Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!

A River of Crows

Shanessa Gluhm

Summary

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 muttering 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.

A River of Crows is a tale of family secrets, deception, and revenge perfect for fans of Julia Heaberlin and Jennifer Hillier.

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 . . . 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

“. . . one of the strongest new voices in mysteries. [Gluhm] has invented what could be a new genre: the family-driven mystery.”—Rob Samborn, author of The Prisoner of Paradise and Painter of the Damned

“. . . peels away layers of family secrets in this dual timeline narrative, right up until the climatic final reveal, a twist that truly surprised me.”—Laura Kemp, award-winning author of the Lantern Creek Series

“. . . 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

"Shanessa Gluhm, with literary panache, expertly shows what happens when a family strays from respect and honesty, with the consequence of it all, as dark as a crow’s wing, unfurling, touching, and changing everything and everyone in its path."—Lone Star Literary Life

“Like the tumultuous river flowing at the center of this gripping tale, Shanessa Gluhm has crafted a pulsating story that is just waiting to pull you into its chilling depths and slowly reveal all its darkest secrets”—Indies Today

Available since: 04/18/2023.

Print length: 434 pages.

1 Comments

Book of the Week 05/26/2023

A gripping and hauntingly beautiful novel that seamlessly blends mystery, family drama, and crime.

When Sloan returns to her hometown twenty years after her younger brother Ridge’s disappearance, little does she know that she is about to uncover the shocking truth behind this tragic event that shattered her once happy family. Ridge had gone fishing with their father, a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD, who was later convicted of Ridge’s murder. Their mother, on the other hand, spiraled into despair following the trial and eventually sought solace in a mental health facility.

Told in a compelling dual timeline, the novel delves into the depths of human nature, family secrets, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit. The author expertly maintains tension throughout the book, keeping readers captivated as they join Sloan in her quest for the truth. With each revelation, the story gains momentum, culminating in an unexpected ending that skillfully weaves together the threads of the narrative.

Discover more book recommendations on https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-best-books-of-the-moment/

About the author

Shanessa Gluhm

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...

Other books that might interest you

How You See Me

S.E. Craythorne

Taut and suspenseful,
How You See Me examines the terrifying power of the mind to deceive, not only others but - most destructively of all - ourselves. 'I've probably lied to you. That's habit. I lie to everyone about my family…' Daniel Laird has returned to Norfolk after a nine-year absence to care for his ailing artist father. He describes his uneasy homecoming in a series of letters to his sister, his boss, and to Alice, his one true love. But it is not until he discovers a hidden cache of his father's paintings that the truth begins to surface about why he left all those years ago. The more Daniel writes, the more we learn about his past - and the more we begin to fear for those he holds dear.

Show book

Six Ostriches - A Dr Bannerman...

Philipp Schott

“Combines the soothing sleuthing of Murder, She Wrote with the humble charm of All Creatures Great and Small.” — Publishers Weekly STARRED review
		 
For readers of The Thursday Murder Club comes a lighthearted mystery with an incredible sense of place
		 
It’s springtime in rural Manitoba, and the snow has finally left the exotic animal farm when an ostrich finds and swallows a shiny object. (Because this is what ostriches do.) Cue veterinarian and amateur sleuth Dr. Peter Bannerman, who surgically removes the object, which looks like an ancient Viking artifact. Soon after, people around are horrified by a series of animal mutilations. This sets Peter, and his talented sniffer dog, Pippin, on the hunt for answers. Peter begins to suspect a link between the Viking artifact, the mutilations, and a shadowy group of white supremacists on the internet.
		 
Before long Peter and Pippin are in over their heads, and the only way for them to get out alive will be to unmask the mastermind before they end up among their victims.

Show book

My Daddy The Serial Killer - A...

Cindy Kovacik

Katelyn Deason was naïve and innocent at six years old. But she made the mistake of descending those cellar steps . . . the residence of horror.
 
You see, her father wasn’t who she thought he was. He wasn’t the loving, “normal” daddy all the other kids had. He was different. Katelyn soon realizes just how different as the years pass and unspeakable things begin to happen.
 
“This is more than the typical psychological thriller, horror, or serial killer novel. This book follows the story of the daughter— not the serial killer. It travels alongside her, witnessing what she goes through with her father and how it shapes her life.” —Cindy Kovacik
 
This book is intended for readers 18+.

Show book

Obsession - An unmissable...

Rob Sinclair

Fixated on her estranged sister’s death, a woman heads to the Spanish coast to conduct her own investigation—but will the truth bring her peace? Ever since her sister, Anya, was murdered in Sotogrande, a playground for the rich, Natasha’s life has gone off the rails. After three months of poring over the details of what happened, Natasha travels to the scene of the crime where she hopes to unravel the truth—about her sister’s death and life. With no job, how did Anya end up in a multimillion-Euro apartment in one of the most exclusive areas on the continent? The police have no suspect. Publicly, they claim the killing was likely gang-related. But their key person of interest, a local with links to organised crime, is also now dead. His fingerprints were found in Anya’s luxury apartment—but so too were the fingerprints of several others, all of whom could be suspects. But how were these people linked to Anya? And which of them is responsible for her murder?Praise for the novels of Rob Sinclair “Impossible to put down.” —Publishers Weekly on Sleeper 13 “Dramatic and enjoyable.” —Between the Lines on Dance with the Enemy

Show book

The Perfect Image (A Jessie Hunt...

Blake Pierce

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” 
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) 

THE PERFECT IMAGE is book #16 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, which begins with The Perfect Wife, a #1 bestseller (and free download) with over 5,000 five-star ratings and 900 five-star reviews. 

In a high-end Los Angeles suburb, wealthy wives are being found dead in their luxurious homes, with seemingly no connection. As Jessie plunges deeper into their exclusive world of clubs, lunches, vacations and every possible perk, she quickly realizes that appearances are not what they seem in their silver-spooned world—and that a killer is actively hunting amongst them.

A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, THE JESSIE HUNT series is a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Books #17 (THE PERFECT VEIL) and #18 (THE PERFECT INDISCRECTION) and #19 (THE PERFECT RUMOR) are now also available.

Show book

The Perfect Mistress (A Jessie...

Blake Pierce

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” 
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) 

THE PERFECT MISTRESS is book #15 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, which begins with The Perfect Wife, a #1 bestseller (and free download) with over 600 five-star reviews. 

When wealthy suburban women are found murdered in their small town without rhyme or reason, Jessie soon realizes she is up against no ordinary killer. He is an unpredictable psychopath, beyond anyone she’s ever been up against—and she will have to enter the dark canals of his twisted mind if she has any chance of saving the next woman on his list.

A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, THE JESSIE HUNT series is a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Show book