Hollow Out the Dark by James Wade is a masterfully woven tale that lingers long after the final page is turned. Set against the haunting backdrop of Depression-era Texas, Wade crafts a gothic narrative that explores the depths to which a man might descend for duty, love, and survival. This novel, steeped in the shadowy intricacies of a whiskey war threatening to decimate a small town, captivates with its portrayal of blurred moral lines and the stark contrasts between good and evil.

Wade’s prose is both somber and beautiful, drawing readers into a world where corrupt lawmen, dutiful Texas Rangers, honorable war heroes, and lawless criminals collide. The characters are richly developed, their struggles rendered with such emotional intensity that by the time you reach the end, you’ll find yourself breathless, your emotions thoroughly wrung out, and perhaps even shedding a tear. The story is brutal and harrowing, yet tender and heart-felt, a testament to Wade’s uncanny ability to immerse readers in the lives of his characters so deeply that they resonate long after the book is closed.

The novel's evocative depiction of East Texas during the Prohibition era, complete with its mountains, streams, and pervasive corruption, provides the perfect backdrop for a tale of love, loyalty, and the enduring human spirit. It’s a story where shades of grey abound, challenging the reader’s perceptions of right and wrong.

For those who appreciate immersive historical fiction with rich character development and a touch of gothic adventure, Hollow Out the Dark is an outstanding read. This is a novel that not only entertains but also leaves a lasting impact, and I highly recommend it. My thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an ARC; it’s a privilege to have experienced such an exceptional story.

This book was beautifully haunting and I still think about some of the surprises it revealed. It showed the depths a man might go to for duty and love, and how those depths might drown him all the same. James Wade weaves a Texas gothic narrative like a master and hasn’t let me down with his stories yet, even if I know my emotions are going to be wrung out by the end.

Highly recommend and want to thank the publisher for a chance to read this ARC early.

Hollow Out the Dark is described as “a gothic adventure set against a Depression-era landscape, where a whiskey war threatens to decimate a small Texas town”. Corrupt lawmen. A dutiful Texas Ranger. An honorable war hero. Lawless criminals. Blurred moral lines.

Wow. This is my first time reading a novel by James Wade, and I savored every bit of his beautiful writing. Hollow Out the Dark is outstanding. Somber, brutal, and harrowing. But also, tender and heart-felt. The characters were well-developed and memorable. I cannot wait to read the rest of Wade’s novels.

Read this if you enjoy immersive historical fiction, prohibition-era themes, small-town crime, and soul-stirring writing.

Thank you blackstone publishing for providing me with an ARC of this exceptional novel via netgalley. All thoughts are entirely my own.

I was honored to be able to read an early ARC of this novel. Once again, James Wade does not disappoint. This author knows his state and knows his people. Makes for a very talented author. You feel like , with every story, you are right there living with these characters. So much grit and reality. I have been a follower of James since the beginning and always await his next novel with excitement and know I won't be let down .
Some authors you just buy the book. You don't have to read any synopsis or know anything about the book going in, you just have that much faith it's gonna be damn good. That's Wade .

Since returning from the war, veteran soldier Jesse Cole has been keeping his head down, watching over his wife and daughter in Depression-era Texas, where decent people turn to crime to make ends meet. When his war pal, Hollis, racks up an unpayable gambling debt to the bootlegging brothers, Squirrel and Frog Fenley, Jesse’s protective instincts go on full alert, and he is obliged to step in.

But negotiating with the loathsome Squirrel proves impossible, and Jesse is forced to run liquor as the only way of getting his friend off the hook. What Squirrel knows, but doesn’t tell his new employee, is that the county is teetering dangerously close to a whiskey war, and Jesse is walking blindly into the centre of it. Squirrel and Frog have been the sole crime bosses for years, but a mercenary war vet, in the pay of an unknown figure very high up the food chain, is threatening families, killing, burning out or blowing up anyone who resists the change of management.

The award-winning Wade writes with skillful honesty about his home state and its dark history in this unsettling, atmospheric account of a desperate time, where man’s capacity for corruption and greed seems endless. The tense darkness which pervades the narrative is interspersed with powerful descriptions of location, climate, war, death, and ghosts of the past, driving the plot to a conclusion in which there may be no winners. Of the large cast, there isn’t one person, on either side of the precarious moral fence, who hasn’t suffered devastation of one sort or another.

Wade writes with soul-stirring passion, building layer upon layer and finally turning his story on its head—equal parts shocking, unexpected and yet totally fitting—leaving me reeling, but with the hope that maybe there are a few good people still out there.

Was not able to finish on time but this is hands down one of my favorite covers of this year. ! The writing is lyrical and captures Texas perfectly

James Wade's rural noir novel Hollow Out the Dark is like a repeated punch to the gut. The subject matter is dark and violent (moonshine wars) but the characters are memorable and the writing is beautiful and poetic, with heavy Southern Gothic overtones. Reminds me of Brian Panowich and Peter Farris, two of my favorite writers, who also write rural noir. Highly recommended for fans of gritlit and literary crime fiction.