The Hollow

by Malcolm Thomas

The night his father died, Kyle Mercer shut a door.

Now black stone is crawling up his the mark his father carried. The curse that's haunted the Mercer family since 1947, when thirteen men died in the Crestwood mine… and four came back changed.

There's a trapdoor in Kyle's barn. His name is carved into the wood.

The only way to stop the mark is to go down. Into the Hollow—a breathing dark that doesn't want apologies or excuses. It wants the thing you've never said out loud. The secret relief. The shameful satisfaction.

Not what you did.

What you wanted.

If Kyle doesn't descend before the stone reaches his heart, the Hollow will take him anyway. And the Fellowship—the group that claims to guide the marked—has spent decades teaching people how to die with polished stories. Not honest confession.

In Crestwood, Pennsylvania, everyone is hiding something.

The Hollow just makes you pay for it.

Descend. Tell the truth. Or it keeps you.

Psychological horror with a literary edge—for fans of Paul Tremblay, Ronald Malfi, and Jennifer McMahon.

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 17, 2026

About the author

Malcolm Thomas lives in the Midwest, where the winters last too long and the 1980s never quite left his memories. The Hollow is his first novel. He’s interested in broken people and what it costs to move forward anyway. Loves Synthwave music, woodworking, British TV, and Ireland.

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What starts with familiar 80s nostalgia quickly turns into something deeply unsettling. The eerie breathing woven throughout the story creates a sense of tension that almost asks you to examine your own moral choices. Without giving anything away, this is a strong pick for readers who love psychological horror.

[Meadow Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're not a fan of superfluous writing, this well-written, succinct book will be an easy read for you. The story is compelling and somehow you feel you know the characters well even though you don't receive a ton of background before you are thrust right into the story. Highly thought provoking and emotional. A great first fiction debut!

[Charlotteanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hollow is a compelling and immersive read that pulls you in from the very first pages. The writing is sharp and evocative, creating an atmosphere thick with tension and unease. Every chapter adds another layer to the mystery, making it difficult to put the book down.

[Marley Platterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, atmospheric horror that blends psychological depth with creeping dread. The Hollow is a chilling concept, and Kyle’s buried memories and guilt make the story feel deeply personal. Haunting and thought-provoking, this one lingers after you finish reading.

[Karey C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting possibility of what happens when you are carrying a secret and what that secret does to you. to tell the truth and not the lie even if you live with a mark forever. Quick read.