I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Crone by Keith Rosson Published by Random House on September 22 2026
Genres: Adult, Crime, Horror
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A driving narrative, gut-wrenching emotion and plenty of horrors, both human and supernatural, make Crone a standout book of 2026.
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up Crone, but it wasn’t at all what I got! And that isn’t a bad thing. This is my first time reading Keith Rosson, so perhaps I would have been better prepared if I’d read one of his earlier books, but wow, this guy can write. Crone has a supernatural element, but first and foremost it’s a crime thriller that revolves around a bunch of shady characters, drug dealers and addicts mostly, who live as if each day might be their last. This is a violent, bleak, heartbreaking story that doesn’t pull any punches, so anyone who’s triggered by gun violence and drug use should stay far away. But I’m in awe of Rosson’s ability to combine these elements with deeply developed characters and so many emotionally fraught moments.
Eli Lamp is an ex-cop and ex-drug addict who is indebted to a local drug lord named Dave Novak, after Dave helps him cover up a slew of murders. Thirteen years ago, Eli’s fifteen year old daughter Hannah was kidnapped, but no one has been able to solve the crime or find her body. Eli hasn’t given up, though. He continues to poke at her cold case even if he knows in his heart Hannah is probably dead. Meanwhile, he does Dave Novak’s bidding: growing hazeweed crops on his vast property and acting as his enforcer when needed.
But one day, Dave’s oldest son Anton turns up dead, mutilated and missing his heart. Eli is summoned to the scene, and Dave offers him a deal: find out who killed Anton so he can be brought to justice, and Dave will release Eli from his fealty. Eli reluctantly agrees, but then things get complicated. Hannah’s friend Avery, who was with her when she was kidnapped, has returned to town after having a series of weird dreams about Hannah. The local “witch,” a seer name Vicki Stubbs and an old friend of Eli’s, has a terrible feeling about the thorn-wrapped human heart she found on the beach. And they are not prepared for what comes next: an impossible creature hides in the woods, ready to kill whoever gets in their way.
Crone has a huge cast of characters, and the author does a great job of wrangling them and giving each one a distinct backstory. Rosson excels at writing deeply flawed characters who aren’t necessarily bad, but find themselves in terrible, dangerous and inescapable situations. Eli is a great example of this. He’s consumed by grief for his daughter and seems to have lost his purpose in life. It isn’t until almost the end of the story that he finally learns what happened to Hannah, and it’s this drive to know the truth that keeps him going.
I also loved Avery’s character, although it took some time to warm up to her. Avery has felt guilty ever since her friend was kidnapped, right in front of her eyes. Hannah got into a strange van to get out of the rain, but Avery hesitated and Hannah was snatched before she could react. Now Avery is in an abusive relationship and is a “wirehead,” someone addicted to wire (more on that later) and literally can’t think straight. When she arrives back in town, running from her boyfriend Nico after stealing a bunch of money from him—money that belongs to a rival drug gang—she finds herself in a lot of trouble, and what happens to her later in the story is a weird mix of fantasy and horror.
The bad guys—just about everyone else in the story—are scary and unpredictable, and I found the tension surrounding the drug operation and the ruthless way Dave and his boys take care of business to be more frightening than the supernatural threat. Each character is corrupted in one way or another, and all of them are out for revenge. The drug at the heart of the story—wire—is a fictional, opioid-like drug that is extremely addictive and dangerous. It gets its name from crystalized buds of the hazeweed plant being strung on thin wires which are inserted under the user’s finger and toenails. If that makes you squirm, you’re in good company. Rosson describes the process in vivid, 3D color, and I have no idea if anything similar exists in real life, but I certainly hope not!
The “crone” in the title also plays a big part in the story, although I don’t want to give too much away. I loved the folklore aspect of a creature with super strength on a mission of revenge, sort of a “wronged woman” scenario that plays out in some very violent but satisfying ways. I especially loved the last part of the story, when we finally learn what happened to Hannah, and boy is it a doozy! Eli is “shown” Hannah’s fate through a series of dreamlike sequences, and it was so emotional I literally sobbed through the last few chapters.
Crone is a horror masterpiece in every way: darkly atmospheric, dangerous, and suspenseful. I won’t forget this one for a very long time.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
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