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Detective Sergeant Pace #3
Hinton Hollow Death Trip
Five days in the history of a small rural town, visited and infected by darkness, are recounted by Evil itself.
It's a small story. A small town with small lives that you would never have heard about if none of this had happened. Hinton Hollow. Population 5,120. Little Henry Wallace was eight years old and one hundred miles from home before anyone talked to him. His mother placed him on a train with a label around his neck, asking for him to be kept safe for a week, kept away from Hinton Hollow. Because something was coming. Narrated by Evil itself, Hinton Hollow Death Trip recounts five days in the history of this small rural town, when darkness paid a visit and infected its residents. A visit that made them act in unnatural ways. Prodding at their insecurities. Nudging at their secrets and desires. Coaxing out the malevolence suppressed within them. Showing their true selves.
Making them cheat.
Making them steal.
Making them kill.
Detective Sergeant Pace had returned to his childhood home. To escape the things he had done in the city. To go back to something simple. But he was not alone. Evil had a plan.
It's a small story. A small town with small lives that you would never have heard about if none of this had happened. Hinton Hollow. Population 5,120. Little Henry Wallace was eight years old and one hundred miles from home before anyone talked to him. His mother placed him on a train with a label around his neck, asking for him to be kept safe for a week, kept away from Hinton Hollow. Because something was coming. Narrated by Evil itself, Hinton Hollow Death Trip recounts five days in the history of this small rural town, when darkness paid a visit and infected its residents. A visit that made them act in unnatural ways. Prodding at their insecurities. Nudging at their secrets and desires. Coaxing out the malevolence suppressed within them. Showing their true selves.
Making them cheat.
Making them steal.
Making them kill.
Detective Sergeant Pace had returned to his childhood home. To escape the things he had done in the city. To go back to something simple. But he was not alone. Evil had a plan.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2020
46 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
October 24, 2020
Audio 5 ++ Stars
Story 4.5 Stars
This series is dark and messed up.
This last book is told from the point of view of Evil. It was totally weird and fascinating. I have no idea what that ending was, but I'm hoping for a book 4.
Story 4.5 Stars
This series is dark and messed up.
This last book is told from the point of view of Evil. It was totally weird and fascinating. I have no idea what that ending was, but I'm hoping for a book 4.
June 8, 2020
Another brilliantly inventive and randomly chilling tale here from Will Carver - Hinton Hollow Death Trip follows Pace as he returns home after the events of Nothing Important Happened Today but it's not like there's any peace for the wicked, as Evil has also decided to make an impromptu trip to town...
Once again the author manages to create a wildly entertaining story that is dark as dark can be, whilst being incredibly insightful and scarily accurate about the truth of the human condition. The characters are taut and believable, the best of them being Evil itself who tells the tale with flair and a vivid morality.
I won't give too much away but with an off kilter atmosphere, a series of unpredictable events and a truly killer ending, Hinton Hollow Death Trip is yet another example of why Will Carver is fast becoming one of the best in the business.
Should win all the awards going. Probably won't of course. But should.
Highly Recommended.
Once again the author manages to create a wildly entertaining story that is dark as dark can be, whilst being incredibly insightful and scarily accurate about the truth of the human condition. The characters are taut and believable, the best of them being Evil itself who tells the tale with flair and a vivid morality.
I won't give too much away but with an off kilter atmosphere, a series of unpredictable events and a truly killer ending, Hinton Hollow Death Trip is yet another example of why Will Carver is fast becoming one of the best in the business.
Should win all the awards going. Probably won't of course. But should.
Highly Recommended.
September 6, 2020
Will Carver always guarantees to deliver a high-concept, dark, and twisted literary thriller and the third in the unique Detective Sergeant Pace series, “Hinton Hollow Death Trip” is no exception.
With a distinctive and eye catching layout, the story is instantly addictive and with interesting little snippets on most of the pages, these fitted in perfectly with the chapter you are reading and are often thought provoking on the human condition.
Uniquely recountered and narrated by Evil itself, this provided a remarkable voice to an already chilling story. Don’t think Halloween costumes or Hollywood movies, this is a faceless entity that could be a whisper, a gentle breeze, black flames on a wall or a feeling of being followed. Very chilling but I did find I endeared to Evil even though he/she is everything it’s name suggests! Evil warns the reader at the beginning to turn back there and then and I would recommend if you’re easily offended or triggered by animal cruelty or children’s deaths then I would say don’t read this book. There’s a lot of uncomfortable reading but in a surreal, entertaining way but then I like my stories to be as dark as dark can be.
Detective Pace is a bit of an enigma but if you’ve been following him through the previous two books you’ll understand his character. I loved old Mrs Beaufort, the stalwart and matriarch of the town but once Evil gets it’s hands on many of the characters with an invisible push, it changes their personality but only to what’s deep inside them to begin with.
Will Carver is well known for his inventive, sadistic, crude and often cruel imagination, so if like Evil suggests this is not for you, turn back straight away but for me, it was a highly entertaining, thought provoking read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Chilling, sinister, dark and festering, I only hope that Evil and his plans won’t pay a to visit our towns and cities anytime soon!
4 stars
Many thanks to Lovereading for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
With a distinctive and eye catching layout, the story is instantly addictive and with interesting little snippets on most of the pages, these fitted in perfectly with the chapter you are reading and are often thought provoking on the human condition.
Uniquely recountered and narrated by Evil itself, this provided a remarkable voice to an already chilling story. Don’t think Halloween costumes or Hollywood movies, this is a faceless entity that could be a whisper, a gentle breeze, black flames on a wall or a feeling of being followed. Very chilling but I did find I endeared to Evil even though he/she is everything it’s name suggests! Evil warns the reader at the beginning to turn back there and then and I would recommend if you’re easily offended or triggered by animal cruelty or children’s deaths then I would say don’t read this book. There’s a lot of uncomfortable reading but in a surreal, entertaining way but then I like my stories to be as dark as dark can be.
Detective Pace is a bit of an enigma but if you’ve been following him through the previous two books you’ll understand his character. I loved old Mrs Beaufort, the stalwart and matriarch of the town but once Evil gets it’s hands on many of the characters with an invisible push, it changes their personality but only to what’s deep inside them to begin with.
Will Carver is well known for his inventive, sadistic, crude and often cruel imagination, so if like Evil suggests this is not for you, turn back straight away but for me, it was a highly entertaining, thought provoking read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Chilling, sinister, dark and festering, I only hope that Evil and his plans won’t pay a to visit our towns and cities anytime soon!
4 stars
Many thanks to Lovereading for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2020
Narrated by EVIL, this takes the reader to a small rural town, but you don't have to stay long. Just five days .... five long days in Hinton Hollow, population 5120. When EVIL gets done with the town and its residents, how many will be left?
EVIL slithers his way into people's lives, causing them to act in unnatural ways ... some will steal, some will cheat, some will even kill... Prodding at their insecurities. Nudging at their secrets and desires. Coaxing out the malevolence suppressed within them. Showing their true selves.
Detective Sergeant Pace had returned to his childhood home. To escape the things he had done in the city. To go back to something simple. But he was not alone. Evil had a plan.
First off, this is nothing that I expected it to be. I almost put it down after reading the first 2-3 chapters. Then I found it so unusual, I kept on reading. While not enthralled, it certainly wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. I will say ... this is not something I would not normally pick to to read .. although I really liked the cover.
If you like some horror mixed in with crime, and you really like the unusual and the feel of darkness throughout, this would be the book for you. It does seem to be well written, but not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this strange and unusual fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
EVIL slithers his way into people's lives, causing them to act in unnatural ways ... some will steal, some will cheat, some will even kill... Prodding at their insecurities. Nudging at their secrets and desires. Coaxing out the malevolence suppressed within them. Showing their true selves.
Detective Sergeant Pace had returned to his childhood home. To escape the things he had done in the city. To go back to something simple. But he was not alone. Evil had a plan.
First off, this is nothing that I expected it to be. I almost put it down after reading the first 2-3 chapters. Then I found it so unusual, I kept on reading. While not enthralled, it certainly wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. I will say ... this is not something I would not normally pick to to read .. although I really liked the cover.
If you like some horror mixed in with crime, and you really like the unusual and the feel of darkness throughout, this would be the book for you. It does seem to be well written, but not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this strange and unusual fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
February 24, 2021
“Evil cannot be seen. It can only be felt. Though some have suggested the smell of sulphur on occasion.”
Evil itself narrates this novel, recounting five days in the small town of Hinton Hollow that changed the residents forever. With Evil near, people’s insecurities and desires are heightened but Evil makes sure readers understand it doesn’t take much effort on its part to make people do horrible things.
“Humankind has created evil at a rate that even I cannot keep up with. So, in order to be heard, in order for me to make you understand how awful your race has become, I have to be deliberately shocking. I have to always go beyond what you can do. Evil will always exist, but the better you are, the quieter I can be. You see? I don’t feel sad for the people in this story, I’m not supposed to, I am Evil. I am here for balance. As a necessity. It is you that I feel sad for.”
Detective Sergeant Pace has returned home to Hinton Hollow to escape events in the city but Evil has its eye on him as he investigates a series of horrific murders that began with his arrival. The body count is rising and Evil can’t be bothered to feel any sympathy, its too exhausted by all it as to do to keep up with the darkness that seems almost everyone is capable of.
I don’t want to give away anything about this story because it’s much better to be surprised by the characters and events, as well as the dark humor and surprising wisdom that Evil delivers to readers.
“I am watching everyone, and most people think they have no time. They are putting more into the jobs they don’t want than the family they had planned for so long. They say they can’t go for a run or to the gym but set aside time for television soap operas and sitting. Their houses are untidy but they spend four hours a day on social media or tapping pictures of sweets on their phone screen until three identical types line up. I have been around forever. I have time. I can make mistakes. Humans, you do not have this luxury.”
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is the third in a series but it worked as a standalone for me, though I enjoyed it enough I'll probably go back and read the first two. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy mystery, crime, and horror with dark humor and creative narration.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Evil itself narrates this novel, recounting five days in the small town of Hinton Hollow that changed the residents forever. With Evil near, people’s insecurities and desires are heightened but Evil makes sure readers understand it doesn’t take much effort on its part to make people do horrible things.
“Humankind has created evil at a rate that even I cannot keep up with. So, in order to be heard, in order for me to make you understand how awful your race has become, I have to be deliberately shocking. I have to always go beyond what you can do. Evil will always exist, but the better you are, the quieter I can be. You see? I don’t feel sad for the people in this story, I’m not supposed to, I am Evil. I am here for balance. As a necessity. It is you that I feel sad for.”
Detective Sergeant Pace has returned home to Hinton Hollow to escape events in the city but Evil has its eye on him as he investigates a series of horrific murders that began with his arrival. The body count is rising and Evil can’t be bothered to feel any sympathy, its too exhausted by all it as to do to keep up with the darkness that seems almost everyone is capable of.
I don’t want to give away anything about this story because it’s much better to be surprised by the characters and events, as well as the dark humor and surprising wisdom that Evil delivers to readers.
“I am watching everyone, and most people think they have no time. They are putting more into the jobs they don’t want than the family they had planned for so long. They say they can’t go for a run or to the gym but set aside time for television soap operas and sitting. Their houses are untidy but they spend four hours a day on social media or tapping pictures of sweets on their phone screen until three identical types line up. I have been around forever. I have time. I can make mistakes. Humans, you do not have this luxury.”
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is the third in a series but it worked as a standalone for me, though I enjoyed it enough I'll probably go back and read the first two. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy mystery, crime, and horror with dark humor and creative narration.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
July 30, 2020
Here are three things what I learnt from reading Will Carver’s books.
Always expect the unexpected.
I do not possess the vocabulary skills required to review his books.
My head WILL hurt!
Where do I even begin? How about the stroke of genius Will Carver had by deciding this story should be narrated by Evil. Evil is a character all on its own, though not in a physical presence. Evil is everywhere but right now, Evil is mostly hanging out in Hinton Hollow like a dark and threatening cloud. It only takes five days but this small town of 5, 120 residents will never be the same again.
Also hanging out in Hinton Hollow, is Detective Sergeant Pace. He has returned to his childhood home, in an attempt to escape the things he’s done in the city. This should be a clue right here that, in my personal opinion, you should most definitely read “Nothing Important Happened Today” before you tackle this one. Not just because of Pace’s background story but also because it’s just really, really good.
Not hanging out in Hinton Hollow is little Henry. He’s on a train ride to a destination that is far, far away from Hinton Hollow. Because something is coming. Something bad. But what is it? Or who? And why? When and where does it begin and how will it end? I wasn’t even going to try and figure it out. After having read Will Carver’s previous books, I know better than that.
I don’t want to say too much because I feel the less you know, the better. As far as crime fiction goes, you won’t find anything more original or unique than the things Will Carver’s brain concoct. It’s wonderfully weird, or weirdly wonderful and just like its predecessors, Hinton Hollow Death Trip is utterly refreshing. Obviously, there are murders and sure, they’ve been done before but Will Carver puts such a spin on things that it feels as if you’ve never read anything like it before. If there are any rules in the world of writing, here’s an author who breaks them in his sleep. And all the while, a spotlight shines on modern society; our way of life, perceptions and judgements, good versus evil. Suddenly you find you are constantly questioning yourself. It’s all immensely thought-provoking in the midst of desperately trying to figure out what the heck is going on in this town. Some things will not make any sense until you’re finally able to see the bigger picture and when that happens, well, if you could you’d stand up and applaud until your hands hurt.
Sprinkled throughout the story are delightful and often insightful nuggets of wisdom, that had me vigorously nodding my head in agreement. Seriously, I could quote this book the whole bloody day, which is why I’m not doing it in this review or there won’t be an end to it. Gems though, each and every one of them. Harsh truths, as well.
My head did hurt. It started quite early on, actually. Mostly I wondered WTF I was reading but then that’s my normal state of mind when reading Carver’s books and I always know that it’ll be worth my while in the end. Dark, disturbing, brilliantly twisty, shocking, … I really don’t know what more I can say. Buy it, read it, be blown away. Experience the uniqueness that is Will Carver. Your life will never be the same either. (Too dramatic?)
Always expect the unexpected.
I do not possess the vocabulary skills required to review his books.
My head WILL hurt!
Where do I even begin? How about the stroke of genius Will Carver had by deciding this story should be narrated by Evil. Evil is a character all on its own, though not in a physical presence. Evil is everywhere but right now, Evil is mostly hanging out in Hinton Hollow like a dark and threatening cloud. It only takes five days but this small town of 5, 120 residents will never be the same again.
Also hanging out in Hinton Hollow, is Detective Sergeant Pace. He has returned to his childhood home, in an attempt to escape the things he’s done in the city. This should be a clue right here that, in my personal opinion, you should most definitely read “Nothing Important Happened Today” before you tackle this one. Not just because of Pace’s background story but also because it’s just really, really good.
Not hanging out in Hinton Hollow is little Henry. He’s on a train ride to a destination that is far, far away from Hinton Hollow. Because something is coming. Something bad. But what is it? Or who? And why? When and where does it begin and how will it end? I wasn’t even going to try and figure it out. After having read Will Carver’s previous books, I know better than that.
I don’t want to say too much because I feel the less you know, the better. As far as crime fiction goes, you won’t find anything more original or unique than the things Will Carver’s brain concoct. It’s wonderfully weird, or weirdly wonderful and just like its predecessors, Hinton Hollow Death Trip is utterly refreshing. Obviously, there are murders and sure, they’ve been done before but Will Carver puts such a spin on things that it feels as if you’ve never read anything like it before. If there are any rules in the world of writing, here’s an author who breaks them in his sleep. And all the while, a spotlight shines on modern society; our way of life, perceptions and judgements, good versus evil. Suddenly you find you are constantly questioning yourself. It’s all immensely thought-provoking in the midst of desperately trying to figure out what the heck is going on in this town. Some things will not make any sense until you’re finally able to see the bigger picture and when that happens, well, if you could you’d stand up and applaud until your hands hurt.
Sprinkled throughout the story are delightful and often insightful nuggets of wisdom, that had me vigorously nodding my head in agreement. Seriously, I could quote this book the whole bloody day, which is why I’m not doing it in this review or there won’t be an end to it. Gems though, each and every one of them. Harsh truths, as well.
My head did hurt. It started quite early on, actually. Mostly I wondered WTF I was reading but then that’s my normal state of mind when reading Carver’s books and I always know that it’ll be worth my while in the end. Dark, disturbing, brilliantly twisty, shocking, … I really don’t know what more I can say. Buy it, read it, be blown away. Experience the uniqueness that is Will Carver. Your life will never be the same either. (Too dramatic?)
August 11, 2020
Brilliant book. No two ways about it. Author Will Carver truly had evil tapping his shoulder while writing the different plot lines and bringng them all together in the most unique way.
A story narrated with a flair by Evil itself as it tortured the people of Hinton Hollow, where just a nudge by it, and people started showing their darker desires, killing and hurting each other. And it was during that time when Detective Pace decided to come home.
The writing was innovative with snippets of the lives of the people being told to me by Evil as it moved around the town. Its morality seemed quite justified. I agreed to most of what it said. On retrospection, I wondered if Evil had touched me too.
Will Carver was a genius in the way the atmosphere of the book was laid down. Evil spoke to me almost casually, before show its sadistic nature in the next scene. It was enigmatic, a being so superfluous, it still managed to create absolute mayhem for 5 days in a town of 5000 population.
I loved Evil for its honesty. It was clear in its methods; it couldn’t corrupt those who didn’t have those qualities. It just brought to surface that which was lying deep. Detective Pace was enigmatic, he kept me wondering how Evil would influence him.
The author managed to churn up another chilling story which was so close to the truth in some ways. Human psyche was explored, inhibitions were lowered, and darkest desiders laid bare. It was creative imagination at its absolute best. You had to read it to appreciate the genius that was Will Carver.
For me, Evil had a name, and it was Will Carver.
Taut and suspenseful, sinister and chilling, this book was everything and more.
A story narrated with a flair by Evil itself as it tortured the people of Hinton Hollow, where just a nudge by it, and people started showing their darker desires, killing and hurting each other. And it was during that time when Detective Pace decided to come home.
The writing was innovative with snippets of the lives of the people being told to me by Evil as it moved around the town. Its morality seemed quite justified. I agreed to most of what it said. On retrospection, I wondered if Evil had touched me too.
Will Carver was a genius in the way the atmosphere of the book was laid down. Evil spoke to me almost casually, before show its sadistic nature in the next scene. It was enigmatic, a being so superfluous, it still managed to create absolute mayhem for 5 days in a town of 5000 population.
I loved Evil for its honesty. It was clear in its methods; it couldn’t corrupt those who didn’t have those qualities. It just brought to surface that which was lying deep. Detective Pace was enigmatic, he kept me wondering how Evil would influence him.
The author managed to churn up another chilling story which was so close to the truth in some ways. Human psyche was explored, inhibitions were lowered, and darkest desiders laid bare. It was creative imagination at its absolute best. You had to read it to appreciate the genius that was Will Carver.
For me, Evil had a name, and it was Will Carver.
Taut and suspenseful, sinister and chilling, this book was everything and more.
August 10, 2020
Bear with me readers.. this is going to be a long, waffling, gushing review.. you have been warned!
They say there is a fine line between genius and madness and having read Will Carver’s previous books in this series I can honestly say that not only does he cross that fine line, he actually dances on it, moves it, buries it and then drags it kicking and screaming.
I’ve said it before in my review for Nothing Important Happened Today and I will say it again: Will Carver is, in my opinion, a literary genius!
I have NEVER read anything so clever, original, entertaining and dark as Hinton Hollow Death Trip and the fact that EVIL is our narrator is mind-blowingly BRILLIANT. Once again the observational parts of this book are 100% SPOT ON and become an integral part of the story. EVIL really understands the human race and when he pops his little notes and thoughts amongst the chapters you can’t help yourself pausing, re-reading and nodding your head in agreement.
Detective Sergeant Pace fresh from the catastrophe of Nothing Important Happened Today needs to get away from London, so he returns to his childhood town of Hinton Hollow, however he’s not alone.. EVIL has decided to follow him and causes havoc, mayhem and murder in this small sleepy town. The 5,120 residents won’t know what hit them when Evil decides to give everyone a little nudge towards the “dark” side of humanity.
I’m not going to sugar coat this for you – there are horrific, senseless child killings, guilt ridden suicides, violent animal tortures and murders, a disturbing serial killer targeting young mothers and five days of absolute carnage and hell all narrated by EVIL with no apology (but a slight tongue in cheek observational humour).
If you are looking for fluffy bunnies and happy ever afters then you are definitely not going to get that with this book. This is dark, twisted, horrific, sad, tragic, disturbing and harsh. It’s NOT for the feint-hearted but once again it just confirms to me that Will Carver is AMAZING.
They say there is a fine line between genius and madness and having read Will Carver’s previous books in this series I can honestly say that not only does he cross that fine line, he actually dances on it, moves it, buries it and then drags it kicking and screaming.
I’ve said it before in my review for Nothing Important Happened Today and I will say it again: Will Carver is, in my opinion, a literary genius!
I have NEVER read anything so clever, original, entertaining and dark as Hinton Hollow Death Trip and the fact that EVIL is our narrator is mind-blowingly BRILLIANT. Once again the observational parts of this book are 100% SPOT ON and become an integral part of the story. EVIL really understands the human race and when he pops his little notes and thoughts amongst the chapters you can’t help yourself pausing, re-reading and nodding your head in agreement.
Detective Sergeant Pace fresh from the catastrophe of Nothing Important Happened Today needs to get away from London, so he returns to his childhood town of Hinton Hollow, however he’s not alone.. EVIL has decided to follow him and causes havoc, mayhem and murder in this small sleepy town. The 5,120 residents won’t know what hit them when Evil decides to give everyone a little nudge towards the “dark” side of humanity.
I’m not going to sugar coat this for you – there are horrific, senseless child killings, guilt ridden suicides, violent animal tortures and murders, a disturbing serial killer targeting young mothers and five days of absolute carnage and hell all narrated by EVIL with no apology (but a slight tongue in cheek observational humour).
If you are looking for fluffy bunnies and happy ever afters then you are definitely not going to get that with this book. This is dark, twisted, horrific, sad, tragic, disturbing and harsh. It’s NOT for the feint-hearted but once again it just confirms to me that Will Carver is AMAZING.
October 5, 2020
A devilish thriller to excite and scare! Set between OXFORD and LONDON
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a very unusual thriller. The narrator is the Devil… He visits Hinton Hollow, a sleepy village between London and Oxford – and wreaks havoc. Murder and mayhem become the order of the day.
There are two key facts to remember about the Devil. First, he cannot make anyone do anything they are not otherwise tempted to do – he can merely ‘encourage’ people to behave badly. And second, he has great respect for the innocence of children – he leaves them well alone (unless, of course, something goes wrong…).
The Devil (and, quite possibly, Will Carver himself) have a certain disdain for the way humans have developed. We are fat, we are lazy, we act badly, and we think unworthy thoughts. The 5,000+ inhabitants of Hinton Hollow exhibit many of the above traits. They need to be ‘brought to their senses‘ – painful and traumatic as the process is bound to be. An ‘ordinary man’ (a child’s description of the perpetrator) shoots and kills village worthies, and mothers and children on their way home from school. He then just disappears. The police, of course, investigate – but find it hard to tie the disparate strands together. The police operation is led by Detective Pace, recently returned to his home village from a stint in London (which went badly wrong). Right up front the Devil tells us that he has Pace in his sights.
A little like a more conventional thriller, the book moves towards an unexpected denouement – which, of course, makes sense in retrospect. The Devil, though, offers the reader several different possible endings to the book (after the denouement) – you have to choose which seems the most likely to you.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a very well constructed and very original thriller. It is also quite scary – in its concept if not its execution. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit different and thought provoking. It is, indeed, a devilish thriller to excite you.
The text is peppered with sayings and pithy thoughts ‘in boxes’ about the Devil and his activities. I found these more than a little distracting from the story itself. I ended up finishing a chapter, and then going back to read them – they are certainly well worth reading, but for me they invariably interrupted the flow.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a very unusual thriller. The narrator is the Devil… He visits Hinton Hollow, a sleepy village between London and Oxford – and wreaks havoc. Murder and mayhem become the order of the day.
There are two key facts to remember about the Devil. First, he cannot make anyone do anything they are not otherwise tempted to do – he can merely ‘encourage’ people to behave badly. And second, he has great respect for the innocence of children – he leaves them well alone (unless, of course, something goes wrong…).
The Devil (and, quite possibly, Will Carver himself) have a certain disdain for the way humans have developed. We are fat, we are lazy, we act badly, and we think unworthy thoughts. The 5,000+ inhabitants of Hinton Hollow exhibit many of the above traits. They need to be ‘brought to their senses‘ – painful and traumatic as the process is bound to be. An ‘ordinary man’ (a child’s description of the perpetrator) shoots and kills village worthies, and mothers and children on their way home from school. He then just disappears. The police, of course, investigate – but find it hard to tie the disparate strands together. The police operation is led by Detective Pace, recently returned to his home village from a stint in London (which went badly wrong). Right up front the Devil tells us that he has Pace in his sights.
A little like a more conventional thriller, the book moves towards an unexpected denouement – which, of course, makes sense in retrospect. The Devil, though, offers the reader several different possible endings to the book (after the denouement) – you have to choose which seems the most likely to you.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a very well constructed and very original thriller. It is also quite scary – in its concept if not its execution. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit different and thought provoking. It is, indeed, a devilish thriller to excite you.
The text is peppered with sayings and pithy thoughts ‘in boxes’ about the Devil and his activities. I found these more than a little distracting from the story itself. I ended up finishing a chapter, and then going back to read them – they are certainly well worth reading, but for me they invariably interrupted the flow.
November 9, 2020
'This was a long book for me,' the author writes in his acknowledgements. Absolutely, too long. Maybe if it had been three hundred instead of four I might have enjoyed the book more. But probably not. The narrative was too stop/start for me, too fractured, with too many dead ends and far too many characters. I skipped over the last quarter, desperate to finish. I didn't care about any of the characters or the final 'clever' finale. I loved the first two books in this series, so it is a shame. I strongly suspect the fault lies with me as a reader rather than Carver as a writer, but it's certainly my reading low point of the year. Sorry Will!
October 13, 2020
HINTON HOLLOW DEATH TRIP is the third book crime thriller, in the Detective Sergeant Pace Series by critically commended author, Will Carver. I was literally blown away with this book. I have never read anything like it before and I read a lot of crime, psychological, mystery thrillers. Go into this book blind. It will be so addictive you will be flipping the pages to see what is going to happen next.
Trigger Alert: It is NOT for the feint-hearted. The reader is warned.
The books in the series include:
BOOK 1-
Good Samaritans
BOOK 2
Nothing Important Happened Today
BOOK 3
Hinton Hollow Death Trip (it can absolutely be read as a standalone.)
This is the story of a small town in Hinton Hollow, population 5120, narrated by Evil itself, of five days in this small rural town where darkness paid a visit and infected its residents. A small town with small lives that you would never have heard about if none of this had happened. A visit that made them act in unnatural ways. It made them cheat, steal and kill.
The story follows five people and how they are affected by Evil. They include:
A Boy on a train
Little Henry Wallace was eight years old and one hundred miles from home before anyone talked to him. His mother placed him on a train with a label around his neck, asking for him to be kept safe for a week, kept away from Hinton Hollow, because something was coming, and she wanted to protect him.
He was alone but not scared…
A Detective
Detective Sergeant Pace had returned to his childhood home. To escape the things, he had done in the city. To go back to something simple. But he was not alone. Evil had been with him, watching him. He had the ability to develop into something darker.
A Pig Hater
Darren works in a slaughter house, and is now changed by Evil.
A Food Lover
Dorothy Reilly was a food lover.
A Window Breaker
Annie Harding was the window breaker after she left her family at home, and drove to a florist and threw a giant rock through the glass window.
“People die and they cheat and they kill and they steal and they break windows and they cut themselves and they lie to one another and they keep secrets and they make bad decisions and they disappear. And I move around bringing these things about.”
And in five days “EVIL” had destroyed Detective Sergeant Price and the town of Hinton Hollow.
This was not an easy read. It was very dark, twisted and uncomfortable to read at times, but totally addictive. It will make you think…and question many things we take for granted in our lives.
Very thought-provoking and one that I will not forget too easily.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
Trigger Alert: It is NOT for the feint-hearted. The reader is warned.
The books in the series include:
BOOK 1-
Good Samaritans
BOOK 2
Nothing Important Happened Today
BOOK 3
Hinton Hollow Death Trip (it can absolutely be read as a standalone.)
This is the story of a small town in Hinton Hollow, population 5120, narrated by Evil itself, of five days in this small rural town where darkness paid a visit and infected its residents. A small town with small lives that you would never have heard about if none of this had happened. A visit that made them act in unnatural ways. It made them cheat, steal and kill.
The story follows five people and how they are affected by Evil. They include:
A Boy on a train
Little Henry Wallace was eight years old and one hundred miles from home before anyone talked to him. His mother placed him on a train with a label around his neck, asking for him to be kept safe for a week, kept away from Hinton Hollow, because something was coming, and she wanted to protect him.
He was alone but not scared…
A Detective
Detective Sergeant Pace had returned to his childhood home. To escape the things, he had done in the city. To go back to something simple. But he was not alone. Evil had been with him, watching him. He had the ability to develop into something darker.
A Pig Hater
Darren works in a slaughter house, and is now changed by Evil.
A Food Lover
Dorothy Reilly was a food lover.
A Window Breaker
Annie Harding was the window breaker after she left her family at home, and drove to a florist and threw a giant rock through the glass window.
“People die and they cheat and they kill and they steal and they break windows and they cut themselves and they lie to one another and they keep secrets and they make bad decisions and they disappear. And I move around bringing these things about.”
And in five days “EVIL” had destroyed Detective Sergeant Price and the town of Hinton Hollow.
This was not an easy read. It was very dark, twisted and uncomfortable to read at times, but totally addictive. It will make you think…and question many things we take for granted in our lives.
Very thought-provoking and one that I will not forget too easily.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
June 18, 2021
The third and final book in this unique dark tale. Full of little snippets of the author's thoughts on modern life's apathy and obesity destination and its all down hill.
Pace returns to his old town and Evil follows. Evil narrates the story as a man goes on the rampage and the quiet village sees numerous gruesome shootings. Pace struggles with his past, his last case and his last girlfriend.
The author has a twisted entertaining way of writing that made each of the three books a memorable experience and the last book the best of the bunch.
Pace returns to his old town and Evil follows. Evil narrates the story as a man goes on the rampage and the quiet village sees numerous gruesome shootings. Pace struggles with his past, his last case and his last girlfriend.
The author has a twisted entertaining way of writing that made each of the three books a memorable experience and the last book the best of the bunch.
June 22, 2020
If you like something fresh and unusual in your crime writing, then grab this book. Will Carver is doing something very different with his Detective Pace series, and this third tale may be the most unusual and original of all. Narrated effectively by Evil itself, it's a laminate-you-to-your-chair, page-whirring dive into a small British town that is turned on its head over the course of a few days, as the hidden and repressed fears, desires, and more come to the fore. Very clever, giving the reader plenty to think about on many fronts. It won't be for everyone (animals are harmed, there's sex and stark violence), but for those who don't mind their crime fiction a little dark, it's a brilliant book.
August 1, 2020
I have brain pain. In a good way, of course, but it is still pain. It's a week on from finishing reading Hinton Hollow that I am writing this review and I still have literally no idea what to say or how to quantify my thoughts having read it. I am trying to work out if Mr Carver is a genius or just crazy, but either way, I get the feeling he'd probably take it as a compliment.
Book three in the loosely defined Detective Sergeant Pace series and what a book this is. If you thought that Nothing Important Happened Today (NIHT) made you question the very nature of society and how they view tragedy, how easily you can be manipulated, well ... this book is going to take that feeling and amplify it - a thousand-fold. The book sees Pace leaving London to return to his childhood home of Hinton Hollow - population 5120 - a small town that people rarely seem to leave and in which every life is interconnected. And yet, despite leaving his partner, Maeve, behind in London, Pace does not return to Hinton Hollow alone. He has a ... follower. The narrator of this story. The overseer of all.
Evil
Yep. You read that right. You did not misread the blurb. You have not misread this review. Our storyteller is Evil them self. And I've got to be honest, they/he/she (who knows) are quite straight talking. Not in a twisted, ignore God, eat that there apple kind of way. They just really tell it like it is. Call out society for all of their bullshit and cover the world in a shadow. A shadow, that for Pace and for the inhabitants of Hinton Hollow, proves quite deadly.
Now I don't want to say a lot more than that. You really do have to read the book to fully understand. We are not talking a manifestation of Satan stalking the streets and poking people with his great big tident or anything, far from it. It is far more subtle than that and easily recognisable as a result. Will Carver has taken the actions and decisions, the lack of morality inherent in modern society, and brandished it as a weapon capable to causing great devastation to this once quiet community, and that simplicity, that everyday feel of what happens makes the story far more impactful as a result. A quiet comment here, a snide comment there, the act of gluttony of sloth, avarice ... A secret shared that triggers a chain reaction from which there is no return.
This was not a one sitting read for me, not at all. It was a difficult book to read at times (Day two will definitely provoke a reaction in some), and to be fair to Evil, they do warn us, as readers, many, many times to turn back and, if you are easily offended, you probably should. Because this book acts as a mirror to society, perhaps a little tarnished at the edges, but it will make you think about your own reactions to what you are reading, not necessarily sitting in moral judgement, but definitely challenging you to justify why one part of the book is just fact, the other makes you go awwww - no fair. Why certain acts committed seem more tolerable than others. Makes you think about how you would react in certain =situations. We all like to think we would do the honourable thing - the 'right' thing - but one thing you will come to expect is that even seemingly decent people can sometimes make the wrong choices and those choices have consequences.
Once again, Will Carver has created such a diverse cast of characters, all of which bring the town of Hinton Hollow to life. Pace has become a progressively more haunted man as the books have gone on and it is certainly true this time around, and not just because Evil is watching. I really do like him as a character, despite how dour he often appears to be. Then there is Mrs Beaufort. I think we all know a Mrs Beaufort. Matriarch of the town she inserts herself into every situation, never quite trusting Pace, perhaps for good reason - who knows. Then there is Darren. I don't know quite what to make of Darren. In some (most) respects you can't help but hate him, in others ... Well I'll let you judge him for yourself.
Lord, there is so much I want to say about this book, so much I can't. Yes, it has that slightly angry, judgmental essence that prevailed in NIHT, and who better to judge us than Evil right? It is dark, full of sharp but very black humour. It will shock, it will stun you and it will certainly have you second guessing many of your own life choices because if you don't recognise just a little of yourself in a least one of the characters or situations here, then someone in this reviewer/reader exchange is probably lying. (It's not me ...) Written in fast paced, first person, conversational style, I love the way in which the author has pre-empted the narrative to come at the start of each chapter, creating the anticipation of what madness and mayhem is yet to come.
And then that ending ... I know it often said, but really. If you have read all three books, and I certainly advise you do, then you will get it. You will know what is implied but is not written. For a self-proclaimed 'small story' it packs one hell of a punch.
Evil is here. I just hope it never pays a visit to my house. I am sure to be found wanting ... Excellent book. Most definitely recommended. (Please note - the lovely flowers on the cover imply far more cute and wholesome than the contents provide. You have been warned).
Book three in the loosely defined Detective Sergeant Pace series and what a book this is. If you thought that Nothing Important Happened Today (NIHT) made you question the very nature of society and how they view tragedy, how easily you can be manipulated, well ... this book is going to take that feeling and amplify it - a thousand-fold. The book sees Pace leaving London to return to his childhood home of Hinton Hollow - population 5120 - a small town that people rarely seem to leave and in which every life is interconnected. And yet, despite leaving his partner, Maeve, behind in London, Pace does not return to Hinton Hollow alone. He has a ... follower. The narrator of this story. The overseer of all.
Evil
Yep. You read that right. You did not misread the blurb. You have not misread this review. Our storyteller is Evil them self. And I've got to be honest, they/he/she (who knows) are quite straight talking. Not in a twisted, ignore God, eat that there apple kind of way. They just really tell it like it is. Call out society for all of their bullshit and cover the world in a shadow. A shadow, that for Pace and for the inhabitants of Hinton Hollow, proves quite deadly.
Now I don't want to say a lot more than that. You really do have to read the book to fully understand. We are not talking a manifestation of Satan stalking the streets and poking people with his great big tident or anything, far from it. It is far more subtle than that and easily recognisable as a result. Will Carver has taken the actions and decisions, the lack of morality inherent in modern society, and brandished it as a weapon capable to causing great devastation to this once quiet community, and that simplicity, that everyday feel of what happens makes the story far more impactful as a result. A quiet comment here, a snide comment there, the act of gluttony of sloth, avarice ... A secret shared that triggers a chain reaction from which there is no return.
This was not a one sitting read for me, not at all. It was a difficult book to read at times (Day two will definitely provoke a reaction in some), and to be fair to Evil, they do warn us, as readers, many, many times to turn back and, if you are easily offended, you probably should. Because this book acts as a mirror to society, perhaps a little tarnished at the edges, but it will make you think about your own reactions to what you are reading, not necessarily sitting in moral judgement, but definitely challenging you to justify why one part of the book is just fact, the other makes you go awwww - no fair. Why certain acts committed seem more tolerable than others. Makes you think about how you would react in certain =situations. We all like to think we would do the honourable thing - the 'right' thing - but one thing you will come to expect is that even seemingly decent people can sometimes make the wrong choices and those choices have consequences.
Once again, Will Carver has created such a diverse cast of characters, all of which bring the town of Hinton Hollow to life. Pace has become a progressively more haunted man as the books have gone on and it is certainly true this time around, and not just because Evil is watching. I really do like him as a character, despite how dour he often appears to be. Then there is Mrs Beaufort. I think we all know a Mrs Beaufort. Matriarch of the town she inserts herself into every situation, never quite trusting Pace, perhaps for good reason - who knows. Then there is Darren. I don't know quite what to make of Darren. In some (most) respects you can't help but hate him, in others ... Well I'll let you judge him for yourself.
Lord, there is so much I want to say about this book, so much I can't. Yes, it has that slightly angry, judgmental essence that prevailed in NIHT, and who better to judge us than Evil right? It is dark, full of sharp but very black humour. It will shock, it will stun you and it will certainly have you second guessing many of your own life choices because if you don't recognise just a little of yourself in a least one of the characters or situations here, then someone in this reviewer/reader exchange is probably lying. (It's not me ...) Written in fast paced, first person, conversational style, I love the way in which the author has pre-empted the narrative to come at the start of each chapter, creating the anticipation of what madness and mayhem is yet to come.
And then that ending ... I know it often said, but really. If you have read all three books, and I certainly advise you do, then you will get it. You will know what is implied but is not written. For a self-proclaimed 'small story' it packs one hell of a punch.
Evil is here. I just hope it never pays a visit to my house. I am sure to be found wanting ... Excellent book. Most definitely recommended. (Please note - the lovely flowers on the cover imply far more cute and wholesome than the contents provide. You have been warned).
June 20, 2021
Well, this was weird. But true to Will Carver's style it was utterly fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable. Having Evil as the narrator was certainly not something I came across often, so it was not only entertaining but quite unusual as well.
I'm confused about the ending tho..
I'm confused about the ending tho..
August 6, 2020
♫♪ You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m tellin’ you why, EVIL is coming, to town ♪♫ (I am singing a heavy metal version, but please sing it how you wish)
Every time I read a Will Carver book I am left agog. I find it very hard to describe just how I felt about it. This book is no different, and given the concept of the book, a book told entirely from the viewpoint of Evil itself? My oh my…. I’m in for a tough time. What am I supposed to say about this book? Aside from the fact that it is brilliant, a work of genius, I loved every minute… I don’t know.
Evil brings us on a tour of the town Hinton Hollow. Detective Pace has returned here from London as a change of pace from city life, but Evil has its own plans in store for him and the residents of the town. Throughout the book Evil casts its shadow over the residents and influences their decisions. Over 5 days Hinton Hollow goes from being a safe little village of just over 5000 residents, to quite the opposite.
The author himself tells us to turn back, we don’t want to read this story. He tried his best, but this only intrigued me more. I’m glad I didn’t listen, because despite this story being darker than the centre of the Boötes Void, it is incredibly readable and entertaining. Evil’s reasoning throughout is (essentially) that our bar for being “nice” has gotten so low, that of course they have to do even worse things for it to graded as “evil”. I loved Evil’s voice, and I dare say I quite enjoyed their dark humour.
I thought it was a great way to tell the story, almost as if Evil itself was zooming around the town and checking in on certain residents while telling the story. Each of the “visited” characters with their own foibles and tendencies for evil – which Evil exploits to no end.
Overall, this is a great story, with and ending that left me open mouthed – I loved it. A big 5 Stars from me!
Every time I read a Will Carver book I am left agog. I find it very hard to describe just how I felt about it. This book is no different, and given the concept of the book, a book told entirely from the viewpoint of Evil itself? My oh my…. I’m in for a tough time. What am I supposed to say about this book? Aside from the fact that it is brilliant, a work of genius, I loved every minute… I don’t know.
Evil brings us on a tour of the town Hinton Hollow. Detective Pace has returned here from London as a change of pace from city life, but Evil has its own plans in store for him and the residents of the town. Throughout the book Evil casts its shadow over the residents and influences their decisions. Over 5 days Hinton Hollow goes from being a safe little village of just over 5000 residents, to quite the opposite.
The author himself tells us to turn back, we don’t want to read this story. He tried his best, but this only intrigued me more. I’m glad I didn’t listen, because despite this story being darker than the centre of the Boötes Void, it is incredibly readable and entertaining. Evil’s reasoning throughout is (essentially) that our bar for being “nice” has gotten so low, that of course they have to do even worse things for it to graded as “evil”. I loved Evil’s voice, and I dare say I quite enjoyed their dark humour.
I thought it was a great way to tell the story, almost as if Evil itself was zooming around the town and checking in on certain residents while telling the story. Each of the “visited” characters with their own foibles and tendencies for evil – which Evil exploits to no end.
Overall, this is a great story, with and ending that left me open mouthed – I loved it. A big 5 Stars from me!
April 11, 2021
This was super weird. The entire story is written from Evil's perspective. So, that says it all... It was quite horrific. It reminded me a little bit of Stephen King's writing style, meaning: multiple characters being awful human beings. I don't think this is a book for everyone. In fact, it's a book for very few people, in my opinion. Don't pick up this book without checking trigger warnings. This is one of the most raw, gruesome and morbid stories I've ever read. It has it all: serial killer, suicide, eating disorders, fat-phobia, child-killing, very detail animal killing and abuse, bullying, etc. I could go on forever. Keep that in mind.
Overall, this was incredibly interesting. I loved the format. Long chapters but each one was separated by tons of different characters' plots. It worked. It kept me reading. You don't need to read the previous books in the series, although it's probably recommended. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything though. My only complain was that this story was absolutely filled with fat-phobia. The author works in the fitness and nutrition business and... you could tell. Not in a good way. I felt like the various characters that dealt with eating disorders were constantly mocked and there was no mention of those issues being a cause of mental illness. It was like the author truly thinks the only reason people are over weight is because they love food too much. It was painful to read. I don't know, it's one of those books that it's difficult to rate because you don't really have a 'good' time reading it, considering the plot is depressing as hell and the characters are evil, but you can still appreciate how creative and interesting the story is. It's a weird one.
Overall, this was incredibly interesting. I loved the format. Long chapters but each one was separated by tons of different characters' plots. It worked. It kept me reading. You don't need to read the previous books in the series, although it's probably recommended. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything though. My only complain was that this story was absolutely filled with fat-phobia. The author works in the fitness and nutrition business and... you could tell. Not in a good way. I felt like the various characters that dealt with eating disorders were constantly mocked and there was no mention of those issues being a cause of mental illness. It was like the author truly thinks the only reason people are over weight is because they love food too much. It was painful to read. I don't know, it's one of those books that it's difficult to rate because you don't really have a 'good' time reading it, considering the plot is depressing as hell and the characters are evil, but you can still appreciate how creative and interesting the story is. It's a weird one.
July 28, 2020
Review originally posted on The Bibliophile Chronicles.
Hinton Hollow Death Trap is the third instalment in Will Carver’s Detective Sargent Pace series. In this instalment Pace is returning to his childhood home of Hinton Hollow, but all is not as it seems. Narrated by Evil himself, the story follows the townspeople as they are gently nudged by evil to show their true selves – encouraged to steal, to cheat and even to kill.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is completely unlike anything I have ever read before. It’s a unique and compelling tale, and it gripped me from the very first chapter. I loved the way this story was told, narrated by Evil who is incredibly upfront and honest about the way he influences people. It’s a brilliant story, following a variety of townspeople as their lives are irrevocably changed over the course of the five days.
Although this is the third book in the series it is actually my first book by Will Carver, so it can absolutely be read as a standalone. After finishing though I’m definitely going back to read the other ones in the series because this is definitely one of my favourite new crime reads.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a clever and inventive tale, Carver weaves a story about real people and the choices they make. I found this book really difficult to put down, it’s a fast paced read and makes some really fascinating insights into what it means to be human. Each of the characters in this story are well created and fleshed out, making the story all the more compelling. Hinton Hollow Death Trip brings a fresh take to the crime novel, and it’s one you definitely don’t want to miss out on.
Hinton Hollow Death Trap is the third instalment in Will Carver’s Detective Sargent Pace series. In this instalment Pace is returning to his childhood home of Hinton Hollow, but all is not as it seems. Narrated by Evil himself, the story follows the townspeople as they are gently nudged by evil to show their true selves – encouraged to steal, to cheat and even to kill.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is completely unlike anything I have ever read before. It’s a unique and compelling tale, and it gripped me from the very first chapter. I loved the way this story was told, narrated by Evil who is incredibly upfront and honest about the way he influences people. It’s a brilliant story, following a variety of townspeople as their lives are irrevocably changed over the course of the five days.
Although this is the third book in the series it is actually my first book by Will Carver, so it can absolutely be read as a standalone. After finishing though I’m definitely going back to read the other ones in the series because this is definitely one of my favourite new crime reads.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a clever and inventive tale, Carver weaves a story about real people and the choices they make. I found this book really difficult to put down, it’s a fast paced read and makes some really fascinating insights into what it means to be human. Each of the characters in this story are well created and fleshed out, making the story all the more compelling. Hinton Hollow Death Trip brings a fresh take to the crime novel, and it’s one you definitely don’t want to miss out on.
January 14, 2021
Oh Hinton Hollow Death Trip. What a title. What a concept. Thank you so much to Orenda Books and Will Carver for this one of a kind book. Hinton Hollow Death Trip is about evil. Literally, this book is narrated by evil. It surrounds the people of Hinton Hollow and what happens when evil comes to the town. It begins with a mother sending her child away with a tag around his neck, telling him not to come back for a week. This book is about five specific days in which people give in to their evil thoughts and actions. People who were normally good started to steal, cheat, and even kill. Sergeant Pace is back to get away from London, but it isn’t really much of a vacation.
Thoughts: This concept is completely unique and grabs your attention from the very beginning. The book is written in a similar style as Nothing Important Happened Today, including having Pace as the main character. While the last book was plot based, this book was more character based and the reader is introduced to so many different characters who start off good, but slowly give in to their darker sides. This book addresses morality and the different ways the world is corrupt. While I enjoyed the premise, the middle lagged a lot and it was hard to stay focused. There was a bit of ambiguity, but I enjoyed the ending and am a huge fan of Will Carter. 4-stars.
Thoughts: This concept is completely unique and grabs your attention from the very beginning. The book is written in a similar style as Nothing Important Happened Today, including having Pace as the main character. While the last book was plot based, this book was more character based and the reader is introduced to so many different characters who start off good, but slowly give in to their darker sides. This book addresses morality and the different ways the world is corrupt. While I enjoyed the premise, the middle lagged a lot and it was hard to stay focused. There was a bit of ambiguity, but I enjoyed the ending and am a huge fan of Will Carter. 4-stars.
July 27, 2020
I'm grateful to Orenda Books for supplying a free advance review copy of Hinton Hollow Death Trip ago consider for review.
Well. I'm genuinely lost for words by this one. If ever there was a book where all you can really say is, READ IT! then Hinton Hollow Death Trip would be the one. If you've read Carver's previous books, Good Samaritans and Nothing Important Happened Today, that won't surprise you, but it will surprise you - it amazed me - that he has been able (HOW?) to ramp up the weirdness further by several notches. It must be up to 13 nor 14 now.
How on Earth then to begin? Perhaps with what it isn'r. Not police procedural. Carver takes joyful liberties with procedure, personnel, plausibility in terms of investigating a shocking crime taking place in the English countryside. Doesn't matter.
Not cosy crime. Boy, is it NOT cost crime. Pretty English village full of egos and self-satisfied villagers, yes. Cosy, no. Perhaps this is time for a quick CW - Hinton Hollow Death Trip has children shot. And mothers. And there are other deaths, too. An email I received about this book a few weeks ago contained a telling mistake: it had the title as "Hinton Hollow Death Trap". When you've read it you may feel that it's an easy error to make. Truly, the sleepy little town of Hinton Hollow is haunted by death... There is cruelty here. There is evil of all kinds.
In fact, not only is there evil, there is Evil. The story is narrated, we are told, by Evil, who admits to manipulating the good (and bad) people of Hinton Hollow for the few days of the story, setting them against each other, prompting lust, jealously, anger, gluttony. Nothing dramatic, just a nudge here and nudge there and often they do the work themselves. Evil is said that we are so bad. It means Evil has to be worse. Evil's job would be easier if we were all better, you know?
If the book is anything it is a demonstration of that idea. In a seriously head-messy way (I could use a stronger word but I'm going to cross post this to places where they don't like strong language) we both see the events taking place in Hinton Hollow, that little village somewhere on the railway between Reading and Oxford AND we see Evil's commentary on them. It's soon obvious that we, as readers, are being addressed. We, as readers, are being judged. What did we think of the previous scene? What did we think about what happened? What did we think should have happened? Carver is not so much writing for his readers as writing against them. Were we satisfied with what Pace did at the end of Nothing Important Happened Today? I was, yes. Ah, but wasn't that itself an evil act?
Um.
Do we dislike a character working in a slaughterhouse for his treatment of the poor beasts he is unloading from the lorry? Yes, I did. Will I eat mean later?
Um.
And on. And on. This isn't an easy read at times. The deceptively simple language, short sentences and chapters, the affectless tone accompany a devastatingly ruthless moral force. Reading this book is like having your heart torn out and weighed against that feather and found wanting. Again and again. Even there the point isn't directly made against the reader, the interactions here between parent and child, sibling and sibling, between kids school, between Pace and almost everyone, point up a sense of taint and turpitude that's impossible to escape.
If that makes it sound a gloomy and discouraging read, it isn't! I'm really not sure how he does it, but Carver manages to make you care about (almost) everyone here while fully convicting them for failing and crime after failing and crime. He convicts the reader too: maybe the trick works both ways and the book ends up making you care more outside its pages as well? There's also a vein of folk horror in here, of something wicked in the woods.
I just can't put this book in a nice pigeonhole. I can't completely explain the effect it had on me. It's not a comfortable read. Yet it was a deeply compelling read, a spectacular conclusion (I think?) to the DS Pace series, one that refuses to make easy choices or downplay the darkness but still manages to be uplifting. Sheer class on every page. I am in awe of Carver.
Well. I'm genuinely lost for words by this one. If ever there was a book where all you can really say is, READ IT! then Hinton Hollow Death Trip would be the one. If you've read Carver's previous books, Good Samaritans and Nothing Important Happened Today, that won't surprise you, but it will surprise you - it amazed me - that he has been able (HOW?) to ramp up the weirdness further by several notches. It must be up to 13 nor 14 now.
How on Earth then to begin? Perhaps with what it isn'r. Not police procedural. Carver takes joyful liberties with procedure, personnel, plausibility in terms of investigating a shocking crime taking place in the English countryside. Doesn't matter.
Not cosy crime. Boy, is it NOT cost crime. Pretty English village full of egos and self-satisfied villagers, yes. Cosy, no. Perhaps this is time for a quick CW - Hinton Hollow Death Trip has children shot. And mothers. And there are other deaths, too. An email I received about this book a few weeks ago contained a telling mistake: it had the title as "Hinton Hollow Death Trap". When you've read it you may feel that it's an easy error to make. Truly, the sleepy little town of Hinton Hollow is haunted by death... There is cruelty here. There is evil of all kinds.
In fact, not only is there evil, there is Evil. The story is narrated, we are told, by Evil, who admits to manipulating the good (and bad) people of Hinton Hollow for the few days of the story, setting them against each other, prompting lust, jealously, anger, gluttony. Nothing dramatic, just a nudge here and nudge there and often they do the work themselves. Evil is said that we are so bad. It means Evil has to be worse. Evil's job would be easier if we were all better, you know?
If the book is anything it is a demonstration of that idea. In a seriously head-messy way (I could use a stronger word but I'm going to cross post this to places where they don't like strong language) we both see the events taking place in Hinton Hollow, that little village somewhere on the railway between Reading and Oxford AND we see Evil's commentary on them. It's soon obvious that we, as readers, are being addressed. We, as readers, are being judged. What did we think of the previous scene? What did we think about what happened? What did we think should have happened? Carver is not so much writing for his readers as writing against them. Were we satisfied with what Pace did at the end of Nothing Important Happened Today? I was, yes. Ah, but wasn't that itself an evil act?
Um.
Do we dislike a character working in a slaughterhouse for his treatment of the poor beasts he is unloading from the lorry? Yes, I did. Will I eat mean later?
Um.
And on. And on. This isn't an easy read at times. The deceptively simple language, short sentences and chapters, the affectless tone accompany a devastatingly ruthless moral force. Reading this book is like having your heart torn out and weighed against that feather and found wanting. Again and again. Even there the point isn't directly made against the reader, the interactions here between parent and child, sibling and sibling, between kids school, between Pace and almost everyone, point up a sense of taint and turpitude that's impossible to escape.
If that makes it sound a gloomy and discouraging read, it isn't! I'm really not sure how he does it, but Carver manages to make you care about (almost) everyone here while fully convicting them for failing and crime after failing and crime. He convicts the reader too: maybe the trick works both ways and the book ends up making you care more outside its pages as well? There's also a vein of folk horror in here, of something wicked in the woods.
I just can't put this book in a nice pigeonhole. I can't completely explain the effect it had on me. It's not a comfortable read. Yet it was a deeply compelling read, a spectacular conclusion (I think?) to the DS Pace series, one that refuses to make easy choices or downplay the darkness but still manages to be uplifting. Sheer class on every page. I am in awe of Carver.
June 28, 2020
This is one of those books where you mull over what you've read a long time after you've finished reading it. And there's plenty to mull over; good, evil, lies, secrets, the nature of mankind and free will.
The book is narrated by evil which I thought worked well to explain the events and strange behaviours in Hinton Hollow. As strange as it seems, Evil does a very good job of defending it's actions putting itself in a good light. Just like in Nothing Important Happened Today, you are shown society in every aspect - good and bad. It leaves you thinking about your morals, social interactions and considering if people are born evil, or if modern society encourages such behaviour.
After investigating the suicides on Tower Bridge, Pace returns to his childhood town of Hinton Hollow, and it seems as though he unwittingly took something with him. He and the local police force quickly find themselves investigating a number of murders and a missing person.
It's going to take somethings special to top this as my book of 2020. Original, thought provoking and highly recommended.
The book is narrated by evil which I thought worked well to explain the events and strange behaviours in Hinton Hollow. As strange as it seems, Evil does a very good job of defending it's actions putting itself in a good light. Just like in Nothing Important Happened Today, you are shown society in every aspect - good and bad. It leaves you thinking about your morals, social interactions and considering if people are born evil, or if modern society encourages such behaviour.
After investigating the suicides on Tower Bridge, Pace returns to his childhood town of Hinton Hollow, and it seems as though he unwittingly took something with him. He and the local police force quickly find themselves investigating a number of murders and a missing person.
It's going to take somethings special to top this as my book of 2020. Original, thought provoking and highly recommended.
July 27, 2020
Finished reading: June 25th 2020
"Everyone is now two people. The physical person. And the online persona. The trouble is that nobody is fully their physical self nor their online alter ego."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
January 16, 2021
Wow! An innovative format. Incredibly dark read but impossible to put down. Hinton Hollow has more murders than Midsomer. It's Sophie's Choice on acid, narrated by Evil. Will Carver's latest work is messy, twisty genius. That Evil "can work wonders with a feeling of inadequacy" is one of the greatest truths ever told. Audiobook brilliantly narrated by Ciaran Saward.
April 30, 2021
Emotionally battered and bruised by his most recent case, Detective Sergeant Pace leaves London behind, including his loving girlfriend and confidant Maeve, and returns to his rural hometown of Hinton Hollow – population 5,120 – in the hope of some sort of respite. But Evil follows him home…
Will Carver’ Hinton Hollow Death Trap has echoes of other dark small town tales such as Jim Thompson’s The Kill-Off, Stephen King’s Needful Things, Lars Von Trier’s Dogville, and, of course, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, in that the seemingly idyllic small town has a dark and seedy underbelly. Indeed, Hinton Hollow seems to be full of secrets and ‘the woods are not what they seem’. Disappointment, jealousy, bitterness, resentment and violence all bubble just below Hinton Hollow’s homely surface and, in the course of the novel, all of this and more is uncovered. DC Pace’s Home Counties haven soon turns into a Hell on Earth.
Pretty much as soon as he arrives back in Hinton Hollow, things go off kilter. There is a horrifying murder, a worried mother sends her youngest child on the train out of town, far away from the encroaching darkness that is soon to envelope the place, and as for Darren from the slaughterhouse, well let’s just say that his story in the early part of the book is not for those of a nervous disposition.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a tale full of twists and turns sharp enough to give you whiplash and it works well as a gripping police procedural, a whodunnit with a dash of the supernatural about it, but it is also a thoughtful exploration of human frailty and our capacity for self-deception.
There is a rich and varied cast of characters too. Some of them are horrible, some are annoying, some are ridiculous, some are downright scary, and others – such as the owners of the local diner – are really, really nice. But they are all very believable and realistic, even the pompous policeman with the preposterous moustache.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is original, engrossing, touching, sad, violent, funny and, yes, occasionally annoying. Because the real twist in this collection of little tales of misanthropy is that the story is narrated by Evil itself, who has seemingly arrived in Hinton Hollow with the sole purpose of making Detective Sergeant Pace suffer for his past transgressions.
As the story is told, Evil playfully and capriciously interjects the narrative with comments, hints, secrets, reflections and even homilies that wouldn’t look at all out of place in a cheesy self-help book. In fact, in many ways Evil seems to be a tad naïve and a bit of a prig too!
But rather than disrupt the storyline, Evil’s black pearls of wisdom help paint a bigger picture of the denizens of Hinton Hollow and their interlocked lives. For sure, in just five days, in such a small town, a hell of a lot happens. Little things and big things. Ordinary things and bizarre things. Good things and bad things. And very, very bad things indeed.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a clever and inventive novel that tests the reader’s patience and endurance for sure. At times it comes across like a more grown-up, less of a smartass, version of a Chuck Palahniuk novel or a darker shade of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. And I’ll admit, about a third of the way through the book, I faltered a little, but thankfully I stuck with it and found reading the novel a rewarding and satisfying experience.
I should also mention that this is the first Will Carver novel that I’ve read and although it refers to events in the two previous books to feature Detective Sergeant Pace – Good Samaritans and Nothing Important Happened Here Today – it didn’t hinder my appreciation of Hinton Hollow Death Trip in any way.
A damn fine five-star read
Will Carver’ Hinton Hollow Death Trap has echoes of other dark small town tales such as Jim Thompson’s The Kill-Off, Stephen King’s Needful Things, Lars Von Trier’s Dogville, and, of course, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, in that the seemingly idyllic small town has a dark and seedy underbelly. Indeed, Hinton Hollow seems to be full of secrets and ‘the woods are not what they seem’. Disappointment, jealousy, bitterness, resentment and violence all bubble just below Hinton Hollow’s homely surface and, in the course of the novel, all of this and more is uncovered. DC Pace’s Home Counties haven soon turns into a Hell on Earth.
Pretty much as soon as he arrives back in Hinton Hollow, things go off kilter. There is a horrifying murder, a worried mother sends her youngest child on the train out of town, far away from the encroaching darkness that is soon to envelope the place, and as for Darren from the slaughterhouse, well let’s just say that his story in the early part of the book is not for those of a nervous disposition.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a tale full of twists and turns sharp enough to give you whiplash and it works well as a gripping police procedural, a whodunnit with a dash of the supernatural about it, but it is also a thoughtful exploration of human frailty and our capacity for self-deception.
There is a rich and varied cast of characters too. Some of them are horrible, some are annoying, some are ridiculous, some are downright scary, and others – such as the owners of the local diner – are really, really nice. But they are all very believable and realistic, even the pompous policeman with the preposterous moustache.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is original, engrossing, touching, sad, violent, funny and, yes, occasionally annoying. Because the real twist in this collection of little tales of misanthropy is that the story is narrated by Evil itself, who has seemingly arrived in Hinton Hollow with the sole purpose of making Detective Sergeant Pace suffer for his past transgressions.
As the story is told, Evil playfully and capriciously interjects the narrative with comments, hints, secrets, reflections and even homilies that wouldn’t look at all out of place in a cheesy self-help book. In fact, in many ways Evil seems to be a tad naïve and a bit of a prig too!
But rather than disrupt the storyline, Evil’s black pearls of wisdom help paint a bigger picture of the denizens of Hinton Hollow and their interlocked lives. For sure, in just five days, in such a small town, a hell of a lot happens. Little things and big things. Ordinary things and bizarre things. Good things and bad things. And very, very bad things indeed.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is a clever and inventive novel that tests the reader’s patience and endurance for sure. At times it comes across like a more grown-up, less of a smartass, version of a Chuck Palahniuk novel or a darker shade of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. And I’ll admit, about a third of the way through the book, I faltered a little, but thankfully I stuck with it and found reading the novel a rewarding and satisfying experience.
I should also mention that this is the first Will Carver novel that I’ve read and although it refers to events in the two previous books to feature Detective Sergeant Pace – Good Samaritans and Nothing Important Happened Here Today – it didn’t hinder my appreciation of Hinton Hollow Death Trip in any way.
A damn fine five-star read
August 20, 2020
This initially seemed like an original idea but in the end I found it gimmicky and deeply unpleasant - underneath the cleverness there is just an all too familiar desire for torture porn. Interesting and unique the storytelling may be, but ultimately this is just an excuse to write about abusing pigs, stabbing cats, horrible suicide and killing children.
January 24, 2023
DNF. I was enjoying it…until it started getting overtly fatphobic, and implied that being fat was intrinsically linked with evil.
July 4, 2020
Hi and welcome to my review of Hinton Hollow Death Trip! The plan was for me to save this review for Orentober, but I just can’t do it. I’m physically and mentally incapable of sitting on this review for months to come, I need to shout about it right this minute. So here goes. Note that since any Will Carver novel is a nightmare to review, I decided to let the book/Will/Evil do a bit of the talking, all the quotes were taken from the Kindle edition.
Some authors are on your auto-buy list because you always know just what kind of book to expect. Others get on the list because you know to expect the unexpected. Picking up a Will Carver novel is like going on an adventure, one that takes you to places you didn’t expect to go, places you never knew you wanted to go, and frankly even some places you didn’t really want to go, but it’s Will Carver so you’ll let him take you there anyway.
Most authors I’ve read basically write the same book over and over again. They stick to their style, their genre, the first or third person singular, the same characters. There’s nothing wrong with that, obviously, but I love that Orenda Books house a few exceptions, Louise Beech and her flawless genre-hopping springs to mind immediately, and Will Carver of course, who does something equally rare and hugely impressive: he sticks to his style and his genre, even a character or two, but he writes an entirely different book each and every single time.
After the January David series and Good Samaritans, which more or less adhere to the general thriller rules, and Nothing Important Happened Today, which takes the leap to a first person plural combined with manual-like bits, Hinton Hollow is in the first person singular, from the POV of Evil. And it WORKS! It’s fucked up obviously, but then I expected nothing less.
Fear is my greatest tool. It can be used to make a person do almost anything. You can take education, information, motivation and throw it all away, fear is the only thing you require. It is a slow and deadly poison. And it is effective.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is the third DS Pace novel, and it’s set immediately after Nothing Important Happened Today. As opposed to most series, Pace isn’t even that big a character, so don’t worry if you haven’t read the previous ones. There are some elements that carried over from Good Samaritans all the way to Hinton Hollow, and there are some references to NIHT, but you should be able to follow without having read them. Note that the series as a whole is amazing though and you should really opt for the whole experience and start at the beginning.
I’m a child of the 90s so Joan Osborne wondering what if God was one of us is part of my life’s soundtrack. But what if Evil was one of us, in a not quite corporeal manner. What if Evil roamed the earth, just trying to do his job? Prodding, instigating, converting sleepy little towns like Hinton Hollow to places where people throw bricks through windows, free pigs in the woods to hunt them, shoot people, can’t see beyond their own rage/gluttony/greed until it’s too late.
This is how evil works. I just have to get you started. What you do with that feeling is entirely down to you.
It’s thought-provoking in unexpected ways. The concept of Evil as an entity on earth, of Evil wanting to be a little more lazy but needing to step it up because humans have changed in such a way that Evil has to work harder to restore balance. The logic is baffling in its plausibility.
Humankind has created evil at a rate that even I cannot keep up with. So, in order to be heard, in order for me to make you understand how awful your race has become, I have to be deliberately shocking. I have to always go beyond what you can do. Evil will always exist, but the better you are, the quieter I can be. You see? I don’t feel sad for the people in this story, I’m not supposed to, I am Evil. I am here for balance. As a necessity. It is you that I feel sad for.
Once again, Will Carver has gone beyond writing fiction, beyond storytelling. He questions the reader, challenges the reader to question themselves, their thoughts and feelings and actions. So once again, I did not find peace, I found turmoil. I made myself stop and take the challenge, ponder the questions, find an answer. How did I feel about Dorothy, how did I feel about the cat, will my soul be lighter than it should be?
So yeah this was not a quick read. I guess it could be, if you want it to? But that would probably defeat the purpose of reading a Will Carver novel. It should not be merely read, it should be experienced.
But beware. There is no one, literally no one in the world who can make me lose faith in humankind as effortlessly as Will Carter. His observations are astoundingly and at times painfully astute.
AN OBSERVATION ABOUT PEOPLE AND DEATH
The execution of an adult can, somehow, be understood and reasoned.
The death of a child can be heartbreaking but rationalised.
The massacre of livestock can be largely ignored.
Yet, the killing of a pet — particularly a dog or a cat — is devastating.
An unforgivable act. It is evil. I find this distinction between living things perplexing.
I went into Hinton Hollow Death Trip with the highest expectations. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of story, but I fully expected to love it. Sometimes that kind of reasoning blows up in your face but Hinton Hollow held its ground, and then some. Thought-provoking, scary and with hints of Stephen King’s Derry, Hinton Hollow is a brilliant read, absolutely fascinating, wildly entertaining and highly recommended! Just make sure you have a light and fluffy and preferable pink book at the ready to read after, you may need it…
Some authors are on your auto-buy list because you always know just what kind of book to expect. Others get on the list because you know to expect the unexpected. Picking up a Will Carver novel is like going on an adventure, one that takes you to places you didn’t expect to go, places you never knew you wanted to go, and frankly even some places you didn’t really want to go, but it’s Will Carver so you’ll let him take you there anyway.
Most authors I’ve read basically write the same book over and over again. They stick to their style, their genre, the first or third person singular, the same characters. There’s nothing wrong with that, obviously, but I love that Orenda Books house a few exceptions, Louise Beech and her flawless genre-hopping springs to mind immediately, and Will Carver of course, who does something equally rare and hugely impressive: he sticks to his style and his genre, even a character or two, but he writes an entirely different book each and every single time.
After the January David series and Good Samaritans, which more or less adhere to the general thriller rules, and Nothing Important Happened Today, which takes the leap to a first person plural combined with manual-like bits, Hinton Hollow is in the first person singular, from the POV of Evil. And it WORKS! It’s fucked up obviously, but then I expected nothing less.
Fear is my greatest tool. It can be used to make a person do almost anything. You can take education, information, motivation and throw it all away, fear is the only thing you require. It is a slow and deadly poison. And it is effective.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip is the third DS Pace novel, and it’s set immediately after Nothing Important Happened Today. As opposed to most series, Pace isn’t even that big a character, so don’t worry if you haven’t read the previous ones. There are some elements that carried over from Good Samaritans all the way to Hinton Hollow, and there are some references to NIHT, but you should be able to follow without having read them. Note that the series as a whole is amazing though and you should really opt for the whole experience and start at the beginning.
I’m a child of the 90s so Joan Osborne wondering what if God was one of us is part of my life’s soundtrack. But what if Evil was one of us, in a not quite corporeal manner. What if Evil roamed the earth, just trying to do his job? Prodding, instigating, converting sleepy little towns like Hinton Hollow to places where people throw bricks through windows, free pigs in the woods to hunt them, shoot people, can’t see beyond their own rage/gluttony/greed until it’s too late.
This is how evil works. I just have to get you started. What you do with that feeling is entirely down to you.
It’s thought-provoking in unexpected ways. The concept of Evil as an entity on earth, of Evil wanting to be a little more lazy but needing to step it up because humans have changed in such a way that Evil has to work harder to restore balance. The logic is baffling in its plausibility.
Humankind has created evil at a rate that even I cannot keep up with. So, in order to be heard, in order for me to make you understand how awful your race has become, I have to be deliberately shocking. I have to always go beyond what you can do. Evil will always exist, but the better you are, the quieter I can be. You see? I don’t feel sad for the people in this story, I’m not supposed to, I am Evil. I am here for balance. As a necessity. It is you that I feel sad for.
Once again, Will Carver has gone beyond writing fiction, beyond storytelling. He questions the reader, challenges the reader to question themselves, their thoughts and feelings and actions. So once again, I did not find peace, I found turmoil. I made myself stop and take the challenge, ponder the questions, find an answer. How did I feel about Dorothy, how did I feel about the cat, will my soul be lighter than it should be?
So yeah this was not a quick read. I guess it could be, if you want it to? But that would probably defeat the purpose of reading a Will Carver novel. It should not be merely read, it should be experienced.
But beware. There is no one, literally no one in the world who can make me lose faith in humankind as effortlessly as Will Carter. His observations are astoundingly and at times painfully astute.
AN OBSERVATION ABOUT PEOPLE AND DEATH
The execution of an adult can, somehow, be understood and reasoned.
The death of a child can be heartbreaking but rationalised.
The massacre of livestock can be largely ignored.
Yet, the killing of a pet — particularly a dog or a cat — is devastating.
An unforgivable act. It is evil. I find this distinction between living things perplexing.
I went into Hinton Hollow Death Trip with the highest expectations. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of story, but I fully expected to love it. Sometimes that kind of reasoning blows up in your face but Hinton Hollow held its ground, and then some. Thought-provoking, scary and with hints of Stephen King’s Derry, Hinton Hollow is a brilliant read, absolutely fascinating, wildly entertaining and highly recommended! Just make sure you have a light and fluffy and preferable pink book at the ready to read after, you may need it…
October 2, 2021
Hinton Hollow is the kind of small town where everybody knows everybody. There is a strong community spirit and people share the same values, hopes and ideals. Or do they? Everything seems peaceful, but the arrival of the prodigal son means the arrival of a different kind of presence. There is a storm brewing. Evil is lurking –quite literally. And when death starts to spread and dark secrets start to come to light, the most vulnerable become victims… and no one is safe from the evil inside.
There are way too many qualities in this book to describe them all, especially because some of them can’t be mentioned without ruining some surprises. Narrated by Evil himself – yes, with a capital E – this is a tale that mixes so many different elements, and with such a delicate balance, that it simply can’t be qualified as a single genre. The main character’s job and the multiple murders throughout the story define it as a sort of crime novel, but it is unlike any other crime novel, including the previous volumes in this series. The supernatural element – have I mentioned that it is narrated by Evil? – gives it an aura of horror, but the true horror is far from supernatural and the repercussions and ramifications of the many different kinds of evil in this book are simply mindblowing.
It is also a story about balance, which means that the many contrasts and balances throughout the book become even more impressive. The balance between evil and good, obviously, but also between local and foreign, child and adult, honest and liar. Between what we think we know and the whole unshakeable truth. Nothing is what it seems in this story. And nobody. Each new development is an overwhelming surprise. And nothing is black and white, which might be surprising in a tale about evil. Everything is complex, ambiguous, intricate. As life itself.
And there is yet another particularly impressive quality: the voice. The idea of giving Evil a voice and a personality is, by itself, something brilliant. But giving it such a fascinating, addictive voice, and such a gift for storytelling, is absolutely glorious. Heroes become victims, victims become villains, innocence becomes darkness – and it all happens through this voice. So close we can almost touch it. See it. Feel it talking inside our heads.
A unique voice, a fascinating cast and an overwhelming, indescribable, unforgettable tale. Such is this strange trip to Hintow Hollow and to the minds of its people. Brilliant, scary, mindblowing. Glorious.
There are way too many qualities in this book to describe them all, especially because some of them can’t be mentioned without ruining some surprises. Narrated by Evil himself – yes, with a capital E – this is a tale that mixes so many different elements, and with such a delicate balance, that it simply can’t be qualified as a single genre. The main character’s job and the multiple murders throughout the story define it as a sort of crime novel, but it is unlike any other crime novel, including the previous volumes in this series. The supernatural element – have I mentioned that it is narrated by Evil? – gives it an aura of horror, but the true horror is far from supernatural and the repercussions and ramifications of the many different kinds of evil in this book are simply mindblowing.
It is also a story about balance, which means that the many contrasts and balances throughout the book become even more impressive. The balance between evil and good, obviously, but also between local and foreign, child and adult, honest and liar. Between what we think we know and the whole unshakeable truth. Nothing is what it seems in this story. And nobody. Each new development is an overwhelming surprise. And nothing is black and white, which might be surprising in a tale about evil. Everything is complex, ambiguous, intricate. As life itself.
And there is yet another particularly impressive quality: the voice. The idea of giving Evil a voice and a personality is, by itself, something brilliant. But giving it such a fascinating, addictive voice, and such a gift for storytelling, is absolutely glorious. Heroes become victims, victims become villains, innocence becomes darkness – and it all happens through this voice. So close we can almost touch it. See it. Feel it talking inside our heads.
A unique voice, a fascinating cast and an overwhelming, indescribable, unforgettable tale. Such is this strange trip to Hintow Hollow and to the minds of its people. Brilliant, scary, mindblowing. Glorious.
July 14, 2020
I thought that I would start with a confession and say that this is the first book I have read by Will Carver. It is a rarity that a new to me author makes me want to unplug everything and read each and every thing they have ever written and not do anything else until I have finished. Will Carver has achieved this with Hinton Hollow Death Trip.
As I understand it Hinton Hollow Death Trip is the third book to feature DS Pace and it was fine to read as is but the first thing I have to rectify is reading the other two; Good Samaritans and Nothing Important Happened Today.
The reviews for the books I love the most are the hardest to write as they seemingly have too many superlatives but in this case I really can't help it. Buckle up we are going for a little trip to Hinton Hollow....
Hinton Hollow is a relatively small town with a population of 5,120. Evil has come to Hinton Hollow and it is evil that narrates the story. Evil has brought with it cynicism, wrong doing and a sense of darkness that is turning everything black. The residents of Hinton Hollow are behaving strangely as the reader joins evil for an explanation of what happens across the course of five days.
Returning from the city to Hinton Hollow is DS Pace. Looking for an escape, looking to silence everything from the city. He is welcoming the return to the quiet life with the small town problems. Unfortunately Hinton Hollow and Evil have other plans in mind.
I am not going to say anything else about what happens, I would hate to ruin the plot for anybody. I cannot put across to you how original and wonderful Will Carver's writing is. It is perceptive and the short sharp staccato bursts do everything to build the tension and the creeping foreboding as evil pervades the pages and steps off the page to challenge the reader.
There are the touches of Stephen King here and another author I particularly like called James Sallis who wrote a book called Willnot. Comparisons though are not necessary when you can write with the excitement, skill and originality of Will Carver.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip made my blood pump, my heart race and my hands sweat. It was so exciting I cannot tell you. It was like being taken on a magic mystery tour at high speed and then tipped out at the end without really being able to comprehend what just happened.
This one will definitely make my books of my year. It was absolutely breath taking, literally and figuratively.
As I understand it Hinton Hollow Death Trip is the third book to feature DS Pace and it was fine to read as is but the first thing I have to rectify is reading the other two; Good Samaritans and Nothing Important Happened Today.
The reviews for the books I love the most are the hardest to write as they seemingly have too many superlatives but in this case I really can't help it. Buckle up we are going for a little trip to Hinton Hollow....
Hinton Hollow is a relatively small town with a population of 5,120. Evil has come to Hinton Hollow and it is evil that narrates the story. Evil has brought with it cynicism, wrong doing and a sense of darkness that is turning everything black. The residents of Hinton Hollow are behaving strangely as the reader joins evil for an explanation of what happens across the course of five days.
Returning from the city to Hinton Hollow is DS Pace. Looking for an escape, looking to silence everything from the city. He is welcoming the return to the quiet life with the small town problems. Unfortunately Hinton Hollow and Evil have other plans in mind.
I am not going to say anything else about what happens, I would hate to ruin the plot for anybody. I cannot put across to you how original and wonderful Will Carver's writing is. It is perceptive and the short sharp staccato bursts do everything to build the tension and the creeping foreboding as evil pervades the pages and steps off the page to challenge the reader.
There are the touches of Stephen King here and another author I particularly like called James Sallis who wrote a book called Willnot. Comparisons though are not necessary when you can write with the excitement, skill and originality of Will Carver.
Hinton Hollow Death Trip made my blood pump, my heart race and my hands sweat. It was so exciting I cannot tell you. It was like being taken on a magic mystery tour at high speed and then tipped out at the end without really being able to comprehend what just happened.
This one will definitely make my books of my year. It was absolutely breath taking, literally and figuratively.
January 20, 2023
“Hinton Hollow Death Trip” (HHDT) is by British author Will Carver and is the third in the series of books featuring Detective Sergeant Pace.
If the Rolling Stones song “Sympathy For The Devil” and Stephen King’s “Needful Things” had a love child…then HHDT would be pretty close to it with one clear point of difference. HHDT isn’t about the Devil but rather it’s a story narrated by Evil, the one and the only, the ancient opposing force of Good…and what Evil does to people to keep those opposing forces in balance.
It is this which makes HHDT so much more than a typical crime thriller, police procedural, whodunnit mystery.
There is a saying that “If there is evil in this world it lurks within the hearts of mankind”. The Evil narrator in HHDT can’t make people do things - it can only give them a nudge or a squeeze. What then happens is purely up to what actually lurks in the hearts of the townsfolk; a devoted wife cheats in her husband, a caring and supportive father turns to hate and anger, a benevolent matriarch becomes bitter and judgemental, and someone turns to murder.
In HHDT Carver explores this concept beautifully. That as society has become less giving and supportive, less caring and selfless, more desensitised and less “good” over time Evil’s lament is that it must push people to more extreme and heinous acts to balance the ledger. When society was better Evil could be lazy because lesser acts of “evil” were more shocking.
The characters are all believable and recognisable even if their actions are out of the norm (but this is kind of the point of the story). DS Pace continues to battle his own demons but you want him to succeed. The plot is well crafted with cleverly foreshadowed twists, and a final reveal that is oh so very satisfying.
Once more Carver has provided an insightful look, and shone a satirical spotlight, at human nature. Once more Carver has shown that he is not only a quality storyteller but a skilled writer whose books can be read on multiple levels. Once more Carver has delivered another hard hitting but ultimately very readable instalment in the DS Pace series.
Will Carver in a very short period of time is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors with books that not only get you thinking while you’re reading them but will keep you thinking well after you’ve read the last page. HHDT is no different.
HHDT gets 4.5 evil nudges out of 5.
If the Rolling Stones song “Sympathy For The Devil” and Stephen King’s “Needful Things” had a love child…then HHDT would be pretty close to it with one clear point of difference. HHDT isn’t about the Devil but rather it’s a story narrated by Evil, the one and the only, the ancient opposing force of Good…and what Evil does to people to keep those opposing forces in balance.
It is this which makes HHDT so much more than a typical crime thriller, police procedural, whodunnit mystery.
There is a saying that “If there is evil in this world it lurks within the hearts of mankind”. The Evil narrator in HHDT can’t make people do things - it can only give them a nudge or a squeeze. What then happens is purely up to what actually lurks in the hearts of the townsfolk; a devoted wife cheats in her husband, a caring and supportive father turns to hate and anger, a benevolent matriarch becomes bitter and judgemental, and someone turns to murder.
In HHDT Carver explores this concept beautifully. That as society has become less giving and supportive, less caring and selfless, more desensitised and less “good” over time Evil’s lament is that it must push people to more extreme and heinous acts to balance the ledger. When society was better Evil could be lazy because lesser acts of “evil” were more shocking.
The characters are all believable and recognisable even if their actions are out of the norm (but this is kind of the point of the story). DS Pace continues to battle his own demons but you want him to succeed. The plot is well crafted with cleverly foreshadowed twists, and a final reveal that is oh so very satisfying.
Once more Carver has provided an insightful look, and shone a satirical spotlight, at human nature. Once more Carver has shown that he is not only a quality storyteller but a skilled writer whose books can be read on multiple levels. Once more Carver has delivered another hard hitting but ultimately very readable instalment in the DS Pace series.
Will Carver in a very short period of time is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors with books that not only get you thinking while you’re reading them but will keep you thinking well after you’ve read the last page. HHDT is no different.
HHDT gets 4.5 evil nudges out of 5.
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