When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed…

Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire.

Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back…

#CrowMoon @writer_suzy @OrendaBooks #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #blogtour #debut #MarthaStrangewaysInvestigation #Scotland

When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows.

As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes clear that no one is safe, including Martha…

My Review

More crows. It’s not that I have a thing about corvids, but they seem to feature in quite a few of the books I read. Poor birds, they do get a bad rap. But then I think back to ‘the crow and the duckling incident’ on a visit to Hever Castle, and maybe they deserve it.

When I first read the synopsis, I did wonder how I would manage to read this, knowing that Martha’s three-year-old twins had died in a fire. I don’t know how she manages to carry on. Maybe it’s because she has her older son Dougie to stop her from giving up.

The story begins with Dougie’s best friend Fraser going missing. At first they think he might have just stayed out all night, but after a few days the community knows there is something more sinister and search parties are out looking for him.

Martha Strangeways (love the name) is in the woods, walking her two dogs Skye and BJ. She trips and falls, knocking herself out. But just before, she sees a body and instantly she knows it’s Fraser. And someone is watching.

Martha wakes up in hospital, (the dogs are fine – just thought I’d mention that in case anyone is worried) but she soon discovers from DI Derek Summers that Fraser had a verse of poetry inscribed on his back. It’s the second verse of a four verse poem called Feannag Dhubh, a strange legend from folklore, that ‘originated in the seventeenth century during the time of the Scottish witch trials’. And it seems one of the witches was tried and executed near the house where the twins died. Martha doesn’t believe in any of this stuff, but someone obviously does. And there are references to crows and the soon to be rising Crow Moon.

Then another teenager goes missing, and Martha is drawn into the investigation. She overhears conversations involving her son, and knows that he could be next. What did Dougie, Fraser and Christie get up to at the moondial, exactly one year ago that so terrifies them now, particularly Christie.

The whole story is creepy and atmospheric, with a modern gothic feel, set in the village of Strathbran (the name means Glen of Ravens), in a remote part of Scotland. It’s just my kind of book.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

About the Author

Originally from the north-east of England, former journalist Suzy Aspley has lived in Scotland for almost thirty years. She writes crime and short stories, often inspired by the strange things she sees in the landscape around her. She won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect in 2019 with the original idea for her debut novel and was shortlisted for the Capital Crime New Voices Award. In 2020, she was mentored by Jo Dickinson as part of the Hachette future bookshelf initiative. Crow Moon was also longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award. She’s currently working on the second book in the series, and when she’s not writing, she’s either got her nose buried in a book, or is outside with her dogs
dreaming up more dark stories. She lives in Stirlingshire with her family.

About Orenda Books

Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.