What do you think?
Rate this book
A Penance for Crows
Not yet published
Expected 28 Jul 26An 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.
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 28, 2026
4 people are currently reading
5883 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Morgan
4 books532 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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.
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.”
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 received from Netgalley
(Recieved from NetGalley) Having recently moved to a secluded, small area where a surprising amount of sick things happen that authorities overlook/don't care about, this book was a little more impactful than it probably would've been before moving. I work in a school, so I hear a lot and do my best to help, but unfortunately I can't control the authorities and it really makes you mad and disheartened sometimes. Anyway, I had a more personal appreciation for that aspect of the book. I liked it overall, but it was a little slow in parts. I liked the ending and definitely had my suspicions, but it did feel a little rushed/like a bombardment. Again, I had my suspicions, but the book didn't specifically hint at it. Also, the book mentioned Grizela had a mental episode around the time she moved to the island, but we never really discussed it. I don't fully understand that. I think the pacing was a little off in general, but I loved the imagery and I genuinely wasn't positive what REALLY happened until it was revealed. That's something I haven't experienced in a while, so I was happy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I do love reading and watching horror related stuff, but this story wasn't my cup of tea.
The build up was very slow. The cover was beautiful and one of the reasons why I chose to read this book.
Another reason why I chose to read this book is because it was an Irish folk story. I haven't read an Irish folk story surrounded in horror and cults, but this one was very promising.
Good luck to the author whenever you book is released!
The build up was very slow. The cover was beautiful and one of the reasons why I chose to read this book.
Another reason why I chose to read this book is because it was an Irish folk story. I haven't read an Irish folk story surrounded in horror and cults, but this one was very promising.
Good luck to the author whenever you book is released!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In a quiet Irish village where everyone knows each other’s history, a series of shocking deaths marked by strange symbols draws Grizela and the community into a chain of unsettling events. Some believe the symbols are summoning demons, others dismiss them as cruel pranks tied to tragic accidents, while a few fear a killer may be moving unnoticed among them.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews