have to read this novel and see the symbolism and metaphor within it to truly appreciate what the author is trying to achieve...
I don't want to spoil anything here for prospective readers. This can be read and enjoyed as a straightforward thriller, and my initial thoughts on it were from that perspective. Yet I find myself peeling back layers, connecting threads and considering the quite intense, deep themes that run throughout this book, along with the symbolism and metaphor, days after I gasped in shock-horror at the revelations on the final pages, which seemed, at the time to be far simpler than they have now become.
As a reader, I find that is a good thing, and hope it is the author's intention to provide a story that can be enjoyed both as a "standard" thriller and as something else entirely. If not, and you decide to give this one a go, you won't regret it either way.
My initial thoughts on this book were very superficial and that was reflected by my original rating for this as 3.5 stars, and an overall CAWPILE rating of 6.42. On reflection, my ratings are now as follows.
Star Rating: 4
CAWPILE Rating: 7.71/10
Characters: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 8/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Eve's Rib publishes on 18th October 2022.
Many thanks to the author, Dundurn Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2022
Eve's Rib by C.S. O'Cinnede is a family drama with a dark side and a hint of the paranormal.
Eve is a modern day witch who has lost her mojo following the death of her son in tragic circumstances. It is all that she can do to protect the only child she has left, her daughter Abbey, and even though she can see her marriage disintegrating around her she seems unable to do anything to save it. Eve's deepest secret is that she turned to the Ragman, a practitioner of dark magic, to help her conceive Abbey and now she is worried that all the bad things happening to her family is the price she must pay for that choice. She also fears that Abbey is harbouring a darkness of her own and worries that her daughter may be a danger to those around her, but at the same time she is desperate to protect her from the consequences of her actions.
This is a twisting , turning narrative told from three (unreliable) perspectives - Eve's. her husband Richard's and Abbey's, and it is up to the reader to decide which , if any , of the versions they believe. As the book unfolds and more bad things keep happening to those who thwart Abbey in any way while Eve desperately tries to believe the best of her and defend her , it seems clear that there is more to this teenager than meets the eye.
This was a real page turner of a book, I raced through the twists and turns desperate to see how the story unfolded. I really enjoy an unreliable narrator and in this book I was spoiled for choice. None of the characters were particularly likeable but I will say that Abbey in all her brattish self centred glory was my favourite. I will also say that I felt the paranormal aspects of the story could have been expanded a little more, I would have learned to know more about the Ragman and his powers for example, but it felt like this aspect of the story was a garnish while the meat of the book was a more standard domestic thriller.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Eve is a modern day witch who has lost her mojo following the death of her son in tragic circumstances. It is all that she can do to protect the only child she has left, her daughter Abbey, and even though she can see her marriage disintegrating around her she seems unable to do anything to save it. Eve's deepest secret is that she turned to the Ragman, a practitioner of dark magic, to help her conceive Abbey and now she is worried that all the bad things happening to her family is the price she must pay for that choice. She also fears that Abbey is harbouring a darkness of her own and worries that her daughter may be a danger to those around her, but at the same time she is desperate to protect her from the consequences of her actions.
This is a twisting , turning narrative told from three (unreliable) perspectives - Eve's. her husband Richard's and Abbey's, and it is up to the reader to decide which , if any , of the versions they believe. As the book unfolds and more bad things keep happening to those who thwart Abbey in any way while Eve desperately tries to believe the best of her and defend her , it seems clear that there is more to this teenager than meets the eye.
This was a real page turner of a book, I raced through the twists and turns desperate to see how the story unfolded. I really enjoy an unreliable narrator and in this book I was spoiled for choice. None of the characters were particularly likeable but I will say that Abbey in all her brattish self centred glory was my favourite. I will also say that I felt the paranormal aspects of the story could have been expanded a little more, I would have learned to know more about the Ragman and his powers for example, but it felt like this aspect of the story was a garnish while the meat of the book was a more standard domestic thriller.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
September 27, 2022
Eve’s Rib is a concrete domestic suspense with a soupcon of black magic. The number of secrets woven throughout the novel are intriguing.
After losing her son under tragic circumstances, Eve has struggled to come to terms with his loss. Her marriage to Richard is on rocky ground, and her relationship with their daughter Abbey is highly strained. Secrets from Eve’s past threaten to be revealed five years after her son’s death. How far will Eve go to protect her daughter? There’s always a price for dark magic, and the Ragman wants his due!
Told from the perspective of Eve, Richard and Abbey, this story initially is relatively slow-moving, emphasising and echoing the tense atmosphere in the household. The three unreliable protagonists are unlikeable, yet you can't help but want to know more and more about them. You will question everything that comes from their mouths, and as the story develops, you won’t know who to believe. You will constantly be doubting the characters’ motives and actions.
My favourite character, though I thoroughly despised her, is young Abbey. Her diary entries are truly disturbing. She’s inconsiderate, self-centred and egotistical, yet some revelations about her are shocking.
Echoing the biblical symbolism in the title, the emphasis is on Eve and Abbey’s tumultuous mother/daughter relationship. Eve’s Rib is a book about the consequences of dark magic, grief - the loss of not only a family member, but also the fracturing of the family unit when all communication breaks down.
Solidly creepy and atmospheric, with a haunting conclusion. This is a book you won’t forget in a hurry.
Thank you to Dundurn Press, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC. Eve's Rib is due for publication on October 18, 2022.
After losing her son under tragic circumstances, Eve has struggled to come to terms with his loss. Her marriage to Richard is on rocky ground, and her relationship with their daughter Abbey is highly strained. Secrets from Eve’s past threaten to be revealed five years after her son’s death. How far will Eve go to protect her daughter? There’s always a price for dark magic, and the Ragman wants his due!
Told from the perspective of Eve, Richard and Abbey, this story initially is relatively slow-moving, emphasising and echoing the tense atmosphere in the household. The three unreliable protagonists are unlikeable, yet you can't help but want to know more and more about them. You will question everything that comes from their mouths, and as the story develops, you won’t know who to believe. You will constantly be doubting the characters’ motives and actions.
My favourite character, though I thoroughly despised her, is young Abbey. Her diary entries are truly disturbing. She’s inconsiderate, self-centred and egotistical, yet some revelations about her are shocking.
Echoing the biblical symbolism in the title, the emphasis is on Eve and Abbey’s tumultuous mother/daughter relationship. Eve’s Rib is a book about the consequences of dark magic, grief - the loss of not only a family member, but also the fracturing of the family unit when all communication breaks down.
Solidly creepy and atmospheric, with a haunting conclusion. This is a book you won’t forget in a hurry.
Thank you to Dundurn Press, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC. Eve's Rib is due for publication on October 18, 2022.
October 29, 2022
Eve’s Rib, by C S O’Cinneide
Out now!
Eve’s Rib and @ocinneide1 Wins #spookyseason
I first heard about this gem while at the @emwritersfestival - the author was so compelling, the first chapter so intriguing a bunch of us ran to grab a copy!!
Turns out we are neighbours!! What?!?? Gonna be hard to be cool in the hood now that I’ve read the the book!!
Eve’s Rib is told in alternating perspectives, each voice and personality is so distinct you can hear and feel them.
Richard, the husband doing all things perfunctorily, except the admin assistant. Kinda clueless. Kinda not. Apathetic yet remorseful and seemingly dumbfounded on what the hell to do about all the things he doesn’t understand and choses to ignore. Surely you know a Richard?!?
Abby the disgruntled 17 year old who is equally parts vexatious, witty, crass and more than a bit disturbed. Abby literally seeps off the page - the eerie familiarly of having teens shot up all my hackles!! Spot. On.
And Eve - good lord. She’s a hot mess, her magic lukewarm at best. Eve, desperate for a child, succumbed to the dark magic of the Ragman. She knew there would be a price and has paid dearly. And she will continue to do so until she can pay her debt in full.
Eve’s Rib is eerie in its relatability to both characters and plight. Aren’t all teenagers wonderfully horrific? It feels like contemporary gothic lit (not sure that’s a thing but I’m going with it). It has a cerebral creep factor mixed with charm, snark, and magic. And I loved it!!!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go and chat with my neighbour, @ocinneide1 to ensure that “Eve” and the Ragman aren’t rooming our neighbourhood!!!
Perhaps I should have waited to read this until after Halloween!!
#evesrib #csocinneide #spookyreads #spookybooks #spooktober #halloween #bookstagram #bookstagrammer
Out now!
Eve’s Rib and @ocinneide1 Wins #spookyseason
I first heard about this gem while at the @emwritersfestival - the author was so compelling, the first chapter so intriguing a bunch of us ran to grab a copy!!
Turns out we are neighbours!! What?!?? Gonna be hard to be cool in the hood now that I’ve read the the book!!
Eve’s Rib is told in alternating perspectives, each voice and personality is so distinct you can hear and feel them.
Richard, the husband doing all things perfunctorily, except the admin assistant. Kinda clueless. Kinda not. Apathetic yet remorseful and seemingly dumbfounded on what the hell to do about all the things he doesn’t understand and choses to ignore. Surely you know a Richard?!?
Abby the disgruntled 17 year old who is equally parts vexatious, witty, crass and more than a bit disturbed. Abby literally seeps off the page - the eerie familiarly of having teens shot up all my hackles!! Spot. On.
And Eve - good lord. She’s a hot mess, her magic lukewarm at best. Eve, desperate for a child, succumbed to the dark magic of the Ragman. She knew there would be a price and has paid dearly. And she will continue to do so until she can pay her debt in full.
Eve’s Rib is eerie in its relatability to both characters and plight. Aren’t all teenagers wonderfully horrific? It feels like contemporary gothic lit (not sure that’s a thing but I’m going with it). It has a cerebral creep factor mixed with charm, snark, and magic. And I loved it!!!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go and chat with my neighbour, @ocinneide1 to ensure that “Eve” and the Ragman aren’t rooming our neighbourhood!!!
Perhaps I should have waited to read this until after Halloween!!
#evesrib #csocinneide #spookyreads #spookybooks #spooktober #halloween #bookstagram #bookstagrammer
September 1, 2022
Eve has lost her son in a tragic accident . This causes Eve to become overprotective of her teenage daughter, Abbey who appears to be evil. As five years go by, Eve struggles with her guilt and grief on the day her son died. Her husband doesn’t understand. Eve was desperate for a child so she went to the Ragman. Ragmen dwells in the dark side of magic. She doesn’t tell anyone that she went to him. When bad things happen to anyone who gets in Abbey’s way, Eve must deal with what she fears — her daughter. Will she be able to do what she must do?
There is domestic suspense with a touch of black magic. The secrets intrigued me. There are secrets that even Eve doesn’t know such as her husband’s secrets. It is creepy and atmospheric. It has an ending that could haunt you. It is an ending I won’t forget.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
There is domestic suspense with a touch of black magic. The secrets intrigued me. There are secrets that even Eve doesn’t know such as her husband’s secrets. It is creepy and atmospheric. It has an ending that could haunt you. It is an ending I won’t forget.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
October 17, 2022
"The dog let out an excited bark as Eve hobbled to the bed to lie down again on her broken side.
The pain of her rib and her secrets were excruciating."
Witches, magic, a possible evil child--what more could I possibly ask for?
Eve is a witch, though only her best friend (who is also a witch) knows her secret. Her powers have diminished greatly after the loss of her youngest child though, and she can do little but produce glamours and occasionally peer into the thoughts of her teenager daughter. Eve is worried that something is wrong with Abbey, her teen daughter that was conceived after countless miscarriages and after Eve called for help from the Ragman. She should be the one paying the Ragman, but she's worried that Abbey might be carrying his evil instead.
I really enjoyed this one. The horror is subtle and I spent a lot of time wondering if Abbey was evil like a normal teen girl is evil, or if she was evil like a demon from hell is evil. Though not quite as compelling, I did get The Push vibes from this one and would recommend it if the evil children trope is your jam.
The pain of her rib and her secrets were excruciating."
Witches, magic, a possible evil child--what more could I possibly ask for?
Eve is a witch, though only her best friend (who is also a witch) knows her secret. Her powers have diminished greatly after the loss of her youngest child though, and she can do little but produce glamours and occasionally peer into the thoughts of her teenager daughter. Eve is worried that something is wrong with Abbey, her teen daughter that was conceived after countless miscarriages and after Eve called for help from the Ragman. She should be the one paying the Ragman, but she's worried that Abbey might be carrying his evil instead.
I really enjoyed this one. The horror is subtle and I spent a lot of time wondering if Abbey was evil like a normal teen girl is evil, or if she was evil like a demon from hell is evil. Though not quite as compelling, I did get The Push vibes from this one and would recommend it if the evil children trope is your jam.
September 21, 2022
Wow!!!!! I don’t even know where to start and don’t want to give anything away, but holy crap she did it again! Here is an author who writes something totally different every time and nails it each time too. My jaw hit the floor when I turned the last page and then a smile crept across my face - the smile of a satisfied reader. She checked all the boxes for me: kept me wondering from start to finish, characters who are flawed and therefore believeable, a plot twist that caught me totally by surprise, and that little touch of magic thrown in to add some witchy, creepy vibes. I will definitrly be thinking about that ending for days!
October 19, 2022
Eve’s Rib begs the question, what is scarier, supernatural forces or raising a teenager? C.S. O’Cinneide’s latest page-turner is a departure from the hardboiled crime fiction of her Candace Starr series, though she gives a nod to her foul-mouthed assassin in this latest work. Eve’s Rib is a domestic thriller with the threat of the supernatural dangling over the story like the sword of Damocles, thanks to a Faustian bargain the titular character alludes to in the prologue.
Eve’s Rib is an ultimately-satisfying, fast-paced thriller that explores the layers of darkness within each of us, supernatural forces notwithstanding. Fans of O’Cinneide’s previous supernatural thriller, Petra’s Ghost, will find themselves at home with Eve’s Rib, as will fans of Shirley Jackson. O'Cinneide demonstrates great versatility with this book, which I highly recommend.
Eve’s Rib is an ultimately-satisfying, fast-paced thriller that explores the layers of darkness within each of us, supernatural forces notwithstanding. Fans of O’Cinneide’s previous supernatural thriller, Petra’s Ghost, will find themselves at home with Eve’s Rib, as will fans of Shirley Jackson. O'Cinneide demonstrates great versatility with this book, which I highly recommend.
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