3.5 ⭐️

This was an interesting read. What happens when the dead are no longer dying? The villagers of Ascension are in the middle of multiple bizarre and supernatural incidents happening around them and have to figure out how to cope with the consequences.

The atmosphere throughout the story was eerie, with dark undertones. There were multiple characters, some of whom I found very interesting. Overall it was an enjoyable read though the pacing felt a bit slow at times.

Audio Narration Review: I enjoyed the narration. I think the narrator did a great job of bringing the story and characters to life.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

CW
Spouse death (child loss)
Murder
Gore
Hanging

This supernatural horror takes us to the eerie town of Ascension, Massachusetts, where death’s natural order is seriously disrupted. People aren’t staying dead, and as you can imagine, it’s not just ghosts and ghouls causing trouble—there’s something much darker at play. The book weaves a fantastic mix of historical setting, suspense, and eerie supernatural occurrences that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The characters are intriguing, especially the main trio—three women trying to uncover what’s going on, all while dealing with ghosts, witches, and a mysterious force threatening their lives. The balance of mystery and horror is solid, and while the pace doesn’t always hit the “action-packed” mark, it’s still engaging enough to keep you turning pages. The writing is beautifully atmospheric, with a hint of humor to lighten the intensity now and then.

Overall, it's a fun and unique read that adds a fresh twist to the supernatural genre. While it didn’t hit the same nerve-tingling excitement as some other horror novels, the world-building and character dynamics were enough to make it an enjoyable ride. If you’re a fan of creepy stories with a historical twist, this one’s for you.

A big thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion!

In this magical New England setting, Grecian tells a tell of death and troubles there-within. I did not know this was a sequel going into it, but still enjoyed the book!

I think the book that most surprised back in 2023 was Alex Grecian’s Red Rabbit. It was a masterful blending of genres: western, fantasy, and horror lite. And I have been dying to find another book that captured that same magical mix. Well here it is, and wouldn’t you the book Rose of Jericho and also just happens to to be by Alex Grecian and is in fact the follow up to Red Rabbit. I do recommend reading Red Rabbit first. I don’t necessary think it’s a requirement, though having knowledge of these character’s previous adventure will enhance your enjoyment of this one. A bit slower paced than Red Rabbit, the story of Rose of Jericho is no less thrilling. Moses, Sadie Grace, Rabbit, and Rose are return for this adventure. I really don’t want to give too much of the story away, stop reading this review and go in blind if you can. But if you are still reading here is a little taste of what you’ll find. Sadie Grace, Rabbit, and Rose arrive in the town of Ascension to find things are quite off. No one is dying. No, everyone isn’t the picture of health, they just aren’t dying. A woman who was on death’s door from cancer only days ago is now up and about, her son trampled by a wayward wagon is also up and moving. Are old friend Moses, who might have had a hand in what is happening, has a conversation with a hung man. This is but a tease of events within this fantastic story. Rose of Jericho features great characters, a fantastic setting, and one heck of a story. I really hope this isn’t Grecian’s last foray in this world. I’d be more than happy to saddle up for another adventure. John Pirhalla, who also worked on Red Rabbit, has returned and he once again does a fantastic job with the narration. I can’t recommend this series enough. This is a mixing a genres you never knew you needed. And believe me, you need it! I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Rose of Jericho.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2EXW1OGZZZDIE/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing with Macmillan Audio as well as the author and the narrator for this audio ARC.
#NetGalley #MAC25 #TorPublishingGroup #MacmillanAudio #RoseofJericho #AlexGrecian
#audiobook #ARC #horror #western #fiction #John Pirhalla

Title: Rose of Jericho
Author: Alex Grecian
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: John Pirhalla
Publisher: Tor Publishing/Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: March 11, 2025

For the reader who loved Red Rabbit, the author has given us this sequel to it. I liked this one more, and I loved Red Rabbit. This one tells the story of a small village in Ascension, MA. It seems the dead aren't staying dead. Rabbit and Sadie Grace travel to Ascension to help a friend of theirs care for a sick family member and find the small village teeming with supernatural residents. They try to figure out what’s going on, but they have to be discreet because something else is coming for them, something much worse.

It’s notable that this novel can stand alone from the first one. Having said that, read the first one. It’s great and will add to the reader’s enjoyment of this novel. While this new installment isn’t as action packed as the first, it did solidify my relationship with returning characters and establish solid connections and feelings with new ones. My favorite thing about this book was the plethora of ghosts and other supernatural beings. The ghosts were my favorite. Although the many characters and shifting points of view were a lot sometimes, I enjoyed it too. It made me pay attention and, like I said, I loved all the monsters. The author balances the strange with the humor masterfully. I advise the reader to dive in and pay attention. This book is great for horror fans and western fans alike. Alex Grecian is a fantastic writer and we’ll be seeing plenty of him. I advise readers to get in on this!

All in all, I recommend the audiobook as it is fantastically narrated by John Pirhalla. This book is a super fun weird western and I loved every minute of it.

Important note: Be aware that ROSE OF JERICHO is a sequel to RED RABBIT. This information isn’t (at the time I’m writing this) anywhere on the cover or in the description, but it absolutely should be.

This story picks up ten years after the first book. We don’t get anything in the way of introduction to help with remembering past details, so it took me a bit to settle in.

I really liked what the author was going for with this story, regarding the persecution of witches, and the issues around death as an entity and a necessity. But I felt it was all spread a little thin. I loved the first book, and while I enjoyed this one, I just didn’t feel that same magic.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by John Pirhalla, who also narrated RED RABBIT. I loved the way he embodied the mood and tone of the story and characters.

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook download.*

4.5 Stars – A Hauntingly Haunting Sequel

I enjoyed this more than the first book. It has a less adventure, more haunted feel to it, which perfectly suits the eerie setting of Ascension, Massachusetts. The atmosphere is rich with unease—ghosts in Bethany Hall, a village where the dead don’t stay dead, and something lurking in the attic.

Rabbit, Sadie Grace, and Rose are compelling, but I do think you’ll want to read the first book to fully appreciate them. If you love horror with creeping tension and witchcraft, this is a must-read. Haunting, unsettling, and highly recommended!

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and TOR Publishing, for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

The way I wanted to love this!!!! But it ended up being average for me.

Disclaimer: I read this as an audiobook. Thank you so much for the free audiobook. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The premise of this book was sure to be an absolute banger. And while I did enjoy the book as I was listening to it, I don't think it's gonna be something that sticks with me and I don't think it's something I'll ever reread or come back to you.

I just found all of the characters to be very similar in tone and tempo. I had a hard time telling one character from another. They all seem to have very similar voices and agendas. There was a stark difference for me and characters. I cared to read about and other POV's that I absolutely just wish would go by faster.

But I really love the premise and the idea of the story and that's what kept me going. I found the ending to be fully satisfactory as well. I hesitate to give this a low rating simply because I feel like part of the situation for why I did not enjoy this might be my own fault. I found out partway through my listen that this is the second book and what is a series. so I feel like I might be missing context and character development from the first book. I did like the premise enough and a few of the characters enough to go ahead and order the first book so I'm gonna go back and read that and see if that changes my opinion of this book at all.

I had to pause this at 40% because I realized that it was a sequel to Red Rabbit. So I went back and listened to Red Rabbit first and then re-started Rose. I loved the audio. The narrator was perfect for this type of book and did a great job with the different characters and their unique voices. It can be tricky to follow multiple POV (3rd person) on audio and I think he did a solid job. The story is fun. It felt a little like Monty Python with the band of buddies traveling around. I also really enjoyed the "dead who are not dead* theme. It was humorous but dark. I think this would be a good read for fans of Stephen Graham Jones and who like Clint Eastwood/Django type movies. I wouldn't necessarily classify this as horror although there are some horror-esque components with the living dead and the hangings. Also TW for hangings and some animal death.

A great follow up to Red Rabbit without the issues of the first novel. It's just as devastating and gory as the first and I'd love to see more happen in this world -- preferably with the surviving characters.

“It might have happened, but this is the story of how Death returned to the world, not the story of a happy little girl.”

Rose Nettles arrives in Ascension, Massachusetts to visit her dying cousin. Rose, along with Sadie Grace and her daughter Rabbit, are shocked to discover that Clarissa Sinclair is far from knocking on death’s door. There is something strange about Ascension and it’s not just that the dead don’t seem to die. Their new home, Bethany House, seems to have an unusual number of ghosts and people tend to vanish and never return.

I didn’t realize this was a sequel to Red Rabbit when I requested - honestly, I loved Red Rabbit and just wanted another book by this author. I do think it can be read as a standalone. It’s been a few years since I read RR so I’ve definitely forgotten some of the lead up, but I think you will enjoy Rose of Jericho even more if you read both. I loved seeing these characters again and loved how the author focused on Rose, Sadie Grace, and Rabbit to continue the story. I loved how cut off from the world the characters seemed and how we did get a look into parts of Ascension’s history. This was a creepy good time full of grotesque imagery, ghosts, and Death himself.

This was such a well done audiobook. We follow quite a lot of characters over the course of this novel and John Pirhalla did such a good job voicing them all. It was easy to follow and I never lost track of who was speaking. I really hope we get a third novel set in this world.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire & Macmillan Audio for an early copy.

I loved Alex Grecian’s ‘Red Rabbit’, so I was excited to dive into ‘Rose of Jericho’ the sequel that brings back familiar faces. You can totally read it on its own, but you’ll miss out on some great character development!

Set in 1881, this wild ride follows a mismatched crew of bandits and cowpokes on a quest to find a witch in a quirky version of America where people are dying but not staying dead. Grecian has nailed the blend of supernatural horror and historical fiction.

I listened to the audiobook arc and had a blast revisiting this strange American West and hanging out with these fascinating characters. John Pirhalla absolutely nailed it here! Fingers crossed for a third book!

Rose of Jericho publishes tomorrow! March 11th and I highly recommend this novel via audiobook. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a really interesting concept and story style. It felt a bit like the first season of American Horror Story with all of the characters and ghosts. I did think there might have been a few too many characters, that did not really contribute much to the story. But overall this is a good haunted house style story with more depth to the story. 3.5 stars.

📚 Book Review: Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian 🌿👻

If Red Rabbit was a banger (and it absolutely was), then Rose of Jericho hit my ultimate sweet spot! Alex Grecian delivers an outstanding follow-up to one of my favorite reads of 2025, blending witchy vibes with a ghostly, paranormal twist that had me fully immersed from page one.

One of the standout elements of Rose of Jericho is its unforgettable characters. Moses quickly became a favorite—he’s the kind of straight shooter with a moral compass you can always depend on. When life doesn't go his way, he's determined to do the right thing, and then he quietly moves on. His quiet strength and integrity ground the story beautifully.

And, of course, I couldn’t help but adore the continued journey of Sadie-Grace, Rose, and Rabbit. Seeing them together, building a home and carving out their own path, felt like a warm embrace amidst the story's chilling undertones. Grecian allows this story to take a completely different shape while maintaining the rich, immersive world I fell in love with in Red Rabbit.

I had the pleasure of enjoying the audiobook, beautifully narrated by John Pirhalla. If you’re not familiar with Pirhalla’s work, you probably are—without even realizing it! With a catalog of over 400 audiobooks, he is an absolute standout narrator for me. As an Audie Award nominee for Red Rabbit, Pirhalla brings the same expert audio delivery to Rose of Jericho, completely bringing this book to life. His narration is a masterclass in performance, and I just can’t get enough of it.

A huge thank you to TOR Publishing and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this Advanced Listener Copy. I’m so grateful to be part of this journey and to share my love for this incredible book.

If you are newer to audiobooks, do yourself a favor and take the time to learn more about the artists bringing your favorite books to life. John Pirhalla’s work is a fantastic place to start, and Rose of Jericho is a prime example of how a great narrator can elevate a story to new heights.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommend!

#TORpublishing #macmillianaudio #bookrecommendation

💥💥💥 Book Review 💥💥💥

Rose of Jericho
By. Alen Grecian
⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

I got to listen to Rose of Jericho on audio. It was okay, sometimes I had a hard time with so many point of views and so many plot lines. There wasn’t enough depth in the book which would had made a better impact. I also wish I knew that this was the second book of Red Rabbit. I wish NetGalley would have mentioned that and maybe I would have understood something’s better.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio for my free ARC of Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian — available Mar 11!

» READ IF YOU «
🧙‍♀️ are craving a witchy, paranormal historical horror
🪦 want to visit a cute lil town with a sliiight zombie problem
🐇 loved Red Rabbit, also by Alex Grecian

» SYNOPSIS «
Our lovely ladies from Red Rabbit, the first book of this series (though each can read as a standalone), Sadie Grace and Rabbit, head to small-town Massachusetts with their friend Rose. But something strange is going on in this town—the recently dead are...not staying dead? How can this be? Not to mention that their new home is packed to the gills with ghosts. And what the HECK is in the attic? Are the ladies in danger, and can they prevent this malevolent force from taking over the town?

» REVIEW «
This book is an absolute vibe. Just like in Red Rabbit, Alex Grecian builds for us an eerie, unsettling historical world packed with slowly-building dread. Though sometimes light hearted and even funny, much of this story gave me the creeps. The hanged man?! And the old cabin?! No, thank you. I found the shifting viewpoints sometimes difficult (I'd prefer to stick with one or two characters) and that was my main gripe with Red Rabbit as well—I care too much about the characters and their experiences that I want to read more from each one. Not a bad complaint, right? If you're into horrific western vibes and witchy characters, this one is for you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The dead don't die, but they do decompose.
What happens when Death is dead and how soon will the whitch hunt start?
It was a gripping tale. I really liked the cast of characters, and the very original take on the western horror, all in the beautiful and eerie prose of Alex Gracian.
If you liked Red Rabbit, you'll love this one and reuniting with some of the characters.
But you also can start here and fully enjoy this book.
I listened to the audiobook version and I loved the narrator. I feel it was a really immersive work.
Thank you Macmillan audio for this ARC!

This is the sequel to Alex Grecian's Red Rabbit, and it was absolutely fabulous! I definitely recommend that you read Red Rabbit first, so that you know the main characters who made it from book 1, however, it can read as a standalone. This book starts out with a bang (a man kills death!) and from there, no one dies. This does present many problems as people die, but don't die. A few characters have a mission to complete in order to turn the world back to right. we also learn that this may be a game of a larger sort. I loved the horror aspects of this book, but it was also humorous in parts. This is a must read!
'

A worthy follow up to Red Rabbit, proving again that horror and westerns mix perfectly. Fantastic narration in the audiobook as well.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for an early audio copy.

Historical fiction, meet character driven horror. Alex Grecian knows how to write compelling stories and with plenty of unsettling moments. Add this to your spooky reading list!