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 … 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.
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The Hollows is the 2nd book in the Kinship series by Jess Montgomery. I previously read the first book in this historical / mystery fiction series and enjoyed it a lot. I had to read the second one, and it definitely was equally as strong. The series revolves around Lily Ross, a woman who becomes the sheriff of a small Ohio county when her husband is murdered. In the last book, chapters alternate between Lily and Marvena, the former sheriff’s girlfriend, who has become Lily’s confidante and friend now. In this one, the chapters alternate between Lily and her almost-sister-in-law, Hildy, who has a connection to the latest crime.
Montgomery has merged two of my favorite genres together in this series. The setting takes place in the late 1920s, and I enjoy immersing myself in a culture from nearly one-hundred years ago. In the prologue, an elderly woman runs through a wooded area and arrives at The Hollows, where a train is about to pass by. A few chapters later, we learn the woman’s body is found on the side of the tracks after being hit by the train. Was she murdered? An accidental fall? Or suicide? Lily is called to the scene, but no one knows anything about her. She came from a nearby county, but because the death was in Lily’s territory, she’s responsible. As the case unfolds, connections to her own friends and family emerge… all the while, Lily’s fighting to keep her seat as sheriff in the official county election.
What I love about these books is how the author quickly transports you to history. As I read along in my head, I have a rhythm which is different from when I read a cozy mystery, a thriller, or contemporary fiction. My inner voice acclimates to the writing style, slow and methodical, descriptive and gentle, almost simple and casual. I mean this fully as a compliment, as that was what life would’ve been like in this time period. Yes, people had it difficult and suffered tremendously, but the rush to get to work or respond to a phone call or meet someone to chat wasn’t like today. When Lily wants to discuss the case with Marvena, it’s several hours journey by horse and carriage to get to her part of town. But I adore the entire series of events to get there.
The mystery is strong. I liked seeing the connections to the women’s version of the KKK during this period. I had no idea it existed, nonetheless in the 1920s. Prohibition apparently made it re-surge (or become more widely known). As much as women were prejudiced against, there were strong voices, and some of them were just as evil and nasty as the men of their time (in terms of their hatred of African Americans, Native Americans, etc.). I liked seeing the balance of how women were portrayed because amidst the injustice, there were moments of power and strength. It wasn’t just a sad story about lack of equal rights but one where readers could hear exactly what they tried to do to become more equal. This applies to any of the groups being victimized at the time, not just women. The author does an exquisite job of balancing all the necessary facts and truths of the period.
On a few occasions, I thought the book got a little too descriptive and/or left out some information I would’ve liked to know. As an example, the asylum was prominent for several chapters, but in a scene were someone researches patient care, it felt rushed. I didn’t get to connect as much as I had in other areas of the book. All minor stuff, as it doesn’t at all stop me from recommending this series. It’s a great alternative to modern crime fiction or mysteries, and I definitely plan to keep this one in my rotation. Closer to 4.5 stars. I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
With a seemingly effortless touch, Montgomery manages to deftly weave together believable characters, dark historical truths, and an enthralling mystery in The Hollows. The result is genuinely mysterious and utterly satisfying.
The 2nd book in Jess Montgomery’s Kinship series delivers—and promises more great things to come—with a beautifully written, atmospheric, and compelling story of unlikely heroes in 1920 Appalachia. I rooted hard for this ensemble cast of strong women finding the courage to do the right, hard thing—and finding themselves in the process.
Excellent from first page to last! Jess Montgomery has truly created a historical mystery series that should not be missed!
The Hollows is the second book of the Kinship Historical Mystery Series and great as a standalone book. This is my first Jess Montgomery book and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
The series is based on real life events and focused on a 1920’s female sheriff in Appalachia. As the sheriff, Lily Ross is called to investigate the mysterious death of an elderly woman in the remote district called Moonvale Tunnel. Lily is assisted by her deputy sheriffs’ Hildy and Marvena, as their investigation leads to an asylum called The Hollows.
As a fan of Historical Fiction reads, I found this to be an amazing well researched story. Montgomery’s writing is vivid, that will take you back with her writing style that captures the rich details of the life and people of the Appalachians in the 1920’s.
The book besides being a great mystery novel is more than that; it also covered some of our country’s dark and blemished history, addressing issues of racism with the feature of the women’s KKK, the sexism that occurs being a female in power, the coal mines, as well as, the prohibition.
I enjoyed reading about the believable characters and the immersive experience I felt reading this book. I highly recommend this book for an unforgettable read.
When I started reading this book, I had no idea what to expect. For me, I thought that The Hollows was an exceptional mystery story which had me captured from the start. Although it’s not based on a true story, I found it to be very realistic and captivating. I enjoyed reading this book by Jess Montgomery and I look forward to reading more stories by her in the near future.#TheHollows#NetGalley
*Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an e-copy for free in exchange for my honest opinion/review.
Another great book by Jess Montgomery. If you missed the first book in this series, The Widows, you’ll want to pick it up, too!
I thought this book started out a bit slow and I had some trouble following it. However not quite halfway through it suddenly got better. It had some interesting history weaved in the story. I liked the spunkiness of Lilly and the determination of the other characters. I ended up really liking the story much more than I expected. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
I love reading about strong women. Women who step out of the socially acceptable roles of their times. Who fight for the rights of others. This is just such a book and so much more. I felt that feeling you get from hometown roots and neighborhoods every time a new scene played out. Great historical fiction read.
Favorite Quotes:
Since her husband’s death, Lily has found that the absences of ordinary, predictable sounds— Daniel shaving in the washroom, Daniel humming, Daniel sitting on the edge of their bed to pull on his boots and then clunking his feet on the floor— are more noticeable than the sounds themselves ever were.
She’d also blushed then, redness rising up her chest and creeping over the top of her high-necked dress collar, as she realized for the first time in years… she was regarding a man and feeling surprisingly delicious tingles dance over her skin.
Marvena’s hand shakes as she points to something on the floor. A hooded cape, sewn from rough white cotton. The pointed hood has buttonholes to attach a face covering, with slits cut for eyes. Lily recoils, more startled by this than by the snake from moments ago.
Lily’s gaze hardens as she looks up at Abe, the tallest man she’s ever met, and so slender it’s hard to imagine he takes any joy in eating… his exaggerated Adam’s apple as still as a stone lodged in his throat, his chin and jawline shaved so smoothly as to suggest that even stubble is too scared to brush his face.
You’re sad, Lily. It’s been more’n a year, the length of time people give for mourning, but there’s no clock running on sorrow.
My Review:
I was quickly pulled into this quagmire of a tale by the mesmerizing storytelling quality, insightful observations, and perceptiveness of the writing. It was highly descriptive, swirling with atmosphere, and taut with raw emotions that were close to the surface as well as deeply buried – primarily frustration and grief. I was so deeply engaged I found myself holding tension in my body and clenching my teeth as I read. The main characters were deeply flawed women who were attempting to solve an intriguing murder in a small village that was, “inaccessible by automobile. Folks can get in and out only by train, mule, or foot,” all while struggling with their own personal issues and societal limitations of the 1920s. They were constantly on edge, physically and emotionally exhausted, hungry, anxious, frustrated and thwarted at every turn, yet striving to do their best and taking great personal risks. I cringed for them as I sucked down copious amounts of wine while they labored to untangle several complicated subplots to ultimately merge their diverse storylines. This intensely complex book was ingeniously and cunningly contrived and well worth the effort.
I will admit my ignorance, I had no idea there was such a group as the WKKK— the Women of the Ku Klux Klan. I should not have been surprised, but I was, and profoundly so. These not so secret groups were found all across the nation in the 1920s and were not just wives and daughters attending events with their families, but “an auxiliary women’s group, born of the KKK,” which had spun off from the suffrage movement and incorporated the tenets of prohibition and all the arrogance, antagonistic warfare, and bigotry of the KKK toward any person or group that was not white or Protestant. Yikes. Those women sound like the worst type of insufferable battleaxes. Gasp – I hope none of them would fall out of my own family tree, which in retrospect would not seem all that unlikely as there appears to be an overabundance of diseased branches. 😉
Thank you Minotaur for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Hollows
By: Jess Montgomery
*REVIEW*
The Hollows is my first read by Jess Montgomery. Lily Ross is the first female sheriff in the Appalachian region via Kinship, Ohio. It’s hard to imagine how difficult the job must have been for a woman. The death of an elderly woman in Moonvale Tunnel means Lily is called to investigate. The case is not as cut and dry as it seems. Things are complicated, and Lily encounters numerous obstacles leading to an asylum called The Hollows. This story is a testament to the unrest in the 1920s stemming from racism, KKK, prohibition, sexism, the dangers of coal mines, etc. This is a thoroughly researched and carefully constructed account of a woman in a man’s world, a region of people with a way of life that is now extinct in many ways, a fight for justice and equality, the power of evil and cruelty and the desire to overcome all of it. The Hollows is an excellent piece of historical fiction that tells a compelling, sharp, engaging and unique story while shedding light on important issues that linger still today. I definitely recommend this one!
The Widows was one of my favorite novels of last year and I was thrilled to get an early copy of the sequel, which is just as strong. Appointed sheriff when her husband died, Lily Ross is now running to retain the position. In the midst of the election, an elderly woman is found dead by the railroad tracks. Did she have a dementia related accident? Was she murdered? The series is set in 1920s Ohio and there’s not an inauthentic note in the narrative. (Montgomery writes about the natural world beautifully. You really feel transported to a past America.) There are several strong female characters, each with her own strengths and foibles. Lily is a real agent of law enforcement, not a cartoon badass. This series is in a class by itself.