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One crow sorrow,

Two crows mirth,

Three crows a wedding,

Four crows a birth,

Five crows silver,

Six crows gold,

Seven crows a secret,

Which must never be told....


In a sleepy little town on the border between Arizona and Mexico, Agent Riley Finn and his operative wife, Sam, have tracked down an international smuggling ring involving vampires. Surprisingly the call for reinforcements is answered by Buffy Summers and the atoning vampire Angel.


Now tempers are flaring in the heat of the day -- and night -- as people are dying and locals are turning a blind eye to the deadly events. Bodies are turning up in the surrounding desert, some drained of blood, some having succumbed to another, fast-moving death. Riley Finn is noticing the arrival of more and more crows to this area, ominous portents of the events ahead. But even Mr. Secret Agent Man is distracted from his job when his wife goes undercover with Angel....

274 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

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778 people want to read

About the author

John Vornholt

106 books99 followers
John Vornholt also writes as Caroline Goode.

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5 stars
588 (54%)
4 stars
211 (19%)
3 stars
221 (20%)
2 stars
40 (3%)
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19 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Craig.
6,351 reviews177 followers
May 17, 2023
This is a media tie-in novel featuring characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off-series, Angel. It's set in the chronology of Buffy's final season, in what the copyright page describes as an "alternate timeline." It's an intriguing story in which Buffy's former boyfriend, Riley, and his wife, Sam, uncover a vampire problem while investigating a smuggling ring. Through amusing circumstances and communication problems, both Buffy and Angel arrive to help out. It's a fun story in a season that frequently featured way too much gloom, with plenty of clever quips and exchanges amidst the awkward team-ups. It's one of the most enjoyable of the later books.
Profile Image for Jim C.
1,781 reviews35 followers
December 1, 2017
This book is based on the television series and takes place during season seven of Buffy. In this one, Riley and his wife, Sam, think that there is more than an awry incident of immigrants crossing the border. With a mix-up of communication, Buffy and Angel are both called for a helping hand.

This was a decent offering from this universe. I was interested in the character's interactions since we have one girl with two ex-boyfriends and one of these men is married. I wish this book explored this dynamic a little more but it was passable. I thought the author correctly portrayed the characters. As for the story, there was nothing new here except that the supernatural was involved. One kind of expects this kind of story when dealing with this region of the country. I will say that the title and that part of the story was not needed. It was an attempt to recreate that a lyrical poem ties in with the current state of affairs. This worked in the show but not so much here.

I liked this offering and I would only recommend this to fans of the series. I like having a new adventure with established characters and I liked this one especially since I am in the middle of a rewatch of both shows.
Profile Image for Jena Gregoire.
Author 18 books118 followers
April 11, 2018
Ok, so this is my big dorky moment in the big dorky sun. My love of urban fantasy and PNR really took off in the early 2000’s when I discovered the Buffy novels. See, I was this super huge mega-fan of the show (……..ahem…still am…ahem……..) and when the show ended, I went through withdrawals on a major scale. All of these characters that I grew to love were just….gone. Well, sort of. A few spun off into the show Angel but that isn’t the same thing.

This case of withdrawal led to one of my friends giving me a nudge and saying “hey, there’s books!” I immediately ran out to my now-defunct local book store and found a SECTION of Buffy books. Yes, an ENTIRE SECTION. Written by all sorts of different authors, they are basically fanfiction. Sort of.

After reading about a dozen of them, I came across Seven Crows. I ended up reading it at least 20 times over the next few years until one day it just vanished. To this day, this is my favorite Buffy book and I hope to be able to read it again one day.

In the Buffy/Angel universe (carryover from the show) – This book takes place after Angel has left and moved to L.A. and also far enough out that Riley has also left and found his Nora Fury (thanks for that reference Xander!). Buffy gets a call from Riley asking for her assistance on a case out in the deserts of Arizona and she accepts, seeing it as a bit of a vacation that she’s going to get paid for.

The thing I loved about this book was the tie in of the old “poem” (don’t know that it’s really considered a poem).

One crow sorrow,

Two crows mirth,

Three crows a wedding,

Four crows a birth,

Five crows silver,

Six crows gold,

Seven crows a secret,

Which must never be told….

It comes up at the beginning of the book and ties plot lines together, line by line, throughout the story. But not in an obvious way. All together, it ends up piecing together a great story with a classically Joss Whedon-style Buffy/Angel mystery.



The Joss Whedon/Marti Noxon humor is dead on in the writing, as is the romantic ties that bind. The author was meticulous in the continuity with the two shows’ plot lines so the whole thing fits seamlessly together, rather than feeling like a completely separate story that just happens to star the same characters. The history is there and if you’re a BtVS/Angel fan, you’re totally going to love this story. I just wish I had been able to see this story on screen because this would have made a bitchin’ two part episode. Maybe three part….

Overall, I am giving Seven Crows five dusty stakes (‘cause in Buffy, vampires turn to dust when you stake them)! This particular novel goes down as my all-time FAVORITE Buffy book.

Unfortunately, it was written back in the day before ebooks were a thing and even on Amazon, you can only buy used copies of it. BUT if you happen to be lucky enough to find a copy, snatch that bitch up because it’s so worth the read.


Some of my other favorite Buffy and/or Angel novels are:

Blood and Fog by Nancy Holder <–Cool spin on the story of Jack the Ripper!!
The Burning (The Unseen Trilogy #1) by Nancy Holder
Door to Alternity (The Unseen Trilogy #2) by Nancy Holder
Long Way Home (The Unseen Trilogy #3) by Nancy Holder
Immortal by Christopher Golden
Tempted Champions by Yvonne Navarro
The Lost Slayer by Christopher Golden
Sanctuary by Jeff Mariotte
The Longest Night Volume 1 by
Little Things by Rebecca Moesta
Return to Chaos by Craig Shaw Gardner
Out of the Madhouse (Gatekeep Trilogy #1) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
Ghost Roads (Gatekeeper Trilogy #2) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
Sons of Entropy (Gatekeeper Trilogy #3) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder

Any of these ones are GREAT reads and they’re not just a retelling of an episode (which some of the Buffy novels are). If you like the idea of reliving an episode, I recommend Chosen by Nancy Holder. Chosen is the entire final season of the show turned into a rather large novel, with each chapter being one of the episodes. If you were a fan of the show, you know that season was pretty epic and being able to read the “ending” of the Buffy story is kind of fun. There are other books too that are episodes that have been novelized but I found that they were always my least favorite episodes.

All of the authors listed above are great ones and they totally capture the feel of Joss Whedon’s creation.

Anyway, there’s my little dork out session. I am hoping that there are some Buffy fans out there among our readers who will really like this one and find a new way to bring their old school obsession back into their lives.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
435 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2023
Riley calls in Buffy while his wife Sam calls in Angel for help on a bust in Mexico when they’re taken off the case. Surprise! There’s a drug ring and a shapeshifter involved.

It’s always fun to read crossovers, especially later in the seasons. Buffy almost felt like an afterthought in this book. It was more about Angel and Riley than her. This line was the funniest though: “Angel protected Buffy’s back, which allowed her to do what she did best: slay.”

And the crow thing didn’t make sense. It was forced into the narrative. Cheesy book, but not bad.
3 reviews3 followers
July 19, 2019
Loved this book. I think I even bought it twice. I recently bought a used copy but I have a feeling I'm going to discover my original copy is packed with my Buffy books. I never was a fan of Riley as a boyfriend of Buffy's but I didn't mind him as a character and this book is one I really liked Riley. And of course Angel thrown in is always a plus.
1,453 reviews
February 9, 2020
Great plot. Horrible "voice" especially for Angel...Buffy's too skinny, Sam has a job anytime, he can't smell....well never mind. And Buffy... goodnight sweet prince. Wasn't sure if the end, ending was just ridiculous or apropo where Buffy was in the TV season.
Profile Image for MarylineD.
480 reviews5 followers
April 28, 2018
Every Buffy/Angel crossover book is a must read!
210 reviews
November 7, 2020
Such a good story which highlights some of the issues that Mexican people deal with when they meet smugglers
Profile Image for BookMojo.
234 reviews31 followers
June 11, 2014
Ok, so this is my big dorky moment in the big dorky sun. My love of urban fantasy and PNR really took off in the early 2000’s when I discovered the Buffy novels. See, I was this super huge mega-fan of the show (……..ahem…still am…ahem……..) and when the show ended, I went through withdrawals on a major scale. All of these characters that I grew to love were just….gone. Well, sort of. A few spun off into the show Angel but that isn’t the same thing.

This case of withdrawal led to one of my friends giving me a nudge and saying “hey, there’s books!” I immediately ran out to my now-defunct local book store and found a SECTION of Buffy books. Yes, an ENTIRE SECTION. Written by all sorts of different authors, they are basically fanfiction. Sort of.

After reading about a dozen of them, I came across Seven Crows. I ended up reading it at least 20 times over the next few years until one day it just vanished. To this day, this is my favorite Buffy book and I hope to be able to read it again one day.

In the Buffy/Angel universe (carryover from the show) – This book takes place after Angel has left and moved to L.A. and also far enough out that Riley has also left and found his Nora Fury (thanks for that reference Xander!). Buffy gets a call from Riley asking for her assistance on a case out in the deserts of Arizona and she accepts, seeing it as a bit of a vacation that she’s going to get paid for.

The thing I loved about this book was the tie in of the old “poem” (don’t know that it’s really considered a poem).

One crow sorrow,

Two crows mirth,

Three crows a wedding,

Four crows a birth,

Five crows silver,

Six crows gold,

Seven crows a secret,

Which must never be told….

It comes up at the beginning of the book and ties plot lines together, line by line, throughout the story. But not in an obvious way. All together, it ends up piecing together a great story with a classically Joss Whedon-style Buffy/Angel mystery.



The Joss Whedon/Marti Noxon humor is dead on in the writing, as is the romantic ties that bind. The author was meticulous in the continuity with the two shows’ plot lines so the whole thing fits seamlessly together, rather than feeling like a completely separate story that just happens to star the same characters. The history is there and if you’re a BtVS/Angel fan, you’re totally going to love this story. I just wish I had been able to see this story on screen because this would have made a bitchin’ two part episode. Maybe three part….

Overall, I am giving Seven Crows five dusty stakes (‘cause in Buffy, vampires turn to dust when you stake them)! This particular novel goes down as my all-time FAVORITE Buffy book.

Unfortunately, it was written back in the day before ebooks were a thing and even on Amazon, you can only buy used copies of it. BUT if you happen to be lucky enough to find a copy, snatch that bitch up because it’s so worth the read.


Some of my other favorite Buffy and/or Angel novels are:

Blood and Fog by Nancy Holder <–Cool spin on the story of Jack the Ripper!!
The Burning (The Unseen Trilogy #1) by Nancy Holder
Door to Alternity (The Unseen Trilogy #2) by Nancy Holder
Long Way Home (The Unseen Trilogy #3) by Nancy Holder
Immortal by Christopher Golden
Tempted Champions by Yvonne Navarro
The Lost Slayer by Christopher Golden
Sanctuary by Jeff Mariotte
The Longest Night Volume 1 by
Little Things by Rebecca Moesta
Return to Chaos by Craig Shaw Gardner
Out of the Madhouse (Gatekeep Trilogy #1) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
Ghost Roads (Gatekeeper Trilogy #2) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
Sons of Entropy (Gatekeeper Trilogy #3) by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder

Any of these ones are GREAT reads and they’re not just a retelling of an episode (which some of the Buffy novels are). If you like the idea of reliving an episode, I recommend Chosen by Nancy Holder. Chosen is the entire final season of the show turned into a rather large novel, with each chapter being one of the episodes. If you were a fan of the show, you know that season was pretty epic and being able to read the “ending” of the Buffy story is kind of fun. There are other books too that are episodes that have been novelized but I found that they were always my least favorite episodes.

All of the authors listed above are great ones and they totally capture the feel of Joss Whedon’s creation.

Anyway, there’s my little dork out session. I am hoping that there are some Buffy fans out there among our readers who will really like this one and find a new way to bring their old school obsession back into their lives.
598 reviews
March 15, 2017
It wasn't bad. I really wanted and expected to like it much more than I did. I loved the blurb on the back however, it was actually a bit misleading.

Without wanting to give anything away, when I think crows, I think apocalypse (like Randall Flagg in The Stand). The blurbs focus on the crows and their are crows in the story (both alive and dead)but they don't really have much to do with what is going on - they end up indicating something else - so I was a bit disappointed with that.

It was a Buffy book, I mean the characters were done well and you could get the feel of them from the shows and it was nice to see more of Riley and Sam. But overall the story was a bit of a let down ending up being mostly a USA/Mexico Border smuggling operation with a mix of vampires.

Overall I was very underwhelmed with it. 3 stars. I finished it, but it was for me one the below par Buffy novelizations and one to miss unless you feel you have to.
Profile Image for Christie (The Ludic Reader).
1,025 reviews67 followers
February 2, 2011
I picked this up at the little second-hand shop we visit almost every Saturday with the kids. I discovered fandom late and so I haven’t read more than a handful of these novelizations, probably because I discovered fanfiction first. Later, when I did try a couple of these sorts of books I found them to be lacking - fic was always better (and pornier!)

Seven Crows was okay, though. Vornholt’s plot about vampire smugglers on the US/Mexico border (set in an alternative season 7) was interesting. The writing was so much better than the Nancy Holder books I tried years ago. And best of all- the story features Riley and Sam Finn in need of some help and who better to call than Buffy and Angel, who haven’t seen each other in months and still have all these complicated and very real feelings for each other. For the B/A shipper - it was a great little book to kill a couple hours.

49 reviews
June 11, 2014
Really good story apart from the fact Angel and Buffy somehow lost the ability to recognise a vampire when they meet one! Buffy chats to one and follows one through a tunnel and doesn't even realise it's a vamp until she's confronted by it.
Or that the sheriff isn't human (or fully human? writing this months after I wrote my notes!) despite him smelling musky and being able to smell a vampire better than Angel and Buffy.
Shame all these books are for children and lack depth. This is a good idea for a story and would've probably been great if written for an adult audience.

Was bought from Scope shop in march 2011... not donated to another yet.
Profile Image for Emma.
294 reviews7 followers
August 9, 2011
Another cross over book but this time with Riley and his new wife Sam as well. While trying to crack a smuggling ring on the Mexico border their call for back up is answered by Buffy. As if the tension with one ex boyfriend wasn't bad enough, Angel also answers the call to help out. While the characterisation was pretty good the plot wasn't brilliant. It was a good page turner and very interesting to read and definitely still worth reading if you're a fan though.
Profile Image for Nic.
130 reviews
December 5, 2014
Meh, I wish I could've loved this one. The way the 4 of them are interacting is just so out of character, and the plot doesn't really make up for it. It's miles away from my beloved Buffy stories. After I was halfway through I pretty much simply skipped through it because I wanted to be done with it. Bummer.
Profile Image for Ceejay.
555 reviews18 followers
August 6, 2015
Buffy! Angel! Riley! Samantha! All in one book! All working together to solve a mystery! Have I used enough exclamation points? This really is a highly enjoyable Buffy/Angel crossover story. I could see this being donw as a movie. I don't want to talk about the plot, because it will spoil the story. One of the best crossover stories ever! Oh,no! More exclamation points.
Profile Image for Randy.
903 reviews5 followers
February 14, 2014
This book takes place during season 7 of Buffy. An original story that brings back Riley and Angel. Quick and easy read, not the best Buffy book nor the worst. I will say it was an original tale, would recommend to any fan of the show.
Profile Image for Dann Wilhelm.
9 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2012
Not the usual Buffy and Angel-style banter. Lacked the charm of the shows. The addition of Riley and his wife could've been made more interesting but the whole story just kind of lacked any real tension. Also without their respective Scooby-gangs, the fun was severely missing.
Profile Image for Hollee.
82 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2010
Buffy, Angel, Riley and Sam Finn together receipe for disaster or perfection?
Profile Image for Meredith.
Author 1 book15 followers
March 21, 2015
It was decent, given that there can't be too much change in character's relationships with one another, etc. The plot was engaging, though a lot more Sam-centric than I'd anticipated.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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