Book cover of The Hollows

The Hollows – TLC Book Tours

The Hollows (The Kinship Series) by Jess Montgomery

Minotaur Books – January 14, 2020

*eARC provided by TLC Book Tours & the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I don’t always read mysteries but when I do I love to read historical mysteries. It satisfies my urge to read historical fiction and keeps my attention with the mystery element.

Thanks to the lovely folks at TLC Book Tours and Minotaur books for providing me with a eARC of Jess Montgomery’s The Hollows.

About the Book

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.

My Thoughts

The Hollows, and the first book The Widows, is full of strong fully formed female characters, which I love in all of my fiction reading. The run the gamut from those you respect to those you despise. I really enjoy the character of Lily Ross and seeing her step into more confidence as a sheriff. So, strong female characters, check!

This book and the first one are extremely well research and include historical information that many readers may not have learned about before. The setting in Ohio during the 1920s, for example, might not be familiar but is so well written that you feel like you’re there. Or several reviewers I’ve read were shocked to learn that there was a women’s auxiliary of the KKK (I did learn about his in grad school but was equally shocked when I learned about it then). Even down to tiny details, this series feel fully lived in.

My only issue with the book, and the first one, is that the writing style was hard for me to get into. It did flow off the tongue (or brain, I suppose?) and made it more difficult for me to initially sink my teeth into. However, after several chapters the tone and language felt more natural. So I would recommend readers hang in there if you’re like me and initially didn’t get swept off you feet by the language. That being said it is lush and descriptive just a tad bit different than I’ve read before.

Over all, I would highly recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, especially those burnt out on WWII fiction.


Purchase Links

Amazon Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Jess Montgomery

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 

One Reply to “The Hollows – TLC Book Tours”

  1. I think we need more books with strong female leads! I’m excited to read these myself, I’ve got them in my library cart so I hope they show up soon! Thank you for being on this tour. Sara @ TLC Book Tours

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