I need more of this...
I love creature horror and this was just perfect. Loved the well built characters, the creepy atmosphere, the lot.
I'm forever grateful for the arc!

This is straight on folk/creature horror that starts out of the gate with solid action and only heats up along the way. A strange old family on a farm with a dark past. Sacrifice, pacts with things best left alone a storm that locks everyone on the mountain in, and anyone who could help out, all put sheriff Elli Cheetham and those she serves and protects in a danger none of them are ready to accept, let alone defend against.

One thing that struck me as a US reader is the similarities between the poor mountain people in thie story and our own Appalachian communities. If not for some of the language, or the fact I already knew this was set in the UK, I might have thought it was taking place in Tennessee. Crazy people, crazier monsters, and not much time to solve it before everyone dies.

A lot of fun and with perfectly believable characters. Good stuff.

The hollows truly kept up to its word of creepiness, as a huge fan of horror genres this was right up my alley and really enjoyed it. A really fun read, it had different elements of horror, creatures and the end of the world (apocalypse) feels, the creepy level was really there as i couldn't read it at night.

I really liked how the strong female characters, all the characters were written so incredibly even the villains. The setting/location of the book was so well written that it felt like you were in the book; as if you could hear the snow crunching, the silence and as well as all the horrible situations that were happening throughout.

If you like horror, a bit of gore and strong hard witted female leads, suspense then this book is right for you and you will love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I enjoyed this book, I also found myself frustrated with a couple of things. Some of it I guess was minor but it also still sat there and disrupted me. While I'm giving the book four stars, it's more likely 3.5 which I'm rounding up.

Ellie Cheetham is the town constable at the village of Barsall. The story starts with her investigating a dead body found frozen in the snow; a dead body with enough odd things to make her think something is not quite right. When notifying the family of the deceased, she realizes that they know something. Unfortunately they are antagonistic and refuse to help. That is polite since the family pretty much tries to kill Ellie. They actually are a creepy backwoods family relocated to a snowy environment. As the story develops, we find out that there are creatures that are destroying the town in preparation for an invasion by other more dangerous creatures.

I won't go into more because it's not really needed. The story is already revealed by this point to be small town isolated from the world by a winter storm must deal with supernatural forces bent on destroying the world. The characters are all nicely developed and pretty three-dimensional. I did have a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who at the beginning but don't remember that being a problem by the mid-point. The frustration points that I mentioned before were things that I considered just on the verge of realistic. For example, the family mentioned in my summary is essentially the bad guys of the book. And they do try early to kill Ellie. Her response to that was more muted than I expected. Granted, the town by that point is isolated so it's not like she can call in SWAT from a neighboring city but it still rings as off-kilter. None of those events were enough to make me roll my eyes or give up, but they were enough to pull me out.

Thank you for the opportunities to read this booking and Vance. I wasn’t completely in love with storing and I had a bit of a time trying to get through the book but I appreciate being able to read it.

The Hollows is a fantastic exploration of good and evil. It’s a stark picture of folk tales and reality, like a Russian Doll the nightmares continue to keep revealing themselves.

Are you looking for a wintery read that gives you chills, not only from the seasonal weather but also from the chokehold of an ancient evil that begs to be awakened? If the answer is yes, then The Hollows by Daniel Church will be right up your street. The author proves that horror is a genre for any season, not just Halloween.

Horror is my lifeblood. I need it to continue breathing. Some people have shopping, some have gaming, and I have horror. I couldn’t imagine my life without those novels that make you think twice about whether that door was locked or whether you can risk sleeping with the light off. I’ve read so many books lately that offer that hit for me, but The Hollows was something unique, something so refreshing I sat stunned when that final page had been laid to rest. Usually, I can see twists coming but I was thrown for a loop with this one. The Peak District in my experience has been an underutilized location for horror but one that oozes with malintent (in the right light, of course.)

The Hollows is built around isolation and the dangers that come with the dark. Ellie, a small-town police officer is still dealing with the fallout from her own life falling apart – a grieving mother and the resulting collapse of her marriage has left her feeling without purpose, just going through the motions. The loss of her son has her wrapped up tight, the surrounding storm threatens to engulf her completely. The author captures this sense of emptiness beautifully.

A body is found – Tony Harper, a member of the infamous Harper family. Ellie finds him frozen in the snow. On first inspection, it appears that he didn’t make it home due to intoxication, but his dead body still grips a knife, a man in defense, but of what? There are strange markings etched in stone near his corpse and it puzzles Ellie who as a police officer always deals with facts. Meanwhile, the weather is closing in, and no roads in or out of this village are passable. She needs to make the dreaded trip to The Harpers family farm to deliver the news of Liz Harper’s son.

The Harper Family is a great structural support to the story arc. It brought more danger to the fray. They are unhinged, inbred, and care for only themselves, and then not all of them. Liz the Matriarch is a horror of a woman. She behaves disgustingly towards her only daughter, Jess. A young mother with young baby Joel, who has been fathered by dubious means. The other live wire is Keira, who is in a relationship with one of the sons. She’s trigger-happy and has had her eyes set on Ellie for a while. A menacing family that knows Tony’s death is the penultimate switch to far greater deeds to come, something their family bible has foretold.

The first night of carnage sees the destruction of the local pub, and many houses. Whoever did this takes the occupants because they vanish into thin air. The author gives you just enough information to be intrigued whilst spinning an event that will come to the fore in further chapters. It’s like small drops of rain falling on your window, he scatters hints as to where this is leading. The shadows are lurking awaiting the moment of glory. Ellie witnesses her world getting all the ever darker.

Ellie doesn’t have much except her job in the police force and she believes in doing it well. Events will test her skill and resilience and involve the death of many she knows.
Great buildup of atmosphere, getting to know the characters and the area. Little did I realise what this was building up to.

When you imagine feeling something long and thin brush your hand you know this will be the sort of story you can’t put down by a writer who has the knack of making you want to read more.

Who would thought a simple thing like a torch would so useful and to find out why you will have to read this creepy cracker of a story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

A snowstorm, a dead body, a crazy inbred clan, strange long-limbed pagan creatures, and one brave policewoman: this is the stage set for Daniel Church's The Hollows. When Ellie Cheetham finds a dead body in a bizarre pose during a snowstorm, a terrifying series of events is set in motion, and as the power goes out in the small village, the locals start to fall one by one and will have to band together to survive the night...and each other.

Pros:
- Interesting characters, including some decent villains who keep the story moving and aren't overly cartoonish.
- Cool monster design...that's what books like this are all about, right?

Cons:
- Probably a bit too long honestly, might have worked better as a novella. Events seem a tad too drawn out sometimes to hold interest for a book this size.
- It's a little samey...there's several books with a similar premise that I can conjure off the top of my head.

Three stars. It's not going to break any barriers or move mountains, but The Hollows is a serviceable entry into the folk horror canon carried by a few strong characters and some genuine scenes of terror.

FFO: folk horror, Storm of the Century, creature-features.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley*

DNF at 50 %.

This had so much promise! A small town cut off from the rest of the world by a snow storm. Mysterious creatures attacking its inhabitants. A lone policewoman trying to keep order and make sure as many people survive this as possible... Yup, the description was right up my alley, so I went into this book with a certain amount of excitement.

And the beginning was good. Ellie discovers a body and realizes it's one of the residents. Apparently he froze to death and there are strange markings next to his body. That's creepy. The introduction to the monsters was also creepy and frankly terrifying. Those are the stuff of nightmares, alright. I wouldn't want to see one of them outside my window at night.

But that's about where the positives end for me. The book is way too long for its own good. It drags. The story meanders at a leisury pace when it should be rushing along revving up the suspense. I mean I quit reading right after our first real glimpse of the Tatterskins, and that was at 50% if the book. And I would have tried to stay with the story if the constant distractions were useful to deepen the character relationships or tell us more about the town. But it really doesn't. 

My second problem, and the one that ultimately made me call it quits, is the fact that all characters are caricatures of themselves. The bad people are so villainous, they don't even feel like real people, like that one inbred family at the farm. The good ones are good, but one-dimensional. I couldn't tell you what Ellie looks like or what her story is. Yes, there is mentions of her loosing her son, but never in much detail. Other villagers just blend into one indistinctive mass of people.

But what made me throw the towel was how the wife of the second cop was portrayed. I understand that we aren't supposed to empathize with her. I understand that the protagonist doesn't like her. But why did she have to be portrayed as an arrogant screeching harrigan who cares more about her car being totaled and tearing Ellie a new one than the fact that her husband is missing and presumed dead? Unless she is so heartless that she was planning her husband's murder and the monsters just happened to hasten things, this is an extremely unnatural reaction. That was so jarring to me that I closed the book and never looked back.

There is a good story somewhere in there, it's just buried under excessive wordcount and poor characterization.

PS: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Hollows was part folk-horror, part lovecraftian tale. Lots of characters in a small town. It was long enough so I felt pretty invested in each character and the role they played in the town.

We’ve got The Harper’s, your trashy family living out in the woods; making trouble and not getting what they deserve. Ellie, the main protagonist, is a small town police officer with emotional baggage. Madeline, is the local vicar. Everyone has their role in the coming apocalyptic tragedy. The main monsters are called “Tatterskins” and dear me that’s a frightening name. Monsters who hunt at night to drag their victims underground for an ancient ritual to awaken…giant lovecraftian horrors.

The last half of this book was non-stop action and terror and I had to read all the way through. Definitely worth a read if you like folk horror!

This is an ARC I requested as it was tagged as horror/humour and I was curious to read it. As matter of fact there's some humour but there's plenty of horror: folk horror, cosmic horror, well done horror.
It starts as a thriller and the author did an excellent job in making you feel the sense of isolation, the winter climate, and the darkness.
It never stopped keeping me on the edge and surprising me.
The author is a talented storyteller and did an excellent job in developing the plot and the characters.
Some are quite hateful and the baddies are really bad.
An excellent horror, I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

A village cut off by snow in Winter. Only two police officers in town. People begin dying. Then the horror ramps up...

This horror novel from Daniel Church brings in some primal fears - of the unknown, the dark, the cold, being trapped. The tension builds, as does the mystery, and the scares come. I found myself jumping at noises as I read through this at night.

While there are horrible characters in the story, they are fleshed out and are more than just cardboard villain cutouts. There are flawed heroes, with human motivations, and an unknowable terrifying enemy.

I would heartily recommend this one - a novel that will have you leaving your lights on.

What. A. Book!

The Hollows takes us to the remote Peak District town of Barsall as midwinter appraoches. For non UK readers, this is a part of England that is often cut off by snow in winter, a region of hills, remote farms and isolated inns.

The author makes full use of that remoteness. As the darkest time of the year approaches, folk horror merges with cosmic horror to create a uniquely threat which Barsall's resident police constable, Ellie Cheetham, must take on with no backup or support. All communications cut off and with perplexing hints that the horror she confronts may spread wider than just her own town, Ellie is stretched to the limits - and the threat isn't all supernatural, there is one very formidable, very antisocial family in Barsall that sees the season as an opportunity to settle scores and put itself first.

I loved the Hollows. It scores highly in so many ways. There are hints of what is to come and desperate attempt to understand the threat. There's a grimly determined woman at the heart of it all, absolutely set on doing her duty to uphold the peace and protect the vulnerable. There are desperate fights and heartbreaking loss (warning - and I make no apology for spoilers - dogs are involved). There is a satisfying historical mystery aspect that kind-of accounts for what's happening. Above all, there's a race against time as it becomes clear what is at stake.

But it's not just all those grand themes, the writing here is so chewy and good, blending the high fantastical - glimpses of monsters through the drive snow, cryptic runes, accounts of horror in ancient church records - with the mundane - the personal tragedy that brought Ellie to Barsall, the more or less trustworthy backgrounds of the townsfolk who she will have to depends on, her friendship with Milly, the local doctor or the no-nonsense vicar who spends her afternoons in the pub drinking whisky and reading paranormal romance. Church is able to turn the story on a sixpence, taking us from the cosiness of an empty bar, the fire banking down and a single lamp lit, to the jarring of an utterly incomprehensible threat or from banter between work colleagues to a threatening house full off potential killers - which nonetheless contains a vulnerable child.

I also liked seeing how we go from the mode of a normal police procedural - when a body is discovered on the hillside - to a rising need for improvisation, a rising sense of threat, from a frenzied car chase on bad winter roads to a jealous confrontation, the human inextricably mixed with the monstrous. The book never rests, never gives a moment for the reader to gather their thoughts, before moving us on to another situation, another high-stakes gamble with enemies alternately very human and very alien.

A thoroughly good read, ideal for the cold, dark, nights.

https://lynns-books.com/2022/11/17/the-hollows-by-daniel-church/
4 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR : Well, that got weird fast

If you’re thinking of reading the Hollows I would just say expect the unexpected. To be honest, I don’t quite know what I was expecting when I picked this one up, I usually try to pick my books up knowing as little as possible and that was the case with this one – although I did expect something mysterious. In a way this leaves me with a quandary when writing this review because I actually don’t want to give anything away.

So, a brief overview. The story starts with the local Constable, Ellie Cheetham, being called to the scene of a death where she finds a local man who appears to have suffered a tragic accident – although things don’t quite add up. At this point the story had a rather typical police routine feel – although this is set to change dramatically. Ellie has the unwelcome task to letting the family know, a task made so much worse because the family in question are troublesome to say the best and definitely dangerous. To make matters worse the small village of Barsall is experiencing the worst storm ever. Snow is already mounting up and pretty soon the small village will be isolated. And, well, trouble is on it’s way. I won’t say more than that.

Without telling you anything specific this is a Lovecraftian or cosmic horror. We have some incredibly creepy critters that seem to be so ancient that very little is known of them except that they’re only the opening gambit and much worse is yet to follow.

The setting really plays into the story. This is a small village. Everyone seems to be known to each other. Petty resentments and gossip run deep and the local ‘bad family’ have caused enough upset amongst the locals to create very bad feeling. There is definitely a line being drawn in the snow here and behind one line lies all the knowledge. On top of this there’s the claustrophobic feel created by the isolation caused by the store. Conditions are beyond dangerous. Power is going out and contact with the wider outside world is virtually non existent. Basically, even if help could be called in there’d be a struggle to get to Barsall – and help can’t be called. This disconnect also feeds into the story making the characters unsure if these strange events are isolated to them alone or more widespread in nature. Also, lets not forget the freezing temperatures.

To the characters. The main character is Ellie. I liked her. She was relatable. She had doubts, she sometimes just wanted to lash out, she cared about her friends and also about the people in the village that were her responsibility. She was frustrated and also scared but she took action when she needed to. The baddies of the story – I’ll leave you to make your own mind up about them, their actions spiral out of control degenerating rapidly when they realise how bad the situation is for the villagers. Years of resentment and prejudice have definitely worked their magic in that respect. I mean, at the end of the day you’re not supposed to like them and the author does an excellent job of making them unsympathetic. You’re meant to dislike them basically.

The writing is good, I think there was perhaps a little bit of repetition here or there but for me, once the action really got underway the pacing is really ramped up and I found myself gripped to the pages.

In terms of criticisms. I think I would have liked to know a little bit more about exactly what we’re dealing with here and I felt that aspect was lacking. But that’s just me really wanting all the information. As it is, sometimes you have to just pick up a book and read it and not try to dig too deep. Put bluntly this book brings to us something ancient and forgotten.

Overall, this was an unexpected horror that totally held my attention. I found myself caring enough about a small group of these characters that I kept racing to the end where the author delivers not just a dramatic life or death situation with a small village of people trying desperately to stay alive but also some pretty freaky horror that was so unexpected that I may (or may not) have been reading with my jaw agapte.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Good story, decent book. Dragged out a bit. Never know what the end of the world may be, but it's possible that it's underground, just bidding its time, waiting for the right moment to show themselves to the world. Daniel Church did a nice job of bringing these creatures to life.

In a lonely village in the Peak District, during the onset of a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm, Constable Ellie Cheetham finds a body. The man, a local ne’er-do-well, appears to have died in a tragic accident: he drank too much and froze to death.

But the facts don’t add up: the dead man is clutching a knife in one hand, and there’s evidence he was hiding from someone. Someone who watched him die. Stranger still, an odd mark has been drawn onto a stone beside his body.

The next victims are two families on the outskirts of town. As the storm rises and the body count grows, Ellie realises she has a terrifying problem on her hands: someone – or some thing – is killing indiscriminately, attacking in the darkness and using the storm for cover.

The killer is circling ever closer to the village. The storm’s getting worse… and the power’s just gone out.

A bit of seasonal, wintry horror this week. The Hollows by Daniel Church is a fresh take on old-school creature features.

Officer Ellie Cheetham is a lowly police constable responsible for upholding the law in this rural, isolated community. During the worst snowstorm in years, she finds herself trying to discover the truth behind a seemingly random death and a growing list of missing persons. Something is horribly wrong and as the days grow shorter, things are getting worse. There is an evil presence stalking the land and with each passing hour, it is getting closer to the village. Death is coming, and it is coming for everyone.

Ellie’s sense of duty and empathy feel palpable. As the situation goes from bad to worse, and it really does, Ellie constantly puts the well-being of others before her own. She has that rare ability to properly compartmentalise her feelings and separate them from the actions she knows she has to take. It makes her a truly compelling protagonist. You want Ellie to succeed, to help the people that need her. I also particularly enjoyed the revelation that there is a part of Ellie who lives for the adrenalin rush that stepping into the unknown can bring. In the past, she has worked in the roughest parts of the inner city and there is a part of her that misses that buzz.

Unfortunately for Ellie, it’s not just the inexplicable disappearances and deaths she has to deal with. There is also a well-known family of troublemakers who have their own plans when it comes to surviving the coming days. Liz, the domineering matriarch of the local hooligans, the Harpers, is a force of nature. She is distrustful of everyone one and everything. Her family are rotten to the core. Her sons are a bunch of Neanderthals who range from violent sociopaths to abhorrent scumbags. They are quite the delightful brood, I’m sure you can imagine. The only exception is Liz’ daughter, Jess. Growing up in such a volatile environment has taught Jess well. She has learned to go unnoticed. When events begin to spiral out of control Jess decides it’s time to leave her old life behind. Needless to say, when discovered, Jess’ traitorous behaviour cannot be tolerated. The Harper’s demand their own brand of justice. This leads to an epic showdown between the Harpers and the rest of the village just at the point where all manner of hell has already broken loose. It’s nerve-jangling stuff.

I love this family drama playing out in the midst of these horrific events. It helps humanise the story. Jess is in turn both the victim and the survivor. Ellie is a force for good, Liz a force for evil. All manner of bloody mayhem unfolds around them but there at its heart, this is a story about the complex relationship between these three women. Ultimately, I dont think Ellie and Liz’s motivations are really that different from one another. They want the best for those they care for. Sure, Liz’s definition of care may be open to interpretation but her maternal instincts do exist, however twisted they may be.

Survival-based horror, like The Hollows, always gets me thinking about how well I would fare in a similar circumstance. The entities responsible for all the death hunt by sound which doesn’t bode well for me. I lack any real sense of spatial awareness and clomp around like a bear with a sore head most of the time. Being quiet really isn’t in my wheelhouse. Basically, I reckon I’d be dead in the first five to ten minutes.

How can I best describe this novel? At first glance, The Hollows can be viewed as the bastard child of Emmerdale, 30 Days of Night*, Pitch Black and some ancient, eldritch horror. That’s great, but if you look deeper there is much more to enjoy. The apocalyptic events that surround Ellie and her friends have consequences. Characters are forced to confront their failings, they are tested and some are found wanting. Daniel Church is spoiling us. Not only are we getting first-rate horror we’re also offering keen insight into how our actions define our humanity. This novel is the perfect nightmare fuel for those long dark winter evenings. Based on what I now know, going forward I’ll be sleeping with the light on. An extra torch with spare batteries or some candles wouldn’t go amiss either.

The Hollows is published by Angry Robot Books and is available now. Highly recommended.

My musical recommendation to accompany this novel is the soundtrack to No Exit by Marco Beltrami and Miles Hankins. Each new track offers a growing sense of dread. Tense and just the right side of creepy make this album feel like an ideal fit.

*This isn’t a spoiler by the way. In this case, vampires have been supplanted by something far, far worse.

I loved this! Folk-horror is absolutely one of my favorite genres, and this book is a shining testament as to why. I loved the way the characters were written, and the atmosphere and tone of the writing was absolutely stunning. I won't give too much away--this is definitely a read better gone into with minimal information for maximum punch, but just know that I loved it. I also think the cover matches the story so well. Well done all around, and I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy of this release!

Such a good book! Probably one of my favorites so far going into the new year. Folk horror is in my absolute favorite subgenre of horror and this author knows how to weave a tale that Creeps.

This was so freaking creepy and I devoured in a single sitting. Anyone who thinks folk tales of faeries and the little people should read this to see what true monsters lie beneath the superstitions.

What. An. Incredible. Book. It's been a while since I LIVED a book as much as this one. I relished every moment and tried not to binge it as it was so very enjoyable. It was a good versus evil versus REALLY evil.

The characters are incredibly well written. All are flawed. All are human. You genuinely feel like you know them, are rooting for them and when they are sometimes dispatched, you grieve for them. The baddies are really bad and the goodies are just normal thrust into a situation without choices..

Essentially, the story revolves around some ancient monster that are stirring on a large and very brutal scale which threatens the existence of this Yorkshire town and it's inhabitants. Things start slowly with a member of the baddie family (and they are BAD) being found dead by some mysterious signs etched into the crime scene.

Ellie, the protagonist and town cop has to deliver the news to the bad family and things unravel from there. The scary scenes are scary, the fights are believable and the whole book left me thrilled and already missing the characters. Treat yourself and immerse yourself in The Hollows a while.