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A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow
In a split-second decision that will shatter his life, insurance salesman Jack Spinks stops to help a young woman walking alone down a back country road. After getting into his truck the mysterious young woman grabs the steering wheel and forces the truck off the road, sending it plunging over a cliff and into the woods. What begins as a simple act of kindness spirals into a nightmare as Jack finds himself trapped in a dark and perilous world, hunted by the woman's cryptic pursuers. As he fights for survival, Jack's journey uncovers a haunting connection to his own past—one that may hold the key to unraveling the mystery and escaping the deadly forces closing in on him.
From the highly acclaimed author of A Single Shot, A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is a pulse-pounding crime thriller that weaves together psychological suspense and a gripping mystery, where every step brings Jack closer to a truth he's long buried—and forces him to confront who, or what, he can truly trust.
From the highly acclaimed author of A Single Shot, A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is a pulse-pounding crime thriller that weaves together psychological suspense and a gripping mystery, where every step brings Jack closer to a truth he's long buried—and forces him to confront who, or what, he can truly trust.
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Published January 27, 2026
About the author
Matthew F. Jones
9 books25 followersMatthew F. Jones is the author of seven novels and several screenplays. His novels have been widely translated and named on several best novels of the year lists. Three of his novels have been made into major motion pictures. Jones wrote the screenplay for the 2013 film adaptation of his acclaimed 1996 novel A Single Shot, a novel Susan Salter Reynolds in a review for the Los Angeles Times described as “The finest portrait of guilt since Crime and Punishment.” Novelist Daniel Woodrell, who reviewed the book in the Washington Post, declared it “One of the finest novels of rural crime and moral horror in the past few decades.” Patrick Andersen in a Washington Post Review of Jones’s novel Boot Tracks termed the phrase ‘literate noir’ to describe the tense, psychological nature of Jones’ work. His latest novel is A Reckoning Up Black Cat hollow (February, 2026). In his review for the Wall Street Journal Tom Nolan described the novel as, “A terrifying and Gothic-tinged story… A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow, written in an expressionistic style that evokes such writers as Rimbaud, Dickey, Conrad and (yes) Poe, is a harrowing and unforgettable work.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
March 20, 2026
This is a very odd book. Very suspenseful, with many twists. It is told almost entirely from the perspective of the protagonist Jack Spinks, although it is in third person. For much of the book it is unclear to the reader (and to Jack) what is actually happening and what is in Jack's mind. Jack's past is revealed slowly, providing additional insights into his character.
There is a lot of violence and most of the characters are quite unpleasant people.
Then there is the writing, which is very uneven. A continual use of "how" for "as," which I find quite annoying. I am not sure if this is an attempt at dialect (one that I don't know). There are collisions of prepositions and often there is inadequate punctuation. There were a number of clumsy sentences that I had to read a couple of times to sort out. Maybe these are stylistic choices, since elsewhere Jones writes perfectly fine sentences. But, in any case, they are distracting.
There are also various discontinuities. At one place Jack fills two metal drinking cups and then hands a "glass of water" to another character. Poncet, who makes it clear he knows Jack's name, proceeds to repeatedly call him Jack Strange. Not clear if this is a mistake or meant to be deliberate, but still distracting.
A potentially decent book in desperate need of a competent editor.
There is a lot of violence and most of the characters are quite unpleasant people.
Then there is the writing, which is very uneven. A continual use of "how" for "as," which I find quite annoying. I am not sure if this is an attempt at dialect (one that I don't know). There are collisions of prepositions and often there is inadequate punctuation. There were a number of clumsy sentences that I had to read a couple of times to sort out. Maybe these are stylistic choices, since elsewhere Jones writes perfectly fine sentences. But, in any case, they are distracting.
There are also various discontinuities. At one place Jack fills two metal drinking cups and then hands a "glass of water" to another character. Poncet, who makes it clear he knows Jack's name, proceeds to repeatedly call him Jack Strange. Not clear if this is a mistake or meant to be deliberate, but still distracting.
A potentially decent book in desperate need of a competent editor.
February 21, 2026
I thought overall that this story was brilliant. I think this definitely leans more towards being a crime thriller but there are some very interesting psychological aspects too.
Basically it's a story about a man who makes a split second decision, trying to just be a good dude and it sets off a series of events and spirals into absolute insanity. There is a lot going on and you're going to find yourself questioning reality and motives. It's pretty obvious that Jack might not be completely okay....
Basically it's a story about a man who makes a split second decision, trying to just be a good dude and it sets off a series of events and spirals into absolute insanity. There is a lot going on and you're going to find yourself questioning reality and motives. It's pretty obvious that Jack might not be completely okay....
April 28, 2026
Dreadful. A fast-paced, extraordinarily violent, very poorly written piece of hillbilly noir. This book cries out -ok, SCREAMS at the top of its semi-literate lungs - for a decent editor. How did it get published like this?
When you start turning down the corners of pages to highlight the most incomprehensible passages and see that you've marked a majority of pages in this fashion, you might conclude that it's time to admit defeat and consign it to the old DNF pile. That's precisely what I did.
Want some examples? (And bear in mind, this is narrated from a third person perspective, so there's no excuse for the run-on sentences, lack of punctuation, omitted words, and many, many sentences that had to be re-read multiple times to try to deduce what the author was clumsily trying to say.)
"When she came to at the bottom of that embankment Spinks told her two people with flashlights were chasing her down she was lost in about every way a human being is capable of being lost in - physically, psychically, in spirit, in purpose - and wholly dependent on the person whose arms she had woken in from an interrupted nightmare in which she was being chased by people she saw in her delusional mind as horror story demons from a place she interpreted metaphorically as an Old Testament-like hell."
Sheesh! Somewhere, Ernest Hemingway must be rolling over in his grave. Here's another:
"They sat in deck chairs watching dozens of ducks lounging on the pond Spinks suspecting Poe was taking Spinks' pulse on selected subjects with outlandish out of the blue statements such as that a number of his acquaintances had been born Black and through a series of homemade remedies he'd been denied a patent for Poe had turned them white and that twice a year he had several friends over to join him in a mass shotgun slaying of the ducks his daily feedings lured to the pond and that once the blood scent was out of the air he put out feed to attract new ones, his underlings, Sledge and Arno, wordlessly nodding without ever as much cracking smiles to indicate Poe might simply have been trying out an off-center sense of humor on Spinks."
I'd like to see my 8th grade English teacher diagram THAT one! Don't despair, though, Jones' ability to be nearly incomprehensible isn't confined to half-page long run-on sentences veering off into strange tangents. It's striking to see just how difficult to understand something can be made simply by the omission of a little punctuation. Here's one example:
"Spinks in mind of the muffled gasp that had ended in mid-sentence the dead man's last shout not long before Poncet had gotten to his feet over the dead man's corpse was reminded how in over his head he was in a world he hadn't known existed until a few hours ago."
DNF'd at the 2/3 mark. I think there's a new Anthony Horowitz on the way soon; his ability to use the English language cogently and intelligently is going to be a particular treat after the utter dreck of "Black Cat Hollow".
(This was another spectacularly bad recommendation from Tom Nolan, the WSJ's very unreliable mystery reviewer.)
When you start turning down the corners of pages to highlight the most incomprehensible passages and see that you've marked a majority of pages in this fashion, you might conclude that it's time to admit defeat and consign it to the old DNF pile. That's precisely what I did.
Want some examples? (And bear in mind, this is narrated from a third person perspective, so there's no excuse for the run-on sentences, lack of punctuation, omitted words, and many, many sentences that had to be re-read multiple times to try to deduce what the author was clumsily trying to say.)
"When she came to at the bottom of that embankment Spinks told her two people with flashlights were chasing her down she was lost in about every way a human being is capable of being lost in - physically, psychically, in spirit, in purpose - and wholly dependent on the person whose arms she had woken in from an interrupted nightmare in which she was being chased by people she saw in her delusional mind as horror story demons from a place she interpreted metaphorically as an Old Testament-like hell."
Sheesh! Somewhere, Ernest Hemingway must be rolling over in his grave. Here's another:
"They sat in deck chairs watching dozens of ducks lounging on the pond Spinks suspecting Poe was taking Spinks' pulse on selected subjects with outlandish out of the blue statements such as that a number of his acquaintances had been born Black and through a series of homemade remedies he'd been denied a patent for Poe had turned them white and that twice a year he had several friends over to join him in a mass shotgun slaying of the ducks his daily feedings lured to the pond and that once the blood scent was out of the air he put out feed to attract new ones, his underlings, Sledge and Arno, wordlessly nodding without ever as much cracking smiles to indicate Poe might simply have been trying out an off-center sense of humor on Spinks."
I'd like to see my 8th grade English teacher diagram THAT one! Don't despair, though, Jones' ability to be nearly incomprehensible isn't confined to half-page long run-on sentences veering off into strange tangents. It's striking to see just how difficult to understand something can be made simply by the omission of a little punctuation. Here's one example:
"Spinks in mind of the muffled gasp that had ended in mid-sentence the dead man's last shout not long before Poncet had gotten to his feet over the dead man's corpse was reminded how in over his head he was in a world he hadn't known existed until a few hours ago."
DNF'd at the 2/3 mark. I think there's a new Anthony Horowitz on the way soon; his ability to use the English language cogently and intelligently is going to be a particular treat after the utter dreck of "Black Cat Hollow".
(This was another spectacularly bad recommendation from Tom Nolan, the WSJ's very unreliable mystery reviewer.)
June 26, 2025
(Thank you for the opportunity to read this as an ARC)
This story certainly has a gripping premise.
The atmosphere is there, the mystery is there, the intrigue is there - but I had issues with this novel that I just couldn’t look past.
It’s a confusing read - and not just in a stylistic way. From page 1 I found the flow of sentences to be choppy, running on, and (perhaps) lacking a proof-read?
“…He pulled her forcefully into the cab the girl, half coming-out of her shirt…”
“In the next second the cab was filling up with water and Spinks realized they’d crashed into a massive maple tree felled mid-stream in a brook running hard with late spring run-off from the mountain at the hollow’s top.”
It just made the novel difficult to read and I think it would benefit from a little more fine tuning.
Another thing I struggled to look past was the random erotica and the way the female character is described. It’s not beneficial to the story and just comes across as perverted.
We have the main woman being stripped out of her clothes within chapter 1 and by the end of the chapter we have in depth descriptions of her pubic hair and her breast size…
Like I said, there’s potential here and the novel is very atmospheric, however it (currently) isn’t something I would recommend to people.
This story certainly has a gripping premise.
The atmosphere is there, the mystery is there, the intrigue is there - but I had issues with this novel that I just couldn’t look past.
It’s a confusing read - and not just in a stylistic way. From page 1 I found the flow of sentences to be choppy, running on, and (perhaps) lacking a proof-read?
“…He pulled her forcefully into the cab the girl, half coming-out of her shirt…”
“In the next second the cab was filling up with water and Spinks realized they’d crashed into a massive maple tree felled mid-stream in a brook running hard with late spring run-off from the mountain at the hollow’s top.”
It just made the novel difficult to read and I think it would benefit from a little more fine tuning.
Another thing I struggled to look past was the random erotica and the way the female character is described. It’s not beneficial to the story and just comes across as perverted.
We have the main woman being stripped out of her clothes within chapter 1 and by the end of the chapter we have in depth descriptions of her pubic hair and her breast size…
Like I said, there’s potential here and the novel is very atmospheric, however it (currently) isn’t something I would recommend to people.
July 26, 2025
I read this novel straight through, taking breaks only to be certain I was in fact sitting safely in my living room. There was an urgency to the writing that made me feel like I was watching the story unfold in real time. From the opening paragraph I was pulled into this dark, mysterious, occasionally hallucinogenic, sometime terrifying world, and couldn’t turn away until the novel’s shocking yet, thankfully, redemptive end.
I’m not sure what genre to call ‘A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow’ – noir, literary fiction, psychological thriller with a touch of horror. This novel is all those things and as twisty and unpredictable as real life. If you’re looking for conventional storytelling this isn’t it - the characters, plot lines, the world, cut against the stereotypes and conventions of much of contemporary fiction. It’s partly for me what made the novel such a compelling read. The characters are multi-dimensional and hard to figure out. For much of the novel you’re never certain if Jack Spinks, the novel’s deeply troubled protagonist, is a good or bad man or what his motives are until, suddenly, it all makes sense.
A truly stunning novel, unlike anything else I’ve read. Highly recommended.
August 14, 2025
Veteran Jack Spinks is driving when he sees a young woman stumble out of the trees to the side of the road. Deciding to be a good Samaritan, he stops to help her, and his whole life changes in an instant. The girl is obviously traumatized, but when a car blocks his path, she freaks out, claiming demons are out to kill her. This leads to them having to trek over a mountain and through woods, and Spinks starts to wonder about his own sanity as the night progresses.
This is one of those books where you don't know what is going on, and if things are as they seem. A great concept, though I struggled with the writing style. Still a great story and well worth a read.
This is one of those books where you don't know what is going on, and if things are as they seem. A great concept, though I struggled with the writing style. Still a great story and well worth a read.
August 9, 2025
So glad I had the chance to read this book early since I loved the author’s first book, A Single Shot.
From the very first page I was drawn in and finished the book in short order. Loved it but kept the light on at bedtime just in case. Highly recommend!
From the very first page I was drawn in and finished the book in short order. Loved it but kept the light on at bedtime just in case. Highly recommend!
January 28, 2026
Great book from a great author!
Not much to add to the other favorable reviews, but I have to note that I truly don’t understand the (thankfully small) number of reviewers who criticized the writing style as “bad,” “weak,” and full of “run-on sentences.” Jones’ sentences are often long and complex, and I occasionally had to reread them to fully digest. But every time I did, I was struck by the raw lyricism of Jones’ prose, and by how well his sentences held together upon close inspection (as a matter of both style and, yes, grammar). It’s fine if Jones is not your cup of tea, just don’t confuse that with “bad” writing.
Also, a “run-on sentence” is not just a sentence you think is too long. It is a specific and “wholly unacceptable” grammatical construction, namely, two independent clauses, not joined by a conjunction, with no punctuation between them. (Garner, Modern English Usage). I don’t remember any of those in my read. Jones might make artistic use of comma splices (two independent clauses joined by a comma), but that is relatively common in fiction, not “wholly unacceptable.”
I’m sorry, but it just really grinds my gears when people masquerade their stylistic preferences as criticisms of skill or technique, especially when Jones so clearly has both in spades.
Not much to add to the other favorable reviews, but I have to note that I truly don’t understand the (thankfully small) number of reviewers who criticized the writing style as “bad,” “weak,” and full of “run-on sentences.” Jones’ sentences are often long and complex, and I occasionally had to reread them to fully digest. But every time I did, I was struck by the raw lyricism of Jones’ prose, and by how well his sentences held together upon close inspection (as a matter of both style and, yes, grammar). It’s fine if Jones is not your cup of tea, just don’t confuse that with “bad” writing.
Also, a “run-on sentence” is not just a sentence you think is too long. It is a specific and “wholly unacceptable” grammatical construction, namely, two independent clauses, not joined by a conjunction, with no punctuation between them. (Garner, Modern English Usage). I don’t remember any of those in my read. Jones might make artistic use of comma splices (two independent clauses joined by a comma), but that is relatively common in fiction, not “wholly unacceptable.”
I’m sorry, but it just really grinds my gears when people masquerade their stylistic preferences as criticisms of skill or technique, especially when Jones so clearly has both in spades.
August 17, 2025
Matthew F. Jone’s latest book A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is an intriguing page turner full of action from the very first page. I couldn’t believe how quickly I was drawn into the story. I typically shy away from mysteries and psychological thrillers of any sort, but this book hooked me in immediately.
Each page provides you with a little bit more information about the characters, and details of the story and circumstance with added surprises along the way. I couldn’t believe how my first impressions of the characters changed the more I got into the novel. I was shocked how who I thought the characters were at the beginning turned into the characters who they were at the end. Good guys to bad guys- can this be for real? It takes a lot of expertise and imagination to deceive the reader in this way.
This novel has so many twists and turns that you have to pay close attention to each sentence so you don’t miss a detail. There is no drifting off to sleep with this book. The descriptions are so real that you feel you are right there in the woods with them. The plot thickens, and the book has a very startling ending.
The author includes discussion questions at the end of the book, which I appreciate as I am part of a book club.
Each page provides you with a little bit more information about the characters, and details of the story and circumstance with added surprises along the way. I couldn’t believe how my first impressions of the characters changed the more I got into the novel. I was shocked how who I thought the characters were at the beginning turned into the characters who they were at the end. Good guys to bad guys- can this be for real? It takes a lot of expertise and imagination to deceive the reader in this way.
This novel has so many twists and turns that you have to pay close attention to each sentence so you don’t miss a detail. There is no drifting off to sleep with this book. The descriptions are so real that you feel you are right there in the woods with them. The plot thickens, and the book has a very startling ending.
The author includes discussion questions at the end of the book, which I appreciate as I am part of a book club.
July 23, 2025
Full disclosure. I’ve been a major fan of everything Jones has written since I read “The Cooter Farm” way back in the 1990s and have never understood why his work has not gotten more main stream attention. Perhaps it’s because Jones does not write formulaic fiction or ‘comfortable’ fiction. Nor does he follow trends. You cannot label his work as this or that genre. Each of his novels is unique unto itself, like a great painting.
“A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow” – his first new novel in over fifteen years – is no exception. It is a stunning, absolute page-turning work of art by a uniquely talented writer. One gets the sense in reading the novel that Jones carefully choses every word he writes. This makes for a gripping read, where one has to pay attention to every sentence. They all matter. There is no fluff in Jones’s prose. It challenges the reader to pay attention and rewards those who do with a story that comes together over the course of the novel like a finely handcrafted tapestry. Jack Spinks, the novel’s protagonist, is a complicated man. Sharing time with him can be a bit uncomfortable, even disorienting. At times he - as well as the novel itself - is outright frightening. At other times it is haunting, heart-wrenching, moving, even humorous in unexpected places. In short, Jack Spinks is authentic. He is a real person haunted by demons. Over the course of the novel we find out why – a truly stunning reveal that brings the two alternating story lines of the novel together and sets it on an even more pulse-pounding course to its heart-stopping end. As intricate as the story is, it moves like a bullet. I could not stop reading it. Jones’s prose is truly his own, he mimics no one, and, for me, it is absolutely captivating. And the dialogue is spot on for the world and the people inhabiting it. For readers who love literary thrillers or for anyone who just loves great writing, of whatever genre, I can’t recommend ‘A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow’ highly enough.
EHW
“A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow” – his first new novel in over fifteen years – is no exception. It is a stunning, absolute page-turning work of art by a uniquely talented writer. One gets the sense in reading the novel that Jones carefully choses every word he writes. This makes for a gripping read, where one has to pay attention to every sentence. They all matter. There is no fluff in Jones’s prose. It challenges the reader to pay attention and rewards those who do with a story that comes together over the course of the novel like a finely handcrafted tapestry. Jack Spinks, the novel’s protagonist, is a complicated man. Sharing time with him can be a bit uncomfortable, even disorienting. At times he - as well as the novel itself - is outright frightening. At other times it is haunting, heart-wrenching, moving, even humorous in unexpected places. In short, Jack Spinks is authentic. He is a real person haunted by demons. Over the course of the novel we find out why – a truly stunning reveal that brings the two alternating story lines of the novel together and sets it on an even more pulse-pounding course to its heart-stopping end. As intricate as the story is, it moves like a bullet. I could not stop reading it. Jones’s prose is truly his own, he mimics no one, and, for me, it is absolutely captivating. And the dialogue is spot on for the world and the people inhabiting it. For readers who love literary thrillers or for anyone who just loves great writing, of whatever genre, I can’t recommend ‘A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow’ highly enough.
EHW
June 21, 2025
Jack Spinks is a good man, yet has a very dark side as well. It's a dark side that's merited for the life he's had to live. Who's to say when violence is justified and when it's not?
Jack meets a strange girl on the hollow that somehow reminds him of his passed away daughter. It's takes awhile, and it isn't at all linear, to get to the story of what happened to Jack's wife and daughter. It's a very sad story indeed. The girl is mixed up in some bad people. Are they demons or are they just very demonic men? Is there a difference? Iris, the young girl, has a story herself, and it's a very sad one too.
This is a depressing tale, not going to sugar coat it, but it's just flows so beautifully. This is a very different book than the author's first novel. He's come a long way in his writing.
This story was mixed around and coming at you from different angles, but if you stick with it, it comes together at the end.
I love unreliable narrator tales. And this definitely that. You never know who's good , or evil , shadow , or ghost. If I had to call this novel a certain genre, it would probably be southern noir magical realism. Which is my absolute favorite. 4 stars , highly recommended.
Jack meets a strange girl on the hollow that somehow reminds him of his passed away daughter. It's takes awhile, and it isn't at all linear, to get to the story of what happened to Jack's wife and daughter. It's a very sad story indeed. The girl is mixed up in some bad people. Are they demons or are they just very demonic men? Is there a difference? Iris, the young girl, has a story herself, and it's a very sad one too.
This is a depressing tale, not going to sugar coat it, but it's just flows so beautifully. This is a very different book than the author's first novel. He's come a long way in his writing.
This story was mixed around and coming at you from different angles, but if you stick with it, it comes together at the end.
I love unreliable narrator tales. And this definitely that. You never know who's good , or evil , shadow , or ghost. If I had to call this novel a certain genre, it would probably be southern noir magical realism. Which is my absolute favorite. 4 stars , highly recommended.
July 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Regal Houses Publishing for this book!
I. Am. Frightened.
For the first hundred or less pages I was frikking SCARED! And when the story goes ahead I was less scared but more understanding about it, and I don't know, I am really happy to have read it! I found the writing style really good, really deep into the darkness that the author want to express, I think this is a really good book!
So thank you again and good job, I hope to see this translated someday into my country ❤️
I. Am. Frightened.
For the first hundred or less pages I was frikking SCARED! And when the story goes ahead I was less scared but more understanding about it, and I don't know, I am really happy to have read it! I found the writing style really good, really deep into the darkness that the author want to express, I think this is a really good book!
So thank you again and good job, I hope to see this translated someday into my country ❤️
July 28, 2025
An excellent, excellent book. Great plot, but as importantly so well crafted, well written. Great background with back-and-forth scenes to tie in the angst of our protagonist. As well, the similes the author uses are so spot on, not over the top, very subtle and really puts you right there. Cleverly put together where so many aspects tie in together. Comes full circle. A page burner, tough to put down. Hated to have it end. Hopefully, more to come from Mr. Jones?
April 13, 2026
Immediately pulled in and held me until the finish works as a thriller but also as a interesting psychological portrait of a deeply scarred person who eventually seems to find some form of redemption I don’t think this should be categorized in the horror genre as you have done but rather as a literary suspense or thriller category if such a thing exists
October 13, 2025
Loved the writing and was immersed in two compelling stories throughout. A tragic and tender account of evil, love, war, and forgiveness.
February 16, 2026
A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow by Matthew F. Jones is a dark, simmering Appalachian noir set deep in the hills of West Virginia. The story follows a troubled man returning to Black Cat Hollow—a place heavy with memory, resentment, and unfinished business—only to find that the past hasn’t loosened its grip. His attempt to help a mysterious woman on the road sends them both plunging into the depths of the woods where they are hunted but by who? Old loyalties, family tensions, and buried violence resurface, pulling him into a reckoning that feels both personal and inevitable.
Jones writes with a raw, almost brutal honesty. The landscape is stark and isolating, mirroring the emotional terrain of the characters. Black Cat Hollow itself becomes more than a setting—it’s a pressure cooker of generational pain, pride, and moral ambiguity. Every decision carries weight, and the slow burn builds toward consequences that are as tragic as they are unavoidable.
If you’re drawn to crime fiction that’s literary, character-driven, and steeped in atmosphere—where the real conflict is as internal as it is external—this novel delivers a haunting, unforgettable descent into reckoning and revenge.
Jones writes with a raw, almost brutal honesty. The landscape is stark and isolating, mirroring the emotional terrain of the characters. Black Cat Hollow itself becomes more than a setting—it’s a pressure cooker of generational pain, pride, and moral ambiguity. Every decision carries weight, and the slow burn builds toward consequences that are as tragic as they are unavoidable.
If you’re drawn to crime fiction that’s literary, character-driven, and steeped in atmosphere—where the real conflict is as internal as it is external—this novel delivers a haunting, unforgettable descent into reckoning and revenge.
April 10, 2026
First of all this book should NOT be categorized as horror. It is literary crime fiction… A stunning thriller, beautifully crafted!
In A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow, author Matthew Jones skillfully draws the reader into his character’s tortured mind. Through Spink’s tumbling thoughts, you experience the book as if you are within it. … After reading this book, I went back and read everything this author has published. His writing is masterful and entertaining.
In A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow, author Matthew Jones skillfully draws the reader into his character’s tortured mind. Through Spink’s tumbling thoughts, you experience the book as if you are within it. … After reading this book, I went back and read everything this author has published. His writing is masterful and entertaining.
May 27, 2026
DNF’ed halfway through.
Was intrigued by the premise, and the very beginning mystery of this strange young girl taking a hold of the wheel and throwing them off the cliff side. However, the writing style and the flashbacks really muddled the text for me, and I found myself loosing that interest. There were a handful of sentences I needed to read a few times, as they felt rather cluttered and run on, really taking me out of the suspense.
“”””“Maybe to do with the hit she’d taken in the head or maybe to do with whatever before that had caused her to be walking scratched, disoriented and half-dressed down the hallow road the girl, understood Spinks, didn’t recall – or didn’t know – her age anymore than she knew her name or where’d she’d been before she’d stepped out in front of the Durango’s headlights.””””””
Was a lot of lines like that that just did not work for me. Am all for flowery language, but this was more clunk than anything.
When lines were not written to shove every word possible, the dialogue was really good. The dreamy and dazed manner the young girl was speaking in always caught my interest. Her declaring that they want her dead simply because “she was alive”, man those lines really hit. The descriptions of the surrounding forest were really well done.
I didn’t think anything about the description of the female character at first, its horror and a half naked girl is kinda par for some of it. “A girl only fifteen years old”. That was what took me back for a second, after we’ve had references to her losing her top, learning about how her wisp of pubic hair showed beneath her wet underwear, and how “each of her breasts could have fit into the palm of a small hand”. “You’re the same age as my daughter”, ya that was just a lot of weird things right on top of each other that had me side eyeing every description we’d been given.
If a fan of unreliable narrator, then this would be up one's alley. Not only is Jack a very unreliable narrator, but the girl herself is extremely unreliable and unclear about everything, and the forest that they are tracking through is a dreamlike mystery in and of itself. While it was not for me, I would recommend a read if the premise and the manner of writing is of interest.
Honest review given in exchange for an electronic ARC, via Netgalley
Was intrigued by the premise, and the very beginning mystery of this strange young girl taking a hold of the wheel and throwing them off the cliff side. However, the writing style and the flashbacks really muddled the text for me, and I found myself loosing that interest. There were a handful of sentences I needed to read a few times, as they felt rather cluttered and run on, really taking me out of the suspense.
“”””“Maybe to do with the hit she’d taken in the head or maybe to do with whatever before that had caused her to be walking scratched, disoriented and half-dressed down the hallow road the girl, understood Spinks, didn’t recall – or didn’t know – her age anymore than she knew her name or where’d she’d been before she’d stepped out in front of the Durango’s headlights.””””””
Was a lot of lines like that that just did not work for me. Am all for flowery language, but this was more clunk than anything.
When lines were not written to shove every word possible, the dialogue was really good. The dreamy and dazed manner the young girl was speaking in always caught my interest. Her declaring that they want her dead simply because “she was alive”, man those lines really hit. The descriptions of the surrounding forest were really well done.
I didn’t think anything about the description of the female character at first, its horror and a half naked girl is kinda par for some of it. “A girl only fifteen years old”. That was what took me back for a second, after we’ve had references to her losing her top, learning about how her wisp of pubic hair showed beneath her wet underwear, and how “each of her breasts could have fit into the palm of a small hand”. “You’re the same age as my daughter”, ya that was just a lot of weird things right on top of each other that had me side eyeing every description we’d been given.
If a fan of unreliable narrator, then this would be up one's alley. Not only is Jack a very unreliable narrator, but the girl herself is extremely unreliable and unclear about everything, and the forest that they are tracking through is a dreamlike mystery in and of itself. While it was not for me, I would recommend a read if the premise and the manner of writing is of interest.
Honest review given in exchange for an electronic ARC, via Netgalley
June 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stayed up all night with this one. Not because I had to, but because the book refused to let me go until it had properly haunted my soul.
A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is spiritual horror soaked in backwoods dread, grief, and poetry sharp enough to draw blood. Jack Spinks is spiraling through memory, war trauma, guilt, and a forest that seems sentient—or maybe just vengeful. There are demons (literal and emotional), dead girls, and a crow with enough judgment in its beady little eyes to make you question your life choices.
By the end, I was emotionally raw, spiritually shaken, and deeply suspicious of every tree, shadow, and piece of metaphorical dialogue.
So why four stars?
Because the first 80 pages felt like trying to understand a dream told by a haunted man on benzos. Gorgeous? Yes. Confusing? Also yes. Took me a bit to latch on, but once it clicked, I was feral.
This book is not here to comfort you. It’s here to stare at your wounds and ask, “What if this is holy?”
Dark, lyrical, gutting—and I loved (almost) every second of it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, and to the crow in the story for staring directly into my soul and finding me unworthy. You were right.
Stayed up all night with this one. Not because I had to, but because the book refused to let me go until it had properly haunted my soul.
A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is spiritual horror soaked in backwoods dread, grief, and poetry sharp enough to draw blood. Jack Spinks is spiraling through memory, war trauma, guilt, and a forest that seems sentient—or maybe just vengeful. There are demons (literal and emotional), dead girls, and a crow with enough judgment in its beady little eyes to make you question your life choices.
By the end, I was emotionally raw, spiritually shaken, and deeply suspicious of every tree, shadow, and piece of metaphorical dialogue.
So why four stars?
Because the first 80 pages felt like trying to understand a dream told by a haunted man on benzos. Gorgeous? Yes. Confusing? Also yes. Took me a bit to latch on, but once it clicked, I was feral.
This book is not here to comfort you. It’s here to stare at your wounds and ask, “What if this is holy?”
Dark, lyrical, gutting—and I loved (almost) every second of it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, and to the crow in the story for staring directly into my soul and finding me unworthy. You were right.
September 29, 2025
Netgalley ARC - as ever, thank you for the opportunity to read and review.
A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow was totally not what I expected, and that wasn’t a bad thing. Drawn in by the supernatural aspect I was ready for a whole different experience to what I was left to play over in my mind.
Being an ARC I had to really concentrate, often repeating paragraphs to truly understand what was being envisioned, but that did not detract from a very engaging story that builds in suspense and then veers off in many different tangents.
The character profiles are solid, and the time hops build on this really well. There were occasionally events where I was left questioning how or what was going on, and some parts I struggled to form in my mind, but not enough to detract from the story.
I look forward to seeing the published novel and recommending it highly.
A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow was totally not what I expected, and that wasn’t a bad thing. Drawn in by the supernatural aspect I was ready for a whole different experience to what I was left to play over in my mind.
Being an ARC I had to really concentrate, often repeating paragraphs to truly understand what was being envisioned, but that did not detract from a very engaging story that builds in suspense and then veers off in many different tangents.
The character profiles are solid, and the time hops build on this really well. There were occasionally events where I was left questioning how or what was going on, and some parts I struggled to form in my mind, but not enough to detract from the story.
I look forward to seeing the published novel and recommending it highly.
November 18, 2025
This was an intense, intricate thriller, with much violence and lots of twists and turns. A guy is driving down a remote road when he stops to help a young woman who is clearly frightened. She is being chased down by someone in a car, and after crashing over a riverbank, they are on the run through the woods. There are very bad people in those woods and it's like a big jigsaw puzzle to figure out how they all fit together. This was my first book by Matthew Jones, but I dare to say that it won't be my last. The guy definitely knows how to keep the tension up!
Thanks to author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
Thanks to author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
July 10, 2025
I dont usually like mystery thrillers but this one was different. It was charged with true fear and a strange energy and emotion that gave me chills. Very well written and it didnt drag too much. It did a little bit in the middle but it kinda felt worth it once it got to some crucial points in the twisty plot points. Decent read.
September 29, 2025
Very excited to find a new author that grabs me the way Matthew F. Jones does. I couldn't put this book down! As you are reading you can't wait to see what's next.
May 22, 2026
Just within the first 3 chapters the grammar and run on sentences were too much….
February 17, 2026
A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is a gritty, emotionally charged novel that digs deep into guilt and the long shadows it casts. Matthew F. Jones doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths, and that’s what gives this story its weight.
At its core, this book is about guilt — the kind that lingers, festers, and quietly shapes every decision a person makes. The atmosphere feels heavy in the best way, as if the past is always breathing down the characters’ necks. You can feel that sense of reckoning building chapter by chapter.
One of the strongest emotional threads running through the novel is a father’s love. It’s not romanticized or softened; it’s raw, protective, and sometimes desperate. That portrayal felt real and grounded, adding depth to the central conflict. The father figure isn’t perfect — far from it — but that imperfection makes the love more believable.
The relationships in this story are messy and complicated. There’s tension, resentment, loyalty, and pain all tangled together. No one communicates perfectly. People make mistakes. They hurt each other. And yet, that chaos feels authentic rather than dramatic for the sake of it.
The characters themselves are serious and intense. This isn’t a light read with witty banter or relief from the tension. The tone stays grounded and somber, which works well for the themes the author explores. While the pacing occasionally slows and the emotional weight can feel heavy, the depth of character keeps it engaging.
Overall, I’d give this a strong 3.5 stars. It’s a dark, thoughtful novel about guilt, love, and flawed human connections — not always easy to read, but certainly memorable.
At its core, this book is about guilt — the kind that lingers, festers, and quietly shapes every decision a person makes. The atmosphere feels heavy in the best way, as if the past is always breathing down the characters’ necks. You can feel that sense of reckoning building chapter by chapter.
One of the strongest emotional threads running through the novel is a father’s love. It’s not romanticized or softened; it’s raw, protective, and sometimes desperate. That portrayal felt real and grounded, adding depth to the central conflict. The father figure isn’t perfect — far from it — but that imperfection makes the love more believable.
The relationships in this story are messy and complicated. There’s tension, resentment, loyalty, and pain all tangled together. No one communicates perfectly. People make mistakes. They hurt each other. And yet, that chaos feels authentic rather than dramatic for the sake of it.
The characters themselves are serious and intense. This isn’t a light read with witty banter or relief from the tension. The tone stays grounded and somber, which works well for the themes the author explores. While the pacing occasionally slows and the emotional weight can feel heavy, the depth of character keeps it engaging.
Overall, I’d give this a strong 3.5 stars. It’s a dark, thoughtful novel about guilt, love, and flawed human connections — not always easy to read, but certainly memorable.
March 6, 2026
Impossible to put down until it is finished!
I don't write reviews often, but Matthew F. Jones earned this one. A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go. Jones has a rare gift — his dialogue feels lived-in and real, and the way he builds Spinks as a narrator is nothing short of brilliant. You know you probably shouldn't trust everything he's telling you, and yet you're completely in his corner anyway. That's a hard trick to pull off, and Jones makes it look effortless. I've recommended this book to everyone I know. Honestly one of the best novels I've picked up in a long time — the kind that sticks with you and makes you see things a little differently. If you're on the fence, get off it. Read this book.
January 3, 2026
The premise of this novel is what pulled me into the story—a young woman who needs help on a dark night, but from who or what? Are her pursuers human or demon? What is she hiding from and is she related to Jack Spinks past?
What unfolds is run on sentences paragraphs long, graphic sexualized descriptions of an apparent 15 year old girl by a male writer, and an unrealistic story of a mentally unstable former soldier (how?) that goes on a killing spree. I personally wanted to DNF the book a third of the way through it, but I wanted to see how it ended. The descriptions of women throughout the novel as overly sexualized or weak (even if they are strong) make you wish there weren’t women in the novel at all.
Jack Spinks is also an unreliable narrator which made him a much more interesting character in the long run. My issue with the storytelling of Spinks background of being a former psychiatric patient would typically mean he wouldn’t be taken as a soldier. He kept circling back to he was only angry, not crazy but the story really fell apart even more for me at this point. I wanted more and if Angel Olivet was real she would want more too.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest review.
What unfolds is run on sentences paragraphs long, graphic sexualized descriptions of an apparent 15 year old girl by a male writer, and an unrealistic story of a mentally unstable former soldier (how?) that goes on a killing spree. I personally wanted to DNF the book a third of the way through it, but I wanted to see how it ended. The descriptions of women throughout the novel as overly sexualized or weak (even if they are strong) make you wish there weren’t women in the novel at all.
Jack Spinks is also an unreliable narrator which made him a much more interesting character in the long run. My issue with the storytelling of Spinks background of being a former psychiatric patient would typically mean he wouldn’t be taken as a soldier. He kept circling back to he was only angry, not crazy but the story really fell apart even more for me at this point. I wanted more and if Angel Olivet was real she would want more too.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2025
I really wanted to leave a good review for this book, I really wanted to enjoy it but …
I’ll start at the beginning - the story opening was gripping and atmospheric and I thought wow this is going to be great. I almost didn’t finish it though and I did speed read the end because I was invested enough to want to know what happened to the lead. I feel like the story switched half way, was it a supernatural Stephen king style horror or was it a military war and just normal people? There was a plethora of spelling issues and sentences where I had to read them a few times to understand them because there was a lack of punctuation. I really feel like the proof reader of this book needs to go back and do the job properly because this could be a really good book but right now it’s not
Buy borrow or bin. Sadly as it is right now with no alterations it’s a bin from me.
Thanks to netgally for allowing me to be an arc in exchange for an honest review
I’ll start at the beginning - the story opening was gripping and atmospheric and I thought wow this is going to be great. I almost didn’t finish it though and I did speed read the end because I was invested enough to want to know what happened to the lead. I feel like the story switched half way, was it a supernatural Stephen king style horror or was it a military war and just normal people? There was a plethora of spelling issues and sentences where I had to read them a few times to understand them because there was a lack of punctuation. I really feel like the proof reader of this book needs to go back and do the job properly because this could be a really good book but right now it’s not
Buy borrow or bin. Sadly as it is right now with no alterations it’s a bin from me.
Thanks to netgally for allowing me to be an arc in exchange for an honest review
June 23, 2025
I would really love to say I am into the story, because the premise is eye-catching, but I couldn’t do it.
There is something about the way in which it is narrated that doesn’t allow for a proper following of the plot. Whether is the added erotica elements that come through dialogue or the description of the female protagonist themselves, it feels like we’re jumping from storyline to landscape descriptions, back to storyline; which might actually be intentional, but does not work in terms of the text flor.
Story-wise, Spinks is settled as a morally gray character. He doesn’t pretend to be a savior, only a man thrown into a situation in which he he is forced to cooperate in order to get out of. The constant threat of the ‘something’ out there is a good addition, making the reason question the truth to everything, just as much as Spinks does.
There is something about the way in which it is narrated that doesn’t allow for a proper following of the plot. Whether is the added erotica elements that come through dialogue or the description of the female protagonist themselves, it feels like we’re jumping from storyline to landscape descriptions, back to storyline; which might actually be intentional, but does not work in terms of the text flor.
Story-wise, Spinks is settled as a morally gray character. He doesn’t pretend to be a savior, only a man thrown into a situation in which he he is forced to cooperate in order to get out of. The constant threat of the ‘something’ out there is a good addition, making the reason question the truth to everything, just as much as Spinks does.
November 24, 2025
DNF @ 27%
I was really drawn to this book based on its description. The mystery and intrigue are immediately set in motion. Feelings of danger and fear of the unknown set in quickly, which really pushed me to read as far in as I did.
I am not usually one to add a book to the DNF pile, but I had a hard time understanding and ultimately sticking with this read based on the writing style. The sentences were long and lacking punctuation. I tried not to let this bother me at the start, pushing through with the thought that maybe this was an intentional device meant to portray some great meaning for the characters or their situation. About a quarter of the way in, I was rereading sentences 3-4 times or giving up on them altogether. By that point, I decided maybe I'd take another swing at this one after publication.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I was really drawn to this book based on its description. The mystery and intrigue are immediately set in motion. Feelings of danger and fear of the unknown set in quickly, which really pushed me to read as far in as I did.
I am not usually one to add a book to the DNF pile, but I had a hard time understanding and ultimately sticking with this read based on the writing style. The sentences were long and lacking punctuation. I tried not to let this bother me at the start, pushing through with the thought that maybe this was an intentional device meant to portray some great meaning for the characters or their situation. About a quarter of the way in, I was rereading sentences 3-4 times or giving up on them altogether. By that point, I decided maybe I'd take another swing at this one after publication.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!
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