I was thrilled to learn that there was a sequel to one of my favorite books of 2019, not to mention one of the books on my 100 Great Reads list – The Widows by Jess Montgomery. The Hollows brings the characters from that first book back with another mystery to solve. I thank TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy at no charge for my honest review.
About The Hollows:
Jess Montgomery showcases her skills as a storyteller in The Hollows: a powerful, big-hearted and exquisitely written follow-up to her highly acclaimed debut The Widows.
Ohio, 1926: For many years, the railroad track in Moonvale Tunnel has been used as a shortcut through the Appalachian hills. When an elderly woman is killed walking along the tracks, the brakeman tells tales of seeing a ghostly female figure dressed all in white.
Newly elected Sheriff Lily Ross is called on to the case to dispel the myths. With the help of her friends Marvena Whitcomb and Hildy Cooper, Lily follows the woman’s trail to The Hollows―a notorious asylum―and they begin to expose dark secrets long-hidden by time and the mountains.
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About the Author:
JESS MONTGOMERY is the Literary Life columnist for the Dayton Daily News and Executive Director of the renowned Antioch Writers’ Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Based on early chapters of The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artist’s grant for literary arts and the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She lives in her native state of Ohio..
Connect with Jess
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
My Opinion:
The Hollows brings back the characters from The Widows; Sheriff Lily Ross, her friends Marvena and Hildy and all of the denizens of Kinship, Ohio. Lily has been sheriff for about a year since her husband was killed and the election is coming up. She is being challenged for the job by a man who thinks among other things that a woman doesn’t belong in the job.
The mystery that drives this book involves an old woman who ends up dead along the train tracks. Lily is called out to investigate and despite everyone trying to get her to declare ita simple accident she refuses until she finds out where the woman came from and why she was out there in the middle of the night. What she learns in the course of her investigation teaches her things about her fellow citizens that she really didn’t need nor want to know. She learns of a nascent WKKK (Women of the Ku Klux Klan) group in town just as Marvena is working with a young man to integrate the mines.
As she works with Hildy to try and determine the identity of the dead woman, plus maintain her relationships and run for sheriff, Lily tries to keep it all together.
Ms. Montgomery is a skilled story teller. She adds a slight mystical aspect to this book that plays well with the story line. I felt right at home with the characters but the book stands along very well. It’s just a richer reading experience for having the full knowledge of what came before. Each bit of information doled out slowly builds until the ending. I started the book and much like with The Widows I had a hard time putting it down. The writing just wraps you up and won’t let you go. It’s never over done and yet there are turns of phrase that just take your breath away.
Rating:
5
The Giveaway:
One lucky US reader will win a copy of The Hollows. Just enter as many ways as you would like on the Gleam widget below. THIS GIVEAWAY IS FOR ONE WEEK RATHER THAN THE USUAL TWO SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. Good luck everyone.
