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A review by ojtheviking
The Hollows by C.L. Monaghan
3.0
This was a nice, quick read! I believe it was while I was once searching for novels that featured some good, old-fashioned gothic horror that I stumbled upon this title, and the blurb I read had me intrigued enough to give it a chance. Sometimes taking a chance on authors one is not familiar with pays off!
The immediate way that comes to mind to describe this story, is if Sherlock Holmes had magical powers; Midnight Gunn is such an investigator (albeit not officially a detective). And since this is the first novel in a series, I suspect that each case Gunn is working on also has a supernatural twist to it. This first installment made me think of a Jack-the-Ripper-but-with-that-something-extra style scenario. Sherlock Holmes meets The X-Files, if you will.
While the story is well-written, it's also quite fast-paced and sticks closely to the narration throughout. The upside to that is that you're left with an action-packed thrill ride, complete with plot twists, double-crossings, kidnappings, as well as summoning and superstition-turned-reality. However, although this is, as mentioned, just the first installment of a series, and I'm sure we will learn more about Midnight Gunn in the following books, I mean it more as a compliment to the author than a criticism when I say I wish she'd take more moments to do a little more world-building every now and then, as the premise itself was very promising.
With that said, as the story takes place in Victorian-era England, the pacing feels appropriate in other ways; more in line with the way suspense novels were written at the time. That's another thing I have to give Monaghan credit for; it does in many ways feel like a novel that could have been published back then, only with that aforementioned "little extra" (meaning the supernatural elements).
Ultimately, my thirst for just a little bit more backstory and fleshed-out scenarios will hopefully be quenched by reading the next installments one day - and I think I'll do just that!
The immediate way that comes to mind to describe this story, is if Sherlock Holmes had magical powers; Midnight Gunn is such an investigator (albeit not officially a detective). And since this is the first novel in a series, I suspect that each case Gunn is working on also has a supernatural twist to it. This first installment made me think of a Jack-the-Ripper-but-with-that-something-extra style scenario. Sherlock Holmes meets The X-Files, if you will.
While the story is well-written, it's also quite fast-paced and sticks closely to the narration throughout. The upside to that is that you're left with an action-packed thrill ride, complete with plot twists, double-crossings, kidnappings, as well as summoning and superstition-turned-reality. However, although this is, as mentioned, just the first installment of a series, and I'm sure we will learn more about Midnight Gunn in the following books, I mean it more as a compliment to the author than a criticism when I say I wish she'd take more moments to do a little more world-building every now and then, as the premise itself was very promising.
With that said, as the story takes place in Victorian-era England, the pacing feels appropriate in other ways; more in line with the way suspense novels were written at the time. That's another thing I have to give Monaghan credit for; it does in many ways feel like a novel that could have been published back then, only with that aforementioned "little extra" (meaning the supernatural elements).
Ultimately, my thirst for just a little bit more backstory and fleshed-out scenarios will hopefully be quenched by reading the next installments one day - and I think I'll do just that!