3.5 stars
I loved the Southern gothic vibe of this book as well as the clever premise and the atmospheric mood. It was fun unraveling the mystery, and I enjoyed the spooky lite feel to the story.

The audiobook’s production value and narration were so well done and really brought the story off the page for me. Of course, you can never go wrong with Brittany Pressley.

An entertaining read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinaudio for the chance to review this advance copy.

Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf is a Southern Gothic tale woven with love, family secrets, and murder. Ever since Hollis died as a child and was brought back to life, she’s had a supernatural gift: when someone dies, a grave bird appears. If Hollis touches it, she relives that person’s final moments as if they were her own.

She’s managed to build a quiet life around this strange ability—until a wealthy, charming bachelor arrives in town and disrupts everything. As Hollis reimagines her future, biblical omens begin appearing, signaling something dark and apocalyptic. Strangely, the newcomer, the signs, and her mysterious new employers all seem linked to a murderous past. Guided by the grave birds and the haunting visions they bring, Hollis sets out to uncover the truth.

While I felt the story could’ve been strengthened with more detail in places, it was still an engaging and enjoyable listen.

4.25 ⭐️

Grave Birds is an interesting, southern gothic book with an incredibly interesting premise. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into it, having never read anything by this author before, but I was pleasantly surprised! The pacing was great and I absolutely loved the setting.

Both the romantic and non-romantic plots were very well done and kept my attention. I enjoyed the mystery plot the most though. We got to follow Hollis as she worked through what these mysterious little grave birds were trying to tell her, and I was fully enraptured the entire time!

Overall, this was a spooky little read that I think a ton of people will enjoy!

Thank you to The Hive and Harlequin Audio for the review copy of Grave Birds! All opinions are my own!

The audio version of Grave Birds is a solid, immersive experience. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the tone and atmosphere of the book to life. Her pacing, inflection, and emotional delivery added so much to the overall tension of the story.

While I personally would’ve preferred a different male voice for certain parts, it didn’t pull me out of the story or lessen my enjoyment. I still found myself completely absorbed.

A strong performance that elevated an already compelling read—highly recommend listening if you enjoy eerie, emotionally layered mysteries.

This is my first EVER audiobook *gasp* and I think I picked a good one because this novel is very rich in atmosphere. The south seeps through the pages like sunshine. It’s the perfect mix of mystery, southern gothic, paranormal and even a touch of romance.

The story was extremely bingey. I loved the gossipy small-town vibe and all of the flash backs with the grave birds. I was totally shocked by the ending and major twist. It got dark! Hollis is a great main character, and I loved her quirky and positive personality.

The audiobook was great because our narrator, Brittany Pressley, does a variety of voices. It took me a minute to get used to it but she is very talented. I was swept into the town of Hawthorne and I was sad to leave it. I cannot believe it is a debut. Elmendorf is one to watch. If you haven’t added this to your summer TBR already, you should!

Thank you so much @netgalley for my copy!****

Hollis Sutherland is in quite a bind -- having lost her godfather, a major figure in her childhood following a near-death experience, Hollis is scrambling to be approved for a loan to purchase his home before other, more financially capable, buyers swoop in. When Cain Landry, a mysterious figure who may as well be the devil himself, arrives in town and acquires the home through a cash sale, Hollis is not emotionally devastated to lose an important part of her godfather's legacy, but also a major feature of her budding event planning business, which would have utilized the home as a major event venue. Despite Hollis's initial fury and Cain's immediate dismissal of her concerns, the two soon reach a more amicable arrangement, beginning to become friends, temporary business partners, and then something more. But against the backdrop of a burgeoning romance in a Southern town, corruption and secrets fester, and Hollis encounters ghostly grave birds in unexpected places, a lingering trace where someone has lost their life. Deeply atmospheric, with realistic romance and sharp Southern wit, Grave Birds is a perfect summer Gothic read.

4.5 / 5 stars

Hollis Sutherland drowned when she was eleven years old. She came back, but she didn’t come back the same.

Ever since, she’s been able to see grave birds – spectral robins, mourning doves, and other restless spirits tied to the places where people died, waiting for their unfinished business to be resolved.

In Hawthorne, South Carolina, where secrets haunt every street, Hollis has learned to live with the grave birds’ presence. Until the day Cain Landry comes to town – with a grave bird perched on his shoulder.

As strange omens and restless spirits stir, Hollis must follow the grave birds’ clues to uncover the town’s buried sins before the past destroys everything she’s working to build.

This was such a satisfying Southern Gothic, blending magical realism with a layered small-town mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish. Hollis is exactly the kind of protagonist I love – driven and compassionate, with a strong sense of justice that pushes her to help the grave birds around town. Brittany Pressley’s narration brought her to life so vividly, and I was rooting for Hollis the whole way.

The grave birds themselves were a highlight – each one a specific species tied to unfinished business, adding a tangible realism to the magic. I also loved how rich the Southern atmosphere felt, with abandoned properties, emerging cicadas, secrets in every corner, and the sense that something eerie is always just out of sight.

While the publisher’s description makes it sound like a “devil comes to town” story, the heart of this book is Hollis’s connection with the dead and her unraveling of Hawthorne’s dark past. (And so much more about her event planning business than I expected.) It reminded me of The Change in the best ways, with women’s power, magical realism, and a mystery that actually delivers.

If I have one quibble, it’s that Cain didn’t feel as fully developed as Hollis, and his enemies-to-lovers arc moved a bit fast. I didn’t mind him, but he didn’t leave me swooning. Still, that’s a small thing compared to how much I enjoyed this story.

If you love a Southern Gothic with rich atmosphere, an engaging mystery, and a touch of magic, Grave Birds is perfect for your TBR.

A fast moving, intricately layered story with a unique supernatural plot. It was refreshing to read a paranormal book with well developed characters and a richly detailed setting. Many stories based in the South over exaggerate the "sotherness" of the setting and characters, leaving an artificial, touristy feel. This book felt natural and modern in its place and storyline.

Southern gothic drips from the spanish moss hanging from the trees in the cemeteries of Hawthorne, South Carolina. Hollis has a unique connection with the dead, she is able to see "grave birds" that represent unfinished business of the dead. Hollis died when she was eleven but was brought back life, hence her ability to see the grave birds. Hollis is an event planner, attempting to purchase her uncle's mansion in hopes of turning it into the ultimate event venue. Just as she is about to close the deal, a mystery man, Cain Landry, comes in an buys it out from underneath her. This novel has it all, a great mystery, some ghostly elements, crazy disasters, a touch of romance, a perfectly atmospheric southern setting, and some great twists at the end. This book was very fast paced.

Thank you to Mira Books, Harlequin Audio and Harper Collins for the ALC. The narrator Brittany Pressley was perfection.

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 really enjoyed the narrator, Brittany Pressley, and discovered she recorded two other audiobooks I loved (Love on the Brain & The Seven Year Slip). As someone still relatively new to audiobook reading, I’m excited to finally be able to recommend specific voice actors.

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.

In this book, our main character Hollis died and was brought back to life. She can now see grave birds. Grave birds are tied to specific people's deaths and when Hollis touches them, she can see their unfinished business. In a town run by the wealthy, an incoming stranger might disrupt everything.
The whole idea of grave birds was totally fascinating. Hollis doesn't necessarily know who each grave bird belongs to, so she spends this story kind of trying to piece together glimpses of people's lives. I don't want to give away too much, but Hollis starts to get clues to a long buried mystery that ends up having a really intricate resolution.
There was a little bit of romance in this book, but it didn't focus on it hardly at all. It was just a nice, organic relationship between Hollis and the newcomer, Cain. While it didn't add anything to the story itself, it was a nice little side plot. There wasn't a ton of on page chemistry, but they felt good together. There were a lot of side characters and it was a little hard to keep track of who was who at first. Most, if not all of them ended up being necessary to the end of the story though.
I think the atmosphere of the book was really well done. I could really imagine being in this southern town with these stuck up rich people, but it also had a really spooky feel to it.
The audiobook narrator was one of my favorite, Brittany Pressley. The book took place in South Carolina, so she had a southern accent which really transported me into the story. She always does a great job, and this was no exception!

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.

I absolutely loved this book! The gothic southern vibes were spectacular and I had no idea where this story was going. I loved the paranormal piece. Highly recommend!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you Dana Elmendorf, HTP, The Hive, Mira, & Harlequin Audio for the gifted copies!

Grave Birds
Dana Elmendorf
Publishing Date: July 1, 2025

🎧 Narrator: Brittany Pressley 🎧

I really loved Dana’s debut novel, In the Hour of Crows, and think Dana is just an awesome human. So when the opportunity to receive a PR box for this book came up I was so excited!

This novel is so beautifully haunting and atmospheric. It’s spooky without being too scary. I absolutely love magical realism and it is done to perfection here. The southern gothic vibes are on point. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. And there was even a dash of romance.

Hollis Sutherland had a near death experience as a child and has been touched by death ever since. She has the ability to see Grave Birds and when she touches one she is swept away into the mind of the deceased where she can see the events leading up to their death.

With this sophomore novel Dana Elmendorf has proven herself a consistently strong writer, a beautiful storyteller, and a master at creating haunting, gothic, atmospheric vibes. She was already an auto-buy author for me, and this second book just further proves why.

🎧 I read this one with my ears because how can you not when Brittany Pressley is narrating? It is no surprise that she is absolutely flawless here. There are a handful of narrators that if I see they are doing a book it’s an automatic audio for me, and she’s one of them!

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 Elmendorf, HTP, Mira, NetGalley for the gifted Copy and ALC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dana Elmendorf for the opportunity to read the audiobook arc for this title.

This was purely an unexpected favorite of mine this year. A captivating, supernaturally charged, southern mystery. As someone who is an avid horror reader, I would dare say this was even cozy to me. This reminded me of the Princess and the Frog, with its southern charm and light romance elements. It also reminded me of Only One Left by Riley Sager for the mystery elements, but as I didn’t enjoy that book, this was significantly better. If you hated Only One Left, you’ll love this book. Beautifully narrated and acted, it’s very hard for a mystery to captivate my attention, considering I’ve only had bad luck with them, but this was a welcomed surprise! The sheer variety and amount of characters were well organized and executed; with some characters being morally grey and others being more straightforward in their motives. At no point could I predict the outcome of this mystery and the reveal blew my mind. Just the right amount of spooky with the addition of the supernatural (potentially folkloric, I need to look into this) grave birds. A very unique narrative that had me hooked. This is likely going to be the book I was most surprised to enjoy so much in 2025. An unanticipated favorite!

The blurb for this book caught my attention…”The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires meets Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.

I wished the narrator didn’t act out all the voices of each character—comes off bad and cheesy sounding, otherwise her southern accent suits the narration rather well.

Grave Birds is a southern gothic story where its lead character has the ability to see the “grave bird” of an individual who has died. With this ability, she can go back in time to view how the person died. Throughout this novel we are introduced to a variety of characters we have to determine who can and cannot be trusted. One of them being Cain. Cain comes into town and behind him is a shit storm of trouble. He’s also the character I enjoyed the most and wished he had more presence in this story. Louisa is our lead character’s pet cockatiel, and frankly she steals every scene she is in, with her dirty mouth!

I would like to think that had I read the physical copy of the book, I might have been more compelled to rank this book higher, even with the kitschy-gimmicky narration of various character’s point of view.

I have no doubt that this book will do well. It has a great title, beautiful artwork, and a story that isn’t too complex but also grips the reader’s focus.

Dana Elmendorf’s Grave Birds is a captivating blend of mystery, the paranormal and love. Hollis Sutherland, who had a near-death experience as a child, now possesses the extraordinary ability to see grave birds and their spirits, guiding them to peace. The gothic and paranormal elements are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, making the story feel both authentic and enchanting. Brittany Pressley’s narration is a true standout, and she has become my go-to narrator for any story I read!

Thank you so much for the beautiful story. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the chance to listen as I read. I am blown away with how much I loved the story. I read it way to fast and was so disappointed it was over. This has everything this girl wants in a book!

Hollis was such a great character. I loved so much about her, even her gift. It broke me the guilt she carries with her everyday because of her grandfather's passing. She is having such a rough time but continuously remains optimistic all while not being naive.

When Cain comes into the picture I was very unsure how I felt about him. I came up with my opinion rather quickly. Hollis' bird really steals the show often. The gothic and paranormal aspects I thought were done so well. Just the perfect amount that it was so believable. I often kept forgetting this was fiction because I was in this story. I felt a part of what was happening. It pulled me in and I was there for it.

The twist threw me for a loop. I did not see it coming. I knew something was coming but not that! I hope to read more of this author soon.

Ⓖⓔⓝⓡⓔⓢ
𖦹 Horror
𖦹 Fantasy
𖦹 Paranormal
𖦹 Gothic

꧁𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼꧂

✨ 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪….. 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚.”

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚. 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮. 𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙞𝙡, 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨. 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED everything about this magical tale!
The Grave Birds were such a fun concept to read about. The plot instantly drew me in and at no point was I feeling bored or like I needed things to get going. I truly loved this book so much. A favorite read of 2025.