Welcome back to Books With Cause. Let’s dive into my latest review of They Own the Night by Amy McCaw.
When it comes to the horror genre, is there any greater creation than the vampire? From the origins of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and all the iterations of that classic character. There have been periods in time when we can’t move for vampire stories. From the Lost Boys, Buffy, Twilight, and True Blood. It doesn’t matter how many times we consume vampiric content; we seem to still be as obsessed now as we’ve ever been. This is a book that I hadn’t even heard of. I happened to see it on one of my visits to the library. It was on display and it caught my eye. This was a book for me, I thought to myself.
They Own the Night tells the story of Mia and Johnny. Set in the 1980s, they are sister and brother at a university in Scotland. But not only that, their father is a serial killer serving life in prison. Mia broadcasts a pirate radio show where she covers creepy topics. Johnny studies journalism, and he lands the opportunity of his life when he is asked to interview Vlad Tepez. Vlad is a reclusive rockstar and frontman of the band Vlad and the Vamps. Nobody has seen hide nor hair of him for a few years.
Johnny is ordered to keep the interview secret from Mia. He is whisked away on a private plane to Vlad’s personal guest house, where he stays for a few days to conduct the interview. There are no phones on the island, so Johnny has no way of contacting his sister. When he doesn’t return on the date he’s supposed to, she begins to fear the worst. But Mia has other things to worry about too. Recently, three members of the university rugby team have been found murdered. The murders would appear to be connected, and as the daughter of a serial killer, Mia is suspect number one.
The blurb advertises this book as a retelling of Dracula, but the 80s setting gives it a bit of a Stranger Things feel. I’d say there’s definitely a large crossover market for this book. While it’s not strictly epistolary in style all the way through – like Stoker’s original – there are still elements of that here. Much of Mia’s chapters take the form of a police interview, we’re also presented with transcripts from her psychiatry appointments, and Johnny’s chapters feel a little like diary entries. If you’re not familiar with the original Dracula novel, then this will feel like a brand-new story anyway, but to those who have read Stoker’s original, there are a few Easter eggs scattered throughout to enjoy.
If you choose to, you can completely immerse yourself in the 80s feel of the book. Several big hits from the time are mentioned throughout the narrative, including Bon Jovi and Blue Öyster Cult. Every song is included on the last page as a suggested Spotify playlist.
My Goodreads Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)
