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A Penance for Crows
An unnerving, hypnotic, modern gothic thriller set on a remote Irish island, where an artist is caught between deadly secrets, ancient superstition, and echoing madness . . .
Off the southern tip of the Beara Peninsula lies Beanna Dubh, an island of savage beauty, its jagged cliffs lashed by Atlantic winds and infested by thousands of crows. Untouched by 21st-century advances, the islanders live under the strict rule of the church, while clinging to old superstitions of the crows as harbingers of disaster. To this desolate, unforgiving place Grizela Urquhart fled, seeking sanctuary from brutal bullying in her native Glasgow.
40 years on, Grizela still remains an outsider—the eccentric painter viewed with distrust and barely tolerated. The feelings are mutual, for she has discovered there are as many secrets on Beanna Dubh as there are crows.
When she stumbles upon the body of a young priest with a diabolical symbol drawn on his chest, the crows darken the skies, and Grizela is plagued by demonic whispers only she can hear. The islanders’ suspicions fall on her, but she fears the answers lie in her tortured past.
As mass hysteria grows, Grizela scrambles to protect the innocent—a quartet of young girls she has taken under her wing. When she uncovers dark truths behind the girls’ mysterious midnight gatherings, her grip on reality unravels and she is faced with an impossible do the unthinkable to protect the girls as the whispers urge, or come out of hiding to face the sins of her past.
Off the southern tip of the Beara Peninsula lies Beanna Dubh, an island of savage beauty, its jagged cliffs lashed by Atlantic winds and infested by thousands of crows. Untouched by 21st-century advances, the islanders live under the strict rule of the church, while clinging to old superstitions of the crows as harbingers of disaster. To this desolate, unforgiving place Grizela Urquhart fled, seeking sanctuary from brutal bullying in her native Glasgow.
40 years on, Grizela still remains an outsider—the eccentric painter viewed with distrust and barely tolerated. The feelings are mutual, for she has discovered there are as many secrets on Beanna Dubh as there are crows.
When she stumbles upon the body of a young priest with a diabolical symbol drawn on his chest, the crows darken the skies, and Grizela is plagued by demonic whispers only she can hear. The islanders’ suspicions fall on her, but she fears the answers lie in her tortured past.
As mass hysteria grows, Grizela scrambles to protect the innocent—a quartet of young girls she has taken under her wing. When she uncovers dark truths behind the girls’ mysterious midnight gatherings, her grip on reality unravels and she is faced with an impossible do the unthinkable to protect the girls as the whispers urge, or come out of hiding to face the sins of her past.
337 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2026
About the author
Shannon Morgan
4 books582 followersShannon has had a nomadic past involving, but not limited to, nearly being shot in Kashmir, playing a marathon, ten-hour game of backgammon on the side of the road in Turkey, getting horribly sea-sick off the coast of Madagascar, and milking a camel in the Sahara Desert.
More recently, she moved from Africa with her husband and their four boys to the windswept moors of western England, where she gives in daily to her obsession to write. If not writing or reading, she will be collecting a worrying number of unusual and rather macabre plants, many of them poisonous as they tend to produce the most interestingly weird flowers.
Shannon is the author of HER LITTLE FLOWERS, IN THE LONELY HOURS and GRIMDARK, which are all available for purchase at all the usual retailers. Her upcoming title, A PENANCE FOR CROWS, is due for release on 28 July 2026.
For further details to see Shannon's book news check out the links here:
https://linktr.ee/shannonmorganauthor
More recently, she moved from Africa with her husband and their four boys to the windswept moors of western England, where she gives in daily to her obsession to write. If not writing or reading, she will be collecting a worrying number of unusual and rather macabre plants, many of them poisonous as they tend to produce the most interestingly weird flowers.
Shannon is the author of HER LITTLE FLOWERS, IN THE LONELY HOURS and GRIMDARK, which are all available for purchase at all the usual retailers. Her upcoming title, A PENANCE FOR CROWS, is due for release on 28 July 2026.
For further details to see Shannon's book news check out the links here:
https://linktr.ee/shannonmorganauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
March 9, 2026
**NETGALLEY Arc - publishing July 2026**
⭐️⭐️⭐️.50
Began: 3/3/26. Finished: 3/9/26
COMMENTARY: I’ve never read from this author so was excited when I was given the opportunity to read the ARC for this book.
This DID keep me reading and engaged. The occult themed mystery along with the secluded Irish setting and a lot of crows all gave me the feels I enjoy.
However, something was missing from this book. It had many of the tropes I normally fall for but it just didn’t give them up in the way I wanted.
Firstly, I didn’t feel the main character (Grisela) was in her 60’s. She just didn’t feel like an older lady to me. Her “voice” was too young.
Secondly, I didn’t feel like I got to know (or really care) about any of the characters. We learn about Grisela’s life throughout the story and bits and pieces about others on the island but none of it really made me care about them. I was just there for the plot.
I did like how I felt that there could be a myriad of different ways the ending could go but ultimately I feel like the author took the most boring way to end things.
Will I try more from this author? I’m not sure. But I did enjoy this work as it kept me coming back for the atmosphere and occult part of the story.
QUOTE: “I learnt to your and my cost that blind trust in a moral authority is a poor substitute for a lack of trust in my own integrity.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️.50
Began: 3/3/26. Finished: 3/9/26
COMMENTARY: I’ve never read from this author so was excited when I was given the opportunity to read the ARC for this book.
This DID keep me reading and engaged. The occult themed mystery along with the secluded Irish setting and a lot of crows all gave me the feels I enjoy.
However, something was missing from this book. It had many of the tropes I normally fall for but it just didn’t give them up in the way I wanted.
Firstly, I didn’t feel the main character (Grisela) was in her 60’s. She just didn’t feel like an older lady to me. Her “voice” was too young.
Secondly, I didn’t feel like I got to know (or really care) about any of the characters. We learn about Grisela’s life throughout the story and bits and pieces about others on the island but none of it really made me care about them. I was just there for the plot.
I did like how I felt that there could be a myriad of different ways the ending could go but ultimately I feel like the author took the most boring way to end things.
Will I try more from this author? I’m not sure. But I did enjoy this work as it kept me coming back for the atmosphere and occult part of the story.
QUOTE: “I learnt to your and my cost that blind trust in a moral authority is a poor substitute for a lack of trust in my own integrity.”
March 4, 2026
This is a review of an advance copy received from Netgalley.
I loved this book. It was slow and building, full of folklore and foreboding. I never found myself bored from the slow build, it was necessary as the author wove a beautiful tapestry of gothic feeling and visuals. I could imagine this island in my mind and the feelings of all the inhabitants were palpable. I love that the main character is an older and more storied woman. The story is one of an isolated Irish island plagued by superstition that is propped up by the ever looming presence of the church. The isolation brings folklore into full focus when signs that the inhabitants think are the work of the devil start popping up. Much of the story focused around family secrets and dynamics and the cruelty of others, in youth as bullies, and adulthood. The isolation of the island breeds a perfect backdrop for this story to unravel. Grizela is truly a fascinating protagonist, as is her story with the Lassies. As a cemetery loving artist myself, I very much loved those aspects of Grizela. All outsiders in their own right with their own secrets, you can sense the warmth and need to offer protection that Grizela holds for the young women on the island while also feeling a sense of longing for a youth that wasn’t so plagued by tragic lonliness. I felt deeply for every character regardless of their flaws. I have to say, while I expected some events and storylines, I often found myself extremely surprised and that is doubly true for the latter pages of the book. I can see myself revisiting this book in the future.
I loved this book. It was slow and building, full of folklore and foreboding. I never found myself bored from the slow build, it was necessary as the author wove a beautiful tapestry of gothic feeling and visuals. I could imagine this island in my mind and the feelings of all the inhabitants were palpable. I love that the main character is an older and more storied woman. The story is one of an isolated Irish island plagued by superstition that is propped up by the ever looming presence of the church. The isolation brings folklore into full focus when signs that the inhabitants think are the work of the devil start popping up. Much of the story focused around family secrets and dynamics and the cruelty of others, in youth as bullies, and adulthood. The isolation of the island breeds a perfect backdrop for this story to unravel. Grizela is truly a fascinating protagonist, as is her story with the Lassies. As a cemetery loving artist myself, I very much loved those aspects of Grizela. All outsiders in their own right with their own secrets, you can sense the warmth and need to offer protection that Grizela holds for the young women on the island while also feeling a sense of longing for a youth that wasn’t so plagued by tragic lonliness. I felt deeply for every character regardless of their flaws. I have to say, while I expected some events and storylines, I often found myself extremely surprised and that is doubly true for the latter pages of the book. I can see myself revisiting this book in the future.
July 30, 2026
3.75 stars
This is a slow-burn Gothic horror following artist Grizella Urquhart, who is living on a remote island off Ireland's Beara Peninsula. It's incredibly atmospheric, with a dark, eerie feel that seeps into every page. The isolated setting creates a constant sense of unease, and the haunting landscape perfectly complements the story's creeping tension. Rather than relying on constant scares, it takes its time building a sense of dread, and I found myself completely drawn into the mystery.
While I do think some of the character development could have been stronger, the story never really suffers because of it. The mystery kept me guessing right until the very end, and that final chapter genuinely caught me off guard. I actually had one of those "wait... what?!" moments, and it really made the slow build pay off.
Siobhan Waring did a fantastic job with the narration. She uses a clear, neutral accent for the general narration, then effortlessly switches between the Scottish and Irish accents for the characters. It felt authentic, really helped distinguish the cast, and added another layer of immersion to an already atmospheric story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. If you like atmospheric Gothic horror with an unsettling mystery, a wonderfully eerie setting, and an ending that leaves you reeling, I'd definitely recommend giving it a go.
Thanks to Net Galley and Tantor Media for the ALC of this book
This is a slow-burn Gothic horror following artist Grizella Urquhart, who is living on a remote island off Ireland's Beara Peninsula. It's incredibly atmospheric, with a dark, eerie feel that seeps into every page. The isolated setting creates a constant sense of unease, and the haunting landscape perfectly complements the story's creeping tension. Rather than relying on constant scares, it takes its time building a sense of dread, and I found myself completely drawn into the mystery.
While I do think some of the character development could have been stronger, the story never really suffers because of it. The mystery kept me guessing right until the very end, and that final chapter genuinely caught me off guard. I actually had one of those "wait... what?!" moments, and it really made the slow build pay off.
Siobhan Waring did a fantastic job with the narration. She uses a clear, neutral accent for the general narration, then effortlessly switches between the Scottish and Irish accents for the characters. It felt authentic, really helped distinguish the cast, and added another layer of immersion to an already atmospheric story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. If you like atmospheric Gothic horror with an unsettling mystery, a wonderfully eerie setting, and an ending that leaves you reeling, I'd definitely recommend giving it a go.
Thanks to Net Galley and Tantor Media for the ALC of this book
August 11, 2026
A Penance for Crows starts by introducing Grizela along with the inhabitants of Beanna Dubh. Grizela is an artist with a past she came to escape and as the story progresses, we slowly piece together what really happened and why Grizela had to escape. Grizela's lassies (a group of young women native to the island) are the only ones who accept her and have formed a close bond with her and Grizela treats them as her own. When one day Grizela stumbles upon the dead body of a young priest on the island with a sinister symbol on his chest, mass hysteria ensues and only gets worse when more bodies and even more symbols continue appearing...
I do love a story set on a remote island where everyone has secrets. And I really love a story where I go back and forth between thinking the forces are supernatural or not and I was changing my mind all the way up until the end. The characters are well-developed and by the time you find out what Grizela was running from back in Glasgow and she slowly uncovers the secrets her lassies have also been keeping, you start to question the motives of these murders and whether the force behind them is malevolent or benevolent.
This modern gothic thriller was atmospheric and claustrophobic and had me so immersed with the writing style that I felt like I was an inhabitant of the island, as well. I would absolutely recommend for the late summer/transitional fall time when mornings are cool and foggy and there's a touch of magic in the air.
Thank you so much to Tantor Media and NetGalley for the advanced listeners copy to review.
I do love a story set on a remote island where everyone has secrets. And I really love a story where I go back and forth between thinking the forces are supernatural or not and I was changing my mind all the way up until the end. The characters are well-developed and by the time you find out what Grizela was running from back in Glasgow and she slowly uncovers the secrets her lassies have also been keeping, you start to question the motives of these murders and whether the force behind them is malevolent or benevolent.
This modern gothic thriller was atmospheric and claustrophobic and had me so immersed with the writing style that I felt like I was an inhabitant of the island, as well. I would absolutely recommend for the late summer/transitional fall time when mornings are cool and foggy and there's a touch of magic in the air.
Thank you so much to Tantor Media and NetGalley for the advanced listeners copy to review.
Did Not Finish
August 24, 2026DNF
omg do we think the Catholic Church does bad things in Ireland?
omg do we think the Catholic Church does bad things in Ireland?
July 29, 2026
I loved the premise, the isolated setting, and the underlying theme.
But I had some big issues with the story’s execution.
I didn’t understand why Grisela chose to settle on a small, religiously cultish island, when she wasn’t religious, everyone there judged and/or avoided her, and she had zero chance of forming friendships.
And that leads me to the lack of overall character development. Everyone on this island was vile, and I didn’t understand why. Lots of horrible things were happening within families, yet no one reported it or did a single thing to intervene. It felt very much like a cult, but that aspect wasn’t developed enough to make sense of the people’s behavior and self-imposed isolation.
Pacing dragged. The story felt longer than it was.
The supernatural aspect was underdeveloped. I never felt the eeriness. I definitely would not label this book as horror.
I think the reading experience will depend on your expectations going into this one.
*Thanks to Kensington Books (#thrillfluencer) for the free copy!*
But I had some big issues with the story’s execution.
I didn’t understand why Grisela chose to settle on a small, religiously cultish island, when she wasn’t religious, everyone there judged and/or avoided her, and she had zero chance of forming friendships.
And that leads me to the lack of overall character development. Everyone on this island was vile, and I didn’t understand why. Lots of horrible things were happening within families, yet no one reported it or did a single thing to intervene. It felt very much like a cult, but that aspect wasn’t developed enough to make sense of the people’s behavior and self-imposed isolation.
Pacing dragged. The story felt longer than it was.
The supernatural aspect was underdeveloped. I never felt the eeriness. I definitely would not label this book as horror.
I think the reading experience will depend on your expectations going into this one.
*Thanks to Kensington Books (#thrillfluencer) for the free copy!*
July 28, 2026
Isolated island, ominous crows, and an unreliable narrator. I was hooked from the start.
Since Her Little Flowers I've been a fan of Shannon Morgan, and four novels in she hasn't missed. A Penance for Crows was set on the fictional island of Beanna Dubh, isolated and atmospheric, with woods the main character walked into every night that had me holding my breath. The crows served as portents for the islanders and Morgan wove them into the story in a way that felt both eerie and purposeful.
The novel layered the strong influence of the church, secrets, bullying and its long-lasting effects into a story that hit close to home. I was gutted by the main character's past — bullied, abused, and left without anyone to help her. The women of the island each carried their own difficult situations and I felt for every one of them.
The mystery kept me guessing. Is it supernatural? The unreliable narrator had me second-guessing everything I thought I knew. The ending was brilliant.
Another gothic marvel from Morgan. Fans of Simon St. James and Jennifer McMahon will love this one.
Thank you, Kensington and NetGalley, for my advance review copies. All opinions are my own.
Since Her Little Flowers I've been a fan of Shannon Morgan, and four novels in she hasn't missed. A Penance for Crows was set on the fictional island of Beanna Dubh, isolated and atmospheric, with woods the main character walked into every night that had me holding my breath. The crows served as portents for the islanders and Morgan wove them into the story in a way that felt both eerie and purposeful.
The novel layered the strong influence of the church, secrets, bullying and its long-lasting effects into a story that hit close to home. I was gutted by the main character's past — bullied, abused, and left without anyone to help her. The women of the island each carried their own difficult situations and I felt for every one of them.
The mystery kept me guessing. Is it supernatural? The unreliable narrator had me second-guessing everything I thought I knew. The ending was brilliant.
Another gothic marvel from Morgan. Fans of Simon St. James and Jennifer McMahon will love this one.
Thank you, Kensington and NetGalley, for my advance review copies. All opinions are my own.
July 28, 2026
4.75 ⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for providing me with an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This audiobook was an a pleasure to listen to - perfect for summerween! The narrator’s voice fit the story perfectly with her irish accent, a mysterious undertone and a great knack for distinguishing characters through different voices. I can imagine that read this is a very different experience from listening to it and I’m glad I listened, since the voice and narration was an essential part of my experience.
In this eery horror/mystery we follow a 60-ish year lady who lives alone in her cottage on a remote irish island, where the people are still holding fast to the old ways, including the catholic church having a firm grip on people’s lives. When strange deaths and symbols start occurring in the village, she is forced to look back at secrets from her youth - while also trying to protect those she loves on the island and trying to solve the mystery of who is behind it all.
This book became better and better as it went on. I absolutely loved the unreliable narrator of it and I didn’t quite figure out what to believe until the very end. I’ve seen some readers speculate that the main character didn’t feel “old enough” to be 60 years old but personally, I think her sometimes slightly naive way of seeing things contributes to the way her mental state is described.
If you like atmospheric horror-ish mysteries, then this will be right up your alley!
Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for providing me with an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This audiobook was an a pleasure to listen to - perfect for summerween! The narrator’s voice fit the story perfectly with her irish accent, a mysterious undertone and a great knack for distinguishing characters through different voices. I can imagine that read this is a very different experience from listening to it and I’m glad I listened, since the voice and narration was an essential part of my experience.
In this eery horror/mystery we follow a 60-ish year lady who lives alone in her cottage on a remote irish island, where the people are still holding fast to the old ways, including the catholic church having a firm grip on people’s lives. When strange deaths and symbols start occurring in the village, she is forced to look back at secrets from her youth - while also trying to protect those she loves on the island and trying to solve the mystery of who is behind it all.
This book became better and better as it went on. I absolutely loved the unreliable narrator of it and I didn’t quite figure out what to believe until the very end. I’ve seen some readers speculate that the main character didn’t feel “old enough” to be 60 years old but personally, I think her sometimes slightly naive way of seeing things contributes to the way her mental state is described.
If you like atmospheric horror-ish mysteries, then this will be right up your alley!
August 6, 2026
3.25 ⭐️ | I love Shannon Morgan but this book just didn’t grab me like I expected. The story was interesting - I just didn’t feel invested in it.
May 16, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley, Kensington Publishing and Shannon Morgan for the advanced reading copy!
First of all, I feel like that this would be the perfect read for fall/autumn just before we are getting into the spookier months of the year!
I did enjoy A Penance for Crows but do feel like the initial pacing of the first 50% felt a little slower and then it started to pick up in the final half of the book. I think because of that there is an investment period because the book is a slower paced thriller that it takes a little bit of perseverance before the story starts to truly pay off and feel investing.
The reason why I gave this book 3.5 stars was due to the pacing and there was quite a lot of repetitive language throughout the book that I wasn't the biggest fan of. I feel like this was definitely a stylistic choice (especially after reading the author notes/acknowledgements at the end) that some instances of greetings, for example, were repeated but there was a point where I started to question whether that was a tell or a clue that I had picked up that was potentially leading to a twist in the narrative or not.
I think the remote island setting was really good and the presence of the crows and the demonic symbols definitely gave the book this sense of dread and foreboding and combined with the religious presence, I really felt that this was one of the books strengths.
First of all, I feel like that this would be the perfect read for fall/autumn just before we are getting into the spookier months of the year!
I did enjoy A Penance for Crows but do feel like the initial pacing of the first 50% felt a little slower and then it started to pick up in the final half of the book. I think because of that there is an investment period because the book is a slower paced thriller that it takes a little bit of perseverance before the story starts to truly pay off and feel investing.
The reason why I gave this book 3.5 stars was due to the pacing and there was quite a lot of repetitive language throughout the book that I wasn't the biggest fan of. I feel like this was definitely a stylistic choice (especially after reading the author notes/acknowledgements at the end) that some instances of greetings, for example, were repeated but there was a point where I started to question whether that was a tell or a clue that I had picked up that was potentially leading to a twist in the narrative or not.
I think the remote island setting was really good and the presence of the crows and the demonic symbols definitely gave the book this sense of dread and foreboding and combined with the religious presence, I really felt that this was one of the books strengths.
July 29, 2026
Slow Burn Gothic Vibes
🅰 🅿🅴🅽🅽🅰🅽🅲🅴 🅵🅾🆁 🅲🆁🅾🆆🆂
BY: Sʜᴀɴɴᴏɴ Mᴏʀɢᴀɴ
Out Now
3.5⭐
• ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
• ʟᴏɴɢ ʙᴜʀɪᴇᴅ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs
• ʀᴇʟɪᴏᴜs ᴏᴘᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ
• Cʀᴏᴡs
• ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ
• ᴏᴄᴄᴜʟᴛ ʀᴇʟsᴛᴇᴅ Dᴇᴀᴛʜs
• ᴏғғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴀsᴛ ᴏғ Iʀᴇʟᴀɴᴅ
The story follows artist Grizela Urquhart, an outsider haunted by demonic whispers after discovering a murdered priest marked with a diabolical symbol. As mass hysteria spreads among the superstitious islanders, Grizela must protect four young girls while confronting her own dark past.
Dark, eerie and atmospheric - the Gothic vibe was on point in this novel. I loved Grizela and how she found comfort in her painting. My heart ached for her and all she had been through , and also how she protected her 'lassies', like no one had done for her.
This was definitely a slow burn but it suited the story and kept me turning the pages.
Perfect for fans of slow burn mysteries and moody-ish build ups.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for my complimentary review copy.
🅰 🅿🅴🅽🅽🅰🅽🅲🅴 🅵🅾🆁 🅲🆁🅾🆆🆂
BY: Sʜᴀɴɴᴏɴ Mᴏʀɢᴀɴ
Out Now
3.5⭐
• ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
• ʟᴏɴɢ ʙᴜʀɪᴇᴅ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs
• ʀᴇʟɪᴏᴜs ᴏᴘᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ
• Cʀᴏᴡs
• ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ
• ᴏᴄᴄᴜʟᴛ ʀᴇʟsᴛᴇᴅ Dᴇᴀᴛʜs
• ᴏғғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴀsᴛ ᴏғ Iʀᴇʟᴀɴᴅ
The story follows artist Grizela Urquhart, an outsider haunted by demonic whispers after discovering a murdered priest marked with a diabolical symbol. As mass hysteria spreads among the superstitious islanders, Grizela must protect four young girls while confronting her own dark past.
Dark, eerie and atmospheric - the Gothic vibe was on point in this novel. I loved Grizela and how she found comfort in her painting. My heart ached for her and all she had been through , and also how she protected her 'lassies', like no one had done for her.
This was definitely a slow burn but it suited the story and kept me turning the pages.
Perfect for fans of slow burn mysteries and moody-ish build ups.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for my complimentary review copy.
July 27, 2026
3.5 ⭐️s rounded to 4 ⭐️s
A gothic thriller set on a remote Irish island? Say no more! 🙌
Shannon Morgan did an excellent job building the creepy and eerie atmosphere in this one! The pacing though was a little slow and the reveals were a bit predictable. Overall though, it was a decent read! 👏
Thank you partner Kensington Books for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
A gothic thriller set on a remote Irish island? Say no more! 🙌
Shannon Morgan did an excellent job building the creepy and eerie atmosphere in this one! The pacing though was a little slow and the reveals were a bit predictable. Overall though, it was a decent read! 👏
Thank you partner Kensington Books for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
Did Not Finish
August 21, 2026DNF 25%
I tried—I really did—but it is literally putting me to sleep. There's so much effort being poured into creating a gothic/moody atmosphere that I think the plot got abandoned on the side of the road. Readers who want vibes over plot and/or prefer "spooky" books might have a better time with this.
I tried—I really did—but it is literally putting me to sleep. There's so much effort being poured into creating a gothic/moody atmosphere that I think the plot got abandoned on the side of the road. Readers who want vibes over plot and/or prefer "spooky" books might have a better time with this.
August 2, 2026
There is little I love more than a modern gothic thriller, so A Penance for Crows, the newest novel by Shannon Morgan made me extremely happy. Set on a remote island off Ireland’s Beara Peninsula lies Breanna Dubh, a mysterious place seemingly untouched by time, complete with standing stones and inhabited by an enormous amount of crows. It is the here that Grizla settled after fleeting her native Glasgow decades earlier to escape severe bullying. An artist and an outsider, she has never really been accepted by the locals which is fine with her because she understands there is a darkness on Beanna Dubh and the islanders harbor many secrets. And then one day a murder of crows lead her to the. Islands cliffs where she discovers the body of the local priest with a mysterious symbol painted on his chest….. and then the whispers only Griselda can hear begin.
This book is a slow burn that gradually builds in suspense as Morgan weaves her tale of secrets and superstition. The isolation of the island allows for it to feel timeless and it creates the perfect eerie setting that becomes a character itself. It is a dark and brooding place, seemingly untouched by joy and it is the perfect setting for the mysteries of this gothic tale to unfold. Likewise, Grizla makes the perfect protagonist. Middle aged and an outsider, she is able to watch and listen and learns many of the villagers secrets without their knowledge. Unfortunately, her otherness also makes her an easy target for the mysterious and dark happenings on the island.
This is a well constructed thriller that lets the secrets of the island gradually unfurl. I loved the mysterious and foreboding atmosphere that Morgan creates and it was my favorite thing about the novel. The use of the supernatural elements is effective and added to the gothic quality. The thriller elements, while at times predictable, held my attention especially during the second half of the book that managed to bring some unexpected twists. I highly enjoyed this atmospheric tale of religious zealotry, demons and murder- I mean what more could a Hothic loving girl want. Thank you to @kayepublicity and @kensingtonbooks for my gifted copy.
This book is a slow burn that gradually builds in suspense as Morgan weaves her tale of secrets and superstition. The isolation of the island allows for it to feel timeless and it creates the perfect eerie setting that becomes a character itself. It is a dark and brooding place, seemingly untouched by joy and it is the perfect setting for the mysteries of this gothic tale to unfold. Likewise, Grizla makes the perfect protagonist. Middle aged and an outsider, she is able to watch and listen and learns many of the villagers secrets without their knowledge. Unfortunately, her otherness also makes her an easy target for the mysterious and dark happenings on the island.
This is a well constructed thriller that lets the secrets of the island gradually unfurl. I loved the mysterious and foreboding atmosphere that Morgan creates and it was my favorite thing about the novel. The use of the supernatural elements is effective and added to the gothic quality. The thriller elements, while at times predictable, held my attention especially during the second half of the book that managed to bring some unexpected twists. I highly enjoyed this atmospheric tale of religious zealotry, demons and murder- I mean what more could a Hothic loving girl want. Thank you to @kayepublicity and @kensingtonbooks for my gifted copy.
August 7, 2026
I received the audiobook for A Penance for Crows, and I have to say, I thought the narrator was a fantastic match for the story and did an excellent job bringing the characters to life.
What made this story feel so unique to me was the way it balanced contrasts. It's a modern story that often feels historical thanks to how isolated and traditional the community is (which I loved). It's also a gothic horror that explores some really heavy themes, but much of the reading experience felt unexpectedly cozy because of the glimpses into Grizela's life at her cottage and her routines as a painter. (The recurring references to Island of the Blue Dolphins definitely won me over, too—I loved that book growing up!)
If you're looking for an atmospheric blend of gothic horror, small-town mystery, and autumnal vibes, you'll definitely want to add A Penance for Crows to your fall TBR.
🕯️Modern gothic thriller (though to me, it sits at the intersection of gothic thriller, gothic mystery, and gothic horror)
🕯️Remote Irish island setting
🕯️FMC in her 60s
🕯️Religious superstition & folklore
🕯️Cozy atmosphere with heavy themes
🕯️If you liked this, you might also like The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House. The plots are very different, but they share a unique balance of cozy atmosphere and darker gothic themes, and both are set in small seaside communities.
What made this story feel so unique to me was the way it balanced contrasts. It's a modern story that often feels historical thanks to how isolated and traditional the community is (which I loved). It's also a gothic horror that explores some really heavy themes, but much of the reading experience felt unexpectedly cozy because of the glimpses into Grizela's life at her cottage and her routines as a painter. (The recurring references to Island of the Blue Dolphins definitely won me over, too—I loved that book growing up!)
If you're looking for an atmospheric blend of gothic horror, small-town mystery, and autumnal vibes, you'll definitely want to add A Penance for Crows to your fall TBR.
🕯️Modern gothic thriller (though to me, it sits at the intersection of gothic thriller, gothic mystery, and gothic horror)
🕯️Remote Irish island setting
🕯️FMC in her 60s
🕯️Religious superstition & folklore
🕯️Cozy atmosphere with heavy themes
🕯️If you liked this, you might also like The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House. The plots are very different, but they share a unique balance of cozy atmosphere and darker gothic themes, and both are set in small seaside communities.
July 31, 2026
3.5 stars
A Penance for Crows was well written, atmospheric, and ultimately a good story—but it was also very different from the book I expected based on its description and classification.
Despite being marketed as horror, I wouldn’t personally classify it that way. The crows and whispers create an ominous atmosphere and serve as signs that something is happening or about to happen, but they never felt like an actual supernatural threat. This is much closer to an atmospheric mystery about an isolated community, religious abuse and control, buried secrets, and revenge, with some folk-horror trappings.
The story is slow, particularly in the beginning, and much of the central mystery is fairly easy to anticipate. However, I’m not sure it was intended to be genuinely surprising. The truth is revealed gradually—often through heavy implication rather than direct explanation—allowing the reader to assemble much of it before the characters do. The ending therefore felt more like confirmation than a dramatic revelation.
There is a fairly large cast, yet I finished the book feeling as though I didn’t truly know many of the characters. The atmosphere and collective history of the island felt more developed than the individuals living there.
Siobhan Waring’s narration added another layer to the story and made the setting feel more authentic. The accent and language required some adjustment at first, but overall I think the audiobook made the slow pacing easier for me. I’m honestly not sure I would have finished the book in print.
Overall, this was good for what it actually was: a well-written, slow, atmosphere-focused mystery. My main disappointment comes from the mismatch between that story and the horror novel I expected to receive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for providing the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
A Penance for Crows was well written, atmospheric, and ultimately a good story—but it was also very different from the book I expected based on its description and classification.
Despite being marketed as horror, I wouldn’t personally classify it that way. The crows and whispers create an ominous atmosphere and serve as signs that something is happening or about to happen, but they never felt like an actual supernatural threat. This is much closer to an atmospheric mystery about an isolated community, religious abuse and control, buried secrets, and revenge, with some folk-horror trappings.
The story is slow, particularly in the beginning, and much of the central mystery is fairly easy to anticipate. However, I’m not sure it was intended to be genuinely surprising. The truth is revealed gradually—often through heavy implication rather than direct explanation—allowing the reader to assemble much of it before the characters do. The ending therefore felt more like confirmation than a dramatic revelation.
There is a fairly large cast, yet I finished the book feeling as though I didn’t truly know many of the characters. The atmosphere and collective history of the island felt more developed than the individuals living there.
Siobhan Waring’s narration added another layer to the story and made the setting feel more authentic. The accent and language required some adjustment at first, but overall I think the audiobook made the slow pacing easier for me. I’m honestly not sure I would have finished the book in print.
Overall, this was good for what it actually was: a well-written, slow, atmosphere-focused mystery. My main disappointment comes from the mismatch between that story and the horror novel I expected to receive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for providing the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2026
First, I want to thank NetGalley for this ARC.
A Penance for Crows, is a story full of secrets, pain, neglect and abuse, and at the same time, it's full of hope and alliance based in a shared scar.
Grizela is an 65 years old woman, living on a small island, that has rejected the modern ways and sticks to righteous Catholicism. Therefore, the only authority men fear is god, personified by the oldest priest on the island, no matter how sinful his own ways may be.
When the people in power turn a blind eye and refuse to care for the most vulnerable, for the abused and neglected, because it suits them more to keep secrets and judge from the comfort of their church seats, the desperation may turn the victims to something far more dangerous and dark.
A Penance for Crows showed us the danger that follows when people blindly believe in a man, giving him some sacred power over themselves, and don’t question any of the actions or reasons this person may have. It also illustrates how the inaction of those witnesses to the pain inflicted on others, can be more painful that the violence and abuse itself, the dread of not having anyone on your side, the pain of being ignored on your pleas for help. I loved how Grizela helped the Lassies, because she saw herself as a tool or a champion for the girls, as a last resort to help them when no-one else would. She was the someone she needed the most when she was a teenager herself and took back the power her abusers tried to steal from her.
At the same time, I really enjoyed the pace of the story and how the mystery was unfolding, even though the plot twists weren't the most shocking ones, the meaning and execution of it all felt very good to read.
This book was definitely a 5 stars for me, and I'm anxious to read anything Shannon Morgan plans to write in the future.
A Penance for Crows, is a story full of secrets, pain, neglect and abuse, and at the same time, it's full of hope and alliance based in a shared scar.
Grizela is an 65 years old woman, living on a small island, that has rejected the modern ways and sticks to righteous Catholicism. Therefore, the only authority men fear is god, personified by the oldest priest on the island, no matter how sinful his own ways may be.
When the people in power turn a blind eye and refuse to care for the most vulnerable, for the abused and neglected, because it suits them more to keep secrets and judge from the comfort of their church seats, the desperation may turn the victims to something far more dangerous and dark.
A Penance for Crows showed us the danger that follows when people blindly believe in a man, giving him some sacred power over themselves, and don’t question any of the actions or reasons this person may have. It also illustrates how the inaction of those witnesses to the pain inflicted on others, can be more painful that the violence and abuse itself, the dread of not having anyone on your side, the pain of being ignored on your pleas for help. I loved how Grizela helped the Lassies, because she saw herself as a tool or a champion for the girls, as a last resort to help them when no-one else would. She was the someone she needed the most when she was a teenager herself and took back the power her abusers tried to steal from her.
At the same time, I really enjoyed the pace of the story and how the mystery was unfolding, even though the plot twists weren't the most shocking ones, the meaning and execution of it all felt very good to read.
This book was definitely a 5 stars for me, and I'm anxious to read anything Shannon Morgan plans to write in the future.
July 28, 2026
Abuse to anyone is the worst possible memory for that person. They lose pieces of their soul and begin to fade . Sometimes the abuse survivor takes all they can and then try to find a way to get past the abuse. Others look to other means for help. Hearing about vengeance may suggest to the survivor that other outlandish entities can take care of the perpetrator. Do I believe that one can call upon demons to punish the perpetrators? That is a question that might get many different answers. Grizela had endured what could be considered the worst abuse ever. She tried to get help but was overlooked so when her abusers had bad things happen to them, Grizela saw this as something hearing her pleas. When she moved to a secluded island she realized escape from abuse was impossible. Once again she observed the abuse around her and nothing was done. Due to the superstitious nature of the islanders, the devil was blamed for all suspected willful behavior. Even when an outcry against the persons performing various acts of abuse was ignored. So when strange occurrences began to happen to the perpetrators, once again ‘the devil’ was blamed for being at work to persuade the parishioners to turn away from God. I find a similar theme within books about an abused person fed up with the mistreatment. No one wants to see what is in front of their face. Violence against others in not condoned therefore it is interesting to see how, written as a story, people can find peace about their own situations. This story gives some control back to the abuse survivor with the hope that the abuse will not continue or that when disclosed others listen and act.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Once upon a time, I used to seek out horror. Books, movies, shows, you name it, I was interested in learning more. As a child, my parents would watch the occasional horror movie in the living room, leaving my sister and me in our room with our own choice of film to watch. I would crawl down the hallway and hide behind a rocking chair, watching their choice of film from under the rocking chair arm. I grew up trying to watch every horror movie my Dad had in the house. I would seek out horror and thriller books at the public library when we managed to get there for a day out. But sometime around fifteen, I stopped looking for horror. I'm not sure if I just felt bored with the material, if I'd read too many of the same old stories, if I was figuring out who the villain was before the final girl took her last stand. It's been something I was meaning to get back to for years and this year I FINALLY told myself it was time to try going back to the genre. I've purposely sought out monsters and unreliable narrators, secluded island communities and things that creep out of the dark. That was how I found A Penance for Crows, a story that sounded exactly like the kind of book I was looking to try, a gothic thriller with bit of a mystery thrown in. It was on a list of new horror book releases for the year 2026 and I made a note of seeking out this book at the start of the year and even have my official copy pre-ordered.
It was menacing and tragic and altogether a very, very good book. I want to call it brilliant but the subject matter will sit in the depths of my soul for some time, but fine, yes, brilliant but more almost heartbreaking. That ending though? Everything I didn't know I wanted from this story.
A Penance for Crows follows Grizela Urquhart, who has lived a solitary existence on Beanna Dubh for the last forty years, having fled there in her youth to get away from a lifetime of bullying in Glasgow. Grizela has been on the fringe of a society ruled by their superstitions and the iron hand of the church, once trying to help the other islanders but after being rebuffed, has learned to keep to herself. Life on Beanna Dubh is not what she hoped to find as Grizela has made sure to keep the secrets of her past from the islanders, all the while also witnessing various things the people would rather keep secret or ignore. One morning, Grizela finds the body of the island's younger priest washed up on the beach with a disturbing symbol drawn on his chest. As Grizela starts to hear whispers only she can hear following her and the islanders start to fear that the devil has come to destroy them, Grizela turns her attention to protecting a quartet of girls that she had taken under her wing. But when Grizela learns the real reasons behind the girls' midnight meetings, Grizela listens to the whispers telling her to keep the girls safe and wonders if the secrets of her past will finally come to light.
Morgan has a deft hand with the world-building in this book. The island of Beanna Dubh felt real in the sense of what the location invoked, this sense of isolation and a resistance to embracing modern times. The fact that the people clung to their religion and their superstitions also helped to bring a sense of suspicion to the book, knowing that the islanders allowed themselves to be swayed so easily by someone who could manipulate them with words, eyeing anyone who spoke out against what the majority believed. The islanders were so easily led by people they had put in a position of authority, specifically their priest, and this man was the type who felt like he could rule these people, bend them to his every whim, pass judgement and demand retribution. This leant the book a sense of caution and filled in the details of the story and the world that Grizela lived in, showing exactly what she was trying to protect her girls from as well.
Because that was the kind of world that Morgan has created in this book, a place where you either became a part of the problem or a place you managed to escape. The only in between position was the life Grizela led and that wasn't an appealing existence either. With the superstitions added in, it was easy to feel a sense of unease throughout the book, to wonder if there really were demons being called forth to smite people who had done horrible things. There were also crows everywhere, watching everyone at any time, even going so far as to warn Grizela of certain things or even somehow leading her to where she needed to go. The story behind their existence was another intriguing aspect of the story, making the crows seem like some kind of omen, something that put the people on edge because of the stories they believed about them. The reader was made to wonder if there really were things in the dark with different moments that Grizela witnessed, wandering cemeteries and walking down paths with only a lamp to light her way. The descriptions built a menacing existence and the people in the story did the rest to make this island a place where evil could have taken root and was now serving justice to those who deserved it.
Grizela was an interesting lead, a woman who had been a part of the island for decades but was still ostracized by the occupants of the island who held the most sway with other residents. As a result, Grizela did not have many friends and she had taken on the task of taking care of a quartet of girls that she most identified with, trying her best to protect them. All of this made her a sympathetic character and I loved that she was an older woman in her 60s, someone who had tried to get away from her past and had chosen such an isolated location to build a home. It was easy to want to protect Grizela just as much as I wanted to protect her girls because of the unfairness that seemed to come at them from every direction, the hypocrisy of those who deemed themselves powerful and who judged them in turn. I want to go into the specifics of each girl, Maeve, Nessa, Una and Enya, but a lot of this book depends on learning each girl's individual plight. Suffice to say, I wanted to throw a lot of people off the cliffs of Beanna Dubh as each reveal was made and I have to admit, I smiled as things started to come to light and characters got their comeuppance.
As for the plot, I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what the book was building towards until the last few chapters hit and it was wonderful to question so many things until I finally got my answers. The whispers that Grizela could hear and the things she saw at night left me wondering if she was going mad or if there really were demons on Beanna Dubh, and that delicate balance is a definite plus for the story. I wanted to believe everything that Grizela thought she saw but at the same time, when she doubted herself, I had to wonder what was real. The sense of dread that Grizela felt, watching as the islanders were convinced about demons and then watching the behavior of the crows that seemed to be everywhere, all of this worked to build the suspense of trying to understand what was really going on. The way this book was written, every piece served a purpose, every reveal led to another point that led to another reveal, and by the time I reached the end of the book, the conclusion made everything I questioned make sense and I was admittedly impressed by the outcome. A lot of the draw of this story depends on the way the reader is led through every moment in this book and I, for one, enjoyed every twist and turn this book made.
I might not be able to read this book again for a while. A lot of what was revealed was tragic and it definitely made me angry and frustrated more times than I can recall but at the same time, I loved this book. I loved these characters and I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to read this story. I hope to find the time to read the rest of Shannon Morgan's books as soon as I can afford to add them to my library.
Rating on my Scale: I'm giving this 10 Stars because of the reveal at the end of the book. I'm usually able to see certain things coming but this book caught me off guard and I know I will remember it for a long time as an incredibly respectable read.
My thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Shannon Morgan for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
It was menacing and tragic and altogether a very, very good book. I want to call it brilliant but the subject matter will sit in the depths of my soul for some time, but fine, yes, brilliant but more almost heartbreaking. That ending though? Everything I didn't know I wanted from this story.
A Penance for Crows follows Grizela Urquhart, who has lived a solitary existence on Beanna Dubh for the last forty years, having fled there in her youth to get away from a lifetime of bullying in Glasgow. Grizela has been on the fringe of a society ruled by their superstitions and the iron hand of the church, once trying to help the other islanders but after being rebuffed, has learned to keep to herself. Life on Beanna Dubh is not what she hoped to find as Grizela has made sure to keep the secrets of her past from the islanders, all the while also witnessing various things the people would rather keep secret or ignore. One morning, Grizela finds the body of the island's younger priest washed up on the beach with a disturbing symbol drawn on his chest. As Grizela starts to hear whispers only she can hear following her and the islanders start to fear that the devil has come to destroy them, Grizela turns her attention to protecting a quartet of girls that she had taken under her wing. But when Grizela learns the real reasons behind the girls' midnight meetings, Grizela listens to the whispers telling her to keep the girls safe and wonders if the secrets of her past will finally come to light.
Morgan has a deft hand with the world-building in this book. The island of Beanna Dubh felt real in the sense of what the location invoked, this sense of isolation and a resistance to embracing modern times. The fact that the people clung to their religion and their superstitions also helped to bring a sense of suspicion to the book, knowing that the islanders allowed themselves to be swayed so easily by someone who could manipulate them with words, eyeing anyone who spoke out against what the majority believed. The islanders were so easily led by people they had put in a position of authority, specifically their priest, and this man was the type who felt like he could rule these people, bend them to his every whim, pass judgement and demand retribution. This leant the book a sense of caution and filled in the details of the story and the world that Grizela lived in, showing exactly what she was trying to protect her girls from as well.
Because that was the kind of world that Morgan has created in this book, a place where you either became a part of the problem or a place you managed to escape. The only in between position was the life Grizela led and that wasn't an appealing existence either. With the superstitions added in, it was easy to feel a sense of unease throughout the book, to wonder if there really were demons being called forth to smite people who had done horrible things. There were also crows everywhere, watching everyone at any time, even going so far as to warn Grizela of certain things or even somehow leading her to where she needed to go. The story behind their existence was another intriguing aspect of the story, making the crows seem like some kind of omen, something that put the people on edge because of the stories they believed about them. The reader was made to wonder if there really were things in the dark with different moments that Grizela witnessed, wandering cemeteries and walking down paths with only a lamp to light her way. The descriptions built a menacing existence and the people in the story did the rest to make this island a place where evil could have taken root and was now serving justice to those who deserved it.
Grizela was an interesting lead, a woman who had been a part of the island for decades but was still ostracized by the occupants of the island who held the most sway with other residents. As a result, Grizela did not have many friends and she had taken on the task of taking care of a quartet of girls that she most identified with, trying her best to protect them. All of this made her a sympathetic character and I loved that she was an older woman in her 60s, someone who had tried to get away from her past and had chosen such an isolated location to build a home. It was easy to want to protect Grizela just as much as I wanted to protect her girls because of the unfairness that seemed to come at them from every direction, the hypocrisy of those who deemed themselves powerful and who judged them in turn. I want to go into the specifics of each girl, Maeve, Nessa, Una and Enya, but a lot of this book depends on learning each girl's individual plight. Suffice to say, I wanted to throw a lot of people off the cliffs of Beanna Dubh as each reveal was made and I have to admit, I smiled as things started to come to light and characters got their comeuppance.
As for the plot, I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what the book was building towards until the last few chapters hit and it was wonderful to question so many things until I finally got my answers. The whispers that Grizela could hear and the things she saw at night left me wondering if she was going mad or if there really were demons on Beanna Dubh, and that delicate balance is a definite plus for the story. I wanted to believe everything that Grizela thought she saw but at the same time, when she doubted herself, I had to wonder what was real. The sense of dread that Grizela felt, watching as the islanders were convinced about demons and then watching the behavior of the crows that seemed to be everywhere, all of this worked to build the suspense of trying to understand what was really going on. The way this book was written, every piece served a purpose, every reveal led to another point that led to another reveal, and by the time I reached the end of the book, the conclusion made everything I questioned make sense and I was admittedly impressed by the outcome. A lot of the draw of this story depends on the way the reader is led through every moment in this book and I, for one, enjoyed every twist and turn this book made.
I might not be able to read this book again for a while. A lot of what was revealed was tragic and it definitely made me angry and frustrated more times than I can recall but at the same time, I loved this book. I loved these characters and I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to read this story. I hope to find the time to read the rest of Shannon Morgan's books as soon as I can afford to add them to my library.
Rating on my Scale: I'm giving this 10 Stars because of the reveal at the end of the book. I'm usually able to see certain things coming but this book caught me off guard and I know I will remember it for a long time as an incredibly respectable read.
My thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Shannon Morgan for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am easily excitable when it comes to gothic tales with isolated island settings. Bonuspoints if those islands are Irish and/or Scottish or otherwise haunted by bleak weather year-round. Unfortunately, this specific Irish gothic murder-mystery was a miss for me. had this not been an ARC for review I would’ve almost certainly DNF-ed it.
The story:
Off the southern tip of the Irish mainland lies Beanna Dubh, an island of savage beauty, its jagged cliffs lashed by Atlantic winds and infested by thousands of crows. Untouched by 21st-century advances, the islanders live under the strict rule of the church, while clinging to old superstitions of the crows as harbingers of disaster.
Their isolated community is shaken up when a woman finds the body of a young priest with a diabolical symbol drawn on his chest, under a crow-darkened sky… Religious superstations rise and mass hysteria grows, as Grizela – a woman in her sixties who came to the island 40 years ago and is still considered an outsider by the locals - scrambles to protect the innocent—a quartet of young girls she has taken under her wing. When she uncovers dark truths behind the girls’ mysterious midnight gatherings, her grip on reality unravels and she is faced with an impossible do the unthinkable to protect the girls.
What I loved:
In a way, Penance for Crows delivered the one thing I wanted most from it; the gothic atmosphere. From the mist-swallowed rocky shores, to the tight-knit suspicious of outsiders island-community, to the corvids circling ominously overhead: this was spot on. The author brings the setting to life through her prose and the slow-building sense of gloom, foreboding and dread actually carried me to about the 50% point without any complaints. The audiobook adds to the immersion with a great narration in appropriate Irish accent. Although the story is set in modern times, this would work perfectly for historical-fiction fans too, as the island community feels like it’s stuck in the 1900’s, refusing to progress with the rest of the world into modern times. There were actually moments I forgot this was supposed to be “modern gothic”.
From the half way point on however, I felt like the novel never actually took flight and its flame fizzled out like a candle in a dark night.
What I didn’t love:
Atmosphere alone wasn’t enough to carry me through 300+ pages. Unfortunately, I found the plot and especially the characters to be lacking, which made me disengage from the story as a whole. As alive as the setting felt, so flat and lifeless felt the characters to me. I couldn’t get a feeling for Grizela’s personality and genuinely couldn’t tell the four younger girls apart, as they were written so similarly.
That feeling of disconnect kept the themes of bullying and ostracism from hitting as hard as they could have.
Although I liked the audio-narrator, and feel she delivered a great performance, I’m not sure if the casting fit the character of Grizela. Grizela is supposed to be an elderly woman in her sixties, which I kept forgetting constantly. Not only is she written significantly younger (at times you could’ve convinced me she was the 4 girls’ age!), the narrator sounds like a far younger woman too.
It pains me that I didn’t love this book as much as I hoped I would, specifically since I seem to be in the minority among early reviewers.
Many thanks to Tantor Media for providing me with an advanced listeners copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The story:
Off the southern tip of the Irish mainland lies Beanna Dubh, an island of savage beauty, its jagged cliffs lashed by Atlantic winds and infested by thousands of crows. Untouched by 21st-century advances, the islanders live under the strict rule of the church, while clinging to old superstitions of the crows as harbingers of disaster.
Their isolated community is shaken up when a woman finds the body of a young priest with a diabolical symbol drawn on his chest, under a crow-darkened sky… Religious superstations rise and mass hysteria grows, as Grizela – a woman in her sixties who came to the island 40 years ago and is still considered an outsider by the locals - scrambles to protect the innocent—a quartet of young girls she has taken under her wing. When she uncovers dark truths behind the girls’ mysterious midnight gatherings, her grip on reality unravels and she is faced with an impossible do the unthinkable to protect the girls.
What I loved:
In a way, Penance for Crows delivered the one thing I wanted most from it; the gothic atmosphere. From the mist-swallowed rocky shores, to the tight-knit suspicious of outsiders island-community, to the corvids circling ominously overhead: this was spot on. The author brings the setting to life through her prose and the slow-building sense of gloom, foreboding and dread actually carried me to about the 50% point without any complaints. The audiobook adds to the immersion with a great narration in appropriate Irish accent. Although the story is set in modern times, this would work perfectly for historical-fiction fans too, as the island community feels like it’s stuck in the 1900’s, refusing to progress with the rest of the world into modern times. There were actually moments I forgot this was supposed to be “modern gothic”.
From the half way point on however, I felt like the novel never actually took flight and its flame fizzled out like a candle in a dark night.
What I didn’t love:
Atmosphere alone wasn’t enough to carry me through 300+ pages. Unfortunately, I found the plot and especially the characters to be lacking, which made me disengage from the story as a whole. As alive as the setting felt, so flat and lifeless felt the characters to me. I couldn’t get a feeling for Grizela’s personality and genuinely couldn’t tell the four younger girls apart, as they were written so similarly.
That feeling of disconnect kept the themes of bullying and ostracism from hitting as hard as they could have.
Although I liked the audio-narrator, and feel she delivered a great performance, I’m not sure if the casting fit the character of Grizela. Grizela is supposed to be an elderly woman in her sixties, which I kept forgetting constantly. Not only is she written significantly younger (at times you could’ve convinced me she was the 4 girls’ age!), the narrator sounds like a far younger woman too.
It pains me that I didn’t love this book as much as I hoped I would, specifically since I seem to be in the minority among early reviewers.
Many thanks to Tantor Media for providing me with an advanced listeners copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 31, 2026
Last week I read Shannon Morgan's 2025 book, Grimdark, and I was excited to get into her brand new book, A Penance for Crows. This Gothic thriller takes place on a remote Irish island, Beanna Dubh, where 62-year-old Grizela has always been treated like an outsider. Not only is she Scottish, but she also spends her time conjuring macabre paintings at odds with the island community’s religious views. When a series of strange accidents leave several islanders dead, it’s hard to ignore the demonic sigils appearing around town at the same time. Who or what is causing these deaths? And do the victims deserve their fate?
What I Liked:
- Older protagonist. It’s not often I read a book where the main character is over sixty years old, but such is the case in A Penance for Crows. Grizela has spent 45 years running from her past, and though she’s still an outsider after all these years, she also has gained a certain wisdom. I liked seeing her relationship with a group of four teenaged girls and how she’s someone they can turn to for guidance.
- Unreliable narrator. As much as I like Grizela, she does lend the book a dreamlike point of view. She has a history of mental health issues, including depression and suicidal ideation. Now that so many of her neighbors are winding up dead, Grizela is fighting another mental break. I appreciated the mental health representation here, as well as the way Grizela’s perspective can be disorienting.
- Grappling with abuse. Grizela was a victim of extreme bullying when she was younger, and she sees the way some in Beanna Dubh are abusive now: a father who beats his children; a brother whose pranks have left his sister mentally unwell; a mother whose religious zeal is wielded like a weapon. There is a lot of trauma here, and yet the inhabitants of this island community continuously turn a blind eye. Domestic matters sort themselves out, right? Right?!
- Dangers of religion. Beanna Dubh is very old-fashioned in terms of religious beliefs and the hold the church has over its inhabitants. If religion is supposed to be a salvation and a protector, why doesn’t it stop the clearly documented abuse in town? What role do the priests have in protecting—or harming—those in the community?
Audiobook:
Siobhan Waring narrates A Penance for Crows, and her voice perfectly fits the foreboding, Gothic pace of the novel. She handles the Scottish and Irish accents well, and I enjoyed how she portrays Grizela in particular. Her narration made for an immersive read.
Final Thoughts
A Penance for Crows is a book that will sink its claws into you. It has Gothic atmosphere, from isolation to deep-buried secrets, as well as a town full of darkness and a penchant for avoiding hard topics. I appreciated the contrast of Grizela’s artwork and the demonic sigils versus the religious veil the islanders hide behind. The symbolism of the crows was the cherry on top. Fans of the thrillers and seeking your own justice will enjoy this novel.
Special thanks to Kensington, Tantor Media, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
What I Liked:
- Older protagonist. It’s not often I read a book where the main character is over sixty years old, but such is the case in A Penance for Crows. Grizela has spent 45 years running from her past, and though she’s still an outsider after all these years, she also has gained a certain wisdom. I liked seeing her relationship with a group of four teenaged girls and how she’s someone they can turn to for guidance.
- Unreliable narrator. As much as I like Grizela, she does lend the book a dreamlike point of view. She has a history of mental health issues, including depression and suicidal ideation. Now that so many of her neighbors are winding up dead, Grizela is fighting another mental break. I appreciated the mental health representation here, as well as the way Grizela’s perspective can be disorienting.
- Grappling with abuse. Grizela was a victim of extreme bullying when she was younger, and she sees the way some in Beanna Dubh are abusive now: a father who beats his children; a brother whose pranks have left his sister mentally unwell; a mother whose religious zeal is wielded like a weapon. There is a lot of trauma here, and yet the inhabitants of this island community continuously turn a blind eye. Domestic matters sort themselves out, right? Right?!
- Dangers of religion. Beanna Dubh is very old-fashioned in terms of religious beliefs and the hold the church has over its inhabitants. If religion is supposed to be a salvation and a protector, why doesn’t it stop the clearly documented abuse in town? What role do the priests have in protecting—or harming—those in the community?
Audiobook:
Siobhan Waring narrates A Penance for Crows, and her voice perfectly fits the foreboding, Gothic pace of the novel. She handles the Scottish and Irish accents well, and I enjoyed how she portrays Grizela in particular. Her narration made for an immersive read.
Final Thoughts
A Penance for Crows is a book that will sink its claws into you. It has Gothic atmosphere, from isolation to deep-buried secrets, as well as a town full of darkness and a penchant for avoiding hard topics. I appreciated the contrast of Grizela’s artwork and the demonic sigils versus the religious veil the islanders hide behind. The symbolism of the crows was the cherry on top. Fans of the thrillers and seeking your own justice will enjoy this novel.
Special thanks to Kensington, Tantor Media, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.7/5
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!
A Penance for Crows is a respectable murder mystery/gothic thriller with a really intriguing setting and a community of people that feel realistic.
It follows Grizela, a middle-aged woman who lives on a remote Irish Island filled with VERY religious Christians. When one of the local priests turns up dead with a suspicious symbol drawn on his chest, the town begins to point fingers at one another and fear this could be the result of Satanic beliefs.
Grizela is an interesting main character to follow because she's already on outsider on this island. While she moved there decades ago, she never bought into the religious zealotry many of the island-dwellers partake in, making her appear to be a godless heathen. She also has a dark past that is undisclosed for much of the book, making her an untrustworthy narrator. Her protection and love for the Lassies, a group of four teenage girls that live on the island, gives her a maternal role and makes her more likable to the reader.
The Lassies all kind of run together to me, to be honest. They each have unique aspects that set them apart, but I feel like it took me a little to long to be able to tell which is which. Ultimately, they're all hurting in some area of their lives, which trauma playing a large role in the book. You definitely feel empathy for them because they're just kids dealing with large issues they shouldn't have to handle on their own, while the rest of the town turns a blind eye to them.
Sean, the officer, is a mostly likable character, but sometimes his naivety becomes frustrating. Watching him defend members of the town that absolutely don't deserve it gets old fast, but it serves a very important role in the book: it prevents him from being a character that Grizela can undoubtedly trust, making her more alone and having to wrestle with more moral dilemmas.
The other members of the island run are all unique and memorably so, but they all kind of run together in that they are overly religious, blame Grizela for everything, and seem determined to ignore the Lassies' obvious cries for help. The priest left on the island is pretty evil and Sean's mother is the worst besides him. They're rather flat in that they're just problem characters, but the story really doesn't need them to be anything else. Grizela and the Lassies are characters with great depth that keep the story rolling.
I felt the story was a little dull and predictable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I felt the story matched the island on which it took place in both the predictability of the residents and the dreariness of the weather. While there are several characters, I didn't feel there were many suspects, so I pretty much felt I knew where the story was going, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.
Overall, this was a perfect rainy day read with complex characters that you question often.
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!
A Penance for Crows is a respectable murder mystery/gothic thriller with a really intriguing setting and a community of people that feel realistic.
It follows Grizela, a middle-aged woman who lives on a remote Irish Island filled with VERY religious Christians. When one of the local priests turns up dead with a suspicious symbol drawn on his chest, the town begins to point fingers at one another and fear this could be the result of Satanic beliefs.
Grizela is an interesting main character to follow because she's already on outsider on this island. While she moved there decades ago, she never bought into the religious zealotry many of the island-dwellers partake in, making her appear to be a godless heathen. She also has a dark past that is undisclosed for much of the book, making her an untrustworthy narrator. Her protection and love for the Lassies, a group of four teenage girls that live on the island, gives her a maternal role and makes her more likable to the reader.
The Lassies all kind of run together to me, to be honest. They each have unique aspects that set them apart, but I feel like it took me a little to long to be able to tell which is which. Ultimately, they're all hurting in some area of their lives, which trauma playing a large role in the book. You definitely feel empathy for them because they're just kids dealing with large issues they shouldn't have to handle on their own, while the rest of the town turns a blind eye to them.
Sean, the officer, is a mostly likable character, but sometimes his naivety becomes frustrating. Watching him defend members of the town that absolutely don't deserve it gets old fast, but it serves a very important role in the book: it prevents him from being a character that Grizela can undoubtedly trust, making her more alone and having to wrestle with more moral dilemmas.
The other members of the island run are all unique and memorably so, but they all kind of run together in that they are overly religious, blame Grizela for everything, and seem determined to ignore the Lassies' obvious cries for help. The priest left on the island is pretty evil and Sean's mother is the worst besides him. They're rather flat in that they're just problem characters, but the story really doesn't need them to be anything else. Grizela and the Lassies are characters with great depth that keep the story rolling.
I felt the story was a little dull and predictable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I felt the story matched the island on which it took place in both the predictability of the residents and the dreariness of the weather. While there are several characters, I didn't feel there were many suspects, so I pretty much felt I knew where the story was going, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.
Overall, this was a perfect rainy day read with complex characters that you question often.
August 16, 2026
"The night was hers; a world of shadow and grey, free from disruptions of everyday life, free from the despair that sometimes swamped her in the daylight hours. "
"She knew how she was viewed—the crazy artist who kept unusual hours, living on the fringes, and refusing to conform. Nonconformity was probably her biggest sin in the eyes of the church. It didn’t help that Grizela found it hard not to interfere, and like a maddened ram, she butted in when she wasn’t wanted, probably doing more harm than good, although her intentions were always sound."
Set on the remote Scottish island of Beanna Dubh, this novel tells the story of a woman named Grizela Urquhart who had sought refuge there some four decades prior as a teenager to escape her troubled life on the Scottish mainland. The inhabitants of Beanna Dubh have reluctantly allowed her to live on their island community, one that is fiercely religious and devoted to one Saint Abban, though she still resides as something of an outcast. When a series of deaths begin striking the community, along with the appearances of strange demonic symbols, suspicion is immediately cast on Grizela and 'her Lassies,' four teenage girls in the community that are also outsiders in their own way. It's then something of a mystery story that deals with the classic gothic theme of the past intruding upon and haunting the present.
It's also a narrative that deals with the ignoring/covering up of abuse against woman by patriarchal institutional powers, which is the church of Beanna Dubh in this case, headed by Father Murphy. Although it's set in the present-day, Grizela resembles something of the medieval folkloric witch-figure—an older and unmarried woman, keeping to herself, with habits considered unusual by the community. She's something of an enfolding as a character of those more one-dimensional folkloric figures. Part of the narrative itself deals with unraveling the story of why she came to seek refuge on the island in the first place. At the same time, her Lassies form an interest contrast, being much younger and more naïve in character than Grizela, though no less ostracized by people of Beanna Dubh, while each also faces varying abuses and harms from their families and other members of the community. Yet that abuse is continually swept under the rug, and when the deaths begin occurring it is eventually the Lassies that are also suspected. That aspect of communal suspicion is also combined with the wider mystery element as to what even going on in Beanna Dubh. Grizela is driven by the strange whispers she constantly hears around these events. This itself leads to questions as to whether there is something supernatural at work in the deaths and symbols, or if it is merely a case of an isolated community driven mad by paranoia.
"She knew how she was viewed—the crazy artist who kept unusual hours, living on the fringes, and refusing to conform. Nonconformity was probably her biggest sin in the eyes of the church. It didn’t help that Grizela found it hard not to interfere, and like a maddened ram, she butted in when she wasn’t wanted, probably doing more harm than good, although her intentions were always sound."
Set on the remote Scottish island of Beanna Dubh, this novel tells the story of a woman named Grizela Urquhart who had sought refuge there some four decades prior as a teenager to escape her troubled life on the Scottish mainland. The inhabitants of Beanna Dubh have reluctantly allowed her to live on their island community, one that is fiercely religious and devoted to one Saint Abban, though she still resides as something of an outcast. When a series of deaths begin striking the community, along with the appearances of strange demonic symbols, suspicion is immediately cast on Grizela and 'her Lassies,' four teenage girls in the community that are also outsiders in their own way. It's then something of a mystery story that deals with the classic gothic theme of the past intruding upon and haunting the present.
It's also a narrative that deals with the ignoring/covering up of abuse against woman by patriarchal institutional powers, which is the church of Beanna Dubh in this case, headed by Father Murphy. Although it's set in the present-day, Grizela resembles something of the medieval folkloric witch-figure—an older and unmarried woman, keeping to herself, with habits considered unusual by the community. She's something of an enfolding as a character of those more one-dimensional folkloric figures. Part of the narrative itself deals with unraveling the story of why she came to seek refuge on the island in the first place. At the same time, her Lassies form an interest contrast, being much younger and more naïve in character than Grizela, though no less ostracized by people of Beanna Dubh, while each also faces varying abuses and harms from their families and other members of the community. Yet that abuse is continually swept under the rug, and when the deaths begin occurring it is eventually the Lassies that are also suspected. That aspect of communal suspicion is also combined with the wider mystery element as to what even going on in Beanna Dubh. Grizela is driven by the strange whispers she constantly hears around these events. This itself leads to questions as to whether there is something supernatural at work in the deaths and symbols, or if it is merely a case of an isolated community driven mad by paranoia.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the free, pre-publication copy (ARC or Digital Review Copy) of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I was so excited to be able to read an advanced copy of this book, based on the premise, it looked to be right up my alley and it did not disappoint!! I adored this book, everything about it.
The desolate location, which became one of our lead characters in my opinion, was felt with every weather change, random “discovery”, and lantern lit walk. The nearly inhospitable charm of the even more remote location of our FMC’s home had me longing for a visit. I found our FMC Grizela sadly relatable on so many levels, which could explain part of my love for this book. The need to escape a horrible event that shapes the course of your life, sadly, was so relatable. I was cheering for Grizela the entire time. Her struggles felt at the core of me, and I was so appreciative that she wasn’t a young little thing...she was a woman who had lived a life. The demonic elements were lovely little tastes and didn’t overcome the heart of the story....but the gothic elements were sprinkled everywhere. I loved Grizela’s love of midnight wanderings and cemetery strolls, I too find safety in the quiet of tombstones, and found this such a beautiful and again relatable trait. Her artsy nature being expressed in what most believe to be dark and disturbing was so understandable. The young girls, whom Grizela obviously adored, were at the heart of this story and I loved their companionship in a town that was constantly working to break them down. And the crows....ahhh the crows!!!!!! Constantly looming on all the actions of all our players, judging and judging. The evil that looms over this very small town controlled by fear is palpable, frightening, and at some points unforgiveable.
The plot twist at the end was lovely, while not 100% surprising, the way it was fleshed out felt so right and nicely wrapped up....and the afterword was icing on the cake! A perfect end! I would highly recommend this book, and will be purchasing a copy when it is released so that I can revisit it whenever I want and support this author!
I was so excited to be able to read an advanced copy of this book, based on the premise, it looked to be right up my alley and it did not disappoint!! I adored this book, everything about it.
The desolate location, which became one of our lead characters in my opinion, was felt with every weather change, random “discovery”, and lantern lit walk. The nearly inhospitable charm of the even more remote location of our FMC’s home had me longing for a visit. I found our FMC Grizela sadly relatable on so many levels, which could explain part of my love for this book. The need to escape a horrible event that shapes the course of your life, sadly, was so relatable. I was cheering for Grizela the entire time. Her struggles felt at the core of me, and I was so appreciative that she wasn’t a young little thing...she was a woman who had lived a life. The demonic elements were lovely little tastes and didn’t overcome the heart of the story....but the gothic elements were sprinkled everywhere. I loved Grizela’s love of midnight wanderings and cemetery strolls, I too find safety in the quiet of tombstones, and found this such a beautiful and again relatable trait. Her artsy nature being expressed in what most believe to be dark and disturbing was so understandable. The young girls, whom Grizela obviously adored, were at the heart of this story and I loved their companionship in a town that was constantly working to break them down. And the crows....ahhh the crows!!!!!! Constantly looming on all the actions of all our players, judging and judging. The evil that looms over this very small town controlled by fear is palpable, frightening, and at some points unforgiveable.
The plot twist at the end was lovely, while not 100% surprising, the way it was fleshed out felt so right and nicely wrapped up....and the afterword was icing on the cake! A perfect end! I would highly recommend this book, and will be purchasing a copy when it is released so that I can revisit it whenever I want and support this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
4.5☆
The crows know. The crows witness. The crows warn.
Grizela, 62 years-old, haunted by her past and scorned by the villagers of Abbandine finds herself in the middle of a mystery and a haunting. Due to the painful memories of the extreme bullying Grizela endured as a girl, and the strange happenings on Beanna Dubh, she starts to question her own sanity. She hears whispers in the wind (shashasha), sees figures in the fog and the crows are acting strangely. Then the accidents start happening. The sigils start appearing.
Grizela watches over "her Lassies," teenage girls, each one of whom is abused, neglected and bullied. Grizela nurtures them, provides them guidance and tries her best to protect them. She extends the help that she did not receive as a young girl.
There are plenty of hate filled, holier-than-thou characters within this novel. The worst is Father Murphy who runs Beanna Dubh like his own little kingdom. He keeps his congregants in fear. The internet, cell phones or anything of the current time is forbidden. At times I had to remind myself that the story was taking place in the current time and not the Medieval period!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Shannon Morgan, Kensington Publishing and Booksirens.
Instances of abuse are included within the pages of this book. If you are triggered by themes of abuse tread carefully.
My heart broke for Grizela and her Lassies. I understand the emotional, mental and sometimes physical pain of being bullied daily. Being the only child of an American Indian and an Irishman, in an all Caucasian community, I endured prejudice and extreme bullying and not all of it was from children, adults engaged in a fair amount too. But, what is past is past.
Favorite Quote:
"It's funny that we think of abuse as what adults do to children, or husbands to their wives, men to women. Even now, what happened to me would be called bullying, severe bullying, but we dinnae call it by what it really is, and that is abuse. Children abuse other children, going far beyond what is the conventional understanding of bullying. Is there even a word for that?"
Grizela Urquhart
The crows know. The crows witness. The crows warn.
Grizela, 62 years-old, haunted by her past and scorned by the villagers of Abbandine finds herself in the middle of a mystery and a haunting. Due to the painful memories of the extreme bullying Grizela endured as a girl, and the strange happenings on Beanna Dubh, she starts to question her own sanity. She hears whispers in the wind (shashasha), sees figures in the fog and the crows are acting strangely. Then the accidents start happening. The sigils start appearing.
Grizela watches over "her Lassies," teenage girls, each one of whom is abused, neglected and bullied. Grizela nurtures them, provides them guidance and tries her best to protect them. She extends the help that she did not receive as a young girl.
There are plenty of hate filled, holier-than-thou characters within this novel. The worst is Father Murphy who runs Beanna Dubh like his own little kingdom. He keeps his congregants in fear. The internet, cell phones or anything of the current time is forbidden. At times I had to remind myself that the story was taking place in the current time and not the Medieval period!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Shannon Morgan, Kensington Publishing and Booksirens.
Instances of abuse are included within the pages of this book. If you are triggered by themes of abuse tread carefully.
My heart broke for Grizela and her Lassies. I understand the emotional, mental and sometimes physical pain of being bullied daily. Being the only child of an American Indian and an Irishman, in an all Caucasian community, I endured prejudice and extreme bullying and not all of it was from children, adults engaged in a fair amount too. But, what is past is past.
Favorite Quote:
"It's funny that we think of abuse as what adults do to children, or husbands to their wives, men to women. Even now, what happened to me would be called bullying, severe bullying, but we dinnae call it by what it really is, and that is abuse. Children abuse other children, going far beyond what is the conventional understanding of bullying. Is there even a word for that?"
Grizela Urquhart
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was my first experience with Shannon Morgan, though definitely not my first gothic horror novel—and honestly, I think that may have worked against this book a little for me because the premise itself is SO strong.
A remote Irish island overrun with crows, religious extremism, superstition, isolation, whispers of madness, and a woman haunted by both her past and the island itself? On paper, this should have been a perfect fit for me.
And to be fair, the atmosphere really is the strongest part of the novel. The prose is dramatic, poetic, and deeply moody in that very classic gothic horror way. You can practically feel the cold salt air and hear the crows circling overhead while reading. Shannon Morgan absolutely knows how to create an eerie setting.
Unfortunately, I struggled to emotionally connect with almost everyone in the story—especially Grizela. Something about her characterization felt slightly off to me, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why. I also really wish we had gotten more of her life and personality before arriving on the island because I never fully understood her as a person outside of her trauma and isolation.
That disconnect extended to most of the cast overall. We learn bits and pieces about the islanders and their histories throughout the story, but none of it made me especially invested in them emotionally. I wasn’t attached to the characters as much as I was attached to the idea of the story and where the plot was heading.
The pacing also felt very slow for me. Some of that may simply come down to the highly poetic writing style, which occasionally made scenes feel more abstract than immersive, but I do think the story itself could have benefited from tightening in certain places.
Overall, I don’t think this is a bad gothic horror novel at all—it has beautiful prose, a haunting setting, and genuinely creepy atmosphere. I just kept feeling like there was untapped potential beneath it all. The premise was incredibly compelling, but I never fully emotionally connected with the people inside the story enough for the horror to hit as hard as it could have.
A remote Irish island overrun with crows, religious extremism, superstition, isolation, whispers of madness, and a woman haunted by both her past and the island itself? On paper, this should have been a perfect fit for me.
And to be fair, the atmosphere really is the strongest part of the novel. The prose is dramatic, poetic, and deeply moody in that very classic gothic horror way. You can practically feel the cold salt air and hear the crows circling overhead while reading. Shannon Morgan absolutely knows how to create an eerie setting.
Unfortunately, I struggled to emotionally connect with almost everyone in the story—especially Grizela. Something about her characterization felt slightly off to me, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why. I also really wish we had gotten more of her life and personality before arriving on the island because I never fully understood her as a person outside of her trauma and isolation.
That disconnect extended to most of the cast overall. We learn bits and pieces about the islanders and their histories throughout the story, but none of it made me especially invested in them emotionally. I wasn’t attached to the characters as much as I was attached to the idea of the story and where the plot was heading.
The pacing also felt very slow for me. Some of that may simply come down to the highly poetic writing style, which occasionally made scenes feel more abstract than immersive, but I do think the story itself could have benefited from tightening in certain places.
Overall, I don’t think this is a bad gothic horror novel at all—it has beautiful prose, a haunting setting, and genuinely creepy atmosphere. I just kept feeling like there was untapped potential beneath it all. The premise was incredibly compelling, but I never fully emotionally connected with the people inside the story enough for the horror to hit as hard as it could have.
July 25, 2026
Thank you to Kensington for the gifted copy - all opinions are my own.
A Penance For Crows is an Irish mystery with a patient buildup and dreary, gothic vibes.
On the island of Beanna Dubh lives a sanctimonious community existing under archaic religious practices and plagued by our favorite gothic birds - crows. We follow Grizela, a none too liked outcast and eccentric artist who has resided on the island for over forty years. Grizela has hardly a friend to speak of but she does have her Lassies, a group of teenage girls she’s taken under her wing. When bodies and symbols start appearing around the island and the girls’ behavior becomes strange, Grizela begins unpacking the community’s secrets…as well as her own.
The atmosphere the author has created is delectably gothic and dreadful. The Irish ruins and cliffs in combination with the misty landscape transported me to the setting. While it’s a contemporary story, the island’s lack of technology was helpful in maintaining a sense of isolation and dread. The residents were eerie and mistrustful from the beginning which even further drove home Grizela’s solitude.
While there was a certain level of dread and an obvious eeriness in the setting, the slower plot made it difficult to feel a sense of urgency. Some of the points felt repetitive by the conclusion. Still, at other times, the gradual buildup grounded the story and allowed one to really get in to Grizela’s psyche.
I enjoyed this gothic mystery, though it did fall short on the horror elements. The characters were executed very well and I appreciated that they each held unique motives and drivers. Grizela was a lovely change of pace from your standard run-of-the-mill protagonist. She’s been around the block and has a certain grace and respect about her.
Overall, this is a solid gothic piece that suffers a bit with pace but remains an enjoyable and atmospheric read. I recommend for fans of gothic storytellings, Irish settings, and crows.
A Penance For Crows is an Irish mystery with a patient buildup and dreary, gothic vibes.
On the island of Beanna Dubh lives a sanctimonious community existing under archaic religious practices and plagued by our favorite gothic birds - crows. We follow Grizela, a none too liked outcast and eccentric artist who has resided on the island for over forty years. Grizela has hardly a friend to speak of but she does have her Lassies, a group of teenage girls she’s taken under her wing. When bodies and symbols start appearing around the island and the girls’ behavior becomes strange, Grizela begins unpacking the community’s secrets…as well as her own.
The atmosphere the author has created is delectably gothic and dreadful. The Irish ruins and cliffs in combination with the misty landscape transported me to the setting. While it’s a contemporary story, the island’s lack of technology was helpful in maintaining a sense of isolation and dread. The residents were eerie and mistrustful from the beginning which even further drove home Grizela’s solitude.
While there was a certain level of dread and an obvious eeriness in the setting, the slower plot made it difficult to feel a sense of urgency. Some of the points felt repetitive by the conclusion. Still, at other times, the gradual buildup grounded the story and allowed one to really get in to Grizela’s psyche.
I enjoyed this gothic mystery, though it did fall short on the horror elements. The characters were executed very well and I appreciated that they each held unique motives and drivers. Grizela was a lovely change of pace from your standard run-of-the-mill protagonist. She’s been around the block and has a certain grace and respect about her.
Overall, this is a solid gothic piece that suffers a bit with pace but remains an enjoyable and atmospheric read. I recommend for fans of gothic storytellings, Irish settings, and crows.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley & Kensington Press for an e-ARC of this book!
Quote to set the mood: “It was an eerie, evocative place, a grave yard to the short lived industrial endeavors of Beanna Dubh, where only nimble-footed sheep dared roam and the thundering sea applauded human ingenuity with unceasing mockery.” Morgan has created an atmospheric slow burn that tackles small town dynamics, abuses that everyone sees yet no one stops, religious manipulation leading to creeping madness and the way people cope with the abuses of bullying and isolation. Another quote to capture the essence of this story: “It had been a tough wake up call as a teen, knowing that gap in society where horrible things could be done to her and no one would hear her pleas for help. Even as an adult, it didn’t take more than an unkind word for Grizela’s fragile self acceptance to fray and unravel.” If you are interested in demonology, feminine rage, superstition and revenge, you will likely enjoy this story. I did find myself attached to some of the characters, namely The Lassies & the pub owner, Darra. I also find that Father Murphy was a VERY well done villain. Think of Judge Frollo from the Hunchback of Norte Dame (Disney version).
As for myself, while the world building was very well done, I felt like the pacing was a little slow, and the ending was not as satisfying in my opinion. I agree with the many sentiments by other reviewers that something just felt incomplete about this story.
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*SPOILER* I felt what was missing was the actual demonic activity. Had the ending revealed a slew of demons that 4 teenagers had unwittingly unleashed on their small Irish island homeland, I’d have loved it. But in the end, we get a very boring unreliable narrator story. Lots of potential, but a little boring.
Quote to set the mood: “It was an eerie, evocative place, a grave yard to the short lived industrial endeavors of Beanna Dubh, where only nimble-footed sheep dared roam and the thundering sea applauded human ingenuity with unceasing mockery.” Morgan has created an atmospheric slow burn that tackles small town dynamics, abuses that everyone sees yet no one stops, religious manipulation leading to creeping madness and the way people cope with the abuses of bullying and isolation. Another quote to capture the essence of this story: “It had been a tough wake up call as a teen, knowing that gap in society where horrible things could be done to her and no one would hear her pleas for help. Even as an adult, it didn’t take more than an unkind word for Grizela’s fragile self acceptance to fray and unravel.” If you are interested in demonology, feminine rage, superstition and revenge, you will likely enjoy this story. I did find myself attached to some of the characters, namely The Lassies & the pub owner, Darra. I also find that Father Murphy was a VERY well done villain. Think of Judge Frollo from the Hunchback of Norte Dame (Disney version).
As for myself, while the world building was very well done, I felt like the pacing was a little slow, and the ending was not as satisfying in my opinion. I agree with the many sentiments by other reviewers that something just felt incomplete about this story.
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*SPOILER* I felt what was missing was the actual demonic activity. Had the ending revealed a slew of demons that 4 teenagers had unwittingly unleashed on their small Irish island homeland, I’d have loved it. But in the end, we get a very boring unreliable narrator story. Lots of potential, but a little boring.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Penance For Crows is a thrillingly mindbending story set on Beanna Dubh, a fictional Irish island. Even though the word around the island is in the current century those that live on the island may as well be many years removed.
The Church reins supreme on this small island where everyone knows everyone's secrets. Where horrible things can happen and those that know of it turn a blind eye.
Grizella is what is considered a blow in, someone not native to the island and because of that she has always been held apart. Although she herself has always seemed a little odd, what artists aren’t?
After a book about demonic sigils is returned to her she realizes everything around her is about to change. With the appearance of 4 different demonic symbols are found one by one with each mark someone dies. The islanders are terrified that someone has brought the devil to their island. Grizella’s lassies find themselves in the center of it all. Each of them having suffered cruelty at someone's hands that people turn blind eyes on.
Grizella’s unease intensifies when she begins to hear noises and whispers that only she and one of the girls seems able to hear. She doesn’t know if her reality is crumbling around her or if demons really have been summoned to her island sanctuary.
#APenanceForCrows by #ShannonMorgan is a fantastic novel, you get lost in the island forgetting that it's not truly set in the old times, but by the end of the book you aren’t really sure what has happened and if indeed these demons made their mark, if it was an accident or if human hands played the main role. Your heart will ache for the girls and especially for Grizella for the cruelties that she faced as a young girl and the choices she had to make to change her life.
Thank you so much to #Netgalley and #PenguinRandomHousePublishing for the chance to read an arc of this amazing novel!
The Church reins supreme on this small island where everyone knows everyone's secrets. Where horrible things can happen and those that know of it turn a blind eye.
Grizella is what is considered a blow in, someone not native to the island and because of that she has always been held apart. Although she herself has always seemed a little odd, what artists aren’t?
After a book about demonic sigils is returned to her she realizes everything around her is about to change. With the appearance of 4 different demonic symbols are found one by one with each mark someone dies. The islanders are terrified that someone has brought the devil to their island. Grizella’s lassies find themselves in the center of it all. Each of them having suffered cruelty at someone's hands that people turn blind eyes on.
Grizella’s unease intensifies when she begins to hear noises and whispers that only she and one of the girls seems able to hear. She doesn’t know if her reality is crumbling around her or if demons really have been summoned to her island sanctuary.
#APenanceForCrows by #ShannonMorgan is a fantastic novel, you get lost in the island forgetting that it's not truly set in the old times, but by the end of the book you aren’t really sure what has happened and if indeed these demons made their mark, if it was an accident or if human hands played the main role. Your heart will ache for the girls and especially for Grizella for the cruelties that she faced as a young girl and the choices she had to make to change her life.
Thank you so much to #Netgalley and #PenguinRandomHousePublishing for the chance to read an arc of this amazing novel!
August 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5* rounded down to 3*.
This was a wonderfully Gothic, dark tale. I loved the island setting and the descriptions of the landscapes and various locations that we come to know in the story. I found the murders and growing mystery around who had done it and the tension between supernatural vs human explanations really well done. The different characters in the community were well fleshed-out and each felt unique and had their own personality and voice. I enjoyed the themes examining how religion and patriarchy are bound together, often at the expense of the safety of girls and young women. I also enjoyed the dynamics explored within the local community when abuse and misbehaviour by men is directly called out, and how this slowly changed through the book.
I felt Grizela, the main character, was too passive at times and didn't feel authentic for someone of her age. Especially when it came to her teenage Lassies; sometimes she would step in to defend them, but other times she seemed to stand back and let them be accused and attacked which didn't feel true to how her relationship with them was described elsewhere in the novel.
I felt that the big reveal at the end wasn't well done. Without wanting to spoil the ending, it didn't really make sense when I went back through the book, and I felt the clues were clumsy. To me it didn't fit with the novels central themes and felt a bit like a 'gotcha' rather than a cleverly executed twist. As someone from Northern Ireland, I also found some of the colloquialisms a little inauthentic and overused. In particular, the repeated use of the phrase "Is that yourself, [name]?" pulled me out of the story because it didn't always feel like natural dialogue.
3.5* rounded down to 3*.
This was a wonderfully Gothic, dark tale. I loved the island setting and the descriptions of the landscapes and various locations that we come to know in the story. I found the murders and growing mystery around who had done it and the tension between supernatural vs human explanations really well done. The different characters in the community were well fleshed-out and each felt unique and had their own personality and voice. I enjoyed the themes examining how religion and patriarchy are bound together, often at the expense of the safety of girls and young women. I also enjoyed the dynamics explored within the local community when abuse and misbehaviour by men is directly called out, and how this slowly changed through the book.
I felt Grizela, the main character, was too passive at times and didn't feel authentic for someone of her age. Especially when it came to her teenage Lassies; sometimes she would step in to defend them, but other times she seemed to stand back and let them be accused and attacked which didn't feel true to how her relationship with them was described elsewhere in the novel.
I felt that the big reveal at the end wasn't well done. Without wanting to spoil the ending, it didn't really make sense when I went back through the book, and I felt the clues were clumsy. To me it didn't fit with the novels central themes and felt a bit like a 'gotcha' rather than a cleverly executed twist. As someone from Northern Ireland, I also found some of the colloquialisms a little inauthentic and overused. In particular, the repeated use of the phrase "Is that yourself, [name]?" pulled me out of the story because it didn't always feel like natural dialogue.
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