An exciting, well written novel that kept you on your toes waiting for the next Kate Thomas challenge. The twists and turns in the story are well crafted and lead to an exciting ending. I enjoyed the novel and look forward to the next Wynter Mystery. This four-star novel is recommended to Mystery and Thriller readers.

Absolutely loved this book, so many twists and turns, couldn't wait to read what happened next. Unexpected ending that I loved x

A great start to the Wynter Island series, The Raven’s Cry immerses the reader in a tight-knit community off mainland B. C. where Kate, a former journalist in Afghanistan, moves in hopes of putting her traumatic past behind her. Not long after she arrives on the island, her ex-boyfriend follows, his body floating in the bay steps away from her rented cottage, making Kate the main suspect in his death.

I was hooked from page one. From the beginning, Shapiro drew me into the story, keeping me guessing until the end, where things came full circle in a suspense-filled conclusion. With an interesting mix of local characters, some friendly and some not, along with descriptions of the idyllic but isolated setting, the author takes readers on a virtual journey to Wynter Island. A charming story filled with pet rescues, a bit of romance, small-town drama, and amazing scenery, The Raven’s Cry is the perfect mix of cozy and suspense.

If you enjoy a good mystery, you’ll love this atmospheric story with a killer hidden amongst the local islanders. I look forward to Kate’s further adventures on Wynter Island in the next book in this series.

I was not sure what to expect with this book. The cover and title were not the same feel of the book. However, as I read further into the book, the cover did not matter. This was a non-stop book. Kate is such a unique character and in such a unique predicament. I found the story to be different than some of the mystery/thrillers out there. I found myself finding humor and suspense all in one novel. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Kate Thomas's life has taken some very dramatic turns. She was abducted in Afghanistan and nearly killed, she returned to the States to find her husband cavorting with another woman, and now she's relocated to an idyllic island on the Canadian Gulf that harbors more secrets than she could ever have dreamed. One thing is for sure: someone has Kate in their crosshairs.

As a reader of cozy mysteries and suspense/thrillers, this book was a perfect marriage of the two. There were many elements of the classic suspense/thriller while the characters and the scenario and setting were straight out of cozy-mystery-land. I had no clue who the killer was, there were so many red herrings. This book will hold your interest and keep you guessing right to the very end. Hopefully this will be the first of a series!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

♦THOUGHTS:
In short, this book is about a murder mystery on a small island. To be honest, there is a complete disconnect between the title, the cover, and the story line.

Kate is the main character in the book moving to an island to take a new job to escape her past. There was a lot that didn't make sense in this book, either because there was very little history provided and relationships between characters were rushed and strange. For instance, the Kate and Michael thing, it never went anywhere, was one sided, and non-existent,

Kate's reactions and emotions, as well as other characters in the various situations were lacking and unrealistic. There is very little grief expressed towards losing a long time love, very little trauma emotions for several traumatic incidents, and the story jumped ahead so sporadically that I had to flip back to the previous chapter to make sure I didn't miss something.

This is out December 5th, 2023.

Shapiro's debut mystery novel checks all the boxes of a great read: interesting cast of characters, evocative setting, enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and a satisfying finish.

The main character, Kate, is well developed and fleshed out. Her traumas and struggles provide a convincing backstory, as well as giving the character depth and texture.

The fictional island setting has a vibe that feels both small-town familiar and slightly exotic at the same time, especially for readers not familiar with this corner of the world. Adding in the quirky characters gives the story the feel of the old 90s TV show, "Northern Exposure." All of this contributes to a strong sense of place that grounds the story in its fictional locale.

But don't let that cozy-ish feeling deceive you. This story has larger elements and twists that reach far beyond a tiny imaginary town/island. And it's this combination of the global and the local that gives The Raven's Cry its unique voice. The plot itself is satisfying, and will leave many readers guessing. Kudos to any who can solve it ahead of the final denouement.

I look forward to reading whatever Shapiro writes next.

This was so good and it had me emotionally hooked. This was an amazing page turner and I loved it.
I just reviewed The Raven's Cry by Kim Herdman Shapiro. #TheRavensCry #NetGalley
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I didn’t know exactly what to expect with The Raven’s Cry, but I was pleasantly surprised. This cozy mystery gives a wonderful taste of small town life on an island off the West Coast of Canada. The characters are creatively drawn and the mystery keeps you guessing as to “whodunnit”.

I love a mystery which manages to keep me engaged and guessing, and The Raven’s Cry certainly did that. I didn’t figure out the murderer until the very end.

I look forward to future mysteries including the unique and eccentric residents of Wynter Island. Hopefully there will be a Book two in this series!

Another read from NetGally I'm thankful to receive.

What can I say about this story.... You think you know who done it. Then you think it's someone else. Then someone else.... so many twists and turns.

Had fun reading this and look forward to seeing what this author does in the future.

I was really looking forward to this book, but to be honest, the story did disappoint me a bit.
Briefly, this is about a woman - Kate- who has returned from Kabul with PTSD. She walked away from a long relationship with boyfriend and colleague Daniel, and is now starting anew on Wynter Island (British Columbia-) as manager of the local TV station.
She has barely arrived by ferry when Daniel's body washes up on the beach in the evening. Kate is the prime suspect but does not leave it at that, and goes into the small, close-knit island community to find the culprit.

The book was slightly disappointing, and for me there was a clear mismatch between the story, the title and the cover of the book.
Whereas we get a fair amount of background info on Kate and Daniel, names and people from the island are brought up, without further depth or character building.
Most islanders have multiple roles; they are called Lesley, Gwen, Bob, Nate, Doreen, Ria or Shea. They come from the US, have Scottish or Danish backgrounds, have duo functions on the island, but that's about it. I took it for granted in the end, but if you ask me now who was married to whom, I'll have no answer. I felt like they were staged as props. Too bad, the writer could have fleshed out some of the characters a bit better.
I found the beginning of the story downright weak, with unnatural dialogues, (woman throwing herself in her husband arms - sobbing ‘oh help…’ ) and it felt that the story itself was not balanced. (no story, just props, and dialogues just for the sake of dialogue leading nowhere)
I also found Kate terribly unsympathetic, biased, and terribly blunt. The inner critic voice/inner dialogue (in italics in the novel) was annoying, and added nothing to the story.
I really liked the descriptions of nature, (orcas!) - unfortunately, the theme of first nation peoples was given very little space, even though the title - The Raven's Cry - is based on that very theme. The raven is the totem for something that has both good and bad in it.
The creature you would least expect to do something evil, so who would be the shapeshifter of the island then? I would have loved to read more about the indigenous peoples, and the Raven legend totem, because that was the reason I wanted to read the book in the first place.
The plot is simple and rather straightforward- and despite the criticisms I kept on reading and finished the book in a few days. Halfway the story is gaining momentum; some events are rather funny (Fish bingo via Youtube), and it turns out that in every community there are people who you feel a connection with, or who might trigger annoyance at first glance. I spent most of my childhood on one of the Wadden Islands, - so I am familiar with ‘island mentality’
I’d adopt Jupiter at an instant, - best character in the book - and the rest of the lot - well, let them stay nice on that island…
The book can do with a bit of editing, and the islanders need to be better portrayed.

2.5 stars. Thank you Netgalley and the author for providing me with this review copy. This opinion is my own.

First of all, Jupiter is the best character, and I will be taking no comments saying otherwise.

The plot is a good idea in intention. Another small town mystery to see if you can solve it before it’s revealed. And while Shapiro writes well and keeps the pages turning, this book feels like the epitome of “telling, not showing.” When the culprit is eventually revealed, it seems out of left field, even in the hindsight of knowing and reflecting on the information you have. Now, is that similar to real life? Yes. Am I too competitive? Absolutely.

Shapiro introduces this whole negativity and vitriol between Fisherman Phil and Kate, maybe to represent old folks resistant to change versus the new incoming folks changing things up. But it seems like it’s introduced and then there’s no real conclusion to it? Like, I would’ve thought Phil on the suspect list before some of the other characters.

I’m also not a fan of the Kate-Michael thing that Shapiro was insinuating. Something about it made me sad and it seemed trivial and trite while reading. Like, cmon, just LET ME FIND OUT THE MURDERER!

Overall, I don’t think I’d recommend this to a friend unless they only read mysteries exclusively. The addition to the title “A Wynter Island Mystery” makes me think that there might be additional books in this universe, and maybe Shapiro will mark more of my checklist boxes in subsequent novels. No regrets in reading this, but won’t be rushing to reread it, if you know what I mean. Shoutout to NetGalley for access to this book.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, A great who done it, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book was excellent. The characters are all incredibly interesting, and the mystery is impressive. An exceptionally fast read. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.