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.
Great review, Tammy! Sounds like yet another horror book I’ve got to add to my list. I like the sound of this book having a big cast of characters but that the author manages to do a good job at wrangling them. Not every author is adapt at that!
There are so many characters, lol, but he did a great job with them!
Not my scene, but…wow! It sounds like this one packs so much into 350 pages, and yet no part of the story suffers from it. And you sobbed? I think it’s the first time I hear you say that about a book, which only shows how emotional this one manages to be, despite its bleakness.
He’s an amazing writer. I mean anyone who can get me to love a book about drug addiction knows what he’s doing!
Probably not the book for me. But you do have me wondering about his other books.
I’m going to try to read Coffin Moon very soon!
So glad you enjoyed it! I think the drug lord / violence aspects wouldn’t work for me, but I appreciate hearing about this book!
I totally get it, gun violence and drugs are things I don’t read about very often. But this one just worked for me!
Sometimes I think reading this sort of book or watching some things on tv where horrible things happen are easier scenarios than the things going on in real life now.
*Couldn’t get to your site yesterday but today it seems fine
My site was down for a while until I finally contacted Bluehost. Luckily it was an easy fix for them!
I remember reading Smoke City by this author years ago. It may have been one of his first books. I got this book this month in my Aardvark subscription, so I’m thrilled to see you rate it so high and speak so highly of it. Bumping it up and man, I do love that cover!
I hope you read it, I can’t wait to compare notes!
For some reason I’m convinced this one will majorly freak me out, maybe the cover? But you’re not the first person whose reviews I trust that has utterly adored this one so its definitely on my must reads list. I’m curious to discover the supernatural inclusions but am impressed by how hard hitting this sounds too. I love horror with depth like this. Wonderful review.
Thank you Charlotte! It really is so well written, I can’t wait to go back and read the author’s other books:-)
This is an amazing review!! This book is definitely not my thing, but it sounds like a complex one where the author manages to balance everything and to hit all the marks! I am glad you had such a great time with it!
Thanks Susy!
A vengeful crone moving through a modern crime story is a wonderfully ugly collision. Ancient grudges do not seem likely to respect police jurisdiction.
Wow! Your review makes me want to read this, even though it’s maybe not something I’d have been tempted by otherwise. I love the idea of a crime story with this creepy folklore element.
I am so excited to see your rave review! A copy of this landed on my doorstep just this week so this is incredibly good timing and now I can’t wait to dive in!
Not sure the crime element of the story would be my type of read. But I think it would be right up my mom’s alley, so I’ll have to tell her about this one. Glad it was so good for you, and what a creepy cover! Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/09/29/l-l-l-little-reviews-truman-committee-list-for-2028-29-possible-nominees-1-3/
I don’t think this book had registered with me at all and yet it sounds amazing so I’m adding it to my wish list for sure.
Lynn 😀