Brilliant book. Yet again, I this is is the storyline that iis believable, it could happen to anyone...and and that is what makes it creepier. The characters are relatable and there are unexpected turns to the story. Great.

Ooo this was good.

Some authors write to build an exciting scene say at 50% but Mark has sneaked in a tension session before then and that scene is written so well. So gripping. It happens again a little bit later on too. Both build up to a "gasp out loud" moment. Great!

I enjoyed the relationship between divorced Tom and his 14 year old daughter Frankie. Trying to bond on a holiday near the woods that has a mystery surrounding it. The atmosphere of those woods give you the creeps so the writing is doing it's job. Tom meets David and Connie and their son Ryan and they seem to make a new friendship with trying to sol e the mystery from 20 years ago.

Written from Tom's perspective in some chapters and from the author in others it certainly strings you along. The ending is quite good as it makes you think how it could carry on. Clever

It was an amazing and suspenseful read. Creepy setting and good interesting characters. Could become a classic! Well done again Mark Edwards!,

This opens like an American teen horror film set in a creepy forest. The adults are odd, obsessed with superstition, historical murders and conspiracy theories. I think I've seen this film many times.

What I like about Edwards' books is how 'scary things happen to ordinary people', which is his tagline. But this books is set in Maine and I associate the place with Stephen King not the ordinariness of middle-aged Englishmen. It seems as if he is trying to appeal to the American market by reaching out to King fans, perhaps, or Americans in general, and using words like 'flashlight' and 'candy' and suchlike. It doesn't gel with me.

The story is straightforward enough: a divorced man wants to spend some time with his teenage daughter who lives with her mother, so he arranges a holiday for them both in said creepy forest. Immediately she goes off with a teenage boy while a host of weird things happen involving creatures and missing objects.

The story is told in the first person (the English father) interwoven with the daughter's perspective and someone from the past who joins some kind of cult. Slightly banal until the last quarter when the life-or-death situations arise due to feeble motivations. Easy to read if Americanisms don't get in the way, and the ending is tense and action-packed.
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​ajsefton.com

Mark Edwards does it again, gripping and twisty as always, this is an unusual and frightening book.
Reminiscent of the six stories series by Matt Wesolowski this story of a father on holiday trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter in an eerie location in America where once a terrible murder took place which has left ripples of horror in the beautiful woods and the nearby run down small town. Taut and tense and a great beach read.

Thanks netgalley for giving me an early copy of this book.
The beginning and the end was really good, The middle was a little bit boring and got silly.
The hollows was as a sacred wood according to folklore and. Certain locals wanted to keep it that way.
A resort was opened up near the woods, and the holiday makers threw rubbish on the ground, made bonfires and were destroying the wild life.
Tom had flown over from. England to see his daughter Frankie who lived with his divorced wife in America to have a holiday and had decided to go to the resort for a holiday without internet. To enjoy sailing and the outdoor life.
But everything was not as it seemed and before long they were frightened for their life.

Another Mark Edwards book is always something to be happy about. His books are very varied & are always worth a read. This time the setting is Maine- the land of Stephen King & there are a lot of echoes of Stephen King in this story. Tom is divorced & living in the UK. In order to reconnect to his teenage daughter Frankie he has booked a cabin in the woods that offers lots of outdoor activities. Frankie is somewhat put out by the lack of wi-fi & when she goes in search of signal with young Ryan from thee next door cabin they fall out with some locals. Tom discovers that the site has a murky history & the site attracts true crime buffs. The atmosphere created is suitably spooky & although at times the characters didn't quite gel it was still a worthwhile read & I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. Mark Edwards has done it again, a very good thriller good character's and very well plotted. Loved everything this author has written and this is no exception.

I have read several of Mark Edwards books in the past and enjoyed them. This one fell a little flat for me. There were plenty of creepy characters and strange things happening. My main objection was to the main character Tom. Tom is Frankie's father and seemingly a good dad, so it makes no sense that he would repeatedly leave Frankie alone when he knows her life is in danger. He then hesitates to call the police when bad things start to happen and, this was the worst offense, FALLS ASLEEP. That one really got to me. Had it not been for Tom's poor decision making I would have rated this book much higher.

Another great one from Mark Edwards! The setting, the characters, the dark,, all come together to make for a perfectly creepy read. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

The Hollows is fast paced and thrilling. Recommended for fans of suspense with a touch of horror.

Content Warning: past homophobia mentioned

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Creepy novel about some crazy people. It would make a great horror film.

I was fortunate to have received an advanced copy of this book and finished it within 2 days it was that good.

The book features Tom and his daughter Frankie on a trip to America in some cabins in Maine. Little did they know that The Hollows holds a dark secret that would soon unravel during their stay.

I particularly liked the reference to a true crime podcast by couple David and Connie and the mention of real serial killers as I know people do book specific places to stay because of the history so this was very close to reality. I.e. the Cecil Hotel

As mentioned in the Acknowledgements I did not spot the references to Mark’s previous books but this was clever to drop hints for anyone who did notice them.

Divorcé Tom Anderson is bringing his 14 year old daughter Frankie to Maine where he rents a cabin in Hollow Falls (some much needed father-daughter time). No Wifi - a great start to their holiday for Frankie!! When they arrive, he meets couple David and Connie Butler and their son Ryan. They are ‘dark tourists, who are fascinated by murders and tell Tom about a murder that took place in 1999 at the Hollows. Connie herself is a successful podcaster and they take Tom to the site of the murder. Despite himself, journalist Tom develops an interest in what went on in 1999, can see a book in the making and decides to investigate further himself.

Meanwhile, there are strange people around Hollow Falls from the owners to the guests to the people in the local town. Everyone is cagey about the murders. Also strange things are happening, a dead rabbit, figures appearing at windows, ants in Frankie's bed. Despite this, Tom is anxious to fix it all and make it a holiday to remember for his daughter but things just seem to be going from bad to worse.

Another great read from Mark Edwards, although not my favourite from him. If you are looking for a great mystery thriller with some nail biting scariness, then this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mark Edwards and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Hollows by Mark Edwards are just a fantastic read and this one was no different........It was a brilliant book and I was gripped from the very first few pages and I loved it! Mark You have done it again.

I highly recommend this book and all of his books. by Mark Edwards.

Big 5 stars from me.

Well, this was a lot of fun!

If you have a fondness for slasher pics – especially the nostalgia of those movies from the glory days of Friday the 13th et al, this should be right up your alley!


It’s slice, dice, and DON’T RUN INTO THE WOODS!

I liked our characters – even the petulant teens – and loved that there was a little ‘backwoods’ atmosphere to everything.

Definitely an entertaining read!

*ARC via Net Galley

I’m a big fan of Mark Edwards, so I was excited to receive a copy of The Hollows. There were aspects of the book that I wasn’t a huge fan of (especially when it looked like we were going into the mystical or supernatural) BUT we veered back on course and I loved it. Another super creepy one from Edwards that I should KNOW by now not to read at night! Looking forward to his next book!

2.5 rounded to 3 stars/5.

Frankie and her dad travel to the woods of Maine for a relaxing vacation and soon come to realize the resort town has a dark past that may not totally be remaining in the past.

Let me start by saying that I love Mark Edwards’ books. I really wanted to like this one. And it started out great. But the turn it took was a risk, and to me it entered the realm of silliness rather than scariness. There was never a point where I was scared and the atmosphere never was serious, in my opinion.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, and then it went south, for me. I hate to give away too much of the plot for fear of spoiling it.

I will add that one of the points of view of the story is told from a teenager. To me, that always puts the book in the realm of YA and I really am not a YA fan. I think that I need to do some more research and see if there are any teenager narrators in the books that I read in the future and if there are, I should avoid them.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Hollows" by Mark Edwards
Thomas & Mercer
July 8, 2021
10: 1542026822
335 pages
Psychological Thriller


Since his divorce, Tom Anderson, a British music journalist, finds himself at odds. His ex has taken his daughter Frankie back to live in the States, and Tom misses her terribly. He arranges a quiet ten-day vacation with Frankie at Hollow Falls, a camp in the forests of northern Maine. Here, he plans to reconnect with the 14-year-old and let her know how much he cares for her.

Frankie, your typical teenager, is upset when they arrive. She finds the area spooky and creepy, for she is not used to being isolated in the woods.

It is opening week, and Greg Quinn, the manager, checks them into their cottage while Vivian, his assistant, is stand-offish. Frankie immediately labels them as weird. When she learns there is no Wi-Fi out in the "middle of nowhere," she complains, but Tom is relieved, for he hopes to spend quality time with Frankie without her being glued to her cell phone.

They meet their next-door neighbors, David Butler, his wife Connie, and 15-year-old son, Ryan. David tells Tom they are there for a reason; this is more than a vacation.

Connie is a Podcaster dealing with true crime with quite a following. David mentions the deaths of two local schoolteachers that took place 20 years ago. They hope to gain more information about the alleged killer, a young man named Everett Miller, who bludgeoned the two teachers. Speculation is Everett disappeared—maybe to Canada—but it’s rumored he is still alive and roaming these deep woods.

One night, Tom swears he sees someone staring at him in the window. But this is not human; it has the features of a goat. Shaking his head, Tom starts to think the spookiness and the stories of the area are getting to him. He says nothing, not wanting to disclose what he saw, believing others will think he's nuts.

Frankie and Ryan become friends and hang out together. Before long, they begin to sense an eeriness surround them. When Frankie complains to Ryan about no cell service, he suggests they walk over to Penance, the next town.

"'They've got to have 4G there,' he said. 'Or we'll be able to find a Subway or a Dunkin' or something. Somewhere with Wi-Fi.'

"'It's just cruel,' Frankie had said, hoping Ryan could tell she was being ironic. 'Expecting us to exist without internet.'

"Despite what she'd said to her dad, she wasn't that bothered about the lack of a connection. It was nice to have a break from all the drama in the WhatsApp group she was in, and Sienna and Abby would be able to catch her up when she got home.

"The real reason she'd wanted to go on this little expedition was walking beside her. Fifteen years old, six feet tall, fit as hell. He looked just like Harry Styles. Actually, that would be one good reason to get back online. To share a picture of Ryan. Her friends would freak."

As they walked into Penance, they run into a couple of local teens bouncing a basketball. Ryan stops to ask if there is somewhere they can get onto Wi-Fi, but the kids stare at them, saying nothing. They leave, and the boy asks if they're staying at Hollow Falls. When Ryan says they are, he asks if they've seen any ghosts.

"'What?' Frankie said.

"The boy looked at her like she was a moron. 'I asked if you'd seen any ghosts.'

"His voice was odd. Like it hadn't broken properly yet. His eyes, though huge like an anime character's, were sleepy. Was he stoned? . . . .
. . . "'You're trespassing,' said the boy, staring right into Frankie's eyes.

"'It was so great to meet you guys,' said Ryan, after a stunned pause. 'Come on, Frankie.' And he walked away quickly. Frankie followed."

Ryan laughed as they got away from the kids, stating they are freaks though Frankie surmises Ryan is as flustered as she. They walk around spotting a few stores and take pictures on their phones. Noticing a signal of not password-protected Wi-Fi, Frankie is excited to use her phone. While she peruses her messages, Ryan posts photos on his Instagram site along with comments, but she doesn't think anything of it until he shows her what he wrote:

"Come to the asshole of the world! Penance, ME. Where the dogs in the junkyard have higher IQs than the people. #Penance #shithole #vacationfromhell."

Though shocked, Frankie doesn't say anything, not wanting Ryan to think she is a spoilsport. But she admitted, "This place was a shithole. A weird, creepy shithole." She thinks Ryan's comments are mean but believes he is upset by how the kids treated them, so she lets it go.

The days pass. She feels comfortable with Ryan yet spooked by the gossip going around about the history of the place. Then strange things begin to happen. The Penance kids seem to be on a path to revenge. Apparently, they don't like their town being denigrated, so they go after Frankie and Ryan. When Frankie discovers a gutted rabbit near the cabin, she knows it can only be those kids trying to scare them. And—their efforts are working, for even Tom is beginning to think they should leave.

Nikki, a local who owns the bookstore in Penance, confronts Tom, warning him to take Frankie and go, stating they are in danger. And when he encounters the juveniles throwing rocks at Ryan and Frankie, he insists they cut their vacation short. But their leaving doesn't happen soon enough before mayhem strikes.

Tom shares his point of view in specific chapters showing how he is handling his failed marriage, his down-the-tubes career, and how he tries to protect Frankie. His angst and horror are highly apparent as time passes and more incidents occur.

Meanwhile, Frankie hopes to come to grips with her relationship with her dad and also with Ryan. Never before knowing a boy before like him, she doesn't want to lose his friendship. They are both young, yet they show maturity in their situations while looking out for each other.

"The Hollows" is bursting with trepidation, and the descriptive location adds to the foreboding in this novel. It is reminiscent of that old saying, "Watch out for what goes bump in the night!" The power of this tale builds until the climactic ending, where one only wants to breathe a sigh of relief.

Again Mark Edwards tops my list of being one of the best pyschological authors I have come across. All his books draw you in. Divorced UK based Tom wants to spend some time with his teenage daughter who lives in the US with her mother. He takes her to Hollow Falls, it just so happens it coincides with the 20 year anniversary where there had been some murders. Definitely a 5 star read, as are all his books.