I really enjoy books with characters who are gifted in some unusual way and misunderstood by other characters. Dana Elmendorf crafted a wonderful story in this category. Characters are interesting and well developed. The story flows very well, and there are enough twists and turns to hook the reader. I had a very hard time putting this down.

Okayyy spooky 80s Appalachian vibes.. I like it, I like it 🖤

Little bit dark, little bit creepy, little bit murder mystery, little bit Appalachian folklore.. I can “dig” it 😉

Weatherly can talk death out of dying and she is determined to find her cousin’s true killer, but family secrets, and her own, run deep.

It admittedly took me a little bit to get into this book and the writing felt a little confusing for me in areas (may have just been the formatting of the eARC I received), but I’m giving a whole extra star for the ending 🙌🏼 loooved it 🖤

⭐️4/5 🌶️0/5

Review in a few days on Instagram @lexinator_reads

I really liked the witchy vibe and setting of this book, but it felt a tad underbaked in some spots (I think that's because of Weatherly, a main character who doesn't always hold as much interest as some secondary ones.)

I liked the idea of "death eaters" and insight into the family history of the practice and how it affected their role in the community. The story throws you into this world pretty quickly. But once things get moving, there is more nuance and background to flesh out some of these ideas. I'm still a little lost on the particulars of the opening scene with the twins, but admit it does grab and hold your attention, and we get additional information to add clarity.

I really loved Adaire (and wish we'd spent more time with her and her role in the story.) The book kicks off as her murder, so we know she dies, but I'd liked to have learned more how it felt for her to deal with that as a seer. I also was fascinated by Bone Layer, who plays a pivotal role in the story, but about whom we know little.

I think my biggest beef was with the Rook storyline and the whole notion of crows in general. Given that their presence lends itself to the title and Rook's appearances are interspersed throughout the book, I thought this relationship would play a bigger role. I wanted more scenes with Weatherly and Rook and more of a connection between that relationship and the main plot line.

But that doesn't mean I DISLIKED anything in this book. It was a wonderful premise, with fascinating characters, that felt a bit unevenly constructed. (There is a A LOT going on in this story). Still, it's a worthwhile read, with a plot, setting, and mystery that really held my attention.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another great Appalachian book with the myth of the sin eater. I wish this had been longer , as these kinds of books that I like to climb inside and live a while. Great work on this debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf.

Do you ever have one of those glitches where you've never heard of something before and then once you do it's everywhere? This is the second time in the past week that I have learned about sin eaters (the other being The Witchstone by Henry Neff). Though the role is used differently in each story, it taught me a new layer of terrifying religious zealotry.

In the Hour of Crows main character, Weatherly is a sin eater. She has the ability to talk death from those who are dying, and has been filling this role for over a decade after her pawpaw passed and gifted the ability to her. Weatherly has lived a rough life for only being 20 - her cold and mentally abusive grandmama runs the family, the townspeople look at Weatherly as a devil (even when she has saved them), and she has no means of leaving her hometown. When we meet Weatherly her best friend and cousin, Adaire, has been murdered in a hit and run by the town mayor and the courts do not pursue the case. Filled with anger Weatherly curses Stone Rutledge and his family, but when his family starts to die Weatherly finds herself with questions, under suspicion and in serious danger.

I wish that this plot was the one that Elmendorf stuck with throughout the novel - she does an excellent job of setting the stage with the town and Weatherly's gift and there is a lot of well built tension in this regard. Where the book misses its mark is then adding mysteries around Rook (that plotline became a length of whiplash over the last ten percent of the book and I still don't quite understand it's purpose), by not building out the urban fantasy/magical system/magical realism of the place, by placing her grandmama as a character to be feared but not letting that really burn through the pages, by not giving more backstory to the other people close into her life, by not letting us see Weatherly's grief from all the angles that were affecting her actions - it felt like pieces that could have strengthened the gut punches of the story were just sort of tapped in the periphery. I think if these were expanded upon in the right way, this could be a 5 star book - right now it feels like a solid draft but it's just missing that kick.

That being said, I read this in two sittings. I thought it was engaging. While some of the gotcha moments were easy to see coming, there was still well-built cause-and-effect throughout and I was rooting for Weatherly to find justice and to get her life together. It was a moody read - it feels dark but it's not horror-adjacent. The setting itself seems true to the characters and to the culture of Appalachia.

If you like this, or if you were unsure about this, give Alix Harrow's Starling House a go - I think that is the closest comparison I can think of but told in very different ways.

This story will take you deep into the hill country of Appalachia, with their mysterious ways and people. It is lyrical at times, even with a suspicious death to be solved, and the action moves along steadily, for the most part.

We meet Weatherly, who can talk death out of folks, her cousin Adaire, who can scry the future, and briefly, Rook, a young boy from Weatherly's childhood memories who may, or may not, be real and walks the souls of the dead to their afterlife. Adaire has been killed in an accident. Weatherly gets caught up in trying to solve what turns out to be an unsolved murder.

The biggest problem with this story is the characters. Adaire we only see in flash backs as she is killed before the story begins. Rook we see only briefly a few times. And they are both far more interesting people than Weatherly. Weatherly is brash, self-centered, thinks she knows it all, listens to no one, guiltlessly takes advantage of those who care for her, and just all in all is a very unlikeable person.

The story is very good, descriptions of the countryside, the ramshackle houses, the antebellum mansion, all come to life quite nicely. The tale is fascinating, a behind-the-scenes look at the local folklore at work. A few passages dragged on, feeling more like filler than part of the story, but all in all, a good read. Just wish it had included more of Adaire and Rook.

Weatherly's mother left her as a baby, and her Papaw and Grandmama raised her in the foothills of the Appalachians. It wasn't exactly a normal childhood or even a happy one. Her Grandmama is a Granny witch banished by her family to the foothills, and her Papaw was a Death Talker, a power he passed on to her. Her Grandmama is known far and wide for her tinctures and creams, all made with a little Sin Eater Oil, which can help or harm you based on the dosage. And where does that Sin Eater Oil come from? Weatherly, of course, she can talk to death, talk it right out of a person and take it into herself, and then she coughs up all that death in the form of the black Sin Eater Oil. Some call Weatherly blessed by God; others say she is the product of the devil because she can talk death out of a person! When her cousin Adaire is run down and killed, and the killer walks free, Weatherly vows to find the truth, even if it means digging up the past and disobeying Grandmama. With the help of Rook, a Spirit Walker, friends, and family, she will stop at nothing until she knows the truth.

Combining folklore from Appalachia with hints of mystery, romance, and fantasy, In the Hour of Crows is a unique book unlike any I have ever read. I sometimes found myself a little confused because I didn't know much about Appalachian folk tales or death superstitions, but it was also intriguing. There were elements to the story that I found to be lacking; for instance, the story of Rook seemed unfinished and wasn't clearly explained well. I felt the same way about the character of Bone Layer; after finishing the book, I was upset that I still had so many unanswered questions about him. Who was he? Why did he care so much for Weatherly's family? I just felt like the author tried to do too much in one novel, and because of that, not all the elements, characters, and themes could be fully developed. With that being said, however, it was still an interesting read!

Disclaimer: Even though I received a complementary advanced copy of this book, the thoughts and opinions above are solely my own.

Spooky little voodoo tale revolving around the vehicular death of a young woman. This is a new form of black magic I haven't heard of before but the stereotype of backwater, lower class is evident. The language at the beginning is pretty crass and vulgar, but once the action starts, you are spellbound and nothing will turn you away. The culture of the tale is very rich, and the characters are both alive and mysterious. My most favorite character is Rook - he is such a creative element in this tale. There are so many magical and mysterious pieces to this puzzle, and the unraveling of the mystery is first class! It is black magic, so you will have a little disquiet to your soul. Still, I enjoyed it so much that I wish it was a series -- I hate to say goodbye to this little world full of eerie surprises at every turn!

This wonderful book takes you into the heart of the Appalachian Mountains and immerses you in the traditions and magic of mountain living.

Weatherly is a Death Talker. I had never heard of this term and I am a child of Appalachia. A Death Talker can take a person who is at death’s door for any reason, meld with that person and talk death into their own body then expel it. Interesting concept which gives Weatherly the distinction of being feared and needed. She will use her skills to uncover the truth behind her cousin’s death and learn secrets about herself that will change her immensely.

An intense, atmospheric reading which will draw you in and leave you thinking about all the magic that swirls throughout those mountains.

Weatherly Wilder is a death talker - able to talk the death away from a person, but only once each. People fear her because of her gift, and even more, because of the uses her grandmother has for the Sin Eater Oil created by death talking. This elemental magic is passed down within the family, and is based on Appalachian magic. There are multiple forms of magic in Appalachia, and Weatherly's cousin Adaire has a different kind: she can see the future, in bits and pieces. Something she saw sent her speeding off to see Weatherly, but before she arrives, she dies, the bicycle end of a car-bicycle collision. Stone Rutledge is charged with the hit-and-run, but in a poor town, those few with money can escape the consequences of their actions, and Stone does just that - and so begins Weatherly's quest for the truth, and justice for her cousin.

This is an odd and sometimes disquieting novel; Weatherly's gift allows her to withdraw death from those approaching it, and the process can be painful. Weatherly's grandmother uses the Sin Eater Oil that death talking creates, something she started doing when Weatherly's grandfather passed the gift on to her just before he died, when she was only nine, a young small child for such a gift. Raised by her grandmother after her mother abandoned her as a baby, Weatherly has a hard life - made harder by her grandmother's harsh discipline, and made even harder when her cousin, her closest friend, dies. This novel deals with some difficult topics - child abandonment, child abuse, death, and the inequalities that exist in society based on income, among others. Despite those themes, it's one of those books that draws you in. Recommended for teens and adults, based on adult themes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

DNFed at 25%. I don't think this book is necessarily bad, but the writing style isn't it for me, which makes it really hard for me to continue. I felt like this book has potential, but I simply can't keep forcing myself to read it, especially with Weatherly as the main character. Something about following her POV doesn't rub me the right way. The dark, gothic theme is apparent, so if that's your vibe, maybe pick this up? Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for me, despite overall liking the concept. The main character, the dialogue, and the writing style all got on my nerves too much for me to enjoy the story.

Set in the Appalachia, cousin of Weatherly Wild has been murderered in the wild. Weatherly sets out in search of the killer using her special power and a spirit. This book is fabulously witchy and magical! I love this book!

I'm disappointed.

I was really intrigued by the idea of someone being able to coax death from people, however the delivery of this idea just didn't work for me. Unrealistic dialogue plagues the pages and the characters couldn't decide if they wanted to be real or not. There was a lot more telling than showing, which was more prominent towards the end where I felt as though I hadn't seen enough instances on the page to warrant the venom being delivered.

Weatherly was a frustrating protagonist to follow and I wish we had gotten Rook's story instead. He at least would have been interesting. Or maybe Adaire? Someone who potentially foresaw their own death would be a more interesting protagonist than the one we got.

Weatherly was dull, to put it bluntly. She's set up like an interesting character, and is stubborn and impulsive to boot, but she's just very grating to read. And she just cannot decide what she should be feeling at any given moment. And honestly neither do I. The emotions in this book were just about nonexistent, even Weatherly's grief for Adaire didn't feel solid. I was just told and expected to believe that she was grieving.

Unfortunately, I was bored through most of it, and when I wasn't bored, I was annoyed. Most of all, I'm just disappointed. I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this atmospheric and intriguing read.

Set in small town Appalachia, Weatherly has magic powers to talk the death out of the dying. Who she didn’t get a chance to save though was her cousin and she desperately tries to uncover the messages she left her and what she might have found out before her death.

There is a dark, hazy mood to the story and a mystery at its heart.

It was a good southern gothic read and I loved that this book had an eerie atmosphere filled with magic and tension. The story was good and the pacing felt a little slow at times, 3 stars.

The “hour of crows” is that liminal time between the end of the day and the beginning of the night, and a title that almost perfectly captures the dusky mood of this Southern Gothic style fantasy/mystery.

The main character, Weatherly Opal Wilder, has a magical gift that gives her the ability to absorb death out of a person and into herself so that it can later be expelled from her body, thereby saving the person that had been dying. She inherited this gift from her grandfather, and has been used by her granny-witch grandmother since a very young age to talk death out of the people in her small Appalachian foothill community.

Shortly after the death of her cousin, Adaire, Weatherly encounters a person that she can’t talk the death out of, and she doesn’t know why her power has failed. Even worse, this person is a member of a powerful family that has plenty of reason to want to point the long arm of justice toward Weatherly and away from themselves. When local law enforcement won’t believe her, Weatherly must take matters into her own hands to get to the bottom of the corruption she suspects, both to free herself and to defend rest of her family.

This book falls just short of five-star material in my opinion, but Dana Elmendorf has still made a solid debut effort.

Here’s what I loved: the plot is absolutely fantastic. The pacing is incredible, and I never really wanted to put it down. The gritty 1980s backwoods trailer-park vibe is spot on: I could see it vividly, I could feel it, and I could even smell it- drawing from my own recollections growing up in the South and knowing plenty of folks steeped in Appalachian culture. Most of the characters are incredibly detailed and fleshed out. And in the end, I love how Weatherly comes into her own agency, standing up for herself and what she wants for her own life, and refusing to be used as a pawn for someone else’s benefit.

Here’s what kept it from being perfect: There were some turns of phrase that truly just annoyed me, even taking into account that the perspective was that of a “hillbilly” kind of girl. A few times it didn’t feel as much like colloquialism as just plain old poor prose. In that same vein, I also sometimes felt like some of the characters were becoming too caricatured to be authentic (particularly the side characters that are more “villainous”). And more than anything, I really REALLY really wanted to know more about Rook and his relationship with Weatherly. I felt like that element was pivotal, but sort of glossed over, or rushed, in a way that wasn’t necessary. At less than 300 pages, there was plenty of time/space remaining to elaborate more on that point- so why didn’t she?

All that said, I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends and “followers” as the release date approaches. I hope this book gets some buzz because it’s got the all makings of a remarkable debut. This is a story that got under my skin in a way that I won’t soon forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, MIRA/Harlequin, for an ARC copy of In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf, in exchange for my review.

dark, southern gothic spec-fic (horror). very well written, filled with family drama and small town drama. thanks for the arc.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Mira for the opportunity to read In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf. This Southern Gothic at its best!

This book is unlike anything I've ever read. Taking place in Southern Appalachia, the story hooked me from the creepy opening scene. Weatherly Opal Wilder is a Death Talker. Since she was young, she has been called upon by townsfolk to save the dying. It comes with a price, though, and she and her family are outcasts of their small community. Her cousin Adaire also has a gifting and can see into the future. When Adaire is found dead, Weatherly begins to uncover secrets that her family and the town would rather leave buried. Haunted by a boy who morphs into crows, Weatherly is determined to discover the truth about her cousin's death. Even if it costs her everything.

If you like magical realism, ancient spells, a foreboding atmosphere, and a page turning mystery you need to read this! The characters were well developed and I could practically hear their Appalachian accents coming off the page.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!