Hollis died when she was young but after being resuscitated, she gained the ability to see the grave birds. Grave birds are manifestations of unfinished business for the dead, Hollis can see them and help the grave birds move on. When Cain Landry buys the house, Hollis has been saving to buy, she is angry and scrambling to get a new venue for the upcoming gala. Cain is ruining the town or is he? Mysterious occurrences have happened since his arrival, is he the cause? What is happening to the town? What underlying secrets will be revealed? Are the deaths of some people related? Why is Hollis involved and will she solve the mystery before all the lies are exposed?

Well written, I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, the characters and the grave birds. The mystery woven throughout the story is well done and I loved how the grave birds gave Hollis information to help solve it. If you enjoy a good mystery, well written and a bit of the supernatural, a wee bit of romance, then you'll enjoy this book.

After absolutely falling in love with Dana’s writing style and storytelling in her previous book, In the Hour of Crows, I just knew I was in for a haunting yet beautifully written story with Grave Birds! And let me tell you, she absolutely delivered.

While I would say this book constitutes as light southern gothic horror it was also rich in atmospheric imagery involving a small town story deeply embedded with dark family secrets. I absolutely love the fact that Dana utilized birds again in this book. What she did with the concept of grave birds made for such a fascinating and eerie element. Hollis was a fantastic MC. She’s been touched by death and therefore has a unique ability to communicate with the deceased through birds. Talk about the perfect amount of spooky! But then we also get Cain, a mysterious new stranger/ love interest, ghosts that are desperate to reveal their past, a gossipy slew of community members, and an ending that will leave you satisfied and shocked by the reveal.

I also did an immersive read. I love reading physically but once I saw Brittany Pressley narrated, I put on the audio as well! Pressley is my favorite narrator and per usual she nailed it and brought this whole southern town to life! Pick this one up! It’s a book that will completely transport you from the start and will leave a lasting impression on you once you’ve finished.
Dana, thank you so much for including me in your Grave Birds journey from the cover reveal to the gorgeous PR box and early ARC, to your scavenger hunt leading up to pub day! I’m honored to have been apart of Grave Birds and will be recommending this book to all! 🥰

•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ the deceased communicate through birds
+ beautifully written prose
+ immersive and atmospheric
+ a romance subplot
+ small town w/dark secrets
+ A+ audiobook
+ so many birds
+ ghosts
+ a spooky cozy sort of horror
+ South Carolina setting
+ southern gothic
+ read if you liked In the Hour of Crows, Midnight is the Darkest Hour, or the writing styles of Emilia Hart, Sarah Penner, or Adrienne Young

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★ 𝟓
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: I loved it!!

Thank you Dana, HTP, and Netgalley for my gifted ARC!

•𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬•
“THERE ARE THREE things I've learned from the dead. One, they always have something to say. Two, you can almost guarantee what they're going to show you won't be pretty. And three, the dead don't like being ignored.”

“The infinite oneness I felt in the afterlife for those thirty-two minutes is impossible to feel back among the living. But this…is damn close.”

Wow! Another magical story from Dana Elmendorf, who’s quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!!! Happy Release Day @danaelmendorf!
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This story follows Hollis, who is officially in the event planning business but unofficially, she’s in the business of decoding messages from grave birds!!!
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Cain Landry is a handsome devil, and when he arrives in Hawthorne, SC, all hell breaks loose, especially for Hollis!!! Flocks of drowned dying cardinals and fire tornados are definitely reason to question what is happening and who’s to blame?
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This story is an entertaining scavenger hunt that can entertain any fan of the Southern Gothic genre but be warned… you’re probably going to want some good ole Southern cooking and a sugarboo (or two) by time it’s done!!! I know I do.
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Thank you @netgalley for an advanced readers e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!!! I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy for another read 💙🐦‍⬛

Today I’m part of the Summer Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf. This was an atmospheric, Southern Gothic novel, focusing on a young girl who can communicate with “grave birds” – birds who live in graveyards and can tell the tales of those who have died. It was a weirdly creepy and intriguing read! The writing was quite good and if you like this genre – think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – you should pick this one up.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Grave Birds is full of atmospheric southern gothic vibes, with lots of delicious and deadly family drama. I enjoyed this so much. It was mysterious. There was a generations long who-dun-it unraveling bit by bit through the grave birds. The pacing felt just right to me. And the prose was beautifully descriptive where it needed to be, and not in the places where it wasn't necessary. Hollis' journey through grief, regret and forgiveness was intensely relatable. Loved it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and MIRA for the eARC for me to read and review.

I found the supernatural premise in this book unique and interesting! I wasn’t expecting it to go in the direction it did (towards murder mystery) based on the blurb, but overall it was thoroughly enjoyable. The second half was a tad confusing having added in so many characters from different time periods.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A well woven story to become pulled into. Hollis has a gift that comes with heartache, grief, & risks. It also begs for the right responsible thing to be done. A good young adult novel with the exception of some unnecessary foul language mostly in the front half of the book. It ends well with most of the questions pondered throughout answered. I look forward to more of this author's work.

Strong Southern Gothic Tale. Perfect for those who love to start "spooky season" on July 5th (with no other major (decorative, at least) holidays in the US before Halloween), yet also has a strong small town mystery and even a touch of romance, this is one book that checks a lot of boxes - yet manages to do them all quite well.

Even as a native of the South, specifically the borderlands between southern Appalachia and exurban Atlanta, I had never heard of the concept of a "grave bird", yet Elemndorf both (quickly) explains it well... and then uses it particularly well throughout the novel whose title notes that it is all about these creatures. ;)

But seriously, the titular grave birds give this tale a magical realism/ fantasy tone that is exactly what one would expect in a Southern Gothic tale, but really the core of this book is one woman's dreams and the depths she will go through to achieve them - even if it means unravelling a decades old town mystery so well hidden that virtually no one even actually knows there is a mystery to solve!

Truly a strong and stirring sophomore effort (for adult audiences, at least), this really is a strong tale told particularly well, and one that is both familiar enough to be understood and even relatable, yet innovative enough so that the reader will still be caught quite breathless at times.

Very much recommended.

Grave Birds is, without a doubt, my favorite book of the year. Dana Elmendorf delivers a mesmerizing blend of Southern Gothic atmosphere, lyrical prose, and a mystery that lingers like the scent of magnolia on a humid night. From the very first page, I was completely spellbound. The premise alone is hauntingly original: a girl who can see birds left behind where people die. These spectral birds aren’t just eerie—they’re symbolic, weighty, and deeply woven into the emotional fabric of the story. It’s a concept that could have felt gimmicky in lesser hands, but Elmendorf uses it to explore grief, guilt, and the invisible imprints death leaves behind.


At the heart of Grave Birds is a protagonist who is as compelling as the story’s eerie premise. Hollis is a woman grappling with the ability to see spectral birds that appear where people die, and she’s not just a passive observer of the supernatural. The birds can show her some of the deceased person’s past, and she can’t rest until she’s gotten them their peace. Hollis is a richly drawn, emotionally layered woman navigating grief, guilt, and the weight of a gift she never asked for. She’s surrounded by a loving family and a tight-knit circle of friends that support each other, but there’s also those in this small town that don’t want to see her succeed.

The Southern setting is gorgeously rendered—lush, decaying, and alive with secrets. Elmendorf captures the gothic charm of the South with uncanny precision: the creaking porches, the family legacies, the sense that the land itself remembers. It’s a place where the past is never truly gone.

The mystery at the heart of the novel is both gripping and emotionally resonant. It’s not just about uncovering what happened—it’s about understanding why it matters and how it effected every member of a community. Elmendorf builds suspense with quiet intensity, layering clues and revelations in a way that feels both organic and deeply satisfying.

Elmendorf conjures a world where the moss hangs heavy and the past refuses to stay buried. The plot simmers with unease, building toward revelations that feel both shocking and inevitable. Dana Elmendorf’s writing lush without being overwrought, poetic without sacrificing clarity. Every sentence feels carefully chosen, every image vivid and evocative. Elmendorf doesn’t just tell a story—she casts a spell. If you’re drawn to stories that are eerie, elegant, and emotionally rich, Grave Birds is an absolute must-read. It’s the kind of book that haunts you in the best way—beautiful, strange, and unforgettable.

**Features:**

- Atmospheric Southern Gothic
- Uncovering family and small town secrets
- Mystery that unfolds through disconnected pieces
- The the present reaping the consequences of decisions made in the past

**Synopsis:**

Only those that have experienced death can see the grave birds. Hollis Sutherland has been able to see them after being ‘brought back to life’ following a terrible accident when she was young. Each representing a soul of the departed, the birds show Hollis pieces of their past lives in the hopes that she can resolve their unfinished business and set them free. When an attractive newcomer named Cain Landry comes to town, he brings omens of the devil in his wake and strange things begin to happen. Hollis’s only hope is to turn to the grave birds to uncover the town’s dark past and how to save it.

**Thoughts:**

I loved Dana Elmendorf’s “In the Hour of Crows” and so I was really excited to pick this one up! This Southern Gothic is atmospheric and bone chilling at times but isn’t the type to keep you up at night. I thought the birds were a great concept and enjoyed a lot of the symbolism even if the execution could be slightly clunky at times. The mystery at the center of this story unfolds through the visions the grave birds show Hollis which are short and not presented in order. Where I personally enjoyed the process of figuring out how disconnected pieces fit together, this might feel too disjointed to readers who prefer a more straightforward presentation of information.

Hollis is a spunky and endearing FMC that I really enjoyed. The side characters did not feel as fleshed out, but their interactions were incredibly dynamic and conveyed a lot of the personality that might have otherwise been missed. Cain’s introduction felt a bit heavy handed, but he quickly evolves into a fascinating and complex character that you want to know more about. Though the book begins like a romance and the characters have good chemistry, know going in that the romantic elements take a back seat to the plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book but felt it lacked the same finesse as “In the Hour of Crows”. The Southern connection is still strong and beautifully captured as it grows its own roots. There are a lot of strong, beautiful moments in this story that make it well worth picking up for yourself.

A southern gothic horror novel full of interesting, mysterious characters, beautiful settings, and the singularly fascinating premise of grave birds - a bird that is physically bound to the earth by an invisible tether holding them here as a representative of a soul with unfinished business.

Our main character, Hollis, drowned and was revived when she was eleven and since then she can see grave birds. It's a haunting and beautiful concept and one that plagues her as the birds cannot be freed until she's understood what their message is. (And this whole wonderfully, gorgeously tragic idea now has me obsessing about the nature of the birds. Different species appear for different people, there's no one type: cardinal, sparrow, chickadee, etc. So I keep wondering if the species is geographically specific, or more a representation of the person's personality? Would you get a shima enaga or a kakapo in South Carolina...? How about a penguin? 🤔)

Now in her mid-20s, she's been noticing some strange things happening in her South Carolina town: a stranger arrives, natural disasters frequent the area, mysterious accidents befall the local residents and a decades old mystery starts to resurface.

Elmendorf's writing is perfectly on point for a southern gothic tale, full of lush settings, quirky characters, haunting family secrets and unsettling tragic ghosts. She crafts a murder mystery that is complex and compelling and the main character is easily relatable. The overall feel of this was strongly reminiscent of a cross with Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil and the 2000 movie The Gift to give you an idea of tone and style.

My only criticism is that the 'big reveal' felt a bit rushed and confusing, a little out of sync with the pacing of the novel as a whole.

Otherwise, a great book!

I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was sucked into the narrative of GRAVE BIRDS by Dana Elmendorf. I chose it for its promise of southern gothic vibes, but kept reading for the unexpected murder mystery.

The main character, Hollis Sutherland, drowned as a child but was resuscitated. She returned to life with one side effect - she can see grave birds. Grave birds are ghostly apparitions left tethered to the earth when someone dies with a great regret. They remain until someone like Hollis witnesses the moment of regret and sets it free.

Hollis lives in a small South Carolina town, dominated by the wealthy Hawthorne family who run a large missionary church. All is quiet until a stranger arrives with cash to spend and a grave bird on his shoulder.

The atmosphere created was just what my gothic-loving heart wanted. The ghostly birds, a mysterious handsome stranger, whispers of a reckoning, and strange weather occurrences that appear biblical in nature.

And Hollis, steady and persistent in nature, is the perfect guide through all the plot’s surprises.

I’ve seen great reviews of Elmendorf’s previous book, In the Hour of Crows. I’ll need to move that one up my TBR and borrow the audiobook soon.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Gothic Horror, Thriller, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural
Creep Factor: This has the heebie-jeebies of gothic novels, not so much blood & guts, BUT there are flashbacks of deaths that might be upsetting for some readers.
Language: A few F-bombs and other curses
Spice Level: Fade-to-black

GRAVE BIRDS serves up Southern gothic horror with a slice of homemade pie and neighborhood gossip—and I ate it all up!

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The grave birds hanging around people is brilliant, and I was so anxious as Hollis was untangling the messages from the dead. It's like the birds are a manifestation of the death stories clinging to a person. And how would the stranger—named Cain!—cause more trouble? Or was he the cause of everything happening?

It's a little freaky, giving you that chill, as she's going through step by step, deeper and deeper into the secrets of the town. What Southern town doesn't bury its secrets, right??? I loved how it wove together in the end and can see the possibility of more if the author decides to expand this into a series.

I recommend it!

Happy reading!

Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf is a perfect mix of eerie, emotional, and just the right amount of creepy. I love a story that’s got a little darkness to it without feeling overwhelming, and this one totally hit that sweet spot. The main character really stuck with me. She’s tough but vulnerable, and watching her navigate grief, secrets, and the strange world around her made the story feel personal and real. Elmendorf’s writing has this smooth, atmospheric vibe that made me want to keep reading just to stay in the mood of the book.

This was a really great book and I am so glad I kept reading, It started off strong, telling the reader about Hollis and how she gained the ability to see grave birds. Sad little souls tethered to the ground where people met their end. It diverts for a bit when it starts to talk about her event planning business and the newcomer in town buying the house she was trying to purchase herself, which is where I started to get a bit jaded. I wanted to know more about the grave birds and how we could help these souls rather than this insta-crush she has on Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious. I am glad I continued reading.

We do get back into the mystery and the southern gothic charm which was what was drawing me in from the beginning and I was utterly hooked. Did I need the romance? Nah, not really. However, it was fairly well done if a bit fast for my personal thoughts. The spookiness with the magical realism is what I picked this book up for and it delivered on plenty of secrets, melting faces in paintings, sad ghosts, and acts of god ( or the devil).

Hollis is a great character and I really can't fault her for falling for Cain Landry. Hollis's friend group is also a aspect of the story as well. They are so incredibly supportive. There's a lot of tension within this southern town as it seems the "older" generations are set in their upper crust ways and the younger are trying to make their way. But, dang, i was captivated by this book, especially starting at some fire tornadoes. If you know, you know.

Ok so Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf is a charming and beautifully written Southern gothic tale!
I was completely captivated by this book the moment I started reading it. I literally did not put it down until the very end. This story Elmendorf created is so stunning and it draws you in at once.

Grave Birds
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🐦 Southern Gothic
🐦 Atmospheric
🐦 Mystery/Who Done It
🐦 Smidge of Romance
🐦 Small Southern Town with Dark Family Secrets
🐦 Paranormal/Haunting
🐦 Magical Realism

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires x Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil = Grave Birds

Paige-TheBookAndTheBoston (Goodreads) created a new subgenre for books like this: cozy horror, and I couldn't agree more.

"Sometimes the dead have unfinished business."

Grave Birds is an eerily fun, haunting juxtaposition of a wildly mysterious, religious, small town in the south full of dark family secrets, and a woman who died as a kid but was revived with a paranormal gift that grabbed me by the throat immediately and didn't let up until it's final page (to be honest, I might still be at a gorgeous gala in Hawthorne, South Carolina). The twists and reveals are currently my favorite of 2025 - I didn't see that coming and I love that I didn't.
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When our main character, Hollis, was 11, she died. Shortly after being brought back to life, she started seeing Grave Birds - ghostly manifestations of the dead's unfinished business. These birds know that Hollis can see them, and only see can set them, and the dead souls that represent, free.

Now, Hollis is an adult who just started her own event planning business and is working tirelessly to make it big in her small town of Hawthorne, South Carolina.

Things are going alright enough, as well as they can with small town politics in play, until the day a handsome, albeit eerie, stranger shows up in town - Cain. Then this small town in the deep south starts to take on a truly eerie atmosphere as more and more bizarre and unexplainable events begin to occur - some that have the religious folks in town certain that these events are sure signs that the Devil has returned.

While planning the gala that will make or break her career, Hollis is also attempting to get to the heart of this nest of lies and uncover all the truths the grave birds have to show her. Truths that the wealthiest and most powerful in the area have done everything in the power to cover up over the last 25 years. Oh, and dating Cain - who may be in town for nefarious reasons.
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📝 For me, the plot was sublime. I pride myself on being able to figure out most reveals ahead of the reveal(s). That wasn't the case with this book, not even close. And it managed to truly confound me without coming across as contrived or making me roll my eyes. Full on 🤯. It's been a while since I've read a book with such well executed twists and turns.

✍🏼 I found the prose to be beautiful and seeping with atmosphere. I love the way Dana manages to tow the prose-line with being descriptive. Somehow she manages to write in a way that nearly overflows with atmosphere without crossing into purple

Her word choices feel deliberate and well thought out.

"A murder of crows settles in the trees; it's the hour when the day has almost ended and the night is not quite here."

I love that Dana adds in tiny little Easter egg tie-ins to her other books (like the above quote, an homage to In The Hour of Crows). If you haven't read them, no worries, it doesn't impact anything. Just a fun little thing for people that have.

"Hey, dickhead! Excuse me is the polite thing to say."

I found the dialogue to read as natural and befitting the characters. There are itty bits of levity occasionally provided via dialogue, helping ease the tension from becoming overwhelming.

I love when books are written using colloquialisms and while not technically grammatically correct they're true to how many in that area, of that generation, speak. If you don't enjoy that, some of the dialogue may not be your thing (the latter only really applies to one minor character).

⏳ Grave Birds moves along fairly quickly. I didn't want to put it down, but I also kind of didn't want it to end.

Tension is the main propellent to the plot, and is well used. Dialogue is well placed to tease the plot out while keeping the pace moving fairly quickly.

“You know what a little bird told me?”

🔮 I found the grave birds idea to be enthralling and unique. Someone who can solve crimes, settle things for the dead, etc by finding their grave bird and allowing it to show them whatever their associated soul wants her to see.

"Murder feels like a viable option today."

👥 Phenomenal characters full of nuance and personality. I love that Dana shows the duality of humanity, and I love the way she goes about it. It's there, sometimes in the subtext, but it is there.

"A storm is certainly brewing, and I can’t help but feel like hell is coming to Hawthorne now the devil has come home to roost."

💓 From their angry first meeting, I was torn (like Hollis is) on whether Cain is there for nefarious purposes, or not. Once he said to Hollis, "Who did this?!" I was 💯 in on him being there for "good" reasons, even if he turned out to be morally grey. 😆

🗝️ 👻 The mystery and haunted type paranormal aspects were an eerily fun time.

If you liked: In The Hour of Crows, A House with Good Bones (T. Kingfisher), The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (Grady Hendrix), or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (John Berendt), then I think you'd enjoy Grave Birds.

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Thank you to Dana Elmendorf, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I love a good southern gothic story and Grave Birds did not disappoint! This story is full of mystery and intrigue that will keep you reading, plus an good dose of ghosts, possible murders, and a touch of romance.

I 100% did not know how this story was going to end and the plot twist was GOOD. If you want a mystery you won't be able to guess the ending to, try this one out.

4.25⭐

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

I've never heard of grave birds before. Dana Elmendorf weaves history and mystery into the story of the grave birds, making it feel so real that it gave me goosebumps. Hollis Sutherland can "see" the leftover portions of a deceased person. She "reads" the GRAVE BIRDS and learns more than she wants. The information she learns endangers her. The creep factor is high, thanks to cross-genre elements that keep readers turning pages quickly. It was a fast read that my reading circle is going to love.

Hollis and her grandfather died in a car accident when Hollis was 11. But Hollis was revived, and having touched the other side, she now has the ability to see grave birds - birds tethered to the place where a person died (or to the person, if they were revived), and when she touches them, she is thrown back to their lives, usually right before their deaths, and is able to see the unfinished business that keeps them stuck here.

As an adult, Hollis is trying to start her own event planning business. Her uncle Royce has recently passed and has put in his will that she has one year to purchase his house before it can go to market. But 18 days before the year is up, Cain and his godmother, Paloma, are suddenly moving in. Cain has no care for the "squatter" living in the greenhouse - the greenhouse Hollis' uncle Royce had converted to a studio apartment for her. However, Hollis' lawyer convinces him to let her stay to the end of the month.

Hollis is devastated. Not only has her home been sold out from underneath her, but it was the place she had been planning on running her business from - and holding the Hawthorne's annual fundraising gala for missionaries. Managing to convince the matriarch, Libby, to allow her to hold their gala elsewhere, Hollis begins scrambling to get the gala back on track.

But strange things are happening in the small South Carolina town of Hawthorne. Not only are more grave birds appearing and showing Hollis terrible things, but the ghost of a drowned girl has begun haunting Hollis, and then there's the fire tornadoes that chased Jeremiah Hawthorne through town.

Hollis was certain Cain was the devil when she met him, but there may be something worse in Hawthorne hiding behind the faces of those she knows and deals with.

A truly fascinating story. The concept of grave birds is so unique. I enjoyed the read and it definitely scratched that southern gothic/magical realism itch.