A Crow’s Scream
P.A. Sheldon
Independently published (May 16, 2024)
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham
A Crow’s Scream is the final book of the Wendlelow Mysteries trilogy, and I am sorry that it’s the last one. After reading this one and the previous two, I found myself feeling rather at home in Wendlelow, and not quite ready to leave it yet. The books are so well written that I have a clear picture of exactly what the town looks like and where everything is. Not only that, but Mr. Sheldon was able to accomplish it without paragraphs or pages of information dumps that make me want to rip my hair out and deposit the book in the nearest acid bath. Well done, that man!
Paul Sheldon is the king of folk horror, and the tradition shows in his writing, which includes the old gods roaming the borderlands and ancient, cursed creatures stalking the still and dark places in a town where the veil between worlds is paper-thin. In A Crow’s Scream, we have nine interwoven tales of horror that may be read independently or in order (which I recommend).
Sheldon is also a master of character development and creates characters so real that you will be certain that you have met them somewhere before, and they will stay with you long after you turn the final page. Hell, they may even jump off the page and move in!
In this third book, all the loose ends from the previous two are tied up in a lovely package of resolution, but I can’t tell you too much about it without spoiling things. All I can say is that if you can’t take a vacation (or even if you can), pick up copies of Fireside Horror, Threads of Shadow, and A Crow’s Scream, wait for a rainy week, and spend some quality time in Wendlelow. You won’t have postcards to send, but you will come away with lots of truly unique memories.
(My reviews of Fireside Horror and Threads of Shadow may be found on Hellnotes.com as well, should you care to read them.)
5 out of 5 stars
