top of page
From the Hollow
Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities—a collection of gothic history, strange traditions, haunted places, forgotten folklore, dark symbolism, and the stories hidden behind art and books.
Here you’ll find ancient festivals, eerie legends, Victorian oddities, supernatural inspiration, book reviews, collector features, and the beautifully strange details that shape my worlds. From haunted Pittsburgh to poisonous gardens, from ravens and roses to old rituals and whispered ghost stories, this is where mystery, history, and art meet.
If you love gothic atmosphere, dark fiction, and the allure of the unusual, you’re in the right place.
Search
Book Review: Doe by Rebecca Barrow
Doe is a YA horror-adjacent thriller by Rebecca Barrow that attempts to blend high school cheerleading rivalry with mythological horror, centering on Maris Larsen—a girl caught between social power dynamics, personal instability, and a supernatural force that begins invading her dreams. On paper, the premise is strong: a decaying, ancient deer-like entity (Doe) tied to bloodlines, revenge, and long-buried violence paired with the intense hierarchy of a competitive cheer squad
1 day ago2 min read
Book Review: Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan
Whisper Creek is a rural-set standalone thriller from Allison Brennan that blends family drama, environmental pressure, and a slow unraveling mystery on a Texas farm facing both financial collapse and literal storms. At the center is Ellen McKenna, a widow trying to hold her family’s land together after her husband’s sudden death. The setup is strong and grounded—rising costs, neighboring farms being sold off, and the constant pressure of survival give the story a believable
2 days ago2 min read
Book Review: Headlights by C.J. Leede
Danny boy has the shine! But wait, this is not a review of The Shining by Stephen King. Headlights by C.J. Leede follows Special Agent Daniel Stansfield on what is supposed to be his final day with the FBI—an exit from a career that has left him burned out and hollowed out. Instead, he is pulled back into a disturbing case in Denver, where people are waking up on highways with no memory of how they got there, wearing the skins of victims they cannot explain. The only consiste
Jun 93 min read
Book Review: Skyring Water by Beau L’Amour & Louis L’Amour
It is hard to overstate how unexpected Skyring Water feels coming from the legacy of Louis L’Amour. For many readers, his name is synonymous with the American Western—dusty trails, lone riders, and frontier justice. So stepping into a Cold War espionage thriller packed with car chases, international intrigue, Nazi secrets, and a globe-spanning treasure hunt is nothing short of a jolt—and a welcome one. Set in 1961, on the razor edge of nuclear tension, the novel follows Mike
Jun 23 min read
Book Review: Hope Rises by David Baldacci
If you’ve been hearing recommendations to read David Baldacci for years and haven’t taken the plunge yet, Hope Rises might be the push you need—though fair warning, you’ll want to start with Nash Falls first. Hope Rises picks up exactly where its predecessor leaves off, throwing readers right back into the fractured world of Walter Nash, now living under the alias Dillon Hope. What makes this sequel so compelling is how seamlessly Baldacci continues Nash’s transformation. T
Apr 142 min read
Book Review: Dead Fake (Bleak Haven #1) by Vincent Ralph
Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph introduces readers to Bleak Haven—a town with secrets, shadows, and a disturbing relationship with technology. When a mysterious website allows students at Bleak Haven High to view AI-generated “deepfake” videos of their own deaths, it initially feels like just another morbid online trend. That illusion shatters when those fabricated deaths begin to play out in real life. The story follows Ava Wilson, who refuses to participate in the craze. As the
Jan 202 min read
Book Review: Night Terror (Bleak Haven #2) by Vincent Ralph
Night Terror is the second installment in Vincent Ralph’s Bleak Haven series, though chronologically it takes place before Dead Fake . Set in 1987, the novel dives headfirst into the town’s dark past and offers readers a deeper look at the horrors that shaped Bleak Haven long before modern technology entered the picture. The story centers on 17-year-old Noah, a survivor of the town’s most devastating tragedy to date. He works at a bookstore in the local mall—until a robbery
Jan 202 min read
Book Review: Secrets You Can’t Keep by Debra Webb
Secrets You Can’t Keep is my second time reading Debra Webb and the third book in the Vera Boyett series , and once again she proves she knows exactly how to pull readers into a tightly woven mystery without leaving anyone behind. One of the things I appreciate most about Webb’s writing is her commitment to accessibility. You don’t need to have read the earlier books in the series to follow this one. The story stands firmly on its own, yet the subtle breadcrumbs about Vera’s
Dec 13, 20252 min read
bottom of page