Crone by Keith Rosson (Gifted/AD)

Hello Readers,

Thank you, Stephen, Jamie, Black Crow PR for sending me a physical copy of Crone by Keith Rosson for free in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Publication Day 

Title: Crone
Author: Keith Rosson
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 352
Cover Image:


Synopsis:
A haunting, fearsome story of a father searching for his missing daughter and finding darkness—both human and not—at every turn, from the author of the “exciting, suspenseful, horrifying” (Stephen King) Fever House


Eli Lamp is a broken man. An ex-detective, ex-addict, and long-grieving father whose daughter, Hannah, disappeared a decade before, Eli decimated his old life investigating her abduction and is now indebted to the Crooked Wheel, a local drug gang, as an enforcer. He lives in a rundown trailer at the edge of the woods, where he keeps Hannah’s room in pristine condition and tries to make it through one day at a time.

But when the son of the Crooked Wheel’s boss is found viciously murdered in a crime scene that doesn’t seem to add up, Eli receives a new order: Find out who the killer is and your debt to the Wheel is clear forever. You’re free. This pursuit brings him into the orbit of Avery Bryant, Hannah’s best friend and the last person to see her before she went missing. Soon, Eli and Avery are entwined in a hunt for answers that spans decades, stretches the realm of possibility, and brings churning to the surface a conspiracy linking not only these current tragedies, but the buried sorrows of Eli’s past.

And though none of them dare say the word "witch," at least not out loud, something lurks in the woods, bent-backed and black-eyed, clawed and vengeful, looming ever closer. . . .

Miniature Review

At its core, Crone explores grief, guilt, addiction, vengeance, and redemption through Eli Lamp.

Eli is an ex-detective and recovering addict who has spent the past ten years haunted by the disappearance of his daughter, Hannah. Bound to a local drug gang as an enforcer, Eli gets a shot at clearing his debt when a brutal murder forces him into an unwanted investigation.

The case brings him back into contact with Avery, Hannah’s best friend and the last person to see her alive. As they dig into the past, they uncover clues linked to the night she went missing, alongside a sinister presence hiding in the woods that everyone fears to name.

This is pure, full-stop horror. It is gritty, violent, bloody, and genuinely disturbing, yet grounded by a deeply human story about loss. Keith Rosson builds messy, flawed characters, making Eli’s struggle feel exceptionally grounded and raw.

The real strength of Crone lies in how effortlessly it blends crime thriller, detective noir, folk horror, supernatural horror, and witchy elements. I’ve seen a lot of people compare Crone to Sons of Anarchy sprinkled with a creature feature, grief horror, and some seriously dark witchery and honestly, I get it. It’s an ambitious mash-up of genres, but somehow Keith Rosson makes every element work together brilliantly.

If you want a dark, atmospheric horror read packed with complex characters and a strong supernatural edge, add Crone to your TBR list a we head into the spooky season. 

L x

 

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