Seriously, nobody panic! Well, maybe people should, but I guess you’ll have to read C.J. Vick‘s debut adult horror novel Nobody Panic! to find out. A wonderful blend of horror and thriller, this novel is not what you’d expect from a mom just trying to fit in by joining the PTA. Instead, this campy love letter to 1980s horror was filled with twists, turns, and a devilish terror that is closer than you think.
In the sweltering, bug-choked summer of 1986, local misfit Janet Morgan joins her small town’s PTA expecting big hair and idle gossip. Instead, she finds a string of missing matriarchs―and their husbands, who don’t seem too worried about their vanished wives.
Janet, however, can sense a mystery unfolding. And when her best friend is the next to disappear, she becomes more convinced than ever that something dark has arrived in Somerville.
Armed with her encyclopedic true crime knowledge, the snarky wit of two other misfit moms, and a new-to-town coroner’s apprentice, Janet starts digging. What she uncovers is more than a string of disappearances―it’s a dark secret stretching back generations, bound up in a deal far more dangerous than anyone could have imagined.
In order to stop all H-E-double hockey sticks from breaking loose, Janet will have to confront the demons inside her home before the shadows consuming Somerville claim her too.
As a product of the 1980s, I have an affinity towards the slasher, horror and terrifying tales from my childhood. Yes, born in 1986 makes me understand more of the 1990s culture, but there is something special about the 1980s horror scene that really sticks with you. So, a PTA mom horror thriller based in 1986 where there is a devilish secret was something I seriously could not pass up and I am glad I didn’t.
Vick takes the ordinary and pushes it to the limit with Nobody Panic!, a mom just trying to keep things together with a few kids and a husband that seems to do whatever the hell he wants is terrifying on its own, but toss in the mystery of missing women and some turning up dead, something is going on in Somerville. The campiness was what really pulled me in. It’s funny to think of the height of Satanic Panic and you can tell Janet is one of those who doesn’t believe its an issue, but when the evil beneath Somerville actually rears its ugly head, maybe there’s more to it than previously thought.
There is something darkly humorous about taking the perfect suburban community with a caring PTA that just wants what’s best for the town and turning it into a horrifying thriller. The juxtaposition of serene life against the horrors that hide in the dark corners of the neighborhood that lets this story sink in a bit deeper. Vick lays the foundation early to let us think things are smooth sailing in Somerville only to pull the rug out from underneath the table holding a bundt cake and deviled eggs. Mashing together opposites to craft a terrifying tale such as this will always find a special place in my heart.
It’s not just the town itself that makes Nobody Panic! what it is. Vick’s character development is strong from our true crime fan protagonist always attempting to solve a mystery to only come up empty most of the time to our her husband who seems to be covered in red flags, yet the mystery loving wife doesn’t fully see. This is not to mention the amazing collection of PTA moms with stereotypes to fit perfectly and to be the ones who ultimately are forced into action.
While the horror style and vibe were part of this love letter to the 1980s, the chapter titles being songs from the 80s made this even more evident. Not something the book needed for the story to move forward, but a nice touch that made me wonder what the next chapter title would be and if I would hum the song in my head while reading along.
Nobody Panic! reminds us sometimes the evil isn’t hiding in the dark, but sitting across the family dinner table in plain sight. C.J. Vick debut horror novel is a devilishly fun love letter to 1980s horror. Nobody Panic! is a bizarre combination of PTA moms, true crime, small-town secrets, and supernatural terror that blends together seamlessly.
Nobody Panic! hits bookstores everywhere on Sourcebooks from April 20, 2027. The audiobook is available via Libro.fm!
