Just finished the Hollow Places and I know I’m beating this point to death but ough T. Kingfisher is one of the best to do it in terms of contemporary horror.
The Hollow Places is loosely based on/almost a soft sequel to Algernon Blackwoods short story the Willows, but you don’t need to be familiar with the original at all in terms of jumping in to Kingfisher’s book. Just like in A House With Good Bones, she effectively writes jumpscares in a way I rarely see executed well, and she has such a way of building tension… even before the real horror of the book got underway, I started to feel so uneasy that I had to stop reading one night after dark, which usually isn’t an issue for me! Highest praise!
If you’re looking for a fun, engaging read with some eldritch horror (and I do mean actually eldritch— these characters do not know what the fuck they’re dealing with and neither do you) and a really good pair of leads that I was immediately attached to, read this book. And then go back and read the rest of Kingfishers horror lineup. I’m begging.
Unrelated I can really see this as a 2-d animated movie or mini series. Someone give me money let me adapt this the visuals are so striking.
