Linda's Reviews > The Hollow Places

Deep in Creep......

There's a classic English children's book (although some say that it's definitely not for children) called The Wind in the Willows. The Hollow Places has a slight tingling wind and a heavy-duty emphasis on willows. Willows that will give you the willies....

Let's just say that Kara knows about the willies up close and personal. She's going through a difficult divorce and wishes to escape the endless calls from her unbalanced-soon-to-be-ex husband. With very little options and no funds, Kara accepts the offering of a no frills room by her Uncle Earl. Earl owns the Museum of Natural Wonders in North Carolina. He's due for surgery on his knees which have bothered him for eons. All he asks is that Kara take charge of the museum in his absence.

Now the museum is a draw for tourists looking for something unusual for their itinerary. Earl receives new shipments from across the country from his stock of well-meaning friends. Kara is intrigued by a whirlwind of taxidermy items lining the walls and table displays. There's snakeskins and pig skulls and shiny armadillos wearing hats. Earl's museum is filled with off the wall curiosities that catch the eye.

The first morning that Kara is in charge finds her next door at the local coffee shop. It's here that she connects with Simon, a top hat wearing coffee barista. The banter between these two is worth the price of admission. There are laugh out loud moments of quirky dialogue. (This may be the best intro into T. Kingfisher with enough inserted humor to diffuse the creep factor a bit.)

The first few days present no problems as Kara and her cat Beau settle into a routine. Kara does a walk-through before closing up one evening. She notices that one of the tourists knocked a hole in one of the walls and never reported it. Kara asks Simon to help her patch up the hole not wanting to leave it for Earl.

Hunka Munka! Chunks of the wall begin to fall away. What they see beyond the hole is shocking. Now here's where we all shout until we're hoarse. Don't crawl through that damn hole. Alas, it falls on deaf ears.

I'll leave you chickens here deciding if you're gonna crawl in after them. But what awaits is a portal or many to different dimensions beyond your wildest imaginations. Many of you may get a little H.P. Lovecraft vibe going. Atmospheric for sure, The Hollow Places will keep you locked in and turning pages. Just enough creep diced with humor for a satisfying read.

I've already started a list of T. Kingfisher's other novels. Let's test them out on the ol' Creep-O-Meter. Shall we? Yup.......