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Perennials: County Line Horror #1
Perennials is both a teen thriller and a coming-of-age story set in the Deep South. Imagine elements of To Kill a Mockingbird and I Know What You Did Last Summer being thrown into a blender. "A beautifully written serial killer thriller." ~ Peachy Keen Book Reviews "A sizzling Southern tale of murder." ~ Altered Instincts Summer in South Carolina - a time of ripe peaches, crackling bonfires, trips to the lake, and the rural legend of a creature known as the Lizard Man. This year, a very real monster is lurking about. The victims all have one thing in common - they share their names with plants. Soon it becomes apparent that seventeen-year-olds Dusty Miller and Nandina Bush may be next on the killer's list. From "In South Carolina, children swap stories of a monstrous urban legend to liven up a sleepy summer - not realizing a very real predator lurks nearby. When 17-year-old Dusty Miller is marked as a target, he'll need to untangle kids' tales from true dangers in the rich Southern mystery."
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2016
454 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 20, 2016
Sit down for a moment, and imagine yourself on a front porch, its paint chipped and fading, in the slow heat of a Southern summer. Picture the sun going down, and the day reaching that moment between light and dark when suddenly the porch doesn't seem quite so safe any more and thoughts turn to stepping inside and closing the door. Perennials lives in that moment of disquiet in a place you call home.
Bryce Gibson has crafted a murder tale rooted in the rural world of the South, where families all know one another, where a serial killer stalks in a community that believes such things happen somewhere else, not here, not with us, in a place where you peer from behind twitching curtains and gossip about the moral failings of others.
This killer is hunting down a surprising target - people who share their name with plants. Mary Gold is the first we encounter, but not the last, and teenagers Dusty Miller and Nandina Bush fear they may be targets on the list.
The burn is slow in this story - deaths happen quickly but then we settle into the story of Dusty and Nandina, their blooming romance and the branches of family history that reach out across the landscape in which they live. Pieces of the puzzle are shown to us, but not slotted into place. Not yet. This story takes its time until, late in the game, things pick up pace, so fast that the innocent teenagers can't seem to follow what's going on until it may be too late.
There are some oddities in the writing - for example, Dusty's parts of the story are written in first person, while other characters are in the third person, which is a little jarring when you switch, and there are some parts of the story which happen off-camera, even towards the climax, which feel like they might have been part of the central narrative.
But there's a great deal to like here. Gibson has an elegant, easy style, and his characters feel very real, especially his central duo, tiptoeing towards love, feeling it is the biggest thing in the world even in the midst of fearing for their lives. Keep an eye on this writer, whose career shall surely grow.
A copy of Perennials was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Bryce Gibson has crafted a murder tale rooted in the rural world of the South, where families all know one another, where a serial killer stalks in a community that believes such things happen somewhere else, not here, not with us, in a place where you peer from behind twitching curtains and gossip about the moral failings of others.
This killer is hunting down a surprising target - people who share their name with plants. Mary Gold is the first we encounter, but not the last, and teenagers Dusty Miller and Nandina Bush fear they may be targets on the list.
The burn is slow in this story - deaths happen quickly but then we settle into the story of Dusty and Nandina, their blooming romance and the branches of family history that reach out across the landscape in which they live. Pieces of the puzzle are shown to us, but not slotted into place. Not yet. This story takes its time until, late in the game, things pick up pace, so fast that the innocent teenagers can't seem to follow what's going on until it may be too late.
There are some oddities in the writing - for example, Dusty's parts of the story are written in first person, while other characters are in the third person, which is a little jarring when you switch, and there are some parts of the story which happen off-camera, even towards the climax, which feel like they might have been part of the central narrative.
But there's a great deal to like here. Gibson has an elegant, easy style, and his characters feel very real, especially his central duo, tiptoeing towards love, feeling it is the biggest thing in the world even in the midst of fearing for their lives. Keep an eye on this writer, whose career shall surely grow.
A copy of Perennials was provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2017
Boring book with rushed ending and writing on the level of high school.
December 30, 2019
I originally thought this might be a story about killer plants based on the title. It's definitely not about killer plants, however, it was nice to see a story that seemed to be written for plant lovers. It was confusing at times due to the jumps in first person narrative and flashbacks. My favorite part was the Lizard Man!
February 22, 2020
Murder ... Mystery ... Plants!
Strange things are amiss in a rural South Carolina community and it's up to the local horticulture group to solve the mystery. Well, not really, but there is quite a yarn spinning over yonder.
I enjoyed this book. It was refreshingly quirky, there wasn't any profanity that I can remember, and there's a very involved plot. I'm pretty sure this is a YA novel as there's virtually no gore and no real violence to speak of. There's a strong focus on the characters, both their inner thoughts as well as their relationships to one another. The rural setting helps create a nice, isolated atmosphere which I liked a lot. There is also a great cohesiveness to the novel, with everything tied together with the subjects of love and loss, growth and death, all bound within the metaphor of nature and plants. These are the aspects of the book I probably enjoyed the most. A fun, fast read. :)
Strange things are amiss in a rural South Carolina community and it's up to the local horticulture group to solve the mystery. Well, not really, but there is quite a yarn spinning over yonder.
I enjoyed this book. It was refreshingly quirky, there wasn't any profanity that I can remember, and there's a very involved plot. I'm pretty sure this is a YA novel as there's virtually no gore and no real violence to speak of. There's a strong focus on the characters, both their inner thoughts as well as their relationships to one another. The rural setting helps create a nice, isolated atmosphere which I liked a lot. There is also a great cohesiveness to the novel, with everything tied together with the subjects of love and loss, growth and death, all bound within the metaphor of nature and plants. These are the aspects of the book I probably enjoyed the most. A fun, fast read. :)
June 12, 2016
There's a killer running rampant in the state of South Carolina. The targets? People with the names of plants. Some of the victims have names like Mary Gold, Dill Weed and Kimberly Fern. The story centers around Dusty Miller and Nandina Bush, a couple of seventeen year olds in a small SC town. When it appears the killer leaves his/her mark on someone in their town, they have to be alert. There is a couple of twists and turns here that I won't give away. A mystery of sorts that needs to be worked out and a satisfying conclusion. Stop reading this review already and download this book. Bryce did a great job and this story deserves an audience.
July 1, 2016
Darkness in Crow County
I thoroughly enjoyed this dark Southern novel. The characters are richly drawn, and the setting is so realistically described that you'll pause to wipe sweat from the humidity, and even catch a whiff of the vivid plants and flowers that are central to the plot. Wonderful book for teens and adults alike. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Gibson's books! 4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this dark Southern novel. The characters are richly drawn, and the setting is so realistically described that you'll pause to wipe sweat from the humidity, and even catch a whiff of the vivid plants and flowers that are central to the plot. Wonderful book for teens and adults alike. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Gibson's books! 4.5 stars
June 17, 2016
Told from the perspective of the young Dusty Miller, this is a thrilling mystery. As the story is centered around a serial killer who is attacking people who are named for plants, the metaphors are witty and compelling. A great book filled with unpredictable events that will keep you guessing until the end.
September 15, 2018
A serial killer is active in South Carolina, seemingly killing people named after plants. And teenagers Dusty Miller and Nandina Bush could be next.
A slow-paced story that rushed to the end, interesting though.
A slow-paced story that rushed to the end, interesting though.
June 10, 2025
I definitely sped read this book, the way it was written was interesting perspective wise but I didn’t really love it. It felt very rushed at the end, i really was expecting it to be more focused on the lizard man which is why i picked it up. It was cool that it was based in my home state though.
March 8, 2020
YA horror and romance
If you like the cheese that seems to accompany a lot of YA lit then this might be the perfect little book for you. Not a bad read, but not my cup of tea.
If you like the cheese that seems to accompany a lot of YA lit then this might be the perfect little book for you. Not a bad read, but not my cup of tea.
June 14, 2018
So good it needs to be a movie!
I read it in a matter of hours! So good! Make it a movie please! Love Dusty Miller. Loved this book!
I read it in a matter of hours! So good! Make it a movie please! Love Dusty Miller. Loved this book!
October 2, 2016
Perennials is a beautifully written serial killer thriller. It has twinges of horror and mystery which all intertwine to become a very original piece of work. Bryce Gibson knows how to create not only a surprising plot, but he also knows how to add art to the crimes committed in the novel. All good crime novels have an element of art to them, and Perennials more than succeeds in terms of that necessity.
Even though this novel is meant to be a young adult novel, it does not talk down to its reader. It doesn't sugarcoat the story to be seemingly more appropriate for its audience, and that is what I loved about it. It is brutal but written in clean language, proving that stories of crime do not need to be overly gruesome or cringe worthy. Perennials is a perfect novel to introduce children to the crime genre, while also allowing seasoned crime readers to enjoy its story as well.
Gibson knew what he was doing when naming all of the victims after plants, and he pulled off an incredible move by naming them after plants that are not very well known. This made the victims not as obvious, and it connected all of them together in a web. Perennials read as though it were an extensively planned story, and there were no inconsistencies. I have not read a crime novel recently that pulled off a plot as well as Perennials did, and I tore right through it.
Gibson is clearly one of our better crime novels in the indie genre. He has all of the artistic and systematic elements of a talented crime author, and I hope he continues to write.
Even though this novel is meant to be a young adult novel, it does not talk down to its reader. It doesn't sugarcoat the story to be seemingly more appropriate for its audience, and that is what I loved about it. It is brutal but written in clean language, proving that stories of crime do not need to be overly gruesome or cringe worthy. Perennials is a perfect novel to introduce children to the crime genre, while also allowing seasoned crime readers to enjoy its story as well.
Gibson knew what he was doing when naming all of the victims after plants, and he pulled off an incredible move by naming them after plants that are not very well known. This made the victims not as obvious, and it connected all of them together in a web. Perennials read as though it were an extensively planned story, and there were no inconsistencies. I have not read a crime novel recently that pulled off a plot as well as Perennials did, and I tore right through it.
Gibson is clearly one of our better crime novels in the indie genre. He has all of the artistic and systematic elements of a talented crime author, and I hope he continues to write.
July 3, 2017
I'm sorry. I met Bryce in person. He is really great. This book however... not so much. It kept jumping back and forth but not in a good way. Very little details about what was going on and too must detail about random crap that didn't matter and added nothing to the story. Good story line but poorly written. I'm halfway through and feel as though so much has happened but nothing has happened at the same time. Too difficult to follow. It's almost like he tried to write a bunch of little stories at once and kind of just dumped them all here. Did not tie in well together at all. Very much a tangential writing style. Very disappointed.
October 2, 2017
I dislike saying bad things about books. They're mostly labors of love and creativity written by people who genuinely want to give voice to the stories in their heads. But there are some folks who just aren't up to the task.
Perennials is a good case in point.
The novel claims to embrace its setting yet rural South Carolina doesn't play too much of a part in the novel. The writing is amateurish at best. And I say that with full knowledge that I've never managed to produce a novel. The dialog is stilted and the writing itself shows a lack of maturity. Worst is the plot, revolving around a group of teenagers, a long-lost family history and a serial killer who hunts individuals named after plants. As it unfolded, the story became more absurd by the page to the point of head-shaking when a new doomed-plant-named-person was introduced. Perhaps the most telling example of the overall confusion of the novel is the fact that the author, through the placement of a contrived news story transcription, felt it necessary to recap literally the entire story in a succinct two or three pages at the end of the story itself.
It should be pretty clear that I thought this was a novel to avoid yet I admired the effort. The author thought he had a good idea (which in actuality was half of an okay idea) and could execute (but couldn't).
Perennials is a good case in point.
The novel claims to embrace its setting yet rural South Carolina doesn't play too much of a part in the novel. The writing is amateurish at best. And I say that with full knowledge that I've never managed to produce a novel. The dialog is stilted and the writing itself shows a lack of maturity. Worst is the plot, revolving around a group of teenagers, a long-lost family history and a serial killer who hunts individuals named after plants. As it unfolded, the story became more absurd by the page to the point of head-shaking when a new doomed-plant-named-person was introduced. Perhaps the most telling example of the overall confusion of the novel is the fact that the author, through the placement of a contrived news story transcription, felt it necessary to recap literally the entire story in a succinct two or three pages at the end of the story itself.
It should be pretty clear that I thought this was a novel to avoid yet I admired the effort. The author thought he had a good idea (which in actuality was half of an okay idea) and could execute (but couldn't).
July 22, 2025
Perennials is like sipping sweet tea on a front porch… while watching a thunderstorm roll in with something dark behind it.
Bryce Gibson completely nailed the Southern Gothic thriller vibe with this one. The setting? Rich and alive. You can almost smell the humid air and hear the crickets chirping. The characters? So relatable, especially Dusty, who pulls you right into his world of fear, folklore, and teen confusion.
I loved how the book weaves coming-of-age themes with chilling suspense. It’s got echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but it never feels like a copycat. It’s its own thing, original, atmospheric, and honestly pretty cinematic. And that “plant-named victim” twist? So clever!
The urban legend of the Lizard Man adds a layer of local lore that makes everything feel grounded and spooky at the same time. It’s like a ghost story told around a bonfire that might just be real.
If you're into small-town secrets, eerie mysteries, and stories that blend heart with horror, Perennials should absolutely be on your TBR. I’m already diving into Book 2.
Bravo, Bryce.
Bryce Gibson completely nailed the Southern Gothic thriller vibe with this one. The setting? Rich and alive. You can almost smell the humid air and hear the crickets chirping. The characters? So relatable, especially Dusty, who pulls you right into his world of fear, folklore, and teen confusion.
I loved how the book weaves coming-of-age themes with chilling suspense. It’s got echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but it never feels like a copycat. It’s its own thing, original, atmospheric, and honestly pretty cinematic. And that “plant-named victim” twist? So clever!
The urban legend of the Lizard Man adds a layer of local lore that makes everything feel grounded and spooky at the same time. It’s like a ghost story told around a bonfire that might just be real.
If you're into small-town secrets, eerie mysteries, and stories that blend heart with horror, Perennials should absolutely be on your TBR. I’m already diving into Book 2.
Bravo, Bryce.
April 27, 2022
This story will certainly hold your attention. It is both a murder mystery and a coming of age tale of a teen boy and girl from the south. There is a serial killer in the area which has everyone a bit frightened. What is truly unusual is that all the victims seem to have been named after plants--but the the entire small town seems to have been named after plants. I definitely had trouble keeping up with the names!
When people from the town are murdered and or attacked-things start to get a bit scary. Nandina moved with her family to this small town with her parents. She was none to happy about it until she met Dusty. Her long time boyfriend from the town she had originally lived had gone off to college and left her heartbroken-Dusty's best friend died-it was assumed that he died of a heart condition that no one knew about.
There are twists and turns near the end that will have chills running up and down your body. This is definitely worth a read!!
I received the pdf of this book from the author for my enjoyment and a possible review.
When people from the town are murdered and or attacked-things start to get a bit scary. Nandina moved with her family to this small town with her parents. She was none to happy about it until she met Dusty. Her long time boyfriend from the town she had originally lived had gone off to college and left her heartbroken-Dusty's best friend died-it was assumed that he died of a heart condition that no one knew about.
There are twists and turns near the end that will have chills running up and down your body. This is definitely worth a read!!
I received the pdf of this book from the author for my enjoyment and a possible review.
August 26, 2018
This is the first story by author Bryce Gibson I have read. I was genuinely surprised. I’m not one to really venture away from specific authors that I know I already enjoy, but I am very glad I did with this. I began this book today and couldn’t put it away until I was finished. I will admit, I am a sucker for anything serial killer related so I was excited to read this. Gibson’s style is different from most. Some would consider his writing “rushed”, maybe even too straight forward. I disagree. In my opinion, Perennials was very engaging from start to finish. He has a way of describing each and every detail in a way that truly takes you to the location. I could imagine the scenery, the characters, the circumstances...
Perennials has love, deception, murder, everything you could possibly ask for in a typical serial killer novel. I would highly recommend it and fully intend to read more by Bryce Gibson.
Perennials has love, deception, murder, everything you could possibly ask for in a typical serial killer novel. I would highly recommend it and fully intend to read more by Bryce Gibson.
May 27, 2019
This was a great first mystery story by a new writer. I happened to stop by his booth at a local festival, where oddly enough I was working on a plant sale, so I couldn't resist buying Perennials. I did want to get out my red copyeditor's pen a time or two, but I will say that this was an exceptional first effort. Protagonist Dusty Miller's South Carolina teenage boy voice and depictions of southern rural life are effective and spot on.
As Dusty went for his daily runs on the backroad near his house, he thought about the news of South Carolina's serial killer who was targeting people whose names, like his, were those of plants. He also thought a lot about the new girl whose family had moved into the house down the road. Both her and her mother's names were those of plants, too. So when the serial killer seemed to be choosing victims in towns closer and closer to them, everyone was on edge.
As Dusty went for his daily runs on the backroad near his house, he thought about the news of South Carolina's serial killer who was targeting people whose names, like his, were those of plants. He also thought a lot about the new girl whose family had moved into the house down the road. Both her and her mother's names were those of plants, too. So when the serial killer seemed to be choosing victims in towns closer and closer to them, everyone was on edge.
March 22, 2021
I heard about this series on a podcast, and since the author is from my native state, and the series is based there as well, I figured I'd give it a try. It's a good, fun story with references to places and folklore that I'm familiar with growing up in South Carolina. If the story hits you as "juvenile" that's because it's a YA book. That's not a big deal if it's a good story. But....the one thing that drove me batty was the frequent use of "ancestor" when "descendant" should have been used. The first time I overlooked it. Second time I got irritated. Third time, and I lost count after that, I wanted to yell at somebody.
Fun, quick story. I will probably read the others when I get a chance.
Fun, quick story. I will probably read the others when I get a chance.
November 27, 2017
I don't think it was me, but this book seemed to just be sort of a mess. It had a decent plot and some fairly nice characters, but how it got from the beginning to the end was nearly incomprehensible. In my opinion that just means bad writing. The plot involved a serial killer who is killing people with names that are plants. Rose, Willow, etc. Kind of a silly reason to kill people, but i suppose some people don't need good reasons. Anyway, don't bother with this one. There are too many better books out there to read.
September 23, 2020
All in all I feel this is a solid story. I read a number of reviews before I started this book. I understand why some people were thrown off by the movement from first to their person but I had no problem with it. I also had no issues with the time shifts in the novel. I felt it had a clever twist for the ending and as with any good mystery you had several false leads. I like the fact that it was a murder mystery that was heavy on relationships and the mystery aspect was more of a subplot. It was a different take on a mystery that I enjoyed. I would recommend it to my friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2025
Have you ever thought your name would play a factor in whether you live or expire? That is exactly what happens in this story. Those with plant or garden names run this risk in Preninals. Who would have thought this would happen? I bet you wished your mom had named you differently.
Bryce did a great job keeping the suspense alive by tricking you into thinking you have it all figured out, but then throws a wrench and takes you down a different direction of solving this mystery.
The ending is not what you expect, and if you feel you have the ability to figure it out before getting to the end, you will need to read the book.
Bryce did a great job keeping the suspense alive by tricking you into thinking you have it all figured out, but then throws a wrench and takes you down a different direction of solving this mystery.
The ending is not what you expect, and if you feel you have the ability to figure it out before getting to the end, you will need to read the book.
November 22, 2025
This book was kindof terrible to be honest. I got the first four books of this series in a box from TikTok and I’ll read them because I bought them. Hopefully they get better with time as this was the author’s first book. I found it hard to read because the point of view was all over the place and nothing really happened in most of the book. I skimmed through a lot of it as it was just a lot of descriptions of people’s daily lives and the conversations between the teenagers that didn’t really connect to the murder mystery plot.
April 11, 2018
4.5 No spoilers. I liked the premise of the threat of a serial killer in a small southern town. The flow was pretty good, but the alternating between third person and first person was a bit jarring. In chapter 11 it switched after one page from 1st to 3rd. I thought there must have been an editing issue that left some pages out or something. Also there were some slight errors, mainly lack of opening or closing quotation marks. Still it was a great story.
November 16, 2018
Legends live on
A nice book about teenage love and corruption of love set in a rural county in the South. Anyone who has spent any time in a country setting when young will enjoy this book. Even I, a city boy loved this book. If you’re a tad older, this book will help you relive your past. A wonderful tale, told just right.
NickTheMoose
A nice book about teenage love and corruption of love set in a rural county in the South. Anyone who has spent any time in a country setting when young will enjoy this book. Even I, a city boy loved this book. If you’re a tad older, this book will help you relive your past. A wonderful tale, told just right.
NickTheMoose
September 7, 2019
This was an interesting story told by Dusty Miller. It certainly had some interesting twists and turns. You may notice that several characters are named after plants. I enjoyed the story line and found it hard to put down. I was wanting to know what was going to happen next. I hope you’ll check it out.
September 21, 2017
Not worthy your timr
This book is confusing and badly written. A fractured time line doesn't help matters. I would have been totally lost if the main character hadn't summarized the book at the end. Sorry for the typing errors in the title. Worth
This book is confusing and badly written. A fractured time line doesn't help matters. I would have been totally lost if the main character hadn't summarized the book at the end. Sorry for the typing errors in the title. Worth
September 24, 2017
Intriguing.
A real old fashioned whodunnit. Well plotted and paced with likable characters and believable dialogue. Author writes with a real feel for the South and the characters.
A real old fashioned whodunnit. Well plotted and paced with likable characters and believable dialogue. Author writes with a real feel for the South and the characters.
September 24, 2017
Perennials
Long and tedious. Elaborate descriptions of meaningless scenes and essential plot lines told in a paragraph. A story that could have benefited from additional editing.
Long and tedious. Elaborate descriptions of meaningless scenes and essential plot lines told in a paragraph. A story that could have benefited from additional editing.
October 1, 2017
Horticulture and Homicide
PERENNIALS uses greenhouses as vehicles for growth, change, history, and murder. I loved its intriguing mix of first person and third to tell the story. An enjoyable mystery with plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing.
PERENNIALS uses greenhouses as vehicles for growth, change, history, and murder. I loved its intriguing mix of first person and third to tell the story. An enjoyable mystery with plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews