Title: The Wind Witch Murders
Author: Casey Dunn
Publisher: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Format Read: Kindle e ARC
Category: Mystery, Fiction
Raven’s past has teeth, and The Wind Witch Murders sinks them in from page one.
Many kids believe their parents are magical at some point in their lives. In The Wind Witch Murders by Casey Dunn, plenty of people believe that about Raven’s mother too, and that alone made me want to pick this book up. My heart immediately ached for Raven when the story opened on her mother’s funeral. Her mother had spent twelve years in a mental health facility for the ritualized murders of two boys. She never confessed, never explained, never told anyone what really happened that night. Raven is desperate to understand, not only for closure, but for a chance to feel closer to the mother she lost long before she died.
Raven grew up with her ultra religious, strict maternal grandmother after her mom was institutionalized. Naturally she has always wondered about the woman she barely knew, especially since her grandmother refuses to share much about her and rarely allowed visits to the facility. Her curiosity sharpens after the funeral when a charismatic stranger steps forward and drops a feather onto her mother’s casket. That single moment, combined with the grief of losing her mother so young, pushes Raven to start searching for answers. It is that need to finally understand her mother that sets the next few days into motion. I was hooked from the moment that man dropped that feather, and everything that followed kept me turning the pages.
I thought the “rural” Arkansas setting was very fitting for this tale. There are probably other places that would have carried the mysterious, magical vibe even more strongly, but certain folklores are deeply rooted in this region, so it worked for me. I put quotation marks around rural because the town Raven grows up in has a population of 20,000. Hailing from a town of less than 800 myself, I just cannot call that rural with a straight face. In my mind, Raven must have lived out on the very edges.
I also found Raven utterly compelling. I understood why she felt the way she did, and her emotional growth landed for me. She evolves in a fairly natural progression, even though her entire world shifts over the course of only a few days. That actually felt realistic, since I have lived through my own big, pivotal weeks. Dunn handles the supporting cast well, too. They feel like real people, flaws and virtues included, and their presence gives the story a grounded human texture that I really appreciated.
I enjoyed how Dunn combined coming of age with mystery. The story weaves in plenty of the trademark elements of both, and it makes for a really engaging mix. Some of the events that occur later in the book are a bit implausible, at least by my standards, but they still worked for the sake of the story. I read for a good tale, not a documentary, and things do not always have to line up with what feels realistic to me. I did raise a brow in skepticism once or twice, and there were a few predictable beats, but I never once felt the urge to stop reading. By the time the climax was approaching, I would not have been able to put the book down no matter what happened. Dunn had me firmly in her grip.
I really enjoyed the time I spent with The Wind Witch Murders, and I think it will be best suited for younger adults or even older teens, since the coming of age elements feel just as strong as the mystery. It strikes me as a great transition book for readers who are moving from young adult into adult mysteries, a solid introduction to the genre’s moodier side.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓— A thoughtful blend of mystery and coming of age, with characters who linger and a story that kept me turning pages even when I questioned a detail or two.
Let’s Discuss: As kids, we often see our parents through a mythic lens. Did you ever believe something magical or extraordinary about your parents or guardians?
To find out more about The Wind Witch Murders, you can visit Casey Dunn’s website or stop by the Severn House site at https://severnhouse.com/.
I read a digital copy made available by Severn House through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.