Boiling Shadow

The Hollowhills Cycle

by Tim Mendees

Following the tragic death of his parents, William Johnson is sent to live with his grandfather in the isolated mining village of Hollowhills. Everything is not as it seems in his new home, and it quickly becomes apparent that dark forces are converging on the area.

The grief-stricken teenager soon finds himself the target of an ancient evil intent on using him as a pawn in its deadly game. Fighting not only for his mind and body but the fate of humanity, William must uncover the secret of the shadow before it's too late.

Boiling Shadow is a cosmic horror novella published by Mannison Press and the second book in The Hollowhills Cycle.

218 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2021

About the author

Tim Mendees is a horror writer from Macclesfield in the North-West of England that specialises in cosmic horror and weird fiction. A lifelong fan of classic weird tales, Tim set out to bring the pulp horror of yesteryear into the 21st Century and give it a distinctly British flavour. His work has been described as the love-child of H.P. Lovecraft and P.G. Wodehouse and is often peppered with a wry sense of humour that acts as a counterpoint to the unnerving, and often disturbing, narratives.
Tim has had over eighty published short stories and novelettes in anthologies and magazines with publishers all over the world. He also has five novellas and a short story collection on sale with more coming soon.
When he is not arguing with the spellchecker, Tim is a goth DJ, crustacean and cephalopod enthusiast, and the presenter of a popular web series of live video readings of his material and interviews with fellow authors. Tim is also a co-host of the Innsmouth Book Club podcast. He currently lives in Brighton & Hove with his pet crab, Gerald, and an army of stuffed octopods.
https://timmendeeswriter.wordpress.com/
https://tinyurl.com/timmendeesyoutube

Reviews

[Elizabeth Nettleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant novella by Tim Mendees. "Boiling Shadow" is a chilling cosmic horror story, told with Mendees's trademark flair. Set in Hollowhills, the story follows William "Bill" Johnson after he is sent to live with his grandfather George. As this book serves as both a prequel and sequel to "Burning Reflection," some familiar faces show up, but I agree with Mendees when he writes in the preface that you don't need to be familiar with "Burning Reflection" (or his other works) to enjoy "Boiling Shadow." This book works wonderfully as a standalone as well as part of the series.
I absolutely flew through this book - once I got started, I found it hard to put down, and it's definitely going to be one I revisit again soon. This was a really great read from start to finish, and I highly recommend it for cosmic horror fans.

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[J.W. Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boiling Shadow is a fantastic read for all the cosmic horror lovers out there! There is so much packed into this novella, and you can finish it one sitting. I guarantee you’ll find it hard to put down as the tension and dread mount for main character Bill Johnson all the way to the tale's stunning conclusion.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Boiling Shadow" is a sequel to Mr. Mendees "Burning Reflection". I was curious as to whether it would work as a stand alone book. The first one set such a strong tone gothic horror that I wasn't sure if this could match it. One of the things I really like about the author's books is that he helps us to see and get immersed in the story. When an orphaned boy, William, get transported to his grandfather's house we learn quickly that there are mysteries and dangers, warnings and arcane tales best not told. Like any good Gothic horror, we don't know who to trust, who will be safe and whether there is any hope at all. This book is complete in and of itself, while being a worthy companion to "Burning Reflection". It has the perfect pacing for this tale from Hollowhills. Return if you dare.