I really liked the gothic, creepy vibe that's felt throughout this book. The lines feel blurred between what was reality and what was made up in the FMC's head. I thought that there were layers to this mystery that made you question whether the FMC was actually right or not. I thought the paranormal aspect of it was original. I liked that there was family drama and secrets. I thought this was well written and kinda hope there's a sequel that is a romance.

The world building is great and I enjoyed the character development. I felt very much in the story and was put on edge throughout the entire story.

Highly recommend.

Thank you netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the Arc of this book (which just so happens to be publishing today). I won’t waste time with a synopsis since you can read that elsewhere so let’s get into this.

I very very much enjoyed this book and the story—I just wish the magical realism of the crow boy would have been flushed out a bit more and overall, the story would have been a bit longer/more meaty. The world of witchy Georgia and this small town Death Talker had me HOOKED, but I couldn’t quite invest myself as much as I wanted to because the writing/storyline was a bit sparse. The premise of Death Talking, the loss of the MC’s best friend, the mysterious deaths, small town cops, and a “who’s the father” plot line had A LOT going for it (in a good way) but it just let me down a little. Honestly, I don’t even think the crow boy thing was necessary?

I enjoyed reading this—the appalachian gothic southern vibes were super fun and got me into the story. I just wanted… more.

This book felt like if Beautiful Creatures and Practical magic had a baby.

Weatherly has a gift, she is a death talker and uses the secret words taught to her by her grandfather to talk the death out of someone on the brink. When the person comes back to life, all that is left as evidence of their near-death experience is sin-eaters oi. But Weatherly's haunted by the recent death of the person closest to her, her cousin Adaire. Weatherly knows something isn't right about Adaire's death. The judge ruled it an accident, but she believes it was murder, and she believes it has to do with her death talking and sin-eater oil.

This world's setting, characters and magic were unique and interesting. I'm such a sucker for small-town Southern books, and when you add in the gothic atmosphere I was sucked right in.

Weatherly popped right off the page. She was written so strongly and had such a strong sense of self. I enjoyed reading about her death talking, and watching as she relentlessly pursued the truth about what happened to her cousin. She wasn't willing to take shit from anyone and made sure those who did her wrong got it back.

While the magic was unique, the way it was woven in with the murder mystery at the heart of the novel appealed to me. You could feel the pain that Adaire's death caused Weatherly and how it fueled her.

I wish the whole Rook thing had been developed a bit more. The few scenes we got with him were interesting, but just as I started to get more curious they would end and we wouldn't see him again for several chapters. He was set up to be the big love of her life, but he felt like an afterthought.

Overall, the vibe and characters of this book were excellent. This is a quick read that will keep you entertained and captivated throughout.

✨𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘❗️
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an ARC I received from @netgalley and I loved it! This is a southern gothic tale with a mystical atmosphere. It follows a 24yr old named Weatherly who can talk death out of people. She inherited this gift from her grandfather and people all over town have used her for help. When her best friend/cousin Adaire is killed, Weatherly realizes the truth is not being told about it and sets off to determine what really happened.

I loved this and would definitely read more by Elmendorf!

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I've come to find that I love magical realism and this was no exception. 

From the start that small town, middle of nowhere, atmospheric Southern Gothic vibe was evident. The description of the Appalachian wilderness was both beautiful and lonely. The author did a great job of showing the emotional connection the FMC, Weatherly, had to her town despite also feeling like she was stuck there. 

The murder mystery surrounding the death of Weatherly's cousin, Adaire, starts the book off strong. Their close sisterly relationship and the loss of it was felt throughout the book. Weatherly's frustration and helplessness pushes her to look into Adaire's death even when no one believes her. 

There's a romantic feeling about this book. Not lovey-dovey romance, but the descriptions of the place and the relationships between the people. There IS a very slight romance sub plot that doesn't exactly develop on page, but the reader can sense the possibility of it. 

This was a beautifully written book and I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Thank you @htp_hive @netgalley @_mira_books_ for this eARC!

IN THE HOUR OF CROWS is a Southern gothic murder mystery with magical realism set in the small town of Black Fern, Georgia in the Appalachias. This is character driven and heavily atmospheric.. exploring themes of family/small town life, love, death/grief, secrets, deception and prejudice.

Weatherly Wilder has the gift - - or curse depending how you view it - - of being a Death Talker with the ability to make Sin Eater Oil; -she can rid death of those knocking at deaths door. Her cousin Adaire is a Scryer, she has the gift of seeing into the future, although it’s cloudy.

Three days before Adaire has a fatal accident she tells Weatherly something puzzling she sees.. with neither understanding what it is. After Adaire’s death Weatherly seeks to solve what she knows was a crime, while trying to make sense of what Adaire’s premonition meant. She questions why anyone would want to kill her cousin.. while putting herself in danger to find the answer.

This is a big departure from the genre’s I normally read so I found it a bit hard to follow in places. I enjoyed learning about Appalachian folklore, with both the mystery and magical elements behind the story keeping my curiosity peaked. Great ending.. Elmendorf is so sneaky.. I just loved what she did there with Rook! ☺️ 4 stars — Pub. 6/4/24

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! It was so atmospheric, I really felt like I could see the small Appalachian town where Weatherly lives with her manipulative grandmother, and where the locals use her gifts while looking down on her abilities.
As a Death Talker, Weatherly can talk the death out of a person, but not without a cost to her. When someone close to her dies, she starts to uncover a mystery about her family, her town, and the secrets they’ve been keeping. In The Hour of Crows was hard to put down, I loved the writing and the story, and can’t wait to read more by the author. Will definitely be recommending it to customers at my bookstore! Thanks to MIRA/HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

Incredible, lyrical writing that grabbed me right away! I was blown away by how beautiful this book is. Strong atmospheric vibes and a compelling "who killed my friend" plot = magic!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of In The Hour of Crows in exchange for review! Set in the Appalachian South, In The Hour of Crows is a southern gothic that follows Weatherly Wilder as she seeks to uncover the truth behind her beloved cousin’s murder.

Weatherly is a Death Talker—someone who can use sacred Bible verses to convince death to leave a person by entering her instead. The result is that she coughs up a Sin Eater Oil, a black mucous that can be used to create spells both benevolent and malevolent. This blend of religion, spiritual, and folklore was what first drew me to this book. It created a wonderfully eerie atmosphere that felt very grounded in its culture and setting. The writing also had a haunting quality; there were many times throughout my reading experience when my scalp was prickling.

The characters in this tale were also very well done; even the ones I hated, I loved to hate. Weatherly lives with her grandmother, a cruel family tyrant who uses Weatherly’s gift for “God” and her own selfish ends. Weatherly is also aided by Rook, a man she brought back from the dead when they were both children. In return for his borrowed days, Rook spends much of his time trapped as a crow, becoming human only when Weatherly is unable to save one of her death-talking patients. Then he returns to her to help the departed soul crossover. He was a wonderfully tragic figure, and I especially enjoyed the uncertainty he posed for Weatherly’s reality. Indeed, a motif throughout the book was this question of what is real and what isn’t; it added to the sense of mystery and atmosphere in a compelling way.

Along similar lines, I also loved Weatherly’s character arc. The author did a wonderful job of blending her quest for the truth about her cousin’s death with a journey of self-discovery. While this isn’t quite a coming-of-age narrative, it certainly depicts a person wrestling through questions of family, faith, identity, trauma, and freedom. Even being a relatively short book, there were a number of poignant emotional beats that were moving for their subtlety.

Overall, while the events of the story relied on a number of expected murder mystery tropes, I was engrossed by the gripping prose and haunting blend of magic and religion. The town of Black Fern almost felt like a character in and of itself, and seemed to shape the story as much as Weatherly herself. If you’re looking for a quick read that is dark and eerie, yet hopeful, I would highly recommend this to you!

This book is compared to 2 books that are not my favorites so I was a bit leary going into reading this one. However I was surprised and loved it so much, I'd even love to have a physical copy of it as well and reread it later on down the line. This has all the atmosphere and a wonderful book to read this summer or anytime.

I'm going to break this one down into what I liked and did not like. If you want a real review go to someone else's better one.

Liked:
The magic-this part was soooo good but I kinda wish it had been more explained.
The setting-old 80's Appalachia. Be still my heart.

Dislike:
The characters-they just did not feel fleshed out at all. I wanted more from them.

This is def. not a bad book. I just felt the whole time I was reading it that I wanted more. It was like eating potato chips. You like them but they don't fill you up.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Synopsis: In rural Georgia, a young woman with a mysterious magical gift uncovers secrets that threaten to tear her small town and family apart.

Thoughts: A+ for vibes in this one! The author perfectly captured the southern gothic atmosphere - foreboding, spooky, gritty, enchanting - I definitely felt like I was in Appalachian Georgia with a magical twist. For a shorter book, I was really impressed with the depth of the characters, especially the main character, Weatherly. I was a little confused at the beginning with the magical elements, but once I got into the story I was riveted. If this book sounds at all like your vibe, definitely check it out! I would recommend checking trigger warnings for this one as there are a couple darker elements.

Read this if you like:
🐦‍⬛ magical realism
🐦‍⬛ southern gothic
🐦‍⬛ murder mystery
🐦‍⬛ family saga
🐦‍⬛ Appalachian folklore

Good Mystery with Confusing Dialects and Unique Characters

If you enjoy Southern Gothic, this book could be a page-turner for an avid reader. However, if this genre is not your cup of tea, it will segregate you from this group.

The opening was dead-on in terms of the feelings of birth and death. It is a dark night, of course, and Weatherly Wilder is the granddaughter of Granny Witch who is a midwife and tends the sick also. She rules Weatherly with an iron fist, so to speak. Weatherly is a Death Talker who can talk the death out of someone, just once. We initially meet her when she is nine years old.

Bu the time she is twenty, she knows that the small town does not befriend her. They do not like her backward ways, unless they need her gift. She does have a friend in this dark town. Her name is Adaire, who can see death. She is killed by the Mayor while she is riding her bicycle. Was it on purpose?

The book delves into Appalachian traditions, like painting their house blue to keep away the spirits. The author, Dana Elmendorf, wrote a good mystery that was downright eerie, as it should be. I could feel the darkness.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Mira Books for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own

This book releases 6/4. This book was okay. I would still recommend reading it. It had a really cool message. In this book they paint the doors blue to keep bad spirits out. This was a unique story.

I'm amongst those who didn't like "Where the Crawdads Sings" but the reference to "Practical Magic" was a magnet as it's one of my fav novels.
I visited the Appalachians long ago and I was able to visualize this story in my mind. Weatherly is a sort of outcast, able to talk to death and save them once but very lonely as people are not comfortable with her.
When her cousing Adaire, a scryer, dies not long after visualizing something disturbing she knows it must be murder.
It's a well plotted and gripping mix of paranormal, mystery and a pinch of folk horror. The setting is grim and the author did an excellent job in making you feel the sadness and the tensiong.
The first I read by this author but won't be the last, i would be happy to read other stories featuring Wheaterly.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A different sort of magical realism- where magic of a sort is used to solve murder. Weatherly has borne the burden of being a death talker in her small town, a town that isn't kind to her. Now, her cousin Adaire has been murdered and she's left Weatherly clues as to the villain. Will Weatherly use her abilities to bring him back to life? This is very atmospheric in a way that almost overwhelms the characters, although her grandmother is interesting. I'm not so sure about Rook. This is short by comparison to most in this genre, making it an easy read for those who would like to dip into this world. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf is a captivating story that delves into themes of self-identity, personal growth, the enduring power of love, and the dangers of using religion for personal gain. This spellbinding narrative unravels family secrets, explores the realm of dark magic, and delves into the chilling world of murder. I look forward to reading more from this author.

A tale steeped in Appalachian mythology ponders what makes a family and what members owe the family. Weatherly Opal Wilder, forced to become a Death Talker at a young age, discovers secrets about the small town she's always lived in, her family, and herself. She has to choose what a future looks like for her and her unique power.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Weatherly Wilder is gifted as death talker, which means she can ingest death from a person and later remove it as Sin Eater oil. She was abandoned by her mother at an early age and raised by her Grandma Agnes, the local witch, who rules life firmly. Weatherly's bff and cousin, Adaire, is a Scryer, meaning she can see the future in reflections. When Adaire gets spooked by something she sees and then is is killed in a hit and run shortly thereafter, Weatherly suspects there is more to the story and determines to find the truth.

For me, this was not an engaging read and I struggled with it. The beginning tripped me up a bit as it starts off a little confusing. However, once it skips to the present day, things did improve and become clearer. I just did not connect with the characters as it was a bit too different from what I like to read.

If you enjoy a whimsical, Southern Gothic tale full of superstition and Appalachian folklore, this is definitely a book you will want to pick up. For me, it just was not my jam but its still a good book.

I was really intrigued and excited about the premise of the book but the execution was lacking a bit for me, unfortunately. The novel started out strong, jumping straight into Weatherly Opal Wilder talking the death out of someone. We soon learn her whole family is involved with magic, including her recently killed cousin and best friend, Adaire. Set in small town Georgia, the mood of this book is on point! It just got a little too muddled in the middle and I got confused by the wandering before it tidied itself back up at the end. There's a lot of characters to keep track of, and time skips around. Took me longer to get through than the normal book does.
3.5 stars from me.