"I was born in the woods in the hour of crows, when the day is no longer but the night is not yet".

This was so many things... creepy, beautiful, haunting, hopeful. I loved it. In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf followed Weatherly, a Death Talker. She can sense peoples' soul songs and can sometimes trick death into leaving a person alone for awhile. Her beloved cousin, who was able to see the future, was just killed in an accident. Weatherly began to think that it was something far more sinister and occassionally gets help from Rook, her friend who can turn into a crow. 1980's Appalachia was the perfect, rich backdrop for this story. The writing was brilliant, and Elmendorf was masterful in how she could surprise the reader with such nonchalance of horrifying situations.

In the Hour of Crows is an intriguing, atmospheric fantasy-mystery. With a unique voice and perspective, I enjoyed the hell out of most of this book. I thought that the pacing sagged in the middle, and few of the characters are “sticking” for me, but while I was in the book—I was 110% there for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the ebook ARC. All options are mine alone.

Dana Elmendorf is a YA author making her adult debut with In the Hour of Crows. I've seen this book refered to as a cozy mystery in some places and it does sort of fit into that slot with its small town setting and quirky characters but I feel there's more suspense than mystery in this book. There's also a touch of Goth, dark magic and the paranormal in it. I guess that just goes to show that not everything can be neatly pigeon-holed. Weatherly has grown up in a bad situation. She was abandoned by her mother and her beloved grandfather, Papaw, died when she was young. Before he passed away, Papaw handed his gift down to Weatherly, making her a Death Talker or a person who can talk the death out of the dying. This is an amazing talent and tremendous burden for a young girl to carry. Weatherly's grandmother wants to harvest the Sin Eater Oil that is a by product of her gift. With the oil Grandmama can create potions, charms and curses. She's got Weatherly firmly under her thumb, until Weatherly's cousin and best friend, Adaire is killed and the man who confessed to killing her goes free. This is more than Weatherly can stand and now she's looking for answers, answers that her grandmother and others don't want her to have. Eventually, with the help of her friends, Weatherly uncovers secrets about herself, her cousin and the family she never knew. She just has to find a way to prove it before the police or the killer find her.

Mystery, Magic and Murder

A tale of Appalachian folk lore, a young girl and a murder. Weatherly lives with her grandmother but often spends time with her favorite cousin Adaire and her aunt Violet. Her mother left her with her grandmother and her father is unknown to her.

She has a special gift of drawing death out of people, which works most of the time. A mystery is evolved around this gift and the death of her cousin Adaire who was hit while riding a bicycle. Now other deaths have surfaced and Weatherly is being blamed. She must solve the murder and prove her innocence.

It is an intriguing story, a little hard to believe at times seems a bit of fantasy. It was a good reading story and almost believable knowing some of the remote areas have strange customs. I found the part about Rook and the crows a bit hard to believe.

Thanks to Dana Elmendorf for writing an interesting story, to Harlequin Trade Publishing for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

In the Hour of Crows was such a fantastical, mysterious book set in the Appalachia region of Georgia. Such a deep novel of a young woman trying to live after tragedy strikes.

While I read the summary and knew what to expect for the novel, I was a bit thrown that there wasn't a romance in the book. On NetGalley the publisher information listed Harlequin, so I expected a romance. It's definitely not that! Fair warning.

I truly enjoyed this book! Everything about it made an engaging novel, from the characters to the plot itself. The first chapter opens in the middle of the story, with the Wilder's heading to the courthouse to see if the judge will go forward with the case that the mayor killed Adaire on purpose (he doesn't), and it does not slow down at all.

As someone who didn't grow up in the Appalachia region, it did take me a minute to get into the flow of the words and language, how this area of the county talks. I really appreciated how the author stayed authentic to that, as it immersed me more into the story and the feel of the region. It depicted a more accurate and sympathetic story written this way.

How the plot unfolds was well done, if a bit predictable. I had a strong feeling from the beginning that Lorelai was involved in Adaire's death somehow. I was also a bit disappointed that the motive was money, felt like a let down. The did like finding out about who Weatherly's dad is. I am perplexed by the epilogue chapter. What happened to Rook? Is he fully human now? What was that last scene between him and Weatherly about? Is there going to be a sequel to this? I thought this was a stand alone but who knows now a days.

I loved all the characters! They were so fascinating, yet deeply flawed. Going on this journey with Weatherly of proving her innocence was so fascinating as it really became a story about how to move on from trauma and her hometown. The abuse she endured her whole life can be left in the taillights now, and I'm so happy for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this amazing book.

Wow! This book is absolutely spell binding! I loved every page! I devoured it!

It has magic, mystery, and the paranormal. Just enough of each. It is a bit creepy and will give you goose bumps and tingles down your spine.

Parts of it gave me flashbacks to Where the Crawdads Sing.

I absolutely loved this book. It is one I will read a second time through, and with my mounting to be read list, that's high praise!

Highly recommend!

Five stars for me!

In the Hour of Crows tells the story of Weatherly Wilder, a young Appalachian woman who saves the lives of many people with gift of death talking. Throughout the book we hear of the many tragedies and triumphs that plague Weatherly’s life and we see her sort through them to find her truth. This story gripped me from the very beginning and took me on a wild ride that I could never have fathomed. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t set it down, would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a bit of magic and suspense.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you #HarlequinTradePublishing and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is June 3, 2024.

• family secrets • dark magic • murder • Appalachian folk magic • 4.5 Stars

#InTheHourOfCrows by #DanaElmendorf is a Southern gothic novel set in a small town in Appalachia. The story follows Weatherly Wilder, a young woman gifted with the supernatural ability to "talk the death out of the dying," a power that comes with the price of being tied to her community. When Weatherly's cousin Adaire, a Scryer who can see the future in dark surfaces, is murdered, Weatherly is determined to uncover the truth behind her death. This novel has been described as a "gorgeous feast for the senses" that captivates readers with its blend of supernatural elements, gritty realism, and atmospheric storytelling.
that captivates readers with its blend of supernatural elements, gritty realism, and atmospheric storytelling.

This was an okay book for me. It didn't draw me in like I thought it would. It was interesting with the witchcraft stuff and I liked the relationship between Weatherly and Rook.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "In The Hour of Crows" and all opinions expressed are my own. I love a good magical realism book. I found the beginning a bit dark and I almost didn't continue reading. The story did get better. The loved the story between Weatherly and Rook which probably kept me interested in the book. Overall I really liked the story and I don't even like crows at all.

I did not enjoy this book. The premise is interesting and unique, but I found the voice to be rambling and unfocused. It also felt like it focused on odd things for shock value and horror that just felt uncomfortable, like the child being buried with the stillborn infants and kissing them, and on characters breasts and nipples.

Goodreads review 4/23

Thank you Harlequin trade publishing for the arc of In the Hour of Crows

This book was a different genre than what I normally read but I thought it was amazing. Once I got a few chapters in I was hooked. The storyline was so interesting and really kept my attention. I felt like I was solving the mystery with the main character and I had to keep reading so I could get the answers. I also loved how the storyline between Weatherly and Rook didn't overpower the rest of the story but was still the perfect addition to the story. Overall it was a great read and I highly recommend it.

This Southern gothic, magical mystery was interesting to read and had some very good concepts. But I had so many questions throughout. Why were the police so incompetent? How, exactly did the magic work and why could grandma piggyback on Weatherly's abilities? And what about Rook? The ending real confused me.

I enjoyed this book. I am fascinated by the highly intelligent crow so I was drawn in by the title. It would have been nice to have more of Adaire in the story and her relationship with Weatherly. Weatherly’s grandmother was a terrible person and I felt sorry for the way Weatherly was brought up. Intriguing murder mystery with Appalachian magic mixed in, there were many side plots of jealousy, hate, revenge and devotion. Would love to see a sequel with Weatherly and Rook as a man.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dana Elmendorf and Mira books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good witchy book! This one was just okay for me, not bad but just not great. I felt that the characters were not as well developed and that was a huge part of the story. The main character did not act her age but I felt like that was part of her upbringing? I enjoyed the magic in the book but still felt like things needed to be ironed out with it. There is a lot left up in the air and not explained. This is a good story but just did not work for me.

In the Hour of Crows has a fascinating premise full of endless possibilities, but the story’s execution didn’t work for me.

First we have Weatherly, our MC, who is 24 but behaves more like a 15 year old. I found her irritating and unlikable. Since hers is the only viewpoint we get, it was like being stuck hanging out with a bratty teenager.

The characters aren’t well developed, which is especially unfortunate since the plot relies heavily on personal connections between the large cast of characters.

The magic system is intriguing, but also not well developed.

Lots of things are left unexplained or just didn’t make sense to me.

While I didn’t connect with the writing style, I do think there’s a great story here that other readers might love.

Weatherly Wilder is a death talker. Her family is known for their distinctive magically abilities. Her cousin/best friend is killed by the mayor after he hits her with his car while she is riding her bike. As it sometimes happens in many small back water communities, no legal ramifications are imposed on the wealthy/influential residents. Weatherly tries to unravel the mysteries of what really happened and who is her crow friend Rook and what part does he actually play in her life or is he just part of her imagination. An enjoyable fast read with a twist ending.

Wow! Good read. Weatherly is a young woman that has been raised with a special ability to heal people from death. This goes awry early on and leads her to a life of trial and tribulation. Raised by a blind tyrant of a grandmother, that has her own spells and incantations that she inflicts on people, makes for a very tumultuous upbringing. Very interesting read. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

In the Hour of Crows is the story of Weatherly whose grieving her cousin's death while other events unfold to make her question whether the death was a murder instead of an accident. At its core this book is about unfolding what happened to her cousin but at its heart this is a book about families, grief, love, betrayal, lies, and the unrelenting journey for truth and justice.

If gothic and the magical realism are your preferred genres, you will really enjoy the setting and tone of this book. Weatherly herself can heal people who are dying, her cousin could see the future and her good friend Rook shape-shifts into a crow and accompanies the dying. I enjoyed all these elements of the supernatural and especially loved Rook as a character.

with gratitude to netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The concept of this one initially drew my attention and sounded like something I’d really enjoy. Unfortunately, I felt as though there was a barrier of disconnect between me and the story. I couldn’t really mesh with the writing style for some reason. I found the atmosphere and magic to be the highlight of the story, but the character and plot development to be a little lacking in depth for me. I think this will be one of those more niche, read-it-for-the-vibes type of story, for readers who love a more muted gothic fantasy. I could see fans of The Once and Future Witches (although without the notable prose style) probably liking this one as well. It definitely has an audience out there, I just don’t think that audience is me.