Disgraced former detective Eli Lamp spends his days working for The Crooked Wheel, a motorcycle gang controlling the drug trade in a small Oregon town. Over a decade prior, Eli made an error in judgement that ran him afoul of The Crooked Wheel’s competitor Brother Night during a desperate search for his missing daughter Hannah. This error in question indebted him to Dave Novak, the head of The Crooked Wheel, therefore securing Eli’s land for the growth and harvesting of Wire, the drug of choice for Oregonians, and of course, Eli’s services as a heavy for the gang.

Now, Avery Bryant, Hannah’s friend who had been present during her disappearance, has arrived back in town in a stolen car with a sack of tens of thousands of dollars in cash. Her appearance threatens to re-open old wounds and bring to light Eli’s unanswered questions surrounding his daughter’s vanishing. Also, who is waiting in the shadows waiting to enact vengeance?

Earlier this year, I had read Keith Rosson’s last book, 2025’s COFFIN MOON, and absolutely loved it. We’re just about to hit September, and I still expect to see it land on my end-of-year-list. So when I found out he had a new book headed to store shelves later this year, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I became even more excited when I read that this new book, while not a sequel, has connections with COFFIN MOON in that it takes place within the same universe.

What COFFIN MOON did for vampires, CRONE does for witches. Rosson is having a ton of fun playing with these horror archetypes and really getting into what makes them tick. There isn’t anything here that reinvents the wheel, but much like his last novel, he leans hard into the gore and brutality. Eli is a strong main character who is easy to identify and sympathize with. His estranged affiliation with his former employer plays into small-town law enforcement corruption; a trope that probably shouldn’t work given how often we see it, but gives the novel stakes that play out in the climax.

The true strength of the novel lies, I think, in Avery’s scenes and her evolution. Her relationship with Hannah and how she was treated following her disappearance is tragic to say the least, with the years between her leaving town and returning being a rough journey. I found myself truly rooting for her to get the justice she deserved.

Having now read two Rosson novels, I think it’s safe to say I’ve become a big fan. I will definitely be seeking out his Fever House duology and hope to enjoy more of his work.