When Shadows Burn

By: Todd Brown

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

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.

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.

©2025 Todd D. Brown (P)2025 Todd D. Brown

Critic reviews

"Twin Peaks meets Shirley Jackson." -Jennifer Wright, bestselling author and former political editor-at-large for Harper's Bazaar

This book was EVERYTHING! Don't miss out on this!

I wish there were more stars for this book. I went into this book blind and I'm so thankful I did. This story gave me Stephen King vibes and I LOVED it. I couldn't wait to figure out what would happen next. Then as the story started to unravel this book had me in goosebumps! This store touched my heart and soul with the true meaning behind everything. I have never listened to anything like this before and I would love to give Todd a standing ovation!

The narrator Emily Woo Zeller did a wonderful job telling this story. She had the perfect voice to keep me entertained and held my attention through the entire book.

This story will have you hooked from the very beginning. I loved the mystery surrounding the town and the characters different POV's. I don't want to give anything away so I hope you just go into this blind like I did and find the magic in this story for yourself! I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Thank you Todd Brown for writing this masterpiece! I can guarantee this book will stay with me for a long time and I'm so thankful I got to listen to this book!

Don't forget the author's note!

This was a mystery that kept me guessing. On the surface, it’s about a small town where strange, possibly supernatural things seem to be happening, but beneath that, there’s a very human kind of violence driving the story. It leans into southern-gothic atmosphere and psychological tension rather than monsters in the dark, and I really liked how grounded the fear felt. More true to life.

This is a story that is rich in metaphors; so many things stand in for others and it's interesting to pick that apart. This is clearly written with intention and love, and the author’s note at the end was especially moving. It reframed the entire book as something deeply personal and meaningful. There’s a strong message here about identity, belonging, and community, and the ending lands with realism rather than tied in a bow, offering just a little bit of hope to soften the sting.

I did find some parts more straightforward than I expected, and there were moments where the logic felt slightly stretched or the themes were a bit more on-the-nose than subtle. Still, as a metaphor-driven story, particularly for readers who may not be deeply familiar with LGBTQIA+ issues, it works well and communicates its ideas clearly and accessibly.

The audiobook deserves special mention: the narrator absolutely knocked it out of the park and added so much emotional weight to the experience. Overall, this is an engaging, message-rich southern gothic thriller with a lot of heart at its core.

Thanks so much to Ear Candy Promos and the author for the complimentary listening copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

A Haunting Mystery

This was my first experience with this author's work, and I was entertained by the story. I was attracted to this book by the title which I liked a lot. Once the audiobook started, my attention was gripped by the mounting tension which the author captured with his descriptive phrases. I liked the realism of the setting as Raven's Cross seemed like it could be an actual town, and as in all towns, I liked some of the characters but not all of them. I enjoyed Emily Woo Zeller's narration as her performance kept my attention. I was given a copy of the audiobook through Ear Candy Promos. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

Great Thriller

This book was very good. With this being the first novel by this author, there were things that could have been fixed but he did a great job keeping you on your toes.

Emily Woo Zeller did an amazing job with all the different voices that this book called for.

Thank you Ear Candy for the ALC!

I will not be forgetting this book anytime soon

I went into this listen completely blind. I didn’t read a single review. I pressed play based solely on a few tropes that were mentioned to me and I am so unbelievably glad I did.
What starts as an investigative mystery thriller slowly unravels into something so much deeper, heavier, and more important. I truly cannot put into words how moved I am by this story.
Growing up in a small town myself, this one hit close. Because sometimes the real monsters aren’t strangers lurking in the dark. Sometimes they’re the neighbors next door, smiling at you in the daylight, hiding behind carefully constructed masks of politeness and “community values.”
For a debut novel, this is wildly impressive. Todd Brown didn’t just tell a story he exposed something. He took a subject that isn’t talked about nearly enough and held a bright, unflinching light to it. And he did it with care, nuance, and emotional weight.
And then there’s the narration. Emily Woo Zeller delivered this performance with such depth and control. The emotional shifts, the tension, the quiet devastation woven into certain scenes she carried them beautifully. There’s something about her voice that makes you lean in closer, like you’re being trusted with something fragile. This book surprised me. It unsettled me. It moved me. And I will not be forgetting it anytime soon.