Overview

BookLife Reviews/Publishers Weekly calls When Shadows Burn a ""haunting debut"" and ""classic Southern Gothic with modern twists,"" with A-to-A production grades across cover, design, editing, and copy. ""Twin Peaks meets Shirley Jackson."" -Jennifer Wright, bestselling author and former political editor-at-large for Harper's Bazaar Some houses whisper. This one screams. In the heart of Raven's Cross, Virginia, the decaying Scott house looms. Its broken-window eyes watch a town desperate to forget. When Roxy, a teenage girl, vanishes into a sweltering night, long-buried fears erupt, and suspicion turns savage. The townspeople turn on the newcomers, blaming them for what they refuse to face in themselves. As polite smiles crack and old grudges resurface, Raven's Cross's genteel mask begins to slip, revealing the rot beneath. Timothy Michaels came to town chasing a story. A true crime podcaster investigating the haunted legacy of the Scott house, he never expected to be pulled into something so immediate-and so dangerous. Alongside unexpected allies, Tim begins to unearth a legacy of complicity and cruelty-one the town would kill to keep buried. Because, in Raven's Cross, the shadows don't just linger. They burn.

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Reviews

""Todd Brown brings a classic Southern Gothic story into the podcasting age with When Shadows Burn. Perfect for fans of Twin Peaks and Shirley Jackson alike, the novel explores the chilling history and underbelly of a small town shaped by disappearances and murders. Here, rumors of aliens and vampires mingle with a sharp, unforgettable cast. Brown's work will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page."" -Jennifer Wright, bestselling author, columnist, former political editor-at-large for Harper's Bazaar, featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post ""Todd Brown creates a cast of colorful, intertwined Virginians reminiscent of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan. And while there are dark secrets buried in the Martian house, the biggest secret in Raven's Cross is how quick it is to judgment and condemnation."" -Mishna Wolff, national bestselling memoirist of I'm Down, Sundance screenwriter, and writer of Werewolves Within ""When Shadows Burn leaves you stunned. Not just because of the mystery, murder, and the unknown, but also because Todd Brown weaves into the story a powerful reflection on discrimination and survival. I appreciate how it shines a light on those living their truth daily, in a world that too often meets authenticity with hatred."" -Tal Anderson, Netflix's Atypical, HBO's The Pitt, and neurodiversity advocate ""When Shadows Burn feels like the best kind of thriller. The threats may not be what you expect, the mood is eerie and paranoid, and the buildup is relentless. Fully grounded in a contemporary world that feels like it could be Anytown, USA, this book refocuses the lens on which nightmares could be real."" -Emily Woo Zeller, Golden Voice, Audie ""Best Voice of the Year,"" Independent Audiobook Awards' Best Female Narrator "". . . a haunting, beautifully written psychological thriller. Todd Brown brings Raven's Cross vividly to life, with unforgettable characters and a twist unlike anything I have ever read before. For anyone who's lived through or wants to understand the fight to find love and safety in a world that fears difference, this book is essential."" -Calysta Bevier, LGBTQ+ singer-songwriter, America's Got Talent Golden Buzzer recipient, and cancer survivor ""When Shadows Burn is an engrossing supernatural thriller about the cult of small towns and the lengths people go to in order to belong."" -Clarion 4/5 Stars ""There's something quietly brilliant about the way When Shadows Burns unfolds-not as a scream but as a slow, knowing whisper from the end of a dark hallway. This is a novel that leans in close, smells like mildew and woodsmoke, and asks not 'Are you afraid?' but 'What exactly are you trying to forget?' Todd Brown's debut reads like a love letter to the eerie and a reckoning with the everyday horrors we politely look away from."" -OneTribune, Atlas Stories Award Recipient

""When Shadows Burn leaves you stunned. Not just because of the mystery, murder, and the unknown, but also because Todd Brown weaves into the story a powerful reflection on discrimination and survival. I appreciate how it shines a light on those living their truth daily, in a world that too often meets authenticity with hatred."" -Tal Anderson, Netflix's Atypical, HBO's The Pitt, and neurodiversity advocate ""When Shadows Burn feels like the best kind of thriller. The threats may not be what you expect, the mood is eerie and paranoid, and the buildup is relentless. Fully grounded in a contemporary world that feels like it could be Anytown, USA, this book refocuses the lens on which nightmares could be real."" -Emily Woo Zeller, Golden Voice, Audie ""Best Voice of the Year,"" Independent Audiobook Awards' Best Female Narrator ""Todd Brown brings a classic Southern Gothic story into the podcasting age with When Shadows Burn. Perfect for fans of Twin Peaks and Shirley Jackson alike, the novel explores the chilling history and underbelly of a small town shaped by disappearances and murders. Here, rumors of aliens and vampires mingle with a sharp, unforgettable cast. Brown's work will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page."" -Jennifer Wright, bestselling author, columnist, former political editor-at-large for Harper's Bazaar, featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post

""A haunting and powerful story about identity, survival, and the quiet cost of being yourself in a world that wants to erase you."" -Tal Anderson, Netflix's Atypical, HBO's The Pitt, and neurodiversity advocate

Author Information

Todd Brown is a computational sociologist and an overanalyzer of human behavior. He has spoken at the CDC, NIH, Harvard, and more. His work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED, National Geographic, Forbes, USA Today, and other outlets. When Shadows Burn is his debut novel. Todd lives in a small Virginia town with his incredible wife and two sons-one is a trans teen with main-character energy, and the other lives in Florida and looks like Chris Hemsworth. They are all delightfully neurodivergent.

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