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: Chain Reaction by Lee Child and Andrew Child
If you're looking for a good mystery with plenty of intrigue and a protagonist who knows how to get things done, Chain Reaction delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Jack Reacher novel. Reacher is called upon by General Susan Turner, who needs help investigating the brutal murder of a member of her team. With trust in short supply and danger lurking at every turn, Reacher heads to Summertown, Colorado, a remote and unusual place hiding more than a few secrets. What follow
14 hours 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
Jun 232 min read
Book Review: Shy Girl by Mia Ballard
A Deep Dive into Shy Girl Mia Ballard’s Shy Girl arrived wrapped in controversy long before many readers ever opened the first page. I received an ARC through NetGalley, where I often review upcoming releases. This title had already built a strong buzz across multiple reader groups. Naturally, it landed high on my reading list. Before I even had the chance to begin, the publisher pulled the book entirely after a The New York Times article alleged that the novel had been writt
Apr 263 min read
Book Review: The Survivor by Andrew Reid
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, nerve-wracking thriller that grabs you early and doesn’t let go, The Survivor by Andrew Reid is a strong pick. The premise wastes no time throwing you into chaos: Ben Cross, already having the worst first day imaginable after being fired from his new job, boards a New York City train—only to have his situation spiral into something far more sinister. Anonymous texts from a killer turn his commute into a high-stakes game of control and surv
Mar 241 min read
Book Review: Pendergast by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
It’s hard to believe that I was first introduced to the enigmatic Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast back in 1995 with the release of Relic. That novel was phenomenal—intelligent, atmospheric, and chilling in all the right ways. I devoured it and subsequently read everything by them while eagerly awaiting the next release. Life, as it tends to do, intervened, and I eventually fell behind. So when I discovered they had written an origin story for one of my all-time favorite liter
Feb 282 min read
Book Review: Empty Boxes by Robin Acton
Empty Boxes by Robin Acton delivers a tightly paced mystery rooted in the grit and shadows of Pittsburgh’s underbelly. When crime reporter Rita Locke begins investigating the murder of a funeral director, she doesn’t expect to find empty coffins—or uncover a far-reaching conspiracy that stretches far beyond western Pennsylvania. What starts as a local crime quickly expands into an international web of danger, deception, and medical intrigue that leads her all the way to a Ca
Nov 18, 20251 min read
Book Review: Evil Bones by Kathy Reichs
Kathy Reichs returns with another sharp, unsettling thriller in Evil Bones , bringing forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan into one of her darkest investigations yet. What begins with a series of bizarrely mutilated small animals around Charlotte quickly spirals into something far more sinister. When the cruelty escalates to a family pet—and then to a human victim—Tempe realizes she’s dealing with a perpetrator whose fascination with violence is evolving in deeply distu
Nov 18, 20251 min read
Book Review: Nash Falls by David Baldacci
Nash Falls introduces readers to Nash — a man who seemingly has it all. Intelligent, disciplined, and successful, he’s climbed to the top of Sybaritic Investments through sheer determination. With a wife, daughter, and a stable, comfortable life, Nash appears to be living the dream. But that illusion shatters after his estranged father’s funeral, when the FBI shows up in the middle of the night with an impossible request: infiltrate his own company to expose a massive money-
Nov 11, 20252 min read
bottom of page