Hello Lovelies!
I have to tell you about this book I just finished reading called “Mayhem” by Estelle Laure. This book is everywhere. I kept telling myself for the past few months that I have to have this book. Well, somewhere along the course of needing this book (because I have a serious fear of missing out, aka FOMO), the publisher contacted me about reviewing this title. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity.
When I went to download the title, I put myself on pause, because how much do you want to bet, I probably had this book in my Kindle already? Oh, I was right to assume I already had it this entire time I was going nuts over the fact I needed this book. Don’t ask me where or when I got the book, but it was there waiting in my Kindle for me to consume already.
And consume it ravenously I did.
This being one of my first posts during the pandemic, I thought I would let you know that I have only been reading certain genres lately. I am gravitating towards horror, supernatural, YA fantasy, and some historical fiction. I really can’t deal with people’s problems right now, being a pandemic and all. We all have way too much to deal with as is.
Like most books, I don’t read the synopsis very often. That was the case with “Mayhem.” So when I started this book, content warnings started to flash before my eyes. So if you are sensitive to domestic violence, drug/alcohol abuse, suicide, murders or rape, please steer clear of this title, because it has all of that.
If you can shoulder on, then let me tell you about this book.
Mayhem and Roxy are back in Santa Maria, California. They come crawling back to their hometown, after having fled from an abusive man with only the clothes on their back and what they could grab in a few short minutes. It took Lyle banging Mayhem against a wall repeatedly to get Roxy (her mother) to run with her back home to Santa Maria.
Once upon a time, Roxy fled Santa Maria with a three year old Mayhem. She swore never to go back there again, but dire circumstances caused her to change her mind and take Mayhem back home to the Brayburn Farm.
The Brayburn women have a secret that Roxy ran away from. They are special in a sense that they protect Santa Maria from the weird stuff that happens in this strange psychokinetic blip on the world map. Strange things happen here. If you ask the weird Frog Brothers what’s up in Santa Maria, they’ll tell you vampires roam the Boardwalk.
You really get some kind of The Lost Boys vibes coming from these two. Actually, a lot of what’s happening in Santa Maria seems very much like The Lost Boys. After reading “Mayhem” I decided to watch The Lost Boys again (available to buy/rent on Prime Video), which was released back in 1987. Ironically, that is the same year “Mayhem” takes place.
Ends up the Frog Brothers are the very same Frog Brothers from The Lost Boys, comic bookstore and all. The Boardwalk, roller coaster, the Sax Man, mom going to work in a movie rental store, and even the Brayburn Farm set up on the hill overlooking the town are very reminiscent of The Lost Boys.
So if you loved that 1987 classic, you will like this book. One side of the boardwalk is for the vampires. The other side is for the Brayburns.
What exactly are the Brayburns? They are a cursed lineage where magic and terror combine in a Doctor Sleep kind of way. They will suck the evil out of you, especially if you are a very bad person.
When Roxy and Mayhem arrive at their ancestral home, Elle (Roxy’s twin sister) is living on the farm with three foster kids. At first touch of Kidd’s hand (the nine year old), Mayhem reveals a little too much of her own truths. Yet, she doesn’t understand why she would just blurt out to anyone how she was truly feeling. You can tell right from the beginning that these three kids are different.
They wake up late and stay out all night long, not returning until almost sunrise. What exactly are they doing all night long? Their neighbor is a cop and notices that these three always seem to be around when another girl goes missing.
Yes, there are girls missing. Six of them, in fact. The cops are not doing anything, claiming that maybe they just ran away. But everyone knows there’s a serial killer on the loose.
Will they find the serial killer before he claims his next victim?
This book was so good. I couldn’t put it down. I am actually hoping there will be a book two, because if you’re a Lost Boys fan, any continuation or side story to go along with that amazing movie will make you want more. It is still a legendary cult classic for a reason.
Now, I don’t want anyone to be dismayed by my review. Remember, I said vampires to one side of the Boardwalk, the Brayburns to the other side. What that means, I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out.
Get your copy today at any of Perfectionist Wannabe’s approved retailers:
