Crow Moon: The atmospheric, chilling debut thriller that everyone is talking about … first in an addictive, enthralling series

Loved this book- great characters and storyline - kept me hooked to the end - got through this in a week as it was hard to put down. Excellent.

Let me start by shouting: oh my giddy aunt, what an absolutely FANTASTIC debut Crow Moon is!I literally just finished Crow Moon and all I can think is how absolutely thrilled I am that this is to be the first in a series. I have been waiting for Crow Moon since #Orentober 2022, it was everything I’d hoped it would be and more, and I’m already on tenterhooks for the next one!Crow Moon is the epitome of gothic contemporary fiction, and if you know me at all, you know that I adore books with a gothic vibe. If done well, obviously. And Crow Moon is gothic perfection. A book of shadows, witch trials, rituals, a full moon on the horizon and a kidnapper / murderer on the loose in a quaint little Scottish community, I gobbled it up like a woman starving.While superbly atmospheric, Crow Moon does not burn slowly, it gains momentum rather rapidly and goes out with a bang. I will admit I did figure out a few things before their big reveal, but while that can certainly irk me, it didn’t in this case, as the author not only had me second-guessing myself, but also had spun such an intriguing tale that I didn’t even care if I was right or wrong, I was just enjoying myself. And let’s just say there was enough sting in the tail to knock the wind out of me!Crow Moon was definitely one of those books I wanted to race through to find out what would happen to its characters, but also not, because I wanted to savour the gorgeous writing and wallow in the atmosphere. Definitely one to re-read!Crow Moon is an accomplished debut that grabbed me from the first page and simmered in my mind long after finishing it. It’s not only an engrossing thriller and a riveting mystery but it also broke my heart a couple of times. It has a cast of wonderful characters that I hope will all be back for more, cos I most certainly will! Highly recommended.

Dark, gothic horror at its absolute finest. This book is definitely one for those who love King and the like. It is packed with gritty details that would make your spine tingle, if it were happening  to you. This book takes the every day horrors we see and combined them with those little bumps in the night that make you stop and check behind you, when you leave a dark room, just in case someone is following you. Just in case...This book starts with loss and grief, and that internal darkness manifests itself in the anger and resentment the main character starts to show in all things round them. Their loss was pretty huge and they are still recovering, when some creepy happenings lead to an investigation, that hits close to home and starts to bring about a different fear.It is written so well and creates that feeling of the shadows lurking, which is brilliant when reading a book like this. I loved just how much time and effort were put into the little details and that in which this book progressed. I loved it and am already looking forward to more.

A dark tale of murder and supersition. When a remote village is rocked by the death of a missing teenager, ex-reporter Martha Strangeways is drawn into the case, for reasons that become all too personal. As more teenagers go missing, the dark history of the village begins to surface.A fine gothic tale, blending a modern murder investigation with a old tales of withcraft. Turn down the lights and enjoy.

This debut is a fantastic read. Really skilled narrative with smart characterisation and scene-setting. Loved it!

It is a long while since I did a ‘best book of the year’ from my reading year but if I were to restart this would be a strong contender. I was gripped, on the edge of my seat and wincing every time I saw a crowI live in a county where witch trials were common 400 years ago. What I have learned about them, since primary school pale into insignificance when I read what happened in Scotland. I have read a few books recently that cover Scottish folklore and legend but nothing as eerie as this offering. Whilst the novel doesn’t really concern witch trials as such, it does show the suspicion and fear generations later. And gives an impression that attitude will always be there.Martha used to be a journalist, to some she might have come across as ruthless but this attitude changed with what she had gone through and when a teenage friend of her son is found dead she is determined to find answers. Working with a very friendly police officer who admits that he needs help coping with the media frenzy she uncovers a lot more than she bargained for.I appreciated not just seeing the tragedy through Martha’s eyes though. I also got to see the impact on her son, his friend and a younger, bullied schoolboy. All different personalities all coping differently with fear, grief and guilt.Martha was a character I liked instantly. Still grieving the loss of her twins but she had her own way of coping and in many ways she coped better than her partner, Jamie and her teenage son, Dougie. It could have been seen as a strange method but to me it was poignant, private and special. Something just for her.I found this to be an absolutely fascinating novel. It was different to anything else I have read. I thought the storyline was balanced with neither the gothic or crime element overpowering each other. When I have read a novel with a legend or historical aspect before I have had to spend a lot of time on google, wanting to know more about the area and legend but all I needed to know this time was how to pronounce Feannag Dhubh. This isn’t a criticism, just an observation that I wanted to concentrate on the novel rather than getting sidetracked.This novel worked well as a standalone but I would love to read more about Martha