#thriller #suspense #kidnappingcrimefiction #kidnappingthriller
A River of Crows
by Shanessa Gluhm
April 17-28, 2023 Virtual Book Tour
In 1988, Sloan Hadfield’s brother Ridge went fishing with their father and never came home. Their father, a good-natured Vietnam veteran prone to violent outbursts, was arrested and charged with murder. Ridge’s body was never recovered, and Sloan’s mother— a brilliant ornithologist— slowly descended into madness, insisting her son was still alive.
Now twenty years later, Sloan’s life is unraveling. In the middle of a bitter divorce, she’s forced to return to her rural Texas hometown when her mother is discharged from a mental health facility.
Overwhelmed by memories and unanswered questions, Sloan returns to the last place her brother was seen all those years ago: Crow’s Nest Creek. There, she is shocked to hear a crow murmuring the same syllable over and over: Ridge, Ridge, Ridge.
When the body of another boy is found, Sloan begins to question what really happened to her brother all those years ago. What she discovers will shock her small community and turn her family upside down.
Shanessa Gluhm has created a true masterpiece that captivates all of your senses, twisting a tale of a family and tragedy into a full-on mystery. Her character development is spot-on, enabling us to relate and empathize with their situations. Sloan’s life crumbles all around her – her brother goes missing, her father’s conviction of murder, and her mother’s inability to cope, resulting in a mental breakdown. When Sloan is given a clean slate to move forward.
For twenty years, Sloan does exactly that. Then, things begin to spiral back down and out of control. She’s in the midst of a divorce, her mother is being released from the mental institution, and the cherry on top – her father is released from prison. It’s the recipe for a train wreck and there’s not much that can be done to stop the oncoming crash. But Sloan misstepped in believing she could move forward without first going back.
While being pulled back and forth between timelines can be a little difficult to transition from time to time, I felt that it helped add to the tension while keeping us from being exposed to the real depravities woven within the pages. Crows add a layer of darkness to the story for me. After watching Birds as a child, I’ve been permanently scarred with a fear of winged creatures. My tension was high while reading, and every moment was worth it to reach those final pages. If you love an all-consuming story, you’ll want to read this one!
I received a complimentary copy for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Praise for A River of Crows:
“In A River of Crows, Shanessa Gluhm spins a complex web of murder and family revelation that propels the reader forward at a breakneck pace. Just when you think you know where the story is headed, she reveals another thread. If you haven’t yet read Shanessa Gluhm, you need to put her on your to-be-read list.”
~ Allen Eskens, USA Today bestselling author of The Life We Bury
“A twisted family dynamic and complex personal history combine with a touch of romance in Shanessa Gluhm’s knockout second novel. A River of Crows grabs on with the opening pages and holds a reader tight to the very end.”
~ Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell, author of All We Buried and the Wait, Wait, Don’t Query (Yet) series
“A River of Crows is a superb second novel that shows Shanessa Gluhm is a naturally gifted storyteller and writer, on a par with all the greats.”
~ Rob Samborn, author of The Prisoner of Paradise and Painter of the Damned
“Shanessa Gluhm crafts a thought-provoking story of revelation, family ties, discovery, and murder… Readers who choose A River of Crows for its mystery will find an unexpected draw and value in the emotional components which keep the plot action-packed and charged with transformation.”
~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Gluhm peels away layers of family secrets in this dual timeline narrative, right up until the climactic final reveal, a twist that truly surprised me. Well done!”
~ Laura Kemp, award-winning author of the Lantern Creek Series
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller
Published by: TouchPoint Press
Publication Date: April 2023
Number of Pages: 427
ISBN: 978-1956851588
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Follow the Book Tour:
04/18 Review @ Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
04/18 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
04/19 Review @ fundinmental
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04/20 Review @ Reading is my Superpower
04/20 Review @ Shangread-La
04/21 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
04/22 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
04/23 Review @ From the TBR Pile
04/24 Review @ Lynchburg Mama
04/25 Review @ elaine_sapp65
04/26 Review @ mokwip8991
04/27 Review @ Blogging with A
04/27 Review @ Celticladys Reviews
04/28 Review @ Melissa As Blog
About the Author:
Shanessa Gluhm works as a librarian at an elementary school in New Mexico where she lives with her husband and children. It was during her own elementary days when a teacher encouraged Shanessa to share a story she wrote called, “Piggy the Kid” with the class. They asked for a sequel and she hasn’t stopped writing since.
Her debut novel, Enemies of Doves was an IAN Book of the Year Finalist in the category of first novel, an NIEA Finalist for cross-genre fiction, and first place winner in the Chanticleer Clue Awards for mystery, suspense, and thriller fiction.
When Shanessa is not writing she enjoys bird-watching, reading, and watching true crime documentaries. Shanessa loves to hear from her readers and the best way to connect is via e-mail or her Facebook page.
Catch Up With Shanessa Gluhm:
ShanessaGluhm.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @shanessalashea
Instagram – @shanessagluhmauthor
Twitter – @GluhmShanessa
Facebook – @authorshanessagluhm
& check out Readers’ Roost, the Shanessa Gluhm Books Street Team Facebook Group!
This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Shanessa Gluhm. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited. The giveaway is for: 1 – $20 Amazon.com Gift card, US Only
