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The Hollow Girl
HARROWFORD HALL
A safe haven for lost girls? Or a breeding ground for revenge?
It's 1973 and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is finally assigned her first homicide case. A woman's body has been discovered at Harrowford Hall, a home for unmarried mothers deep in the Victorian countryside.
Led by the formidable Mrs Montague, Harrowford has for decades sold itself as a refuge for 'girls in crisis' - like fourteen-year-old Jane McEvoy, who has no idea of how she got pregnant. And Marilyn Pollard, a scared, angry teenager desperate to escape.
But when Detective Smith arrives at the once-grand gothic mansion, she finds it all but deserted. What's more, the home's overgrown graveyard suggests the apparent poisoning of Nurse Chapman is not Harrowford's first suspicious death . . .
A safe haven for lost girls? Or a breeding ground for revenge?
It's 1973 and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is finally assigned her first homicide case. A woman's body has been discovered at Harrowford Hall, a home for unmarried mothers deep in the Victorian countryside.
Led by the formidable Mrs Montague, Harrowford has for decades sold itself as a refuge for 'girls in crisis' - like fourteen-year-old Jane McEvoy, who has no idea of how she got pregnant. And Marilyn Pollard, a scared, angry teenager desperate to escape.
But when Detective Smith arrives at the once-grand gothic mansion, she finds it all but deserted. What's more, the home's overgrown graveyard suggests the apparent poisoning of Nurse Chapman is not Harrowford's first suspicious death . . .
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Published September 2, 2025
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About the author
Lyn Yeowart
2 books76 followersLyn Yeowart is a professional writer and editor with more than 25 years of experience in writing and editing everything from captions for artworks to speeches for executives. Her debut novel, The Silent Listener, is loosely based on events from her childhood growing up in rural Victoria. She is now happily ensconced in Melbourne, where there is very little mud, but lots of books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 17, 2025
Big thanks to Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Lyn Yeowart’s sophomore release has hit the shelves.
The Hollow Girl is an epic historical crime thriller with shocking twists.
Deep in the country is Harrowford Hall, a home for unmarried mothers, it stands tall but behind the doors and windows is secrets and lies.
It’s 1973 and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith has been assigned her first case.
A dead female body is found there.
It’s been a haven for girls in trouble and run by the menacing Mrs Montague for decades.
Smith has begun the investigation and arrives at the fortress finding that there’s more to this suspicious story than meets the eye.
A dual time line tale, set in 1961 and 1973, that’s packed with intrigue, suspense, mystery and drama.
This is a brick of a book but once you have started you won’t be able to stop reading.
It’s gripping, addictive, clever, creative and absolutely amazing.
The plot is so interesting you don’t realise it’s a big read.
Lyn is proficient at character development and her attention to detail is amazing.
I’m still yet to read Lyn’s debut and after devouring this one I will be picking up her first very soon.
Run don’t walk to get your copy now.
Lyn Yeowart’s sophomore release has hit the shelves.
The Hollow Girl is an epic historical crime thriller with shocking twists.
Deep in the country is Harrowford Hall, a home for unmarried mothers, it stands tall but behind the doors and windows is secrets and lies.
It’s 1973 and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith has been assigned her first case.
A dead female body is found there.
It’s been a haven for girls in trouble and run by the menacing Mrs Montague for decades.
Smith has begun the investigation and arrives at the fortress finding that there’s more to this suspicious story than meets the eye.
A dual time line tale, set in 1961 and 1973, that’s packed with intrigue, suspense, mystery and drama.
This is a brick of a book but once you have started you won’t be able to stop reading.
It’s gripping, addictive, clever, creative and absolutely amazing.
The plot is so interesting you don’t realise it’s a big read.
Lyn is proficient at character development and her attention to detail is amazing.
I’m still yet to read Lyn’s debut and after devouring this one I will be picking up her first very soon.
Run don’t walk to get your copy now.
October 13, 2025
Brilliant but heartbreaking.
My first Yeowart but certainly not must last. This book is written so beautifully and it was captivating throughout.
Set across dual timelines of the early 60s and 1973, the condescending views of society towards unmarried pregnant women and sexism in the workforce hit me with full force in this read. Brutal, unbelievable and devastating- a plot that is hole-free, outstandingly researched and delivered with gut-wrenching accuracy. It was difficult to read in places.
The characters, however, are what I gravitated to in this crime focused novel. It was very easy to place myself in the context, time period and rural Victoria, Australia.
For very long book I didn’t skip a single page and finished the read in just two days it was that engaging.
My first Yeowart but certainly not must last. This book is written so beautifully and it was captivating throughout.
Set across dual timelines of the early 60s and 1973, the condescending views of society towards unmarried pregnant women and sexism in the workforce hit me with full force in this read. Brutal, unbelievable and devastating- a plot that is hole-free, outstandingly researched and delivered with gut-wrenching accuracy. It was difficult to read in places.
The characters, however, are what I gravitated to in this crime focused novel. It was very easy to place myself in the context, time period and rural Victoria, Australia.
For very long book I didn’t skip a single page and finished the read in just two days it was that engaging.
November 11, 2025
A harrowing, yet beautifully written and powerful story.
'Harrowford Hall - A safe haven for lost girls? Or a breeding ground for revenge?'
The prologue hooked me right in, and the story kept me captivated the entire way through.
'Harrowford Hall - A safe haven for lost girls? Or a breeding ground for revenge?'
The prologue hooked me right in, and the story kept me captivated the entire way through.
November 9, 2025
The Hollow Girl is the second novel by Australian author, Lyn Yeowart. In 1961, fourteen-year-old Jane McEvoy finds herself pregnant, much to her widowed mother’s anger and shame, with really no idea how it happened. As any connection she had with her mother dissolves amid blame and confusion, Jane is sent to see out her confinement at Harrowford Hall.
The former orphanage, touted as “a refuge for girls in crisis”, is near rural Horsham, many hours drive from her Ballarat home. If Jane thought being hidden from view and ostracised at home was bad, she’s in for a shock.
Since she’s been at Harrowford House, the treatment she endures has made Marilyn Genevieve Pollard determined to escape. Convinced they are doping the other girls up, she vomits the nightly “vitamin” pill and makes plans to arm herself with a way to break through the impenetrable hedges surrounding the place. As she watches the casual violence meted out as punishment for perceived transgressions, and even attends the funeral of one resident, the need to escape becomes more urgent, but she doesn’t reckon on the exhaustion that results from long days working in the laundry.
In 1973, DS Eleanor Smith, well used to battling sexism in her Ballarat workplace, is sent out on her first murder case, only because all the other detectives are busy with something else. She’s being shadowed by Constable Roland Ogier, fresh out of the Academy, and they’re to investigate the murder of a nurse at Harrowford Hall, a recently closed facility for unmarried mothers-to-be. From a few stray comments, she knows she needs this green young cop to check his attitude about the former residents, but at least he’s taking meticulous notes.
It looks like thirty-eight-year-old Stella Campbell was poisoned, but with what, by whom, and why, are all questions with no immediate answers. The Manageress and Matron of the facility, Mrs Denise Montague, seems to have her answers prepared, and has briefed her staff on what to say. Eleanor finds her lack of compassion disturbing.
Other things don’t feel right at Harrowford Hall: a mother and baby home without a nursery? An excessive number of baby graves; vitamin pills, unavailable for analysis, forced on the residents. Smith and Ogier come up with some wild theories that include mass infanticide, blackmail and the selling of babies, but are they on the right track with any of it? Their boss is demanding results, a quick arrest, when there’s another death. And another. The signs point to a former resident.
Readers of a certain vintage won’t be surprised by the societal mindset about unwed pregnancy, the victim blaming culture, the lack of agency that women suffer, the dearth of empathy, of solidarity between women, the virtual absence of any sisterhood, and the superior attitude of the privileged that characterised the nineteen-sixties. But Stella Campbell’s relentless cruelty, certainly a motive for revenge by resident girls, is truly shocking.
Yeowart easily evokes her era and setting with popular culture references and marvellous descriptive prose. A powerful, thought-provoking read that keeps the reader guessing right up to the final reveal.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia.
The former orphanage, touted as “a refuge for girls in crisis”, is near rural Horsham, many hours drive from her Ballarat home. If Jane thought being hidden from view and ostracised at home was bad, she’s in for a shock.
Since she’s been at Harrowford House, the treatment she endures has made Marilyn Genevieve Pollard determined to escape. Convinced they are doping the other girls up, she vomits the nightly “vitamin” pill and makes plans to arm herself with a way to break through the impenetrable hedges surrounding the place. As she watches the casual violence meted out as punishment for perceived transgressions, and even attends the funeral of one resident, the need to escape becomes more urgent, but she doesn’t reckon on the exhaustion that results from long days working in the laundry.
In 1973, DS Eleanor Smith, well used to battling sexism in her Ballarat workplace, is sent out on her first murder case, only because all the other detectives are busy with something else. She’s being shadowed by Constable Roland Ogier, fresh out of the Academy, and they’re to investigate the murder of a nurse at Harrowford Hall, a recently closed facility for unmarried mothers-to-be. From a few stray comments, she knows she needs this green young cop to check his attitude about the former residents, but at least he’s taking meticulous notes.
It looks like thirty-eight-year-old Stella Campbell was poisoned, but with what, by whom, and why, are all questions with no immediate answers. The Manageress and Matron of the facility, Mrs Denise Montague, seems to have her answers prepared, and has briefed her staff on what to say. Eleanor finds her lack of compassion disturbing.
Other things don’t feel right at Harrowford Hall: a mother and baby home without a nursery? An excessive number of baby graves; vitamin pills, unavailable for analysis, forced on the residents. Smith and Ogier come up with some wild theories that include mass infanticide, blackmail and the selling of babies, but are they on the right track with any of it? Their boss is demanding results, a quick arrest, when there’s another death. And another. The signs point to a former resident.
Readers of a certain vintage won’t be surprised by the societal mindset about unwed pregnancy, the victim blaming culture, the lack of agency that women suffer, the dearth of empathy, of solidarity between women, the virtual absence of any sisterhood, and the superior attitude of the privileged that characterised the nineteen-sixties. But Stella Campbell’s relentless cruelty, certainly a motive for revenge by resident girls, is truly shocking.
Yeowart easily evokes her era and setting with popular culture references and marvellous descriptive prose. A powerful, thought-provoking read that keeps the reader guessing right up to the final reveal.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia.
February 5, 2026
The Hollow Girl is the second novel by Australian author, Lyn Yeowart. The audio version is narrated by Violet Ayad. In 1961, fourteen-year-old Jane McEvoy finds herself pregnant, much to her widowed mother’s anger and shame, with really no idea how it happened. As any connection she had with her mother dissolves amid blame and confusion, Jane is sent to see out her confinement at Harrowford Hall.
The former orphanage, touted as “a refuge for girls in crisis”, is near rural Horsham, many hours drive from her Ballarat home. If Jane thought being hidden from view and ostracised at home was bad, she’s in for a shock.
Since she’s been at Harrowford House, the treatment she endures has made Marilyn Genevieve Pollard determined to escape. Convinced they are doping the other girls up, she vomits the nightly “vitamin” pill and makes plans to arm herself with a way to break through the impenetrable hedges surrounding the place. As she watches the casual violence meted out as punishment for perceived transgressions, and even attends the funeral of one resident, the need to escape becomes more urgent, but she doesn’t reckon on the exhaustion that results from long days working in the laundry.
In 1973, DS Eleanor Smith, well used to battling sexism in her Ballarat workplace, is sent out on her first murder case, only because all the other detectives are busy with something else. She’s being shadowed by Constable Roland Ogier, fresh out of the Academy, and they’re to investigate the murder of a nurse at Harrowford Hall, a recently closed facility for unmarried mothers-to-be. From a few stray comments, she knows she needs this green young cop to check his attitude about the former residents, but at least he’s taking meticulous notes.
It looks like thirty-eight-year-old Stella Campbell was poisoned, but with what, by whom, and why, are all questions with no immediate answers. The Manageress and Matron of the facility, Mrs Denise Montague, seems to have her answers prepared, and has briefed her staff on what to say. Eleanor finds her lack of compassion disturbing.
Other things don’t feel right at Harrowford Hall: a mother and baby home without a nursery? An excessive number of baby graves; vitamin pills, unavailable for analysis, forced on the residents. Smith and Ogier come up with some wild theories that include mass infanticide, blackmail and the selling of babies, but are they on the right track with any of it? Their boss is demanding results, a quick arrest, when there’s another death. And another. The signs point to a former resident.
Readers of a certain vintage won’t be surprised by the societal mindset about unwed pregnancy, the victim blaming culture, the lack of agency that women suffer, the dearth of empathy, of solidarity between women, the virtual absence of any sisterhood, and the superior attitude of the privileged that characterised the nineteen-sixties. But Stella Campbell’s relentless cruelty, certainly a motive for revenge by resident girls, is truly shocking.
Yeowart easily evokes her era and setting with popular culture references and marvellous descriptive prose. A powerful, thought-provoking read that keeps the reader guessing right up to the final reveal.
The former orphanage, touted as “a refuge for girls in crisis”, is near rural Horsham, many hours drive from her Ballarat home. If Jane thought being hidden from view and ostracised at home was bad, she’s in for a shock.
Since she’s been at Harrowford House, the treatment she endures has made Marilyn Genevieve Pollard determined to escape. Convinced they are doping the other girls up, she vomits the nightly “vitamin” pill and makes plans to arm herself with a way to break through the impenetrable hedges surrounding the place. As she watches the casual violence meted out as punishment for perceived transgressions, and even attends the funeral of one resident, the need to escape becomes more urgent, but she doesn’t reckon on the exhaustion that results from long days working in the laundry.
In 1973, DS Eleanor Smith, well used to battling sexism in her Ballarat workplace, is sent out on her first murder case, only because all the other detectives are busy with something else. She’s being shadowed by Constable Roland Ogier, fresh out of the Academy, and they’re to investigate the murder of a nurse at Harrowford Hall, a recently closed facility for unmarried mothers-to-be. From a few stray comments, she knows she needs this green young cop to check his attitude about the former residents, but at least he’s taking meticulous notes.
It looks like thirty-eight-year-old Stella Campbell was poisoned, but with what, by whom, and why, are all questions with no immediate answers. The Manageress and Matron of the facility, Mrs Denise Montague, seems to have her answers prepared, and has briefed her staff on what to say. Eleanor finds her lack of compassion disturbing.
Other things don’t feel right at Harrowford Hall: a mother and baby home without a nursery? An excessive number of baby graves; vitamin pills, unavailable for analysis, forced on the residents. Smith and Ogier come up with some wild theories that include mass infanticide, blackmail and the selling of babies, but are they on the right track with any of it? Their boss is demanding results, a quick arrest, when there’s another death. And another. The signs point to a former resident.
Readers of a certain vintage won’t be surprised by the societal mindset about unwed pregnancy, the victim blaming culture, the lack of agency that women suffer, the dearth of empathy, of solidarity between women, the virtual absence of any sisterhood, and the superior attitude of the privileged that characterised the nineteen-sixties. But Stella Campbell’s relentless cruelty, certainly a motive for revenge by resident girls, is truly shocking.
Yeowart easily evokes her era and setting with popular culture references and marvellous descriptive prose. A powerful, thought-provoking read that keeps the reader guessing right up to the final reveal.
September 25, 2025
Easy to read crime fic set in rural Victoria. There was a bit of authorial handholding and dialogue set up specifically to explain plot points, which may be someone's preference but just not mine!
Also and this is definitely not a criticism of the book itself but I was a bit triggered by the misogyny. The premise of the novel is based on a home for unmarried mothers in the 1960s/70s and jesus christ the hatred that everyone showed not only women who were abused, raped, and left to rot but also all women ever made me nauseous - largely because violent gendered rhetoric just keeps on keeping on and it's all a bit bloody exhausting
Also and this is definitely not a criticism of the book itself but I was a bit triggered by the misogyny. The premise of the novel is based on a home for unmarried mothers in the 1960s/70s and jesus christ the hatred that everyone showed not only women who were abused, raped, and left to rot but also all women ever made me nauseous - largely because violent gendered rhetoric just keeps on keeping on and it's all a bit bloody exhausting
September 5, 2025
A fast-paced genuinely well written crime thriller that will have you shocked until the very end. This book traverses some dark and sad themes (forced adoption, subjugation of women, murder) but there is a strong undercurrent of feminism and truth-seeking that overrides the darker elements. Would recommend this to anyone looking for a pacey, exciting thriller. And even though I know the ending, I’ll still read it again.
September 14, 2025
Could. Not. Put.Down. Just brilliant!
September 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ♾️ 5/5 STARS
𝙸𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 ’𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔’ 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝚒𝚜 𝟷𝟶𝟶 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝! 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏𝚏 ’𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜’ 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎!
𝙸 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚜 (𝙔𝙀𝙎 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩)
𝚂𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝟭𝟵𝟲𝟭 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟯 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚞𝚗-𝚠𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 ’𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎’ 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜.
𝙱𝚄𝚃 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚜 𝚌𝚞𝚎 𝚍��𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙴𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚂𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚐a𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛/𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚗; 𝚜𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎!
𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍!
𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚌 (482 pages) 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚝!
𝙸𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 ’𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔’ 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝚒𝚜 𝟷𝟶𝟶 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝! 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏𝚏 ’𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜’ 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎!
𝙸 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚜 (𝙔𝙀𝙎 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩)
𝚂𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝟭𝟵𝟲𝟭 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟯 𝙰𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚞𝚗-𝚠𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 ’𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎’ 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜.
𝙱𝚄𝚃 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚜 𝚌𝚞𝚎 𝚍��𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙴𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚂𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚐a𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛/𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚗; 𝚜𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎!
𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍!
𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚌 (482 pages) 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚝!
January 19, 2026
If you've read and enjoyed Lyn Yeowart's debut, you're going to be enthralled with her follow-up, The Hollow Girl.
Full disclosure. I have a special interest in the history of mother and baby homes and will actively pick up any piece of literature about them. Hence, this book was just calling out to me.
It's 1973 and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith has finally been assigned her first homicide case. A woman's body has been discovered at Harrowford Hall, a home for unmarried mothers in the Victorian countryside.
Just like fourteen-year-old Jane, who has no idea how she got pregnant. Or Marilyn, who is trying to escape the brutality that the formidable Mrs Montangue and staff are inflicting.
But that was in 1961 and after many years of operation, Harrowford Hall is set for closure. The Gothic mansion holds a lifetime of secrets, lies and brutality. And why is there an overgrown graveyard full of babies' headstones?
This poisoning is no open and shut case... nor the only one.
I was actually appalled and furious about the whole injustice that bled out of this book! The young girls (damn, one was only thirteen!) were treated cruelly, neglected, and forced to work in shocking conditions- all the while heavily pregnant. Then, in labour, they refused any pain relief until they signed away any rights to their child. Needless to say, afterwards, there was much more pain and suffering. Years of it, actually.
Now that DS Smith is leading the investigation, she's determined to get to the bottom of all this injustice, all the while trying to solve the multiple murders, all connected. DS Smith will have a hard job of it all, though. Being a female detective in the 1970s is tough. Her male superior doesn't think highly of her skills or determination, belittling her all the way. But that's not going to stop Eleanor though...
I couldn't put this first addition to my favourite books of the year down. The suspense and mystery were top-notch.
5 🌟
Full disclosure. I have a special interest in the history of mother and baby homes and will actively pick up any piece of literature about them. Hence, this book was just calling out to me.
It's 1973 and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith has finally been assigned her first homicide case. A woman's body has been discovered at Harrowford Hall, a home for unmarried mothers in the Victorian countryside.
Just like fourteen-year-old Jane, who has no idea how she got pregnant. Or Marilyn, who is trying to escape the brutality that the formidable Mrs Montangue and staff are inflicting.
But that was in 1961 and after many years of operation, Harrowford Hall is set for closure. The Gothic mansion holds a lifetime of secrets, lies and brutality. And why is there an overgrown graveyard full of babies' headstones?
This poisoning is no open and shut case... nor the only one.
I was actually appalled and furious about the whole injustice that bled out of this book! The young girls (damn, one was only thirteen!) were treated cruelly, neglected, and forced to work in shocking conditions- all the while heavily pregnant. Then, in labour, they refused any pain relief until they signed away any rights to their child. Needless to say, afterwards, there was much more pain and suffering. Years of it, actually.
Now that DS Smith is leading the investigation, she's determined to get to the bottom of all this injustice, all the while trying to solve the multiple murders, all connected. DS Smith will have a hard job of it all, though. Being a female detective in the 1970s is tough. Her male superior doesn't think highly of her skills or determination, belittling her all the way. But that's not going to stop Eleanor though...
I couldn't put this first addition to my favourite books of the year down. The suspense and mystery were top-notch.
5 🌟
November 15, 2025
Here’s an edited copy of message I sent Lyn the moment I finished reading it…
Wow Lyn, what a brilliant story! Beautifully written, disturbingly bleak but then that was the reality then. I loved all the twists and reveals and that as a reader, I didn’t see them all coming. I’m even more impressed with the story when I now know that you’re a fly by the seat of your pants author and hadn’t mapped it all out. Writing this must have been just as thrilling for you as it has been for us as the readers.
I’m very excited to read The Silent Listener and will be queueing for your next book, and the one after…
Wow Lyn, what a brilliant story! Beautifully written, disturbingly bleak but then that was the reality then. I loved all the twists and reveals and that as a reader, I didn’t see them all coming. I’m even more impressed with the story when I now know that you’re a fly by the seat of your pants author and hadn’t mapped it all out. Writing this must have been just as thrilling for you as it has been for us as the readers.
I’m very excited to read The Silent Listener and will be queueing for your next book, and the one after…
September 8, 2025
Loved it - enjoyed the insight into 1960 and 70s Victoria, although of course, it was also incredibly infuriating and confronting. The mystery and twists were skilfully done - and the ending was 👌🏼
December 5, 2025
Review to follow.
September 18, 2025
Out of all the books I have read this year, this one is my favourite.
November 18, 2025
Great book, kept you guessing!
September 7, 2025
Oh Lyn .. you've punched us in the guts again. Just when you think what went on at harrowford Hall is bad it gets worse. To readers or listeners I'd say the first half or so is really quite grim but then the whodunnit and how do we know really ramps up and you can't put it down!
November 28, 2025
Absolute gem of a book. Loved this. Local writer, story based in Victoria, Australia. Historical fiction is one of my fave genres because I learn so much about the things that come before. This may be a story but it sheds light on the horrible treatment of girls and women only 50 years ago. We have come so far in such a short time it’s almost unbelievable stories like those in this book could be true. Highly recommend this book to anyone.
November 14, 2025
The sad tale of a woefully ignorant girl being blamed for her pregnancy following the abuse by an older male. The comically inept police, playing heavily on the stereotypical male copper who thinks female police are only interested in their hair detracts from an otherwise poignant look at teenage pregnancies. Police chief Potter’s ridiculous discounting of female detectives turns the book into a keystone cops saga and cheapens an otherwise profound plot. When the story focuses on the plight of the young girls it’s far more moving but when it switches to the police investigation the book looses all its heart. An unlikely ending also lets the book down. Disappointing, it could have been so much more.
August 30, 2025
Author Lyn Yeowart has done it again with her second psychological crime thriller THE HOLLOW GIRL (Penguin 2025). You may remember her award-winning debut THE SILENT LISTENER, a chilling read. THE HOLLOW GIRL is engrossing, gripping, exceedingly well written, powerful, thematic, suspenseful, evocative, atmospheric, intriguing, complex, clever and compelling.
Set in a dual timeline of 1973 and the 1960’s, the book revolves around Harrowford Hall, a refuge for ‘girls in crisis’ (aka unmarried pregnant teens). In 1973, newly minted Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith has to prove her capacity amongst the mainly male police force in rural Victoria. A murder (of a nurse) at Harrowford Hall is palmed off to her as a low-profile case (all women, after all) but when she swiftly discovers the home for unmarried mothers has an overgrown graveyard full of secrets, and that the poisoned nurse is possibly not the first victim, the case ramps up significantly, and so does Smith’s superior’s expectations of her.
Smith is a brilliantly crafted character, original and with a unique voice, and her sidekick, the inexperienced and hapless Roland Ogier, is a wonderful counterplay to her determination and intuition. The great dialogue and quiet wit of these two lighten the narrative with humour and suggestion.
The second timeline in the 60’s concerns two young women. Jane is only 14 years old and knows nothing about the birds and the bees. Her mother and her doctor inform her she is pregnant, but she doesn’t even know what that means, has no idea how it could have happened, and cannot even tie the knowledge of a baby growing inside her with any possible action of her own. It is all a mystery to her, but her mother’s shame sends her on a journey to Harrowford Hall. Another teenager, Marilyn, is already at the home, working in terrible conditions, troubled by confronting interactions between the staff and the resident girls, and determined to escape before something bad happens to her. These two characters are also incredibly well written.
In fact, the three main characters are so engaging that even without the crime/s, I would have happily remained engrossed in this story just for the characters alone.
But of course the plot is key, and the facts of this story kept me glued to the pages. Not only because of the complexity and incredulity of the details, but because everything that happens is based on real life cases over the years. This makes the devastating story even more dire and uncomfortable.
Harrowford Hall is creepy and atmospheric, reminiscent of every nightmare revealed about institutional abuse and corruption. But that is all to be uncovered. At the beginning, Smith is introduced to a forbidding but grand home, with well-tended gardens and grand rooms, and a formidable matron in charge of the wellbeing of the girls assigned to her care.
THE HOLLOW GIRL has so many twists and turns, so many unconventional reveals, that to say too much would be a spoiler, but it does address themes of abuse, teenage pregnancy, ambition, greed, religious fervour, mental illness, trauma, revenge, resilience and identity, and asks many complex moral and ethical questions. Every time my eyes widened in disbelief, I was reminded that, just as in The Handmaid’s Tale, everything that occurs in this novel has happened – or is happening – somewhere in the world. Fiction is fact cloaked in mesmerising storytelling, but still based on fact nevertheless. This makes the narrative even more chilling.
In addition, Yeowart adds her trademark style of the inclusion of enigmatic and strange mental and physical tics, phenomena, beliefs and superstitions, which make the girls question the truth and import of everything that is happening to them.
Lies, betrayal and shame mark this powerful, haunting and shocking tale of injustice and revenge. The voices in this book are those of young women from years past who were sentenced to a life of hidden secrets because of their situation, more often than not caused not because of any wrongdoing of their own, but because of the avarice of men. Yeowart explores these issues with compassion, tenderness, intellectual curiosity, sharp observation and quick wit.
And while this is definitely the next big crime read to watch out for, it will also satisfy those readers who yearn for superb writing, meaningful themes and a story that will spark lively discussions with friends and book clubs. Highly recommend.
Set in a dual timeline of 1973 and the 1960’s, the book revolves around Harrowford Hall, a refuge for ‘girls in crisis’ (aka unmarried pregnant teens). In 1973, newly minted Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith has to prove her capacity amongst the mainly male police force in rural Victoria. A murder (of a nurse) at Harrowford Hall is palmed off to her as a low-profile case (all women, after all) but when she swiftly discovers the home for unmarried mothers has an overgrown graveyard full of secrets, and that the poisoned nurse is possibly not the first victim, the case ramps up significantly, and so does Smith’s superior’s expectations of her.
Smith is a brilliantly crafted character, original and with a unique voice, and her sidekick, the inexperienced and hapless Roland Ogier, is a wonderful counterplay to her determination and intuition. The great dialogue and quiet wit of these two lighten the narrative with humour and suggestion.
The second timeline in the 60’s concerns two young women. Jane is only 14 years old and knows nothing about the birds and the bees. Her mother and her doctor inform her she is pregnant, but she doesn’t even know what that means, has no idea how it could have happened, and cannot even tie the knowledge of a baby growing inside her with any possible action of her own. It is all a mystery to her, but her mother’s shame sends her on a journey to Harrowford Hall. Another teenager, Marilyn, is already at the home, working in terrible conditions, troubled by confronting interactions between the staff and the resident girls, and determined to escape before something bad happens to her. These two characters are also incredibly well written.
In fact, the three main characters are so engaging that even without the crime/s, I would have happily remained engrossed in this story just for the characters alone.
But of course the plot is key, and the facts of this story kept me glued to the pages. Not only because of the complexity and incredulity of the details, but because everything that happens is based on real life cases over the years. This makes the devastating story even more dire and uncomfortable.
Harrowford Hall is creepy and atmospheric, reminiscent of every nightmare revealed about institutional abuse and corruption. But that is all to be uncovered. At the beginning, Smith is introduced to a forbidding but grand home, with well-tended gardens and grand rooms, and a formidable matron in charge of the wellbeing of the girls assigned to her care.
THE HOLLOW GIRL has so many twists and turns, so many unconventional reveals, that to say too much would be a spoiler, but it does address themes of abuse, teenage pregnancy, ambition, greed, religious fervour, mental illness, trauma, revenge, resilience and identity, and asks many complex moral and ethical questions. Every time my eyes widened in disbelief, I was reminded that, just as in The Handmaid’s Tale, everything that occurs in this novel has happened – or is happening – somewhere in the world. Fiction is fact cloaked in mesmerising storytelling, but still based on fact nevertheless. This makes the narrative even more chilling.
In addition, Yeowart adds her trademark style of the inclusion of enigmatic and strange mental and physical tics, phenomena, beliefs and superstitions, which make the girls question the truth and import of everything that is happening to them.
Lies, betrayal and shame mark this powerful, haunting and shocking tale of injustice and revenge. The voices in this book are those of young women from years past who were sentenced to a life of hidden secrets because of their situation, more often than not caused not because of any wrongdoing of their own, but because of the avarice of men. Yeowart explores these issues with compassion, tenderness, intellectual curiosity, sharp observation and quick wit.
And while this is definitely the next big crime read to watch out for, it will also satisfy those readers who yearn for superb writing, meaningful themes and a story that will spark lively discussions with friends and book clubs. Highly recommend.
August 30, 2025
Lyn Yeowart’s crime fiction debut The Silent Listener was a “an engaging but pain filled excursion into regional Australia in the second half of the Twentieth Century”. That book explored issues of domestic abuse and trauma. Her second novel, The Hollow Girl is, if anything, even darker. Yeowart takes as its starting point “homes” for unmarried pregnant women (often teenagers) established in remote areas of Australia where teenagers were sent between the 1950s and 1970s, where they were essentially enslaved and then had their babies taken from them at birth. Similar institutions existed in Ireland and that troubled history was recently dealt with in Claire Keegan’s book Small Things Like These.
The Hollow Girl has three narrative points of view over a couple of different time frames. In 1973 female police detective Eleanor Smith is finally given a murder to investigate – the death of a nurse at Harrowford Hall, an institution for unwed mothers that was on the cusp of closing down. The other two narrative threads take readers back to 1961 to Jane, a fourteen year old who finds herself pregnant after being taken advantage of by her friend’s father at a family wedding, and Marilyn, a pregnant inmate at Harrowford Hall who has to quickly learn to survive in the institution’s laundry and dreams of escape.
The Hollow Girl deals with a lot of really tough subjects. In particular the government-sanctioned appalling treatment of teenage girls (in her Author’s Note Yeowart says that between 1951 and 1975 an estimated 150,000 mothers were subject to forced adoption), and the social attitudes that allowed this to happen. This is not the first Australian crime book to deal with the issue of forced adoptions. Vikki Petriatis has it as a thread of her new novel The Stolen and Aoife Clifford also dealt with this issue in her coastal crime novel When We Fall. Yeowart also reflects on the treatment of Eleanor, a hard working and intuitive detective, who is gaslit and underestimated by her misogynistic and possibly corrupt boss.
The Hollow Girl opens with a murder (called “The Last Murder”) and then rewinds to three more murders. Eleanor herself is steeped in investigative technique and has a young offsider to whom she can explain things (and start to shift his ingrained misogyny). So that while Yeowart deals with difficult subject matter she does so in service of a page-turning historical crime thriller full of fascinating twists and clear-eyed reflections on the flawed justice and medical system as they may well have been in the 1960s and 70s.
The Hollow Girl has three narrative points of view over a couple of different time frames. In 1973 female police detective Eleanor Smith is finally given a murder to investigate – the death of a nurse at Harrowford Hall, an institution for unwed mothers that was on the cusp of closing down. The other two narrative threads take readers back to 1961 to Jane, a fourteen year old who finds herself pregnant after being taken advantage of by her friend’s father at a family wedding, and Marilyn, a pregnant inmate at Harrowford Hall who has to quickly learn to survive in the institution’s laundry and dreams of escape.
The Hollow Girl deals with a lot of really tough subjects. In particular the government-sanctioned appalling treatment of teenage girls (in her Author’s Note Yeowart says that between 1951 and 1975 an estimated 150,000 mothers were subject to forced adoption), and the social attitudes that allowed this to happen. This is not the first Australian crime book to deal with the issue of forced adoptions. Vikki Petriatis has it as a thread of her new novel The Stolen and Aoife Clifford also dealt with this issue in her coastal crime novel When We Fall. Yeowart also reflects on the treatment of Eleanor, a hard working and intuitive detective, who is gaslit and underestimated by her misogynistic and possibly corrupt boss.
The Hollow Girl opens with a murder (called “The Last Murder”) and then rewinds to three more murders. Eleanor herself is steeped in investigative technique and has a young offsider to whom she can explain things (and start to shift his ingrained misogyny). So that while Yeowart deals with difficult subject matter she does so in service of a page-turning historical crime thriller full of fascinating twists and clear-eyed reflections on the flawed justice and medical system as they may well have been in the 1960s and 70s.
November 9, 2025
The Hollow Girl was a fantastic read, full of suspense, mystery, secrets, lies, and betrayal.
I absolutely LOVED it. I was completely engrossed and invested in the story from the very first chapter. It was a beautifully written, powerful and deeply emotional novel.
Switching between the early 60's and 70's, it follows Jane, Marilyn, and Eleanor. In the 1960's timeline, Jane and Marilyn have been sent to Harrowford, a home for women in crisis, after getting themselves in the family way.
In the 1970's Eleanor is a detective trying to solve the murder of a former nurse from Harrowford.
I loved Jane and Marilyn's bravery and determination. Eleanor was also determined and very smart, which she definitely needed to be, with being a female detective in the 70's.
While the characters are fictional, the way the unmarried mothers were treated and the types of places they were sent to are based on real situations.
It was absolutely appalling how these poor girls and women were treated. Solely being blamed for their pregnancies, like they got that way all by themselves, when quite a few were abused or coerced, many of them only in their early teens.
This was a harrowing read at times, but also an eye opening and compelling read too. As well as the above storyline, there are more murders to solve, as well as some really surprising twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all.
This is the first book I've read from Lyn Yeohart, but it definitely won't be the last. I'm looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
One of the best thrillers I've read so far this year.
I very highly recommend.
5 well deserved stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Australia, and Lyn Yeohart for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely LOVED it. I was completely engrossed and invested in the story from the very first chapter. It was a beautifully written, powerful and deeply emotional novel.
Switching between the early 60's and 70's, it follows Jane, Marilyn, and Eleanor. In the 1960's timeline, Jane and Marilyn have been sent to Harrowford, a home for women in crisis, after getting themselves in the family way.
In the 1970's Eleanor is a detective trying to solve the murder of a former nurse from Harrowford.
I loved Jane and Marilyn's bravery and determination. Eleanor was also determined and very smart, which she definitely needed to be, with being a female detective in the 70's.
While the characters are fictional, the way the unmarried mothers were treated and the types of places they were sent to are based on real situations.
It was absolutely appalling how these poor girls and women were treated. Solely being blamed for their pregnancies, like they got that way all by themselves, when quite a few were abused or coerced, many of them only in their early teens.
This was a harrowing read at times, but also an eye opening and compelling read too. As well as the above storyline, there are more murders to solve, as well as some really surprising twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all.
This is the first book I've read from Lyn Yeohart, but it definitely won't be the last. I'm looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
One of the best thrillers I've read so far this year.
I very highly recommend.
5 well deserved stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Australia, and Lyn Yeohart for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2026
Oh my goodness - this is one of those books where you grit your teeth and prepare to rage against some of the characters and situations. Lyn Yeowart has written this story so well that you can feel the unfairness of the times she is writing about flowing off the page. You just can't believe that these attitudes and actions are acceptable, but you know they are probably accurate.
Jane is fourteen years old in 1961 in Victoria Australia who is about to find herself an inmate of a home for unmarried mothers - pregnant and banished by her mother, not really sure of how she has found herself in these circumstances. Seen as a 'whore' who has brought this on herself, she has no one to turn to and must accept her fate in the home, waiting out her pregnancy before her child will be adopted by a deserving couple.
Twelve years later a series of murders occur that seem to perhaps link in some way to Jane and her pregnancy. A dedicated female dectective (one of the very few in the force at this time), Eleanor Smith, working against the extremely negative views of her boss tries to investigate these murders and get to the truth of the matter. It seemed like everytime she might have a direction to follow or a possible solution, another obstacle appeared or piece of evidence emerged.
In the end there were twists and turns that really you could never have predicted. This book has really nasty moments which clearly depict some of the attitudes held towards young unmarried women as well as the way they were treated, not just by strangers but also their own family members. The author clearly did her research of these time periods. This was my first book by Lyn Yeowart - her second book published. I'm certainly adding her other book to my TBR pile as I'm sure it will be just as engaging.
Jane is fourteen years old in 1961 in Victoria Australia who is about to find herself an inmate of a home for unmarried mothers - pregnant and banished by her mother, not really sure of how she has found herself in these circumstances. Seen as a 'whore' who has brought this on herself, she has no one to turn to and must accept her fate in the home, waiting out her pregnancy before her child will be adopted by a deserving couple.
Twelve years later a series of murders occur that seem to perhaps link in some way to Jane and her pregnancy. A dedicated female dectective (one of the very few in the force at this time), Eleanor Smith, working against the extremely negative views of her boss tries to investigate these murders and get to the truth of the matter. It seemed like everytime she might have a direction to follow or a possible solution, another obstacle appeared or piece of evidence emerged.
In the end there were twists and turns that really you could never have predicted. This book has really nasty moments which clearly depict some of the attitudes held towards young unmarried women as well as the way they were treated, not just by strangers but also their own family members. The author clearly did her research of these time periods. This was my first book by Lyn Yeowart - her second book published. I'm certainly adding her other book to my TBR pile as I'm sure it will be just as engaging.
February 1, 2026
4.5 stars.
It’s 1973, and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is assigned her first homicide case after a woman’s body is found at Harrowford Hall, a remote home for unmarried mothers in the Victorian countryside. Run by the formidable Mrs Montague, the institution claims to be a refuge for “girls in crisis,” but when Smith arrives to find the once-grand mansion almost deserted - and an overgrown graveyard nearby - it becomes clear this suspicious death may not be the first.
This was a slow-burn mystery centred on the lives of vulnerable young women. The dual timelines of 1973 and 1961 really hooked me, as I was eager to uncover what had happened at Harrowford Hall. The gothic setting was perfectly eerie and atmospheric.
Admittedly, I would have liked the pace to be a little faster in the middle, but once the mystery gained momentum, I was fully back on board. The real highlight for me, though, wasn’t the mystery itself, but the social commentary on the lack of support for vulnerable girls at the time - where sleazy older men could take advantage of them without consequences, and the girls were then quietly “sent away” when they became pregnant. The depth of research Yeowart put into the real history was impressive and gave the story a strong, credible foundation.
This book left me pondering long after I finished. It’s well written and carries an important message. I’d highly recommend it to readers looking for deeper conversations beyond the usual mystery and thriller elements, especially those inspired by real events.
See my bookstagram review.
It’s 1973, and Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is assigned her first homicide case after a woman’s body is found at Harrowford Hall, a remote home for unmarried mothers in the Victorian countryside. Run by the formidable Mrs Montague, the institution claims to be a refuge for “girls in crisis,” but when Smith arrives to find the once-grand mansion almost deserted - and an overgrown graveyard nearby - it becomes clear this suspicious death may not be the first.
This was a slow-burn mystery centred on the lives of vulnerable young women. The dual timelines of 1973 and 1961 really hooked me, as I was eager to uncover what had happened at Harrowford Hall. The gothic setting was perfectly eerie and atmospheric.
Admittedly, I would have liked the pace to be a little faster in the middle, but once the mystery gained momentum, I was fully back on board. The real highlight for me, though, wasn’t the mystery itself, but the social commentary on the lack of support for vulnerable girls at the time - where sleazy older men could take advantage of them without consequences, and the girls were then quietly “sent away” when they became pregnant. The depth of research Yeowart put into the real history was impressive and gave the story a strong, credible foundation.
This book left me pondering long after I finished. It’s well written and carries an important message. I’d highly recommend it to readers looking for deeper conversations beyond the usual mystery and thriller elements, especially those inspired by real events.
See my bookstagram review.
August 26, 2025
The story of the girls who were sent to Harrowford is to put it simply, shocking.
When a body is found at Harrowford, Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is given her first murder investigation. Working for one of the most chauvinistic men you will ever read, Eleanor is up against it from the beginning and is expected to fail. Determined to solve the case and get to the bottom of what has transpired at this facility, the case is soon thrown into turmoil when a second body is found.
And what about the graveyard out the back with hundreds of headstones for babies? What has been happening here over the years?
The unfolding story is so sad, but now the girls have someone in their corner, someone willing to fight for the truth.
Geez this was hard to read at times 😞. The language used towards young women that had got themselves in a situation was abhorrent. The society of the time did not deal with this situation well at all.
This story was as eye opening as it was heartbreaking. To think what some young girls were subject to is beyond horrifying. All because they were pregnant out of wedlock. Never was the other party put under the microscope - they were blameless. If the views of men, and some women, were this archaic in the time period covered by the book, then we should be grateful that we are where we are now and the majority of people do not think this way anymore. I know I could not have lived in this time with that sort of thinking.
Another emotional book from this author who knows how to bring a story to life.
When a body is found at Harrowford, Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is given her first murder investigation. Working for one of the most chauvinistic men you will ever read, Eleanor is up against it from the beginning and is expected to fail. Determined to solve the case and get to the bottom of what has transpired at this facility, the case is soon thrown into turmoil when a second body is found.
And what about the graveyard out the back with hundreds of headstones for babies? What has been happening here over the years?
The unfolding story is so sad, but now the girls have someone in their corner, someone willing to fight for the truth.
Geez this was hard to read at times 😞. The language used towards young women that had got themselves in a situation was abhorrent. The society of the time did not deal with this situation well at all.
This story was as eye opening as it was heartbreaking. To think what some young girls were subject to is beyond horrifying. All because they were pregnant out of wedlock. Never was the other party put under the microscope - they were blameless. If the views of men, and some women, were this archaic in the time period covered by the book, then we should be grateful that we are where we are now and the majority of people do not think this way anymore. I know I could not have lived in this time with that sort of thinking.
Another emotional book from this author who knows how to bring a story to life.
November 27, 2025
4.5 stars rounded to 5
The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart is a haunting, suspense novel set across two timelines — 1961 and 1973.
In 1973, Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is assigned her first homicide: a woman’s body is found at Harrowford Hall, an isolated home for unmarried mothers in the Victorian countryside.
Back in 1961, a 14-year-old girl named Jane McEvoy arrives at Harrowford, pregnant with no memory of how it happened. As Eleanor investigates the murder, she uncovers a dark, gothic world of secrets, injustice, and revenge — casting doubt on whether the “refuge” Harrowford claims to be is anything but.
Told through multiple POVs, it unfolds over four well crafted parts, each one pulling you deeper into its dark, gothic world.
This is a harrowing and confronting mystery, steeped in the male-chauvinistic attitudes of the era — and Yeowart doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal realities women faced. It’s uncomfortable at times, but purposefully so, and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.
The atmosphere is gothic and gripping, the pacing tight, and the character development incredibly complex and nuanced. Every voice feels distinct and every revelation lands with weight. Despite the heavy themes, the writing is
beautifully executed, and unexpectedly funny. Lines like “According to one of Paterson’s comments, their collective alibi was tighter than Mick Jagger’s jeans” add just the right touch of humour to lighten the read.
A powerful, unsettling, and exquisitely told novel that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart is a haunting, suspense novel set across two timelines — 1961 and 1973.
In 1973, Detective Sergeant Eleanor Smith is assigned her first homicide: a woman’s body is found at Harrowford Hall, an isolated home for unmarried mothers in the Victorian countryside.
Back in 1961, a 14-year-old girl named Jane McEvoy arrives at Harrowford, pregnant with no memory of how it happened. As Eleanor investigates the murder, she uncovers a dark, gothic world of secrets, injustice, and revenge — casting doubt on whether the “refuge” Harrowford claims to be is anything but.
Told through multiple POVs, it unfolds over four well crafted parts, each one pulling you deeper into its dark, gothic world.
This is a harrowing and confronting mystery, steeped in the male-chauvinistic attitudes of the era — and Yeowart doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal realities women faced. It’s uncomfortable at times, but purposefully so, and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.
The atmosphere is gothic and gripping, the pacing tight, and the character development incredibly complex and nuanced. Every voice feels distinct and every revelation lands with weight. Despite the heavy themes, the writing is
beautifully executed, and unexpectedly funny. Lines like “According to one of Paterson’s comments, their collective alibi was tighter than Mick Jagger’s jeans” add just the right touch of humour to lighten the read.
A powerful, unsettling, and exquisitely told novel that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
October 6, 2025
This lady can write. I really enjoyed her previous book The Silent Listener and I am so glad I took a chance on a new to me author.
Set between 1961 and 1973, The Hollow Girl is Jane. At 14 (this is 1961) she becomes pregnant, not sure how or who the father is, she is sent to Harrowfield Hall, a home for unmarried mothers, or “sluts” as the general consensus seems to be. Life there is anything but pleasant and Jane is desperate to escape. Skip ahead to 1973 and a body has been found at Harrowfield Hall which is in the process of closing. A young female detective, Eleanor Smith, is assigned the case, as it’s deemed low profile by her superior who hopes she will fail. It’s a time when women weren’t thought suitable to do a job that has been a man’s domain before. Eleanor is assigned a green constable who no doubt will be fast tracked soon.
As the story changes between timelines and more deaths occur in ‘73, it looks like someone who was an unwed mother in ‘61 at Harrowfield Hall is seeking revenge on those who mistreated them.
It’s a page turning read with many red herrings and twists. It fooled me as to who the murderer was until the last few chapters.
#TheHollowGirl. #NetGalley
Set between 1961 and 1973, The Hollow Girl is Jane. At 14 (this is 1961) she becomes pregnant, not sure how or who the father is, she is sent to Harrowfield Hall, a home for unmarried mothers, or “sluts” as the general consensus seems to be. Life there is anything but pleasant and Jane is desperate to escape. Skip ahead to 1973 and a body has been found at Harrowfield Hall which is in the process of closing. A young female detective, Eleanor Smith, is assigned the case, as it’s deemed low profile by her superior who hopes she will fail. It’s a time when women weren’t thought suitable to do a job that has been a man’s domain before. Eleanor is assigned a green constable who no doubt will be fast tracked soon.
As the story changes between timelines and more deaths occur in ‘73, it looks like someone who was an unwed mother in ‘61 at Harrowfield Hall is seeking revenge on those who mistreated them.
It’s a page turning read with many red herrings and twists. It fooled me as to who the murderer was until the last few chapters.
#TheHollowGirl. #NetGalley
Read
November 4, 2025The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart is a criminal suspense novel that is spellbinding, complex and unpredictable. Set in the 1960s-70s it follows the experience of 14-year-old Jane McAvoy who “finds herself pregnant.” The resultant shame and expulsion from her community sees Jane being sent to a home for unmarried women where the story really heats up and the suspense is all consuming.
Characters range across opportunistic, downright evil and egotistic, as well as tenacious, intuitive, and kind. Readers need to keep up with it so as not to miss a beat.
The writer demonstrates extensive knowledge as well as next-level literary skill. I felt enthralled from the outset reading The Hollow Girl. As well as being a stimulating read, I was reminded of issues at the time and how far we have advanced in society in our understanding and attitude towards, and support for, the single mother and for women in the workforce.
Mature readers will relish in Yoewart’s labyrinth of twists and turns as she takes her suspense to lofty heights of excitement and surprise.
Characters range across opportunistic, downright evil and egotistic, as well as tenacious, intuitive, and kind. Readers need to keep up with it so as not to miss a beat.
The writer demonstrates extensive knowledge as well as next-level literary skill. I felt enthralled from the outset reading The Hollow Girl. As well as being a stimulating read, I was reminded of issues at the time and how far we have advanced in society in our understanding and attitude towards, and support for, the single mother and for women in the workforce.
Mature readers will relish in Yoewart’s labyrinth of twists and turns as she takes her suspense to lofty heights of excitement and surprise.
September 2, 2025
A complex story to tell from the times when young girls ‘ got themselves pregnant’ and disgraced their families so were sent to an appropriate ‘home’ for ‘girls in crisis’ or more often known as homes for unmarried mothers. Those were the times, harsh, unforgiving and ripe for crime. Lyn Yeowart effectively brings together the absolute horror of some homes that were run by shocking misogynistic matrons in language and settings that are typical of the times.
Into this she weaves a detailed series of crimes, illegal adoptions and ‘faked’ outcomes for the mothers. The scenario is ripe for her story of murder and corruption. Money is only the start of the story.
Hard to read, the sexism in the police force still exists today, but good to be in the hands of someone who cares about plot and principles. Thanks to @netgalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to review this prior to publication.
Into this she weaves a detailed series of crimes, illegal adoptions and ‘faked’ outcomes for the mothers. The scenario is ripe for her story of murder and corruption. Money is only the start of the story.
Hard to read, the sexism in the police force still exists today, but good to be in the hands of someone who cares about plot and principles. Thanks to @netgalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to review this prior to publication.
January 6, 2026
While I did enjoy this I am hovering between a two and a three. It is set in Western Victoria in two time periods, early 1960s and early 1970s. A female detective is sent to Horsham to investigate a murder at a home for pregnant single young women that is closing down. A nurse has been murdered. We follow the investigation and also the story of a young woman who was sent there to have her baby. The descriptions of the home are brutal and the misogyny of the police force is shocking but probably based on fact. There are lots of twists and turns but a few too many. I also didn’t really warm to the characters despite wanting to. Not enough depth perhaps?It kept me entertained but wasn’t fabulous.
September 12, 2025
📚 The Hollow Girl 📚
Lyn Yeowart's new novel The Hollow Girl will have you hooked from beginning to end.
Did you know that over 250,000 babies were separated from their mothers in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s?
Drawing inspiration from one of her friends own stories, Lyn paints the picture of what it would have been like to be a young, unwed, pregnant woman (or girl) and sent to one of these homes for 'girls in crisis' to see out your pregnancy.
Weaving a gripping investigation into the murders of 3 people associated with the fictional Harrowford Hall, this is a tale of suspense, revenge and meticulously plotted twists.
Highly recommend you pick this one up!
Lyn Yeowart's new novel The Hollow Girl will have you hooked from beginning to end.
Did you know that over 250,000 babies were separated from their mothers in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s?
Drawing inspiration from one of her friends own stories, Lyn paints the picture of what it would have been like to be a young, unwed, pregnant woman (or girl) and sent to one of these homes for 'girls in crisis' to see out your pregnancy.
Weaving a gripping investigation into the murders of 3 people associated with the fictional Harrowford Hall, this is a tale of suspense, revenge and meticulously plotted twists.
Highly recommend you pick this one up!
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