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The Haunting of Wounded Birds
How far would you go to right a wrong?
For years the villagers of Combe Hurst have celebrated Gala Day. A chance to feast, to remember, and to thank the land and the forest for their blessings.
The death of his mother brings Jack 'Jackdaw' Dawtrey here, to live with a half-sister he never knew existed.
The life he thought he had is stolen, leaving him adrift and confused in a rural village where there are crows in the trees, willow poppets in the woods, and a sinister structure on the hill. It’s a place where he feels like he doesn’t belong.
But when he discovers an old journal under the floorboards of his room, he has something no one can take away.
As he struggles to unravel the mystery of the enigmatic words on the pages, he’s drawn further into the life of a boy who lived over two hundred years ago. A boy whose family dealt in death. A boy whose name is still whispered as lanterns are lit to repel the darkness.
As Gala Day approaches, and with it the strange customs the village holds close, Jackdaw is caught up in a terrible ritual that has its roots steeped firmly in the past, a ritual that threatens to devour him whole.
The Haunting of Wounded Birds is a poignant coming-of-age folk horror, highlighting superstitious fear, the reprehensible power of the privileged, and the enduring bond of friendship.
For years the villagers of Combe Hurst have celebrated Gala Day. A chance to feast, to remember, and to thank the land and the forest for their blessings.
The death of his mother brings Jack 'Jackdaw' Dawtrey here, to live with a half-sister he never knew existed.
The life he thought he had is stolen, leaving him adrift and confused in a rural village where there are crows in the trees, willow poppets in the woods, and a sinister structure on the hill. It’s a place where he feels like he doesn’t belong.
But when he discovers an old journal under the floorboards of his room, he has something no one can take away.
As he struggles to unravel the mystery of the enigmatic words on the pages, he’s drawn further into the life of a boy who lived over two hundred years ago. A boy whose family dealt in death. A boy whose name is still whispered as lanterns are lit to repel the darkness.
As Gala Day approaches, and with it the strange customs the village holds close, Jackdaw is caught up in a terrible ritual that has its roots steeped firmly in the past, a ritual that threatens to devour him whole.
The Haunting of Wounded Birds is a poignant coming-of-age folk horror, highlighting superstitious fear, the reprehensible power of the privileged, and the enduring bond of friendship.
328 pages, ebook
Published November 11, 2025
5 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Beverley Lee
24 books283 followersBeverley Lee is the bestselling author of the Gabriel Davenport series (The Making of Gabriel Davenport, A Shining in the Shadows and The Purity of Crimson) The Ruin of Delicate Things, The House of Little Bones, The Sum of Your Flesh and The Haunting of Wounded Birds.
She is also co-author of Crimson is the Night: A Vampire Novelette and the vampire horror romance series A Conclave of Crimson: A Queer Vampire Romance, featuring a meeting of characters from the Gabriel Davenport series and the Beguiled By Night series with Nicole Eigener . Her shorter fiction has been included in works from Cemetery Gates Media, Kandisha Press, Brigids Gate Press and Off Limits Press. In thrall to the written word from an early age, especially the darker side of fiction, she believes that the very best story is the one you have to tell.
You can visit her online at beverleylee.com (where you’ll find a free dark and twisted short story download) or on Instagram and Twitter.
She is also co-author of Crimson is the Night: A Vampire Novelette and the vampire horror romance series A Conclave of Crimson: A Queer Vampire Romance, featuring a meeting of characters from the Gabriel Davenport series and the Beguiled By Night series with Nicole Eigener . Her shorter fiction has been included in works from Cemetery Gates Media, Kandisha Press, Brigids Gate Press and Off Limits Press. In thrall to the written word from an early age, especially the darker side of fiction, she believes that the very best story is the one you have to tell.
You can visit her online at beverleylee.com (where you’ll find a free dark and twisted short story download) or on Instagram and Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 29, 2025
Title/Author: The Haunting of Wounded Birds by Beverley Lee
Format Read: Physical, eBook (arc)
Pub date: Nov. 11th, 2025
Publisher: Self Published/Kindle Unlimited https://a.co/d/78pdm4m
Page Count: 328 pages
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978099354...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Folk horror/ Villages with Dark Secrets
- Nature: Birds, Forests, Cottages, Mushrooms
- Friendship/ Found Family/ Best Friends between boys /Sacrificial love
- Themes of systemic privilege and prejudice
- Haunted by the dead (side quest to help the dead find rest and justice)
- Young MC/ Horror with Heart
__
Minor complaints:
- Zero complaints
Final recommendation: Beverley Lee has crafted the perfect folk horror book with heart for readers who love young protagonists and high stakes. Jackdaw is struggling with abandonment issues and has a lack of self confidence when he suddenly finds himself thrust into a new life. He must live with his half sister he didn't even know he had and live in her spooky cottage in a village with secrets, superstitions, and folklore.
Through multiple POVs, the mystery of Combe Hurst begins to unravel which sends our MC on a side quest to uncover the events that led up to a tragic death at the core of the the village's dark history the people try so hard to keep buried.
I love the way this story treasures boyhood friendships--my favorite element of this book and brought me to tears on more than one occasion. Sometimes folk horror leans so hard into the setting and ritualistic traditions, it minimizes character development. Beverley Lee obviously set out to flip the script and emphasize the importance of strong characters and their relationship to each other in the center of all the atmosphere and mood we expect from folk horror.
I felt like this book was written for me with the small stone cottage, forest quests, fly agaric mushrooms, crows, and talismans. Perfect for fans of atmospheric horror and stories of broken boys and restless spirits; a poignant expression of grief, friendship, and the enduring crimes of the past that must be made right.
Comps: Slewfoot by Brom, Bad Cree by Jessica Johns, Hearts Strange and Dreadful by Tim McGregor, To the Bone by Alena Bruzas
Format Read: Physical, eBook (arc)
Pub date: Nov. 11th, 2025
Publisher: Self Published/Kindle Unlimited https://a.co/d/78pdm4m
Page Count: 328 pages
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978099354...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Folk horror/ Villages with Dark Secrets
- Nature: Birds, Forests, Cottages, Mushrooms
- Friendship/ Found Family/ Best Friends between boys /Sacrificial love
- Themes of systemic privilege and prejudice
- Haunted by the dead (side quest to help the dead find rest and justice)
- Young MC/ Horror with Heart
__
Minor complaints:
- Zero complaints
Final recommendation: Beverley Lee has crafted the perfect folk horror book with heart for readers who love young protagonists and high stakes. Jackdaw is struggling with abandonment issues and has a lack of self confidence when he suddenly finds himself thrust into a new life. He must live with his half sister he didn't even know he had and live in her spooky cottage in a village with secrets, superstitions, and folklore.
Through multiple POVs, the mystery of Combe Hurst begins to unravel which sends our MC on a side quest to uncover the events that led up to a tragic death at the core of the the village's dark history the people try so hard to keep buried.
I love the way this story treasures boyhood friendships--my favorite element of this book and brought me to tears on more than one occasion. Sometimes folk horror leans so hard into the setting and ritualistic traditions, it minimizes character development. Beverley Lee obviously set out to flip the script and emphasize the importance of strong characters and their relationship to each other in the center of all the atmosphere and mood we expect from folk horror.
I felt like this book was written for me with the small stone cottage, forest quests, fly agaric mushrooms, crows, and talismans. Perfect for fans of atmospheric horror and stories of broken boys and restless spirits; a poignant expression of grief, friendship, and the enduring crimes of the past that must be made right.
Comps: Slewfoot by Brom, Bad Cree by Jessica Johns, Hearts Strange and Dreadful by Tim McGregor, To the Bone by Alena Bruzas
January 17, 2026
4.5☆
I hope you like Corvids!
Several mysteries, with many well spaced clues, carry the reader through this dark folklore novel.
This is a haunting story about Jack Dawtrey, "Jackdaw," and the tragedy of his life. Unbeknownst to Jackdaw he is the center piece of a centuries old ceremony. When his mother dies he goes to live with a sister he never knew in a village that holds dark secrets, secrets his sister didn't know existed.
It is close to Martinmas, Old Halloween, when Jackdaw arrives in the village. The villagers celebrate Gala night on that date. The villagers say it is to ask for the blessings of a boy from 200 years before. What they are really doing is perpetuating an act of evil betrayal and the shattering of two boy's souls.
The novel is truly about the bonds of friendship, connections and acceptance. The ending is heartbreaking and beautiful.
Favorite Quote:
"The folklore of a place is in the earth beneath, in the twisted roots of the trees, in the water that runs through the land."
I hope you like Corvids!
Several mysteries, with many well spaced clues, carry the reader through this dark folklore novel.
This is a haunting story about Jack Dawtrey, "Jackdaw," and the tragedy of his life. Unbeknownst to Jackdaw he is the center piece of a centuries old ceremony. When his mother dies he goes to live with a sister he never knew in a village that holds dark secrets, secrets his sister didn't know existed.
It is close to Martinmas, Old Halloween, when Jackdaw arrives in the village. The villagers celebrate Gala night on that date. The villagers say it is to ask for the blessings of a boy from 200 years before. What they are really doing is perpetuating an act of evil betrayal and the shattering of two boy's souls.
The novel is truly about the bonds of friendship, connections and acceptance. The ending is heartbreaking and beautiful.
Favorite Quote:
"The folklore of a place is in the earth beneath, in the twisted roots of the trees, in the water that runs through the land."
June 13, 2025
I first found Beverley Lee's fiction via The Ruin of Delicate Things, a book which pulled me in with its small town vibes and expertly woven local folklore. Subsequent books, The House of Little Bones and The Sum of Your Flesh have matched the skillful nature of folkloric worldbuilding, while ratcheting up the genuine creepiness and fear in their worlds to a new level.
With The Haunting of Wounded Birds, Lee has added another layer to the formula, in the form of an intense, believable emotional connection, without losing any of the scares, world-building, or intrigue.
There are moments of genuine terror in this tome, others of heartbreaking sorrow and loss, all built into an intricate world whose village centre the reader is so sucked into, it could well be sitting there, waiting to be visited in the English countryside.
A masterfully written tale of friendship, loss, and a past that simply refuses to be forgotten.
With The Haunting of Wounded Birds, Lee has added another layer to the formula, in the form of an intense, believable emotional connection, without losing any of the scares, world-building, or intrigue.
There are moments of genuine terror in this tome, others of heartbreaking sorrow and loss, all built into an intricate world whose village centre the reader is so sucked into, it could well be sitting there, waiting to be visited in the English countryside.
A masterfully written tale of friendship, loss, and a past that simply refuses to be forgotten.
July 16, 2025
Beverley Lee's writing has always pulled me in, but The Haunting of Wounded Birds truly cemented why she is one of my favourite authors. She's got this incredible knack for balancing warmth with pure dread. It's like a lullaby wrapped around a sharp blade. Her prose doesn't just tell a story, it unsettles you, comforts you, then just claws at your spine.
At the heart of the story is Jack “Jackdaw” Dawtrey. He's just a teenage kid trying to make sense of a life that's been anything but easy, and from the early on, you'll feel fiercely protective of him. This isn't just a coming-of-age tale. It's got folklore, grief mystery and friendship all woven in.
Lee conjures settings like few others can. A lonely cottage near the woods, a sleepy backwater village and birds that seem to watch your every move. It all pulses with atmosphere.
Gala Day, with its weird customs and creepy traditions wraps the entire tale in a kind of beautiful embrace. You can feel the isolation, hear the wind whipping through the trees, sense the breath of something lingering just out of sight.
Wounded Birds is quiet horror at its absolute best. It's not the kind of horror that screams, it whispers. It seeps into the cracks, staining the very edges of your thoughts. Even the wind feels like a character! But through all the creepy folklore and supernatural tension, what truly pulls you along is something so incredibly human: compassion.
At the heart of the story is Jack “Jackdaw” Dawtrey. He's just a teenage kid trying to make sense of a life that's been anything but easy, and from the early on, you'll feel fiercely protective of him. This isn't just a coming-of-age tale. It's got folklore, grief mystery and friendship all woven in.
Lee conjures settings like few others can. A lonely cottage near the woods, a sleepy backwater village and birds that seem to watch your every move. It all pulses with atmosphere.
Gala Day, with its weird customs and creepy traditions wraps the entire tale in a kind of beautiful embrace. You can feel the isolation, hear the wind whipping through the trees, sense the breath of something lingering just out of sight.
Wounded Birds is quiet horror at its absolute best. It's not the kind of horror that screams, it whispers. It seeps into the cracks, staining the very edges of your thoughts. Even the wind feels like a character! But through all the creepy folklore and supernatural tension, what truly pulls you along is something so incredibly human: compassion.
September 11, 2025
Beverley Lee has been on my list of must-read authors for some time now, and her latest, THE HAUNTING OF WOUNDED BIRDS, reminded me exactly why. Her prose is always crisp and comforting, so immersive and atmospheric that I instantly get pulled into the tale. And her characters like Jackdaw and Callie are always so developed and relatable that I feel like I've known them for years. With this particular story--an intricate braid of suspense, supernatural horror, and folkloric mystery--she led me on a fantastic journey through the English countryside (I've never actually been to England, but after spending most of the past few days in her haunted village of Combe Hurst, a better part of me feels like I have. :)) that touches on heartache and loss, bonds of friendship and family, and the weight of small town secrets. It's a story that I think will loom in my thoughts for a good while. If you've never read Lee's work, this is a great one to start with! And if you're already a fan like me, then you definitely won't be disappointed. This one's topnotch!
September 9, 2025
I was gifted an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. And for the first time I’m having trouble expressing all the feelings this book caused in me. I loved it! Beverley Lee has a way with words that sink deep into your mind and leave a tightness around your heart.her descriptions go from nauseating to terrifying from sweet to loving. Her writing feels like poetry even when we’re reading the most haunting scenes. This is something I’ve felt with her other books. You feel chills running through you body and your heart fills with dread or love for these lonely boys. You want to hold them and keep them safe but in the end they save themselves and create a forever friendship like no other.
I still have chills…
“THROUGH ALL SEASONS “
I still have chills…
“THROUGH ALL SEASONS “
December 6, 2025
Great stuff from the get-go.
One of those warm, relatable stories that hooks you right from page one.
Not that it stays cosy, though. That's for sure.
The characters were very relatable, but I have to say, I really loved how vivid the setting was. How precise and effortless it seemed to be written.
I love when you are reading and it doesn't feel like you are reading.
Yeah, this was a pleasure to read.
Five stars.
One of those warm, relatable stories that hooks you right from page one.
Not that it stays cosy, though. That's for sure.
The characters were very relatable, but I have to say, I really loved how vivid the setting was. How precise and effortless it seemed to be written.
I love when you are reading and it doesn't feel like you are reading.
Yeah, this was a pleasure to read.
Five stars.
January 14, 2026
I enjoyed this but it was definitely a slow burner. I have a soft spot for creepy, rural, British villages with weird shit going on. Kinda dragged a bit for my liking.
July 21, 2025
'At the exact moment Jack Dawtrey's mother died, a bird flew into the lunchroom window.' - and so continues my obsession with Lee's first lines.
This book awakened something in me (and it's the urge to write quiet horror inspired by folklore). Loved it, was tense and deeply suspicious the whole time. 5/5.
This book awakened something in me (and it's the urge to write quiet horror inspired by folklore). Loved it, was tense and deeply suspicious the whole time. 5/5.
Read
June 28, 2025First of all, I must mention the stunning cover which depicts the book to perfection.
I've always loved Beverley Lee's story-telling voice and her latest, The Haunting of Wounded Birds, cemented that love. On reflection, I tried to determine what it is exactly that appeals to me, and if I speak from the heart it's because of the contradiction she portrays between a comfort blanket and the darkness of the soul.
I defy anyone with a heart not to feel an intense sense of protection towards our protagonist here. Jackdaw (Jack Dawtree) is a teenage boy who has been dealt a heavy hand when it comes to love and nurturing and, at heart, this is a story of him finding his way in a world that seems to conspire against him. But there are others at hand, a select few who are willing to put their own safety and sanity on the line to help him. Will their sacrifices pay off, or is it too late for our hero? You'll have to read it and see.
The setting oozes atmosphere—a cottage in the woods, a rusty old barn, and of course a plethora of trees and birds which is always a winner as far as I'm concerned. The customs that surround the festival of Gala Day and the characters fit their setting to perfection. The imagery at the finale of the novel is sublime.
If you enjoy quiet horror with a strong folklore feel you will love The Haunting of Wounded Birds.
I've always loved Beverley Lee's story-telling voice and her latest, The Haunting of Wounded Birds, cemented that love. On reflection, I tried to determine what it is exactly that appeals to me, and if I speak from the heart it's because of the contradiction she portrays between a comfort blanket and the darkness of the soul.
I defy anyone with a heart not to feel an intense sense of protection towards our protagonist here. Jackdaw (Jack Dawtree) is a teenage boy who has been dealt a heavy hand when it comes to love and nurturing and, at heart, this is a story of him finding his way in a world that seems to conspire against him. But there are others at hand, a select few who are willing to put their own safety and sanity on the line to help him. Will their sacrifices pay off, or is it too late for our hero? You'll have to read it and see.
The setting oozes atmosphere—a cottage in the woods, a rusty old barn, and of course a plethora of trees and birds which is always a winner as far as I'm concerned. The customs that surround the festival of Gala Day and the characters fit their setting to perfection. The imagery at the finale of the novel is sublime.
If you enjoy quiet horror with a strong folklore feel you will love The Haunting of Wounded Birds.
July 13, 2025
Lee’s ability to offer small rural town claustrophobia, ghosts that command every beat of your heart, and sinister folklore, would make Shirley Jackson envious. The Haunting of Wounded Birds is alchemy on the page; dark is poured into the heart of every character born from Lee’s imagination. Terror bleeds into the eerie and disturbing legacy of tradition. You can hear the totems swinging in trees. Feel the ghost’s breath on your neck. The chorus of wind is as terrifying as the gibbet. Friendship and family bind the pages you hold. The ink we read is black as the jackdaw’s feathers. And what pushes you toward its end isn’t the horror of what is looming, but your compassion toward Jack 'Jackdaw' Dawtrey. He is the heart beating throughout, and you hear it with every line Lee commits.
October 11, 2025
I was very fortunate enough to be given an advanced reader's copy of this book by the author and what will follow is an honest review.
This is the first book of Beverley's that I had read that wasn't part of the Conclave series and I have to say that it was a treat! It really ended up taking my time with it but that is because this book is absolutely thick with atmosphere. The little village is utterly enthralling from the first time that poor Jackdaw arrives and the dread that permeates it is like a thick fog that lingers throughout the story. One of the things I love the most about this is how this is a very fresh take on Folk Horror themes. When we think of a lot of Folk Horror, we think of the Wicker Man or Midsommar, both of which evokes the creep factor in broad daylight and gives more of a spring vibe. This book takes it darker and is absolutely perfect for the spooky season, especially leading into those darker days after Halloween. The feeling of the book is absolutely why you should take your time with it because it is something to be savoured and really enjoyed for the creepy, beautiful setting.
The characters are also really worth getting to know and they reveal themselves slowly. They all have their secrets and as they give more of themselves away, it really adds to the feeling of oppressiveness that builds as the town readies itself for Gala Night. I absolutely loved that Beverley never tips her hand too early and really allows the secrets to simmer as you find out more along with Jackdaw and Callie.
I went into this book fairly blind and I suggest you do too because it really is worth it to take the journey without any idea of where it is headed. What you need to know on your way is that this book flows and it has an almost lyrical quality to the language, making it feel dreamy but like it is always on the verge of revealing a nightmare. When it does, you will not be sorry for having come along for the ride!
This is the first book of Beverley's that I had read that wasn't part of the Conclave series and I have to say that it was a treat! It really ended up taking my time with it but that is because this book is absolutely thick with atmosphere. The little village is utterly enthralling from the first time that poor Jackdaw arrives and the dread that permeates it is like a thick fog that lingers throughout the story. One of the things I love the most about this is how this is a very fresh take on Folk Horror themes. When we think of a lot of Folk Horror, we think of the Wicker Man or Midsommar, both of which evokes the creep factor in broad daylight and gives more of a spring vibe. This book takes it darker and is absolutely perfect for the spooky season, especially leading into those darker days after Halloween. The feeling of the book is absolutely why you should take your time with it because it is something to be savoured and really enjoyed for the creepy, beautiful setting.
The characters are also really worth getting to know and they reveal themselves slowly. They all have their secrets and as they give more of themselves away, it really adds to the feeling of oppressiveness that builds as the town readies itself for Gala Night. I absolutely loved that Beverley never tips her hand too early and really allows the secrets to simmer as you find out more along with Jackdaw and Callie.
I went into this book fairly blind and I suggest you do too because it really is worth it to take the journey without any idea of where it is headed. What you need to know on your way is that this book flows and it has an almost lyrical quality to the language, making it feel dreamy but like it is always on the verge of revealing a nightmare. When it does, you will not be sorry for having come along for the ride!
October 21, 2025
Oh my gosh, this spooky, coming-of-age, cult horror is absolutely perfect for the Halloween season! If you’re after something unsettling and hauntingly beautiful, this is the book you want!
Jackdaw has always been different. When his mother dies and he’s packed off to live with his sister in a rural English village, he just wants to fly under the radar. But strange things keep happening; the village all seems horrified by his arrival and the birds are all watching him. At night, something invades his room and sits at the end of his bed.
The only light in the darkness is his new friend, Oscar, a village boy. As gala day, a strange ritual event, draws closer the village gets more and more frenetic and whatever is haunting Jackdaw is getting more insistent…
Honestly this book had chills running down my spine and I was racing through it with my heart in my mouth to find out what on earth was going on! Having been brought up in the rural English countryside, I can definitely attest to there being some weird local lore about, but this village was absolutely nightmare-inducing! I loved Oscar and Jackdaw, they were the perfect protagonists and the mystery as it unraveled had me guessing the whole time!
Read for:
✨ Coming of age horror
✨ Rural English countryside setting
✨ Cult-like village traditions
✨ The birds are always watching
✨ That one creepy, threatening aunt
✨ Beautiful lyrical storytelling
✨ Mystery and danger
✨ The power, and pain, of friendship
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC of this chilling tale! It’s available on the 11th November 2025 🐦⬛
Jackdaw has always been different. When his mother dies and he’s packed off to live with his sister in a rural English village, he just wants to fly under the radar. But strange things keep happening; the village all seems horrified by his arrival and the birds are all watching him. At night, something invades his room and sits at the end of his bed.
The only light in the darkness is his new friend, Oscar, a village boy. As gala day, a strange ritual event, draws closer the village gets more and more frenetic and whatever is haunting Jackdaw is getting more insistent…
Honestly this book had chills running down my spine and I was racing through it with my heart in my mouth to find out what on earth was going on! Having been brought up in the rural English countryside, I can definitely attest to there being some weird local lore about, but this village was absolutely nightmare-inducing! I loved Oscar and Jackdaw, they were the perfect protagonists and the mystery as it unraveled had me guessing the whole time!
Read for:
✨ Coming of age horror
✨ Rural English countryside setting
✨ Cult-like village traditions
✨ The birds are always watching
✨ That one creepy, threatening aunt
✨ Beautiful lyrical storytelling
✨ Mystery and danger
✨ The power, and pain, of friendship
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC of this chilling tale! It’s available on the 11th November 2025 🐦⬛
September 28, 2025
So very fortunate to read a pre release copy of this book. Beverley Lee is a long time favourite auto buy author for me and this did not disappoint In classic Beverley Lee style, I was hooked early and held hostage by a folk horror take that fed me enough morsels to keep me going … I tried but couldn’t not guess the plot twist.
A story about a boy,Jackdaw, who feels displaced, lonely, a boy forgotten who finds that he is very much part of a bigger story , and he is not displaced at all. He finds himself in an English village living very much within ancient dark traditions and Jackdaw is centre stage This story is unsettling at times, it has a darkness to it, a sinister truth I am a visual reader and I experienced some intense, vivid pagan/folk rituals due to the immersive way this story is written. Thoroughly enjoyed this, loved the history, as dark as it is
If you like folk horror this is for you
A story about a boy,Jackdaw, who feels displaced, lonely, a boy forgotten who finds that he is very much part of a bigger story , and he is not displaced at all. He finds himself in an English village living very much within ancient dark traditions and Jackdaw is centre stage This story is unsettling at times, it has a darkness to it, a sinister truth I am a visual reader and I experienced some intense, vivid pagan/folk rituals due to the immersive way this story is written. Thoroughly enjoyed this, loved the history, as dark as it is
If you like folk horror this is for you
July 21, 2025
A town with a secret.
A cottage with a past.
A teenager who can make everything right, but will he be able to figure it out in time or is he doomed to repeat history?
The past comes crashing into the future after Jack, Jackdaw, loses everything and moves to a small town to live with his estranged sister.
-
Loved it, I was thoroughly invested in learning what secret the town was keeping and was glad to go on the quest to figure it out with Jackdaw,
If you like a good suspenseful coming of age horror novel pick this one up!
A cottage with a past.
A teenager who can make everything right, but will he be able to figure it out in time or is he doomed to repeat history?
The past comes crashing into the future after Jack, Jackdaw, loses everything and moves to a small town to live with his estranged sister.
-
Loved it, I was thoroughly invested in learning what secret the town was keeping and was glad to go on the quest to figure it out with Jackdaw,
If you like a good suspenseful coming of age horror novel pick this one up!
December 7, 2025
Beverley Lee is an auto-buy author for me, I love all of her books and The Haunting of Wounded Birds (even the title is gorgeous) is my favourite to date! The writing is beautiful, pacing is perfect, it's just the right amount of spooky and I love Jackdaw and Oscar as if they were my own nephews. A hauntingly wonderful small-town gothic, folk horror tale that simultaneously broke my heart and mended it. A definite 5-star read.
November 15, 2025
Folklore at it's best. A great location, the town, the home, the forest. Characters that you truly feel for, with their quirks and sad stories to draw you in. The descriptions of the past and the birds, mysterious and creepy. Couldn't ask for anything more. Gooood story.
January 4, 2026
Another incredibly moving and atmospheric story from one of my go-to authors. I loved everything about it, and I know this will be a book I come back to time and time again. No one writes haunted boys like Beverley Lee!
December 16, 2025
Old secrets lie in unquiet graves
The Haunting of Wounded Birds by Beverley Lee is a tale of Martinmas, Old Halloween, released with exquisite timing on Martinmas itself, 11.11.25, by an author who knows exactly how to make spines tingle!
When young misfit Jack Dawtrey finds a home with unknown family, he dares to hope he's found a haven for the future. But Destiny has delivered him to the very last place on earth he should be – unless he's willing to shake hands with the past.
I finished this marvellous book late at night – teary-eyed, to the cat's and my daughter's consternation, and too adrift in this hauntingly immersive world to begin to explain. There is so much here, at so many levels - a subtle, interwoven tale of friendship, family, and of the power we give secrets to lock us into the past when we fail to confront them. I loved the book at every level: for its characters that ring so true, yet always surprise; for its uncomfortably close-to-the-bone themes; for the author's great affinity with the natural world, that brings her settings so vividly (albeit sometimes horrifyingly) alive. But most of all, perhaps, for the sheer heady storying that catches my breath up as I look over the brink into a towering imagination.
Do read. It's a tale that will stay with you.
The Haunting of Wounded Birds by Beverley Lee is a tale of Martinmas, Old Halloween, released with exquisite timing on Martinmas itself, 11.11.25, by an author who knows exactly how to make spines tingle!
When young misfit Jack Dawtrey finds a home with unknown family, he dares to hope he's found a haven for the future. But Destiny has delivered him to the very last place on earth he should be – unless he's willing to shake hands with the past.
I finished this marvellous book late at night – teary-eyed, to the cat's and my daughter's consternation, and too adrift in this hauntingly immersive world to begin to explain. There is so much here, at so many levels - a subtle, interwoven tale of friendship, family, and of the power we give secrets to lock us into the past when we fail to confront them. I loved the book at every level: for its characters that ring so true, yet always surprise; for its uncomfortably close-to-the-bone themes; for the author's great affinity with the natural world, that brings her settings so vividly (albeit sometimes horrifyingly) alive. But most of all, perhaps, for the sheer heady storying that catches my breath up as I look over the brink into a towering imagination.
Do read. It's a tale that will stay with you.
December 21, 2025
Following the loss of his mother, fate delivers young Jackdaw to the doorstep of a half sister he never knew he had where he is dragged into a hellish nightmare of nocturnal horrors. The residents of his new village are obsessed with the past, a history which threatens his life. A forbidden bond of friendship is formed that that reaches beyond time. A delightfully terrifying story to curl up with in the dark winter, laced with creeping dread and Beverley Lee’s very own brand of supernatural coming-of-age horror. Beautifully written. Unputdownable.
A highly recommended literary feast from one of my favourite horror writers.
A highly recommended literary feast from one of my favourite horror writers.
November 1, 2025
If you love the idea of: haunted boys, a rural English village with utter rottenness behind its charming façades, and the folly of blindly adhering to long-held, lore-based traditions: trust me, you need to prioritise this book for your end of year reads. Corvids (the birds always know). A cursed cottage. Found family. The indelible bonds of true friendship, and the lengths one will go to to preserve it. The dark stains of past shame and grief, and how impossible they seem to ignore. Or ever be put to rest. Hidden messages to decipher...fog and mist and old legends...all the autumnal vibes, quivering beneath the seasonal thinning of the veil. Be still, my heart.
This story takes place around Martinmas—an old feast day, but also old Halloween—and is therefore a perfect read for those betwixt-and-between nights of Halloween and Christmas. The long, darker nights ahead are begging for a story like this.
The Haunting of Wounded Birds manages to check so many boxes that it makes my head spin. Characters you will love (and hate). Phenomenal world-building and sense of place. Creeping dread that amplifies with each turn of the page. Expertly woven (pun-intended) British village folklore, told in such a pure, authentic voice, gradually unfolds until it culminates in one hell of a thunderstorm.
If I haven't managed to convince you yet, just take another look at that cover. In this case, you absolutely can judge a book by its cover.
Also, Beverley Lee has managed to write yet another character (Jackdaw) who now lives permanently in my heart 😭. I've read all of her books, and aside from her Gabriel Davenport series (which also holds court in my soul but for very different reasons), this is absolutely my favourite of her works. With Birds, it is safe to say that Beverley Lee is the anointed Queen of Quiet Horror, and a master storyteller.
The Haunting of Wounded Birds takes flight 11 November 2025. Please make it part of your dark nights’ reading ahead…you won't regret it.
This story takes place around Martinmas—an old feast day, but also old Halloween—and is therefore a perfect read for those betwixt-and-between nights of Halloween and Christmas. The long, darker nights ahead are begging for a story like this.
The Haunting of Wounded Birds manages to check so many boxes that it makes my head spin. Characters you will love (and hate). Phenomenal world-building and sense of place. Creeping dread that amplifies with each turn of the page. Expertly woven (pun-intended) British village folklore, told in such a pure, authentic voice, gradually unfolds until it culminates in one hell of a thunderstorm.
If I haven't managed to convince you yet, just take another look at that cover. In this case, you absolutely can judge a book by its cover.
Also, Beverley Lee has managed to write yet another character (Jackdaw) who now lives permanently in my heart 😭. I've read all of her books, and aside from her Gabriel Davenport series (which also holds court in my soul but for very different reasons), this is absolutely my favourite of her works. With Birds, it is safe to say that Beverley Lee is the anointed Queen of Quiet Horror, and a master storyteller.
The Haunting of Wounded Birds takes flight 11 November 2025. Please make it part of your dark nights’ reading ahead…you won't regret it.
November 16, 2025
A wondrous coming of age story wrapped up in a nightmare of folkish, Gothic horror. Beverley Lee taps into the horrors of a remote village which is seen through the eyes (Jackdaw Blue) of our young protagonist, revealing not only the worm filled lome or the autumnal leaves, but the horrors that lurk in the shadows and in a young boys heart.’
Ross Jeffery, Brad Stoker Award-nominated author of Metamorphosis
Ross Jeffery, Brad Stoker Award-nominated author of Metamorphosis
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