Redneck Revenant

David R. Slayton
Completed 3/31/2026, Reviewed 4/3/2026
4 stars

I was worried that it had been almost three years since I read Deadbeat Druid, the third book in the Adam Binder Novels.  I was also worried that this book was an afterthought since Druid had such a climactic ending.  Instead, I melted into it like it had just been yesterday.  Yes, I forgot a couple of the details and secondary characters, but within fifty pages I was right back in this universe, excited to be reacquainted with Adam and his boyfriend Vic.  This has become one of my favorite series, mostly because of how sweet Adam and Vic’s relationship is.  I also liked the side series in this universe that began with Rogue Community College and can’t wait for the next book to come out.  The original three volume Adam Binder series, which began with White Trash Warlock, was nominated for a 2024 Mythopoeic Award.

Adam lives in his brother Bobby’s basement where Vic often spends the night.  On Halloween night, after all the kids have stopped trick-or-treating, Bobby’s wife Annie, who died in book one, appears on their doorstep.  Alarmed, they don’t know if this is really Annie brought back to life or if she is walking-dead or some other dark magic.  They invite her in and ask questions but get no resolution.  Bobby comes home and is equally flabbergasted, not know how to feel after grieving for so long.  Adam sets out to solve this mystery, going to the Faerie King, Death’s daughter, and others to figure out who or what’s behind this.  Adam also learns that some young witches from his niece’s coven have gone suddenly missing.  Then Annie’s rich, controlling, and emotionally distant parents show up, confirm that Annie’s been alive all this time, and try to take her home with them.  For the love of his brother and the safety of all the magical people in his life, Adam tries to get to the bottom of the mystery of Annie’s return.

I really enjoyed this book despite it being so long since the last one.   It’s not a cozy mystery/fantasy, but it felt that way.  Just being back in the Adam Binder universe felt wonderful.  I appreciated Slayton’s memory jogs of the past plots and other characters’ relationships with Adam minus large info dumps.  He even brought in characters from Rogue Community College with reminders of who they were.  It made for a very rich story and a good jumping off place for restarting after the crazy ending of Druid.  

I just love Adam.  He’s still broken, but he’s gaining more confidence.  His boyfriend Vic calls him out on his low self-esteem.  “Adam, do you know what a self-sacrificing narcissist is?” “I’m guessing me?  Is that my diagnosis?”  “No.  Though you’re a level five smart ass…it’s someone who puts the needs of others ahead of theirs to avoid dealing with their own issues.”  Adam realizes this and slowly starts to examine his own avoidance of marrying Vic and finding their own place by trying to save the world.  It’s a profound moment in the book and a gut punch into my own belief that Adam is angelically selfless.  In reality, he’s trying avoid the tough issues in his life, thus hurting the people he loves.  This metanoia made me love him and Vic even more.

I liked how this book went back to being told just from Adam’s perspective.  I missed being in his head.  I expect Slayton will change it up in future volumes.  That’s fine, because I love Vic’s journey as well.  From closeted cop to out bisexual chef to Grim Reaper, Vic has grown a lot in the three years that transpired since the first book.  And his mom is a hoot, a Latina history professor who supports her son despite not allowing them to sleep together under her roof until they are married.  I love how she constantly needles Adam about getting a degree.  “Vic feigned interest, because he’d had a lifetime of it, but for Adam it was a wonder to spend time with a parent who wanted to talk about that sort of thing, who had something to say about a world greater than her corner of Oklahoma.” 

I give this book four stars out of five.  It reminded me of why I love Slayton’s storytelling and imagination.  The world building, between Denver and the Faerie realm, is still wonderful.  I lament that it may be a while before getting another Adam book since Slayton has the Rogue CC series going as well as a separate series, which I haven’t started yet.  But I’m glad for all of them.