As a fan of Lily White as well as M.S. Willis, I knew exactly what I was getting into with Four Crows. Yikes is all I can think to say right now and if any book should be made into a horror movie, this is the book. We get everything plus the kitchen sink thrown into the story of Maggie and Elliot. This review will be vague to protect the storyline.

"The world has made you a woman shining among the stars, and left me behind as a broken and crippled man."

Right from the first page this book tears at your heartstrings. Poor lost Elliot. Fourteen years is a long time to be in the dark. It's no wonder once he sees some light, he can't let it go. Vengeance is a tricky thing. You never know how you will feel when it's all said and done.

"No child worth the love of angels was raised in a family of Crows."

Yet she was. Maggie was an unknowing Crow. A Crow kept in the dark until she was old enough and then she didn't want to know. Her family kept deep, dark secrets. Secrets that would haunt any normal person every minute of every day.

"I couldn't take on the Devil himself, but I sure as hell could take on three of his demons."

And low down dirty demons they are. I haven't read about more despicable characters than the Crows in a long time. They are vile, wretched human beings and I was on pins and needles to see what Elliot had in store for them.

"Secrets were my friends and threats were my chains."

She was an innocent Crow, but a Crown nonetheless. She was there, she protected them and that is where Elliot found his impasse. He never expected to feel for one of the Crows when formulating his plan.

"If ever two souls had been fused together through violence, despair and pain, it was Elliot and I."

And that is putting it mildly. The book is so well written you feel like you are in on the action at times. The good and the bad. Heed the warnings on this one as things get pretty graphic. Lily White did a fantastic job at creating a reprehensible family with the Crows, while still letting a little light still shine through.

"Two people on the road to an unknown future."

Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.

A bit disturbing so if you have triggers I'd say avoid it
I really liked this book. It was written very well
Thanks Netgalley for the Arc

This book was very emotional and a bit disturbing but written well. It completely drew me in and left me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I couldn't stop thinking about it for days afterwards!

I really enjoyed Elliot and Maggie's story. The dynamic between the two was great to read. These two had to overcome a lot. Four Crows was the story of love and redemption. This was my first read from Lily White, but it wont be my last!

This was my first Lily White read and I enjoyed her writing as well as the twists.

Revenge. That’s what this book is all about.
Elliot seeks it after his wife and son disappear for 14 years. He will find what happened to them and make sure the responsible would pay. What he didn’t expect was to fall in love for a Crow.
This story is violent. It’s not fully romantic, although there’s some sick love in it. I don’t mind the age difference, they are both adults, so that don’t bother me at all.
Maggie was a little child when Michael disappeared. She couldn’t do anything to prevent it, or understand what happened, but later she had a choice… and she did nothing!

The truth to what happened to the little boy is hard to take and for me the most emotional scene in the whole book!

The death of a beloved in comparison; is an amputation to the soul. The loss in itself is devastating, but knowing that your family has perished at the hands of monsters is an agony no one should have to experience. The unknown of such horrific details and unspoken truth is often bliss when the knowledge can be so frightening.

~the thieves in the night - the monsters that fed on the fragilities and vulnerabilities of those who they considered weaker than themselves.

Elliot has had the misfortune to encounter such a vile and heartbreaking event while away at war. Upon return, desperate for retribution, he would go to any length to extract revenge. How far can a person be pushed before they become the monsters that they hunt? Elliot skirts that gamut multiple times throughout the story. His anguish seizes the reader and they mourn his loss and desperation together.

Maggie, an innocent and seclusive young woman has grown up living with her unsophisticated hillbilly father and brothers, isolated from society. She loves her father; to her he is the one man that would never hurt her. He was the king who made her feel like a princess in their world. She is aware of the horrible, abhorrent things that they do, but elects to evade the undesirable truth. Many times throughout the story the reader will detest her and loathe her choices and conduct.

Red Rain. It was a memory that relentlessly stalked me through my short life, the terrifying yet beautiful sparkle of rubies wetting the grass in my mind each time I allowed myself to think back.

Lily White has such an eloquent way of telling a story. Her words expressively provide the paint and our minds paint the picture. It is so graphic that it is effortless to visualize each and every scene that you read. The composite voyage of Four Crows is superbly executed and counterbalances between light and darkness, hope and despair, death and survival. Lily is truly a monarch of unconventional, censured literary greatness.

Since his wife and son went missing fourteen years before, Elliot McLaughlin has been fighting his demons. Returning from serving his country to find all that he loved gone without a trace has left him a broken and bitter man, and the only thing that he wants is revenge.

Maggie Crow's upbringing has been what you might call unconventional. She knows that strange things happen at the parties that her father and two brothers have, and she's learned that it's best not to understand exactly what goes on behind those closed doors, best to let the music drown out the screams.

When I read the synopsis for FOUR CROWS by author Lily White, I knew that this was a book that I wanted to read. I have not read any of Lily's other books, but this one sounded so dark and captivating that it went right to the top of my TBR, and I could not wait to get going with it. And I can say with certainty that I have not read a book like this in, oh, ever. This book is, indeed, dark, rife with violence and uncertainty, with loss, betrayal, and, finally redemption, and it's sure to be one of the books that I'll read this year that will stay with me for a very long time.

I do enjoy a darker, less HEA read sometimes, but, let me tell you, this book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot, a lot of violence, both implied and overt, so, if that's not your thing, you might want to steer clear. But this book is fascinating to me, too, a picture of such twisted evil that I could not stop reading.

With all of that being said, though, FOUR CROWS is more than just a dark read. The freeing up of people bound by the things tethering them to the life that they're given, the decision to be more than they are, the ability to rise above and create beauty from the pain, Lily's written a book that demonstrates all of these things. I don't want to give anything away, because I really believe that a book like this one should be gone into without preconceived notions or spoilers, but I will say that this book is much more hopeful than I would have thought. Do I recommend it? Absolutely yes, although proceed at your own caution, because the triggers are there, and they're not pretty. That being the case, though, FOUR CROWS is an easy 4 stars for me, and I will look forward to reading more by Lily in the future.

What a mindblowing read. I've been in a bit of a book funk recently and this is the one thing that's managed to focus my attention and draw me out, with its dark, gritty suspense and debilitating emotional impact. This was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, with White actually accomplishing the feat of allowing the reader to feel sympathy for the most vile of characters, and never shying away from the horrors other authors would likely gloss over.

From start to finish, I felt Elliott and Maggie's pain, their desire to free themselves from it, in different ways. The abuse, the sickening things that happened - all of it made me feel so emotionally invested in these two and the path of revenge that I actually felt a grim, sick, cathartic satisfaction when it ended and my pulse rate could return itself to normal. Nothing was missing here, and man did the emotional pain in these pages pay off at the end.

White's writing itself has improved immensely over the past few years, being now almost poetic in its lyricism. The words really sink into the brain, rolling across the tongue like a thing of wonder, with harrowing descriptions of pain and loss being a sickening punch to the gut.

This was hard-hitting, often disturbing, always incredible. A firm favourite of 2017.

Lily has done it again,
I was hooked from the start this book is such a powerful story but also emotional and dark and twisted in parts.
I really loved Maggie, I felt for her living with her family couldn’t have been easy once she understood what was going on. Her family is just pure evil…
Elliott my heart broke for he is out for revenge against the people that killed his wife and Child and nothing is going to stop him even Maggie….
It is well written and you live through these characters and I connected well with them…
I love Lily’s writing it draws you in so much you don’t look up till the last page.

Four Crows is absolutely breathtaking. From the cover to the plot line this book had me captivated.

Maggie was born into the Crow family and was being raised by her dad and two over protective brothers. She wanted for nothing, her father made sure of that. The only thing was that she had to endure the lies and secrets. As she grew up this was becoming harder for her to do. Elliott was away at war when his wife and son disappeared. When he came home to an empty house he became obsessed with finding the ones responsible and making them pay for their crimes.

This story is everything. It is dark and twisted but also has a sweet love story hidden inside. I love Ms. White's writing style and this book is her best to date. I feel in love with Maggie and Elliott. They were both dealing with their own demons. It kept me wondering if they would ever overcome them. I don't want to giveaway the ending or what happens to get us there but the ride was a bumpy and treacherous one and I FLOVED it! I highly recommend this book.

Maggie Crow was raised by her stern father and two older brothers in an isolated small town. Knowing from a young age that her childhood was abnormal, she obeyed and learned to lie in order to protect her family despite the horrors that surrounded her. At 18 years of age, she is about to learn what her father has planned but fate is about to deal her a different hand.

“When all you have is the worst of the lot, the worst becomes your normal because it’s all you’ve ever known.”

Elliot McLoughlin married his childhood sweetheart and started a family at a young age; however, tragedy struck which led Elliot down a dark path where he couldn't recover from the loss. Fourteen years later, Elliot’s heart is still full of vengeance and he’s determined to find who is responsible for his pain. With a plan, he’s ready to act despite the possibility of collateral damage.

“Put in the simplest terms, I was damaged. I was broken. I had nothing left to lose, which made me the most dangerous type of man.”

As Elliot begins to execute his plan, he befriends Maggie and their union leads to complications, passion and further deception. Not revealing his suspicions or motivations, Maggie’s naivety adds to Elliot’s dilemma but he isn’t willing to modify his end game. While Maggie is trying to hide her own secrets, she can’t help to feel safe with Elliot.

“I liked to think I’d given her three things her family never could: I’d given her freedom. I’d given her choice. And I’d given her hope.”

With more at stake, truths surface one by one and Elliot and Maggie are tested in different ways. Seeing Maggie struggle with her loyalties and the knowledge she resisted for so long is compelling and leads to a range of emotions. For Elliot, his grief is monumental and as he gets closer to those responsible, the level of risk is ever increasing as his will is put to the test.

“If ever two souls had been fused together through violence, despair and pain, it was Elliot and I.”

From the beginning, the tensions are high due to the heinous acts committed and the desperation felt for Elliot’s vengeance. Adding to the conflict are the emotions that build between Elliot and Maggie. While their relationship is unconventional in one aspect, it also makes sense as these two lost souls find strength in each other thereby creating an intense journey.

For me, it felt natural to empathize with the depth of Elliot’s pain and the lengths he would take to find peace. It was also interesting to read how far Elliot was willing to go – emotionally and physically – to achieve his end goal. In contrast, it was harder to understand Maggie’s decisions but her vulnerabilities and inner strength ultimately led her to the right place.

In Four Crows, Lily White successfully creates a narrative steeped in tension, evil, fear, loss and redemption. Expect to feel angry, sad, helpless, empowered and hopeful. I recommend to those who enjoy their books with a dose of darkness about the human condition!

WOW. I'm glad Lily's back! HOLY. MOLY. Sooooo dark and amazing. I loved this book. Loved. I was glued to the pages needing to know what was going to happen between Maggie and Elliott. At first, I was a little confused when I read the prologue. I had to go back and read it again after about Chapter 2 and then things were clicking. SUPER suspenseful and I highly recommend this book. If you like books where you're like, how is this possibly going to play out?!!, then this one is for you! Typical crazy Lily White signature style!!

I really loved this book; it was all of my favorite things wrapped into one. It was suspenseful, bloody, raw, full of dark emotions, and forbidden chemistry.

I am not a newcomer to Lily White's writing and I was literally jumping for joy when I heard about this one. She creates these stories that suck you into their depths and don't let go even after you are out of pages. I finished this book a number of days ago and it's still lingering around in my head and making moving on all but impossible.

Elliot is on a mission and has been on this mission for 14 long years. His life was destroyed and he can't move on until he puts an end to it and finds the answers he has been searching for. He is smart and calculating but beyond broken. He finally gets the break he has been waiting for only to find something unexpected along the way. Maggie, while only 18 is an old soul. She has seen horrors no one else should, she loves her family even when she shouldn't and has been the victim of a game she doesn't yet understand. She has always wanted more from her life but didn't know that something more was out there until a stranger breaks down outside of her house.

The journey that you go on with Maggie and Elliot is not for the faint of heart. The answers are not pretty and the things one will do in the name of love are not kind. I spent much of this book holding my breath and on the edge of my seat. To say it was intense is putting it mildly. I became lost to these two characters and Lily doesn't not hold back on the details. There is no "fade to black" it is all out there leaving no room to question what they saw or felt, and see and feel you do. This book was something that will stay with my long after this mediocre review is written and other books come and go.
~jess

Does Lily White write books that grip and enthrall the reader... YES, and I have only read 2 books yet I realise that she has the skill to make the reader see more than just words on a page. I am still 5 days later thinking about this book, trying to write a justifiable review to the feelings it evoked in me - and probably failing!

Do I recommend this book - YES, but be warned it will make you feel a range of emotions, from rage to despair and all in between. There are monsters in real life, there are those who deserve a HEA that because of those monsters are denied it, and I guess there are those who find a HEA even when others feel they don't truly deserve it when they were culpable in the horrors of her family.

Loved this book! Full Review on my blog!

This story begs the question what will you do for family?
This was a riveting, emotional and twisted story of revenge, self discovery, and finding justice.
Elliot was a Marine who went to war to protect his country and when he returned home, he discovered that his wife and 4 year old son disappeared, likely the victims of fowl play.
He was so consumed by the grief and guilt of not being there to protect them that he takes it upon himself to find clues and discover what happened to them.
After 14 years his research led him to Crow's Farm. A family of grifters who live off the land and take off and disappear before a storm and following a disappearance. When meets the youngest member of the Crow family, Maggie, he develops a plan to seduce her in order to get his revenge and exercise his own brand of justice against them.
His plan for vengeance is compromised when he discovers the parallels in their unbreakable bonds to their families. Both were slaves to family loyalty regardless off the consequences. Emotions he never wanted to feel start to surface.
Will those feelings betray the memory of his beloved family?
I loved Elliot's character. He was a complex and beautiful tortured soul. Maggie on the other hand I felt we didn't learn enough about her or her family and what drove them to do what they did.
4.5 stars!

“I hated this. With every fiber of my being, I hated what I had to do. But that’s the thing with revenge. A man was willing to do whatever it took – hurt whoever it took – just to see that particular deadly sin to its end.”

Chills. That’s what I get when I think of this story. A story so intense I couldn’t put it down; a story filled with evil, despair, hatred, loss, and tragedy, as well as strength, passion, loyalty, hope, fear, and love.

“Even in the darkest corners, there is light.”

What would you do to protect your family? Both Maggie & Elliott are found in situations that test their resolve. Four Crows is a compelling story that will have you engrossed from start to finish.

The writing is amazing. The story is complex, deep and emotional, and the characters captivating. At times it’s heartbreaking and gut-wrenching and difficult to read, yet through it all the spark of hope resides and love twists its way through. Through strength and resilience, Maggie and Elliott fight for vengeance and help one another heal. It’s brutal, it’s raw, and it’s painful. My heart ached as I waited to see how it would all unfold.

“In that moment, I realized that bravery didn’t always mean to walk blindly into danger without fear or concern about your life. Bravery was the ability to forgive, the willingness to see the truth, the promise to survive despite the horror that stared you in the face.”

Filled with desperation and hope, Lily White takes us on an emotional journey that shows us that even through tragedy, with strength and perseverance, healing and love can prevail.

“Through her eyes I saw myself more clearly. And through her heart I’d learned to live again.”

Wow! Lily White has an amazing talent of transporting me into her stories with the characters and imagery she weaves with her words. Four Crows was no exception.

This story follows Elliott, a man driving by anger and rage and consumed with seeking revenge for having his family taken from him. His obsession gives him focus and he's willing to do what ever it takes and use who ever he has to for his end goal.

Unfortunately, Maggie is someone that can help his plan. She's a Crow and he's willing to use her to get to the real ones responsible.

As he gets to know Maggie he learns there's more to her than the family she grew up in and he's torn between protecting her and pursuing his vengeance. All the while Maggie is torn between her growing affections for the man that has awakened the woman in her and the father that has been the only one to show her love.

This story was thrilling and and had me in its grasp from start to finish. All the heartbreaking emotions, anger, sadness and loss...it was all so real. This was an amazing read.

4.5★★★★Stars

Genre: Dark/Romantic Thriller
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Dual

"Through her eyes I saw myself more clearly. And through her heart I'd learned to live again."

Elliot McLoughlin met his soulmate at a very young age and they had a baby boy. He became a soldier in order to support his family financially. At his return he finds out his family was abducted. He promised himself he would do anything to find out what happened to them. When he finally did, he now had a new promise to avenge their death and make whoever took them pay. Elliot no longer felt like he belongs he lived fourteen years with one goal and his heart was empty.

"I was prepared to rain down Hell's fire on the men who were still within my sight."

Maggie Crow was young and naïve. She grew up in a family of twisted killers however; she cared for them well mainly her father who in her eyes loved her and only did the things he did to protect her. She learned from young age to keep secrets and be loyal to her love ones; even though deep down she knew the things she's witnessed were not normal but she blocked them out of her head to survive.

"When all you have is the worst of the lot, the worst becomes our normal because it's all you've ever known."

This story was very interesting. It was intense and it kept me on the edge wanting more, I needed answers and I had to know how it ended. I feel conflicted I understand Maggie but some things I can't forgive. I also understand Elliot and his hunger for revenge in fact I loved him for it. This book had so much emotion and there were so many disturbing scenes that I honestly loved. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. Personally I feel this book is not for everyone; readers who like dark books and do not mind the dark side would really enjoy this book. This was my very first book by this author and I can tell you it most definitely would not be the last.

"We were two people who'd endured evil, one for a lifetime and the other for a handful of years."

This is a book about a man seeking vengeance against the people who kidnapped his wife and son, The Crows. But as Elliot befriends Maggie Crow, the daughter, he realizes that she has been living in fear of her Father and brothers. This book is a dark Romance thriller. I needed to find out what happened to Elliot's family and the outcome of the Crow brothers and father. Elliot needed to extract information from Maggie, so he started a romantic relationship. Maggie knew Elliot would always protect her but what she loved most about him was that he would never stop trying to protect her. This was a love story about revenge, redemption and sacrifice. It showed that even in the midst of unspeakable evil, one can find a light. Maggie was Elliot's light and she led him out of his personal Hell. If you love Dark Reads, pick this one up.