Hear the Dead

by Ann Dávila Cardinal

One woman. A string of unsolved murders. Only she can hear the victims.

Elena Altieri never wanted to be famous, and certainly not at sixty-six years old. For over forty years she's been hiding from her New York City punk rock youth in the hills of Vermont, but now, the past is catching up with her in more ways than one. Not only is she losing her hearing, but the photographs she took of a recently deceased musician are going viral. Suddenly, she finds herself summoned back to the city for an exhibit celebrating her work and thrust into a world she'd hoped to keep locked away forever. A world where her best friend, Sin, is dead. 

At the exhibit, Elena hears the screams of a woman ringing among the hum of her tinnitus, and she's sure something horrible has occurred. But since no one else can hear them, she convinces herself it's just her damaged ears playing tricks. She tries to put the event behind her, but when the auditory visions continue whenever she touches something of Sin's, she becomes convinced she's hearing her friend's murder. Desperate for answers, she has no choice but dig into the past, and what she'll uncover will not only force her to reckon with her own fractured memories, but might prove that Sin, and other innocent women from their youth, were the victims of an unspeakable crime that only she can solve. Old punks never die, and Elena's going to prove that.

Edgy, mysterious, and full of heart, Hear the Dead is at once an inventive and biting story following one aging woman desperate to solve crimes from her past, and a thought-provoking meditation on friendship, justice, and what it means to remember who we are. 

Genres: Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Music

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 6, 2026

About the author

Ann is a Nuyorican, Vermont-based novelist with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA). She comes from a long line of Puerto Rican writers, including father and son poets Virgilio and José Antonio Dávila, and her cousin, award-winning fiction writer Tere Dávila.

Ann’s first solo novel, a young adult horror novel titled Five Midnights, was released by Tor Teen on June 4, 2019. Five Midnights won the 2020 International Latino Book Award in the category of Best Young Adult Fantasy & Adventure, an AudioFile’s Earphones Award for the audiobook, and was finalist for the Bram Stoker Award. The story continues in Category Five, also from Tor Teen, released on June 2, 2020. Category Five is a 2021 nominee for the same International Latino Book Award category. Her latest young adult horror novel, Breakup From Hell, was released by HarperCollins on January 3, 2023.

Her first adult novel, the Puerto Rican magical realist mystery The Storyteller’s Death, was released from Sourcebooks Landmark on October 4, 2022. Her second adult novel, We Need No Wings, is scheduled for release in October 2024.

Her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, including Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology from HarperCollins (2022), Lockdown: Stories of Crime, Terror, and Hope During a Pandemic from Polis Books (2020) and the Latine young adult collection Our Shadows Have Claws from Workman Publishing (9/6/22),

Ann lives in Vermont with her husband in a lovely little house with a massively creepy basement.

Reviews

[GCR | Book Realm]

ARC provided by Sourcebooks.

This had some elements I genuinely enjoyed, especially the Puerto Rican references and cultural details throughout the story. Unfortunately, that was the part I connected with the most.

The pacing felt really slow to me, and I never became invested in the characters or the mystery enough for the tension to land. I kept waiting for the story to pull me in, but it never really did.

I can appreciate the cultural perspective and what the book was trying to do, but the actual reading experience just wasn’t for me.

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy slower supernatural mysteries, character-driven stories, and Puerto Rican cultural elements woven into the plot.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hear the Dead is a popcorn thriller with of magical realism and a backdrop of punk rock culture. While it wasn’t a bad book, I don’t think it was the right fit for me.

It’s always refreshing to read a thriller with an older woman as the main character, and I really appreciated that. I also enjoyed the friendship at the heart of the story and genuinely wanted to know what happened to Sin. Unfortunately, I felt like the answers were telegraphed from the beginning and I couldn’t wrap my head around why Elana wasn’t more alarmed or suspicious about the death of someone she had been so deeply connected to.

The ending ultimately left me disappointed, and I found most of the character resolutions unsatisfying. The punk elements also came across as a little cheesy for my taste, and I still don’t understand the decision to make Luis Guzmán a character.

Even though this one didn’t quite work for me, I can see it appealing to readers looking for a fast-paced, supernatural-leaning mystery with an unconventional protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Landmark for providing me with an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jane Seager · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book with very little expectation, having only read a short introduction beforehand.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked and immediately drawn to the main character. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks to the 80s that appeared at the end of some chapters as they added depth and atmosphere. The author’s portrayal of the 80s punk scene felt vivid and authentic, exactly how I’d imagine New York during that era (unfortunately, I was born after the 80’s but admire a lot of the 80’s culture and pop references!). I also appreciated the strong character development, particularly the relationship between the protagonist and her best friend.

The author’s writing style really resonated with me. I loved how the main character was portrayed still incredibly tough and compelling and still a total badass, even as she approaches her 60s. Honestly, she’s the kind of person I’d aspire to be!

The world-building was well done, with rich descriptions that made the setting feel immersive and also a hint of thriller element. At times, it genuinely felt like I was right there in an 80s nightclub, surrounded by the energy of a famous punk band.

I would recommend reading this book if you are a fan of punk culture and a thriller genres. I enjoyed my time reading this book.

Thank you (SOURCEBOOKS Landmark) for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There was a special kind of high that came with dancing to live music in the middle of a throbbing crowd of people. It was as if the dance floor had its own heartbeat, and you were an essential part of its life force.”

This story I can compare to one of those crazy, thrill rollercoasters. You know, the kind where the ride starts off calm, a little bumpy, and then all of a sudden, you are jolted into oblivion? Are you into those kind of rides? If so, Hear the Dead is EXACTLY like that.

Our main character, 66 year old, Elena, is just the perfect amount of badass that I can only aspire to become a fraction of when I reach that stage in my life.

40 years ago,Elena was a youthful, punk rock photographer in the heart of New York City. However, she ends up abandoning that life one night, with no memory of why. Her best friend, Sin, is also found dead shortly after.
Flash forward, 40 years in the present, and Elena is summoned back to the city, back to her punk rock roots, because a famous musician’s passing has sparked life back into her work from the past. Walking those same streets, visiting those same buildings from many years ago, a “gift” is ignited that sets Elena off on a thrilling quest she could never have imagined for herself. She discovers that by touching certain objects from dead women of her punk rock past, she is able to hear them. She hears their last moments. She is sure they didn’t overdose like all the sources claim. She is convinced she hears their murder. And one of those women is her best friend, Sin.

My adrenaline was pumping for the majority of this story. 30% into reading, the pace picked up and it did not skip a beat. Some of the twists, I did see coming, but I still enjoyed it, nonetheless.

I also must mention, there is a playlist of punk rock music from the era at the back of the book for the chapters that are told in flashbacks. These chapters not only were insightful to the story, but they catapulted the reader into the past. I would highly recommend giving it a listen while you read.

Overall, this was an edgy, twisty thriller that I think most thriller readers would enjoy. Those who enjoy punk rock culture of the 80’s may even find themselves a bit nostalgic while reading this story.

Advanced Reader copy received from
Netgalley. All my opinions are my own.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the widget & NetGalley.

This book was honestly so exceptionally well written in the sense the plot premise was incredibly engaging. It pulled me into a world that felt eerie, supernatural and layered with cultural and generational trauma. This book stayed with me long after I finished reading the last page and that’s what makes it so impactful in a world where books are read and forgotten about. It was the kind of book that leaves you contemplating your whole existence and process everything that you just read.

The way that the author handles the constant time jump between past and present without making it feel poorly written is so intriguing to see. There are many books that are unable to sustain the utilization of this plot device, but this book manages to keep the reader hooked and able to follow along.

The main character was the main attraction to this story for me. Watching a 66-year-old woman who is considered of low importance and faces constant ageism being able to grow and take on the role as the the main protagonist in a society that is so against accepting the natural cycle of life is so refreshing. Elana is not considered youthful, but she takes on this huge role and attempts to solve a string of unsolved murders. She is never reduced to a cruel stereotype and she remains a full person that has her own beliefs and individuality in the face of a society that attempts to stifle elder people.

Although I did adore the character choice and the plot point, I was a little disappointed by how rushed the mystery actually seemed given it was only introduced a bit more than halfway into the book. It weakened the overall plot and made it feel like the author was scrambling to tie up the loose ends.

I’m excited to see what else the author has in store for us as readers, and I will 100% be supporting her going forward because this book was truly so wonderfully written. I hope that she continues to produce such amazing thriller books.

[talissa marquesoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Hear the Dead completely stunned. Not just because of the shocking moments, but because this book affected me in such a deeply human and unsettling way. The ending didn’t feel like the conclusion of a story, it felt like a sentence. The kind of book that leaves you staring at the ceiling afterward, trying to process everything you just experienced.

What impressed me the most was the way Ann Dávila Cardinal handles the shifts between past and present without making them feel like a cheap suspense device. In many contemporary thrillers, alternating timelines can feel mechanical, almost lazy, as if information is being artificially withheld just to keep the reader hooked. Here, the past feels like an open wound constantly bleeding into the present.

The entire novel carries an uncomfortable sense of realism. It doesn’t feel like distant or overly stylized horror; it feels like something that could exist hidden inside a small town, buried beneath silence, negligence, and the people society chooses not to see. The supernatural elements work more as an extension of human trauma than as spectacle.

Lens was undoubtedly the emotional core of the story for me. Watching an older woman constantly dismissed, labeled, and treated cruelly was genuinely infuriating, especially because the narrative makes it clear how deeply human, intense, contradictory, and vulnerable she truly is. She is never reduced to the stereotype of the “eccentric old woman.” She remains a complete person, full of presence and individuality.

Maybe that’s why this book affected me so strongly. Hear the Dead explores memory, pain, neglect, and everything people would rather ignore, while never sacrificing atmosphere, tension, or emotional depth.

It was harsh, uncomfortable, emotionally devastating, and I loved every moment of it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Dávila Cardinal, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[AMY DURAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read and review this gem of a book!

Hear the Dead by Ann Dávila Cardinal centers around Elena Altieri. Retired from her former punk rock life, she used to photograph big names in the New York punk scene. Now she lives a quiet life in Vermont, content despite chronic tinnitus and some worrying gaps in her memory from her former life. One day one of her photographs goes viral and Elena is thrust into the spot light, whether she wants it or not. After her work is highlighted by Rolling Stone Magazine she returns to New York to attend an exhibit showcasing her work.
With memories crowding her mind, Elena soon realizes she can hear the screams of the dead when touching particular items, including her best friend Sin.
Determined to find out exactly what happened to her friend and all of the other women Elena can hear crying for help, Elena fights to make their voices heard, even if someone from her past does not want forgotten memories to be brought back.


I loved this book, for me 5 out of 5 stars just based on the character Elena. I mean a punk rock baddie who's gone through menopause and had a hip replaced? I loved it.
The story is told through different timelines and as the story unfolds we are given little glimpses of Elena and Sin's lives and the raw gritty past of their lives of growing up together. Ann Dávila Cardinal did a great job with establishing connections with these characters that allowed you to feel their grief, their fear and their joy. And through the nostalgia of the punk scene Cardinal did a great job showing how often crimes against women in these types of "dangerous" scenarios (such as the punk rock world) were overlooked or dismissed.

[Rowan's Bookshelf (Carleigh) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 3.25/5

Most of the book is about Elena coming out of retirement and slowly accepting her psychic abilities, with the actual investigation only starting around the 60% mark. It makes the mystery feeling rushed once it finally arrives. The ending especially feels like it's scrambling to wrap everything up after spending so much time on setup.

I was also a little disappointed by the protagonist herself. An aging punk photographer is such a cool concept, but she never really felt like someone who came of age in the 1980s punk scene. Every now and then she'll use modern slang or phrases that pulled me out of the story because they didn't feel authentic to her age or background.

The book's themes are clear but tame. Anxiety, addiction, violence against women, and healing are all discussed repeatedly, but often in a way that feels heavy-handed rather than emotionally impactful. The violence against women is central to the story, but it's talked about far more than it's explored in any particularly nuanced or memorable way. Similarly, addiction is a major topic, yet it never develops into anything that felt especially moving or insightful.

The mystery itself is predictable. Anyone who has read a mystery will probably figure out where it's headed long before the reveal, which makes the rushed final act even less satisfying.

With all that said, I didn't dislike the book. I appreciated seeing an older female protagonist at the center of the story. I just kept wishing the novel leaned harder into what made its premise unique instead of settling into something perfectly readable but ultimately pretty predictable and tame. 

[Andrea Gagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had such a great mix of mystery, darkness, and humor, not to mention impeccable nostalgia vibes for anyone who lived an old school counterculture lifestyle in their youth.

"Lens" Altieri may have been living up her youth in the NYC punk scene of the 1980s, building her name as a scene photographer, but 40 years later Elena is mostly trying to forget those years. Unfortunately, her hearing is shot and she can't help but blame her club days. And the death of punk legend Eddie Carcinogen rockets her into an unwanted spotlight. Oh, and she has started hearing the voices of dead women - including her old best friend - in the ringing of her tinnitus.

I am immediately drawn to any book with an older main character, because there is something nice about living in the head of someone with some life experience (and Elena was absolutely a fun, complex, relatable person to spend my time with and root for).

Add in the gritty immersion into the old school NYC punk scene and you've really got me. The scene-building is exceptional, and you really feel the vibration of the music, the sticky floors of the dark clubs, see the grain of the old photographs.

Now add in that it is written by an author who is becoming one of my favorites because of her fantastic character building, descriptive writing, and story building, and I am hooked.

This was a thriller, but an accessible one for a literary reader like me. I'm not into gore and violence, but thankfully, though this did have flashbacks to violent experiences, the fact that it was only auditory and not visual flashbacks kept it from getting too gut-churning. And the mystery was well constructed, with enough red herrings to keep me constantly revising my guesses.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review.

[LyndaIn Oregon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ebook ARC of this book was provided for review via Net Galley.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Elena Altieri, 80s wunderkind photographer of the punk music era, is slouching reluctantly toward retirement with not much to show for a career she abruptly abandoned, except a foreclosure notice on her Vermont home and a distressing diagnosis from her doctor.

Then her most famous subject dies suddenly, and “Lens” is hailed for her “unflinching documentation of an entire musical era”. Her old photographs, stashed in her attic for decades, are suddenly in demand for a major punk rock display at the Guggenheim, and Altieri is tossed into a kind of celebrity she never sought. She also never sought suddenly being able to literally hear echoes from her past when she touches physical objects associated with it.

This is not a stroll down memory lane to the dulcet tones of the Sex Pistols or The Talking Heads. No. Lens Altieri hears women. Women screaming. Women in their last tortured moments of life. And one of them is a voice she recognizes.

This is the intriguing setup for a combination murder mystery, cold case revival, and personal journey to retrieve memories lost to a traumatic incident Altieri slowly begins to recall.

Unfortunately, the pacing here is so slow that what should be a page-turner becomes something of a slog. It also gives the observant reader plenty of time to figure out what was happening, who the killer was, and what motivation was in play, long before Cardinal’s character show more
Jun 29, 2026

[J P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elena photographed the punk scene in late 70's and 80's New York, before running away and building a quiet secluded life in Vermont. The novel starts in the present day as Elena is losing her hearing and her photographs of the scene are rediscovered and form the centrepiece of a Guggenheim exhibition celebrating Punk. Elena has repressed memories of that time and communing with her art and mementos she begins to remember why she left New York and becomes convinced her best friend was murdered. As Elena looks into this, she is threatened and dismissed, but with the indomitable spirit of an old punk gets eventually to the truth of what happened to her and her friends.

The voice of the late middle-aged Elena is distinctive and well captured, as is some of the naivete of her younger self in the flashback scenes that comprise the novels second timeline. The start of the novel is well grounded, but the thriller elements are in the background. Once Elena becomes convinced her friends were murdered (about a 1/3 of the way through) the pace picks up. The novel itself touches on how even punks grow up and do or don't change. The plot doesn't have enough red herrings to be truly interesting as a thriller (I suspect a lot of people will guess quite early what's going on), but I enjoyed it as a reflection on aging and facing up to the past.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

[Nancy Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 80's punk rock era is brought to life by Ann Dávila Cardinal with her gritty descriptions through through the lens of the protagonist, Elena, and her lived experience. The use of a dual timeline works well in this book, with the touches of paranormal activity. The voices that Elena hears are disturbing and eerie and what they represent ramps up the urgency for her to solve the mystery of this group of dead women who've all died from similar circumstances.

I appreciated that Elena is an older woman revisiting her younger self after a tragic occurrence. I also appreciate that she is struggling with tinnitus and how that medical condition plagues her and creates a conduit for the voices to emerge. We need more stories about older people, especially women, and this book affirms that notion. Elena has witnessed firsthand the abuse that went uncorrected in the past, how women dealt with it then, and reflect on it now. I recommend this story for those who love speculative fiction, paranormal mystery. and the punk rock scene. It all comes together in Hear the Dead. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for making this ARC available.

[Opal E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasy murder mystery set in dual present / late 70s punk era.

I loved the setting, I liked Lens the main character but I didn't love the plot's predictability.

I'm always happy to see a book with an older main character. There is such a proliferation of books where characters are teens or very young adults that any other age group is refreshing, especially a 60-something woman photographer with tinnitus.

The punk era is also quite fascinating and drew me to the book. Sadly, the story felt very surface-level, mainly delving into the aesthetic aspect of punk... which made it feel like any musical movement could have been swapped out, because what really stood out was more around the crushing musical/art industry profiting from artists struggling to make a name for themselves... and in the end it felt a little mild and tame for punk.

The mystery is predictable, with the amnesia being a little too convenient for the plot, the motivation and behaviour of some side characters was vague, danger always felt a little too distant to be threatening... the journey was fine, but I think I wanted something more from this book.

[Jessica Brusven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another spectacular story by Cardinal! Elena is a unique protagonist, a former punk photographer turned online professor in Vermont. She’s aged, but still authentic to her 1980s NYC punk rock roots and is unapologetic about her aesthetic and lifestyle. As she steps back into her old life through an art show, she’s forced to revisit the death of her best friend. This leads to her unpacking her 20s and some unfortunate events that drove her to leave her life in New York behind. I found the plot to be really interesting as we worked to solve the murders because it was enriched by so much cultural nuance with Elena’s past. I learned a lot about the 80s underground punk rock scene and how our assumptions about art forms are often incorrect. Without giving too much away I’ll say that this book is packed with meaning, character development and moves at a great pace. I adore this author, but even if you’ve never read her work you’ll enjoy this one. I’m excited for the cover reveal as I received a blank ARC!

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book!

I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this! Dual timeline stories can get very complicated and confusing quickly but I felt the author did a great job of keeping it clear where the flashbacks fit into the timeline and how they related to the present. My only complaint was that the ending felt very abrupt and rushed. Until the second to last chapter were still solving the mystery and then within a few pages everything is resolved (seemingly) and then there’s a few more pages which basically lays out everything without a satisfying resolution. There were a few characters that I felt needed more exposition (especially the 2 that show up here and there in the flashbacks and have very dramatic appearances in the present) and the main character never follows up on clues that seemed very important to me.

The author’s knowledge of the punk scene in NYC in the 80s was impressive and created a setting that felt like I could walk into it.

[Rita Prates · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Those moments that seemed the most important in the world, now scattered beneath the detritus of our lives."


Review of advance copy received from NetGalley


3.5 ⭐️ oh… I’m quite sad. but I enjoyed most of this book so much! Elena is such a refreshing protagonist (can we get more books with MCs in their 60s?) and the setting was perfect. as someone who loves both NYC and the punk movement but definitely wasn’t alive during its heyday, I really enjoyed all the flashbacks and descriptions of the city, clubs and music scene.

the mystery was also quite gripping and I really liked Elena’s investigation. however, the book was a bit slow at the start and while that’s not a bad thing per se, the ending and reveal were quite rushed and I cannot help but think we could have had fewer pages at the start and more at the end. it felt really rushed and like we left off in the middle of the action.

maybe that was intentional, but I liked Elena and the other main characters so much that I wished we had gotten more closure (and I don’t necessarily mean in the mystery sense).

[Eule Luftschloss · Rating 4 out of 5]

trigger warning
being drugged, recreational drug use, drug addiction, grief, domestic violence, mention of death of a parent, child neglect, memory loss, trauma

Not only is Elena Altieri losing her hearing and struggling to make ends meet, she also has an experience in a museum that reveals that one, she hears the dead, and two, they have an agenda.

This novel is told on two timelines. Now, where Elena's work has gone viral and people are suddenly, and for the first time ever, interested in her and her past. Then we have said past, of how she started to go clubbing - and photographing bands. How she and her best friend became a known part of the New York City punk scene, and how Elena left.

I struggled a bit with the pacing of the beginning, but found it worth it to push through that. I even liked the romance portion, people with a shared past coming together after decades.

I know at least one person I am going to recommend this to, and would read more by this author.
The arc was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear the Dead by Ann Dávila Cardinal was such a refreshing read.
Elena is 66, unapologetically herself, has an active sex life, and refuses to fade into the background. I loved seeing an older woman written as complex, flawed, funny, and still out there living fully.
The supernatural elements are deeply tied to her Puerto Rican heritage, with ancestral voices and family history shaping the mystery in a way that feels eerie and intimate. It blends ghost story and crime novel without losing sight of the emotional core.
The cultural details really resonated with me. It felt authentic, respectful, and woven naturally into the story rather than treated as something to explain away. We don’t get nearly enough horror with older women at the center, and Hear the Dead proves just how compelling those stories can be.

[Lauren Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hear the Dead is an edgy, gripping, punk rock ride that grabbed me by the eardrums and never let go! Elena Altieri is magnetic! A 66 year old retired punk photographer whose tinnitus and fading hearing make every sound a threat and every memory a minefield. Ann Dávila Cardinal threads punk era grit, gallery glamour, and supernatural dread into a mystery that’s equal parts twisted and heartwarming. When Elena’s old photographs explode online, she’s pulled back into a world of sticky promises and vanished women. Then she begins to hear their deaths like a chorus trapped inside her skull. The scenes where she touches Sin’s things and the past erupts are pure, awful poetry. The tension is taut, the dread is slow cooked, and the twists land with a delicious, stomach dropping snap. This one isn’t cozy nostalgia. It’s sharp, haunted, and relentless, with a justice seeking fury at its core.

[Kim McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars
This story is about punk rock musicians now forgotten, ghosts and special gifts or would be curses. Elena was almost a famous photographer of punk rockers but that was a long time ago and at 66 she is losing her hearing trying to live a quiet life in Vermont. When the Met wants to showcase her photos of a rock legend Elena gets her big break. The only problem is she is hearing the voices of female punk rock artists who overdosed. Turning her steely eye towards an investigation that never was she is clearly in over her head. I love that the main character is a Puerto Rican woman of a certain age and still rocks her Doc Martins. Edgy and not overly mystical this is a great blend of thriller with a psychic edge. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Candis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

Hear the Dead is a highly creative thriller with a fantastic premise. I loved having an older protagonist, which was a refreshing change for the genre, and using tinnitus as a key plot point was incredibly unique.

While the story did feel a bit staged at times, and the inner monologue occasionally knocked on the fourth wall rather than keeping me fully immersed, the core mystery kept me engaged. I also really liked the final twist, even though the ending itself felt a bit rushed and disjointed.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read with a great premise and strong representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

my first ARC and I absolutely loved it!
Thoroughly enjoyed the plot, following 66 year old ex punk photographer Elena and her quest into her past, having started having haunting hallucinations.. without giving away spoilers this is not your average crime mystery, but had some cracking twists and flowed so well.
Depth of the MC was brilliant and I really warmed to her, particularly her sense of humour and determination. The rest of the characters also each had their own quirks, some likeable, some not but each with a good role in the plot.
The pace was fab, shortish chapters alternating between present day and past memories. Really liked this book a lot❤️

[Rishika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved the voices in this book! They definitely fit both the middle age version of our protagonist as well as the younger version of herself. The mystery ramped up very well throughout the novel and I liked that it wasn’t pushed to the reader all at once. I have to say I did not expect some of the twists and turns that happened and it really put me at the edge of my seat. I loved the magic part of the book where Elena is able to really become a champion of these forgotten women who were cast aside due to their gender as well as their profession.

[Savannah Hendricks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a new author to me, and while I'm grateful I received an ARC it just wasn't a good match.
I loved the plot and premise of the story, but it fell flat very quickly for me. There was a lot of unnecessary cursing that took over pages upon pages, and the characters read surface level. Unfortunately, I struggled to envision the world in which the story was set, both past and present, even though I grew up in the 80s and 90s in Seattle, where the music scene was alive and vibrant. The story struggled to gain traction to get to the mystery part that needed solving, and I wanted more punch with the unraveling of the outcome.

[lexactuallyreads [surviving off vibes ftm] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn to “Hear the Dead” and thank NetGalley, the publisher and especially Ann Dávila Cardinal for allowing me the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

Murders in the 80s in the OG punk underground scene in NYC? Count me in. Not only does the writing hook you like a really intense opening riff, but it’ll transport you into the scene as if you’re experiencing it in the first-person. Dávila Cardinal incorporates her Boricua culture and her very evident love of the music and the scene while creating one of the most thrilling narratives I’ve encountered in a thriller.

10/10, would absolutely recommend. And god, I hope there is more.

[Nena Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to net galley ,Ann Davula Cardinal and SourceBooks for allowing me to read and review

I love the idea of an older FMC and the dual timeliness. I enjoyed the punk rock part of rhe book and I can totally resonate with FMC. I know all the issues she is goung thru. I totally love the spookiness of the story, Im a sucker for supernatural lol

I found the book to be well written, with loveable characters. I though the pacing was great, the world building good, I could picture everything especially the rock scene with the giant speakers from back in the day at concerts. I really enjoyed this book amd I highly recommend

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a 66 year old retired punk woman for a main character was the whole reason I picked this book up. And know what? It did not disappoint. From the book starting at her being told she should think about getting hearing aids to it keep going from there.

The past and present blended in a really golden way that just made this book next to impossible to put down. No part felt like filler and the pacing of the book was really good.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the ARC!

[Samantha Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book!

I had a lot of fun being immersed in the punk scene within this novel. Living in an area where metal and rock are the main genres for music shows, I could see the origins written in an immersive way. Overall, there was a good balance of plot progression and steady building of anticipation leading to the end of this book. I definitely recommend giving this book a read!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one...

3.5 *'s Good mystery, unusual premise, with a main character who is Trying To Survive, not just the bad guys but also herself, imperfect and human...a few plot quibbles but nothing that tanks the story and a great use of "setting as character" split between New York City and Vermont

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Hear the Dead, by Ann Davila Cardinal, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Elena Altieri lives in Vermont and is in her 60's. She lived the punk lifestyle in her earlier years, and some stuff has haunted her since. This was a much heavier read then expected. It was nice to relive the 1980's for awhile though.