I am a sucker for anything from Appalachia. Make it witchy, dark, and mysterious and now we’re talking. I really liked this novel. Weatherly was so relatable, and her power of talking the death out of the dying was very interesting. It reminded me of John Coffey from The Green Mile.

I think my favorite thing about the Appalachian setting is always the exceptionally rich mountain folklore, and In the Hour of Crows did not disappoint. The culture and superstition permeated every corner of this novel.

If you like witchy mysteries set in the mountain south, you’ll like this. I certainly did!

In The Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf, pub 6/4/24 from MIRA. Set in Appalachia, steeped in mysticism and folklore. This is a story of class division, how talents/gifts are exploited and purposely misrepresented to create fear. Perfect for fans of Alix E. Harrow’s latest book, Starling House. Pulled in by the southern gothic vibes, I devoured this atmospheric book. I highly recommend. I received an early copy from the publisher.

Weatherly Opal Wilder is a Death Talker. She can talk death away from a person and let them live. It's a gift passed down in her family and the people of the town are always willing to take advantage, but they also avoid her whenever they're not asking for her help. She's learned to live with that as long as she has her close friends and her cousin Adaire. But Adaire gets run over by the richest man in town and justice is very obviously not served, so Weatherly sets off on a quest to discover what really happened that will reveal truths about her and her family that she never imagined.

This book was fantastic and shows how to do magical realism right. It feels like there's tons of folklore and tradition behind the things Weatherly can do, but it never really delves into it, letting the mysticism and lore of it as something the reader accepts because it is how it is. I loved that detail.
There is also a lot to delve into within the story, not just the downright murder of her cousin Adaire. We also get to explore Weatherly's family relationships, the haves vs have-nots of the town, and what justice truly means, all while getting a nice little potential romance story behind it.
The writing hooked me in from the very first page and it just kept pulling me back. Elmendorf builds the story through building blocks that might feel disconnected but end up building a complex and perfectly logical plot once you get to the conclusion.

I very highly recommend this read and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for the most excellent read!

In the Hour of Crows is a Southern Gothic murder mystery with magical realism, set in the small Appalachian town of Black Fern, Georgia. The story is richly atmospheric and character-driven, delving into themes of family, small-town life, love, death, grief, secrets, deception, and prejudice.

Weatherly Wilder possesses a unique gift—or curse, depending on your perspective—as a Death Talker. She can create Sin Eater Oil to help those on the brink of death. Her cousin Adaire, a Scryer, can glimpse into the future, though her visions are often unclear.

Three days before Adaire suffers a fatal accident, she shares a cryptic vision with Weatherly that neither of them fully understands. After Adaire’s death, Weatherly is determined to uncover the truth behind what she believes was a crime and to interpret Adaire’s premonition. As she investigates, she puts herself at risk to discover why someone would want to kill her cousin.

Overall, I enjoyed the darker atmosphere of this book. The town of Black Fern nearly takes on a character of its own, shaping the narrative just as much as Weatherly does. It gave me Starling House vibes which I loved!! I highly recommend this book!

📖 Book Review 📖

📱🎧 "In the Hour of Crows" by Dana Elmendorf

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
published June 4, 2024

Magical realism mixed with a gothic mystery set in Black Fern, GA. Weatherly is a Death Talker- she can talk death out of someone who is dying but it can only be done once and it takes a toll on her body. She makes Sin Eater Oil when the death leaves her body. This oil is poisonous and can kill someone if the quantity is right. In the Appalachian mountains some people fear young Weatherly while others are in awe of her gift.

When Weatherly’s cousin Adaire is killed in an accident she is determined to prove it was on purpose as her family has always been ostracized in this small town. I enjoyed the mystery of this story and the ending was perfect!!!

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I… loved the concept but wasn’t a fan of the execution…

religion being used as a weapon & relating to trauma is something that I constantly struggle with, even if it’s in fantasy worlds. especially since that was something that was pushed upon me growing up, and I feel super icky reading about that experience too

THAT BEING SAID, the mystery and spooky vibes surrounding the main story were excellent!!! and that last chapter? had me screaming!!!

I went back and forth between my feelings on our MC weatherby, especially how brash and determined she was. sometimes it was applaudable and I’d be on my feet clapping, but most of the time, it was the idiotic moves that won out and left me rolling my eyes. even though the story takes place in a fantasy world, I want to feel related to by the MC…

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: burgundy red blend

A perfect witchy suspenseful mysterious book that had me guessing for days and at the edge of my seat. Perfect for spooky season coming up!

I really enjoyed the concept of this book but the execution left me wanting a bit more. There was mystery and intrigue but also a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions at the end.

ALL THE SPOILERS
SO MANY SPOILERS
YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

I should have been hesitant when it was compared to Crawdads but I requested the ARC from Netgalley because it sounded interesting. It could have been.

There was so much potential with this book. Great premise, good mystery, suspense was good...but the characters...

Why was Weatherly living with a grandmama she hated at the age of 24? She didn't have a job besides being at her grandmama's beck and call? If it was a small town, how many deaths could there be? And she claimed she had a bad reputation with the townsfolk, but never really interacted with anyone besides family and the police. How did Violet give up alcoholic cold turkey and not die? Why didn't anyone else realize there wasn't a wreck where Adaire was found?

So many plotholes and the pacing was hard to keep up with. We never did meet Westherly's mother or get answers about the picture of her and Gabby, or the babies. There were lots of things that bothered me, obviously. And then the storyline of Rook was completely unnecessary and added another layer.

The setting in this story gave it a great atmosphere, a small town in Appalachia where a family with magical abilities lives. They're both praised for their help and reviled for 'being in league with demonic forces'. Weatherby especially has a difficult time, forced to save the people who treat her terribly and at a cost to her own health.

I had hoped we'd see a bit more magic from other people, but it mostly revolved around Weatherby. I went back and forth with my feelings toward her, sometimes I admired how she fought for justice for her cousin and was brash, other times she tipped into making stupid decisions that ended up hurting herself.

The pacing wasn't super consistent, so there was action crammed together and then slow parts that I wasn't as interested in. I did think it was an interesting read and the ending was intriguing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for the copy.

This book was set in a small town in Appalachia where there is poverty and a very distinct class system, so when Weatherly believes the son of the town's most important family was responsible for her cousin Adair's death, she was not able to get justice. Weatherly was considered a bit strange because she reportedly could talk death out of people, but she had been cursed because of her one failure to do so. If you are interested in small town Appalachia, and you are willing to suspend reality to accept mountain folklore, you may like this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc with no pressure for a positive review.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book but it was so gritty and dark but inspiring all at the same time. Weatherly is torn between loyalty, love, resentment, and a personal drive for justice skating the precipice of self-destruction for her cousin, who was more like a sister. She struggles with her family, a town that can only stand her odd ways when they’re needed, and a small town justice system that’s about as straight as a warped board.

"Anger penetrates my chest. Stuffs itself under my bones. Pries beneath the very core of me."

The Appalachian folklore woven into this book was interesting – it got me researching and there’s a lot more than I thought. The blend of reality and magic woven with the mystery surrounding the death of Weatherly’s cousin, Adaire, kept my rapt attention. The relationships that Weatherly has with the supporting characters are all well done and each furthers the story in some fashion.

For being a rather short book In the Hour of Crows packs quite the story. If you’re looking for a dark and gritty tale of self-discovery, family, perseverance and let’s not forget a splash of magic – then I highly recommend this book. A big thank you to The Hive/Harlequin Trade Publishing for the gifted copy & canvas tote! Rounded from 4.5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Weatherly is a Death Talker; she's had the ability to talk death out of the dying since her grandfather passed the gift to her when she was a child. Her mother left when she was young and she's been raised by her strict grandmother, who uses and abuses Weatherly's ability for her own gain and refuses to teach her anything from the family's Granny Witch recipe box. When her cousin and best friend is killed in an accident, Weatherly sets out to prove that it wasn't an accident at all.

This book is a suspenseful, magical mystery full of as many twists and turns as the roads in the Appalachian mountains where it's set. The idea of "death talking" is creepy, fascinating, and wholly unique.

In the Hour of Crows is a dark Southern mystery that features the magic and rituals of Appalachia. The story follows Weatherly, a Death Talker, who can revive someone but talking the death out of them. Her cousin Adaire was killed recently, and the suspect is the town's mayor. When his son is found on his death bed, and Weatherly is unable to talk to the death out of him, they all assume she's out for revenge.

This story was a slow burn for me. After finishing, I now know that the early pages were setting up the story. Not only did I find this fascinating with some wonderful twists, but I also learned more about Appalachian culture and their folk magic practices. The only part I wasn't crazy about was probably the ending. It felt too open-ended to me, but I could be in the minority.

Overall, In the Hour of Crows is a dark, atmospheric thriller that combines mystery and magic for a unique tale.
Thank you HTP Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story about a family that have special gifts. One can talk a person back to life and another can see the future. They live in a small town and people see them as a little odd, until they need them of course. Weatherly can talk to a person that is dying and bring them back at the brink of death. But she warns people that she can only do this once. Her cousin Adaire can see the future. One day Adaire sees something that disturbs her and suddenly she is an accident. Weatherly believes that it isn't just an accident that took Adaire away because of what she saw in a vision. She is very determined to find out the truth. Wonderful storytelling and an excellent plot. The characters are unique and delightful. This a great fantasy book.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this review copy and I am leaving this voluntarily.

What a haunting riddle of a tale this was. The beginning felt a LITTLE flat, mostly because Appalachian ways require a lot of explaining. But the author handled it well and I don’t think anyone could have done any better. Once I got past the first 20 pages, it was a “stay up until 2am finishing” kind of book. The whole thing is woven together like the best kind of basket. Well done.

This story had an extremely powerful start, which may have been to its disadvantage when it failed to follow through in the second half. It shifted from an atmospheric, moody revery to a fairly pedestrian murder mystery.

Grab a blanket for the cold chills you'll get reading this novel! The author keeps you guessing and up late at night. Could not put this book down!

Set in the Appalachian portion of Georgia current time. It deals with magical realism, religion, poor person beliefs. It's extremely thought provoking. You really get sucked into the story. The characters are really well rounded while the plot is excellent. Fabulous read. I read it in 12 hours.

Give me all the Southern Gothic books!!

In the Hour of Crows was one of my favourite summer reads to date, I devoured this book in one sitting because I simply could not put this baby down. It was utter perfection and honestly I loved the characters so much. The plot was so incredibly crafted and it had me hanging on the edge of my seat.

The way that Dana wove in this beautiful folklore, had me mesmerized by the story and the characters. Something about Weatherly was just so magical and perfect. I would read this book again in a heart beat.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!