Dark Hollow Road

by Pamela Morris

Mary Alice Brown and her siblings know little more than poverty and abuse at the hands of their father. Getting rid of their tormentor seemed the answer to bringing joy back into their lives. But when that doesn’t work, Mary takes it upon herself to see that justice is served.After an unusual visit from an elderly woman looking to borrow sugar, the theft of his coloring book, and complaints about other kids bothering him in the middle of the night, six-year-old Brandon Evenson, who lives within sight of the house on Dark Hollow Road, goes missing.Desperate, Brandon’s parents seek answers from Lee Yagar, a local who’s warned people time and again of the dangers lurking at the old Brown place. But, Lee’s suggestion that Mary is involved in Brandon’s abduction makes little sense. Mary is presumed dead, as she’s not been seen in decades, but is she? And is the house truly as empty and abandoned as it appears to be?

Genres: Horror

493 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2018

About the author

Born in New Mexico, current New Yorker.

Murder-Mystery, Horror, Erotica, and Children's book author. (what a combo, eh?) Inspired by the likes of Carolyn Keene, Tanith Lee, Shirley Jackson, Rod Serling, Anne Rice & Stephen King.

Beyond her work as an author, Pamela loves to read on her back deck during hot summer days, expand her skills at Tex-Mex cooking, and create art.

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book, it's another pick from the BoH indie brawl intention list which fell so far outside of my comfort zone that I almost decided to skip it. I'm glad I decided to give it a go after all because I ended up really enjoying it, well as much as you can enjoy reading really tragic stuff.

Possible spoilers ahead read at your own discretion. I often find that when authors write a tragic character turned evil they resolve to really lazy tropes to move the story in that direction, Morris took the opposite direction, she gave us an unflinching look into how the "villain" came to be without letting us forget what she became, the result was emotionally complex and I really appreciated that.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that rotate each chapter between past and present. I have to admit that I enjoyed the past much more. The chapters that dated back were fascinating, almost brutal, and heartbreaking. You're getting a story (first person) from a child to a grown woman's POV of her life. It starts when she's eight-years-old (I think) suffering the worst kind of abuse a little girl can suffer at the hands of her father. The girl loves her family very much, from her siblings, to her deceased mother, to her own children, and even her deceased children. Everyone except her father. Times were different back then, but as time goes on, her life gets worse and worse especially when the government steps in and takes everyone she loves away from her.
In the present day story, a family is living in a house up the street from which the past stories occurred. I found the present day storyline to begin a bit slow. Kinda wordy. But I don't usually read books of this length. I'm guilty of picking up more novellas than I do novels. So that was me. Not the story's fault.
I felt something reading this book. Mostly pity for the main character. I think my heart broke a time or two. So that's good. If a book gives you feels, then the author has done a great job.

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why this book hasn't got more ratings is a real mystery. It's excellent. The beginning is so very harrowing I had to take my time, also because it felt real. It's a horror and it manages to be a thriller at the same time. The whole book is very clever and extremely well written.
This deserves to be read by many people.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I was able to read this novel. I love ghost stories that give the whole story. This book told the story both in the past and the present. I was so sympathetic toward the Brown children. Their life, which should have brown a simple happy one, were subjected to the worst possible crime a parent could commit. The time period this story took place was before people questioned such happenings. The children did their bet to survive. Mary just had to live through one heartbreak after another so it was no wonder she was a bitter person. I was not expecting the end and I would think twice before buying an old house or living near one.

[Tracy Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A traumatic childhood leads Mary Alice Brown seeking justice for all the wrong doings in her life. In the house across the corn field, a young boy named Brandon goes missing. I truly enjoyed reading about the two families. I was captivated by the back and forth between the families and when it all hit me and I figured it all out… mind was blown!

[Meredith Livingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good story with such a creative plot. It is a very, very slow progress, with the culmination coming very quickly at the end. I loved the back story and found it interesting; however, I feel like some of that could be cut or condensed some to make the story progress a little faster. But overall, I enjoyed it. Thanks for a fun read!

[Audra Stinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me from the first few pages, and I could barely put it down ! I liked the combination of horror/thriller, and I felt the first person point of view really brought the characters to life. I highly recommend giving this book a read - it doesn’t disappoint !

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Road

A family moves into a house on Dark Hollow Road. There is an empty rundown house next door. After a stranger visits, their son vanishes. He is not the first child to do so. Is the house next door really empty? Haunting tale.