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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.
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Book Review: Corpse Creek by Vincent Ralph
A Bleak Haven Novel Corpse Creek by Vincent Ralph is the fourth book I've read in the Bleak Haven series, and of the two most recent installments, I definitely preferred this one. The story follows eighteen-year-old Ethan, who returns to the creek where his older brother drowned four years earlier. What begins as an attempt to find some closure quickly takes a darker turn when Ethan encounters a figure that looks remarkably like his dead brother—and suddenly the possibility o
1 day ago2 min read
Book Review: Fear Farm by Vincent Ralph
A Bleak Haven Novel I read the first two books in the Bleak Haven series and was happy to receive ARCs for the next two. I actually started Corpse Creek first, but had to put it down when it referenced events from Fear Farm. I didn’t want any potential spoilers, so, I switched gears and hurried through this one before continuing. And that brings me to one of my biggest frustrations with this series: the recommended reading order doesn't seem to match the actual chronology of
Sep 152 min read
Book Review: Not a Word by Linwood Barclay
After a string of books that simply weren't for me, Not a Word by Linwood Barclay was a refreshing change of pace. The story opens with Reece making a horrifying discovery: his parents are dead in their bedroom, and what initially appears to be a clear-cut murder-suicide quickly raises more questions than answers. As inconsistencies begin to emerge from the crime scene, Reece is forced to reconsider everything he thought he knew about his parents—and whether the secrets they
Aug 292 min read
Book Review: The Night Pool by Lauren Lee Smith
The Night Pool by Lauren Lee Smith had almost everything I would normally look for in a historical thriller: the California Gold Rush, a mysterious creature, gruesome murders, three women from very different backgrounds, and a story built around survival, vengeance, and the violence created by greed. The premise immediately appealed to me, particularly the idea of Clara, Mei, and Haloke becoming unlikely allies in a world that has very little regard for their safety. Unfortun
Aug 253 min read
Book Review: The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen
The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen is an ambitious and unsettling novel that immediately caught my attention with its premise. Set within the insular world of classical music, the story follows Mia Voss, the final student of celebrated minimalist composer Ryder Wakefield. After Ryder’s unexpected death, Mia inherits his estate and, more significantly, his unfinished final composition, Death Fugue: Music for Orchestra. As Mia attempts to complete the work, she is forced to conf
Aug 223 min read
Book Review: The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty
I have a confession to make: I just couldn't finish this book. And that is particularly depressing because I was really looking forward to The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty. The premise immediately grabbed me. A house that literally feeds on living things, erasing them from everyone's memories except those of the people who own the house? That is exactly the kind of strange, unsettling haunted-house concept that should have been right up my alley. Unfortunately, I coul
Aug 183 min read
Book Review: The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen
The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen is an intriguing mystery that moves between different timelines, gradually revealing the secrets surrounding a group of young women who disappeared decades ago. The story alternates between the present and the 1960’s, when four women at a prestigious university become subjects in an experimental parapsychology program led by a scientist convinced he is on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery. Then, the women vanish, and the entire progr
Aug 152 min read
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
Jun 232 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
Jun 232 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
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