| Title | : | Blue Hollow: A thrilling mystery with a wicked twist |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | Published January 4, 2021 |
Blue Hollow: A thrilling mystery with a wicked twist Reviews
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5☆ An Unputdownable,Taut, Tense, Gripping, Dark, Mysterious Crime Thriller.
I have to say I don't think I have read a prologue quite like that in a while. I found myself reading with bated breath.
It just kept getting better and better!
Dora is a Crime Fiction Author, who lives in a little village, where everyone knows everyone's business...including the fact her husband run off with another woman.
Eddie is Dora's Uncle, he is very sick and when Dora goes to visit him, he insists she does one last thing for him!
He wants her to write his life story.
He's done things his not proud of, and wants to put things right.
Starting at the very beginning in 1964 when he was just 8years old!
But there are a few conditions...She must go away with him to discover more....each of the 5 recordings must be done on tape only....and under no circumstances is a computer to be used!
Eddie is certainly a larger than life, loveable Rogue, with a witty humour that I loved.
But what Eddie is about to divulge is extremely dangerous and will change Dora's life!
Blue Hollow is a seriously addictive book. It was Taut, Tense, Gripping, Twisty, Dark, Mysterious and had me hooked the whole way through.
There are some shocking discoveries that some may find hard to read.
But this was one of those books that no matter how dark it got, you couldn't resist turning the pages for more!
The characters are perfectly written, complex and so many twists you never know who to trust!
So if you are looking for a highly Compulsive, Fast Pace, Very Twisty, Crime Thriller then I highly recommend reading Blue Hollow!
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0... -
“Blue Hollow: A Thrilling Mystery With A Wicked Twist” is the second book in as many months that I have read from a UK author which has delivered on its promise. Cheryl Rees-Price, who is Welsh, published what appears to be her sixth and latest novel in 2021, careful to warn her readers that it’s written in “British English.” So far so good, I thought: At least it wasn’t written in Welsh.
As far as delivering on her promise, if Oliver had not been an orphan, her book would have more Twists than his family tree. The trick is for me to write a review without revealing them.
Dora Lewis, who is 38 years old, lives alone in a small Welsh village. Her two grown daughters are away at school. Her husband of twenty years had recently abandoned her for another woman. She is barely able to make ends meet as a freelance writer. Her mother lives in the same village and so does a lifelong friend of her deceased father she calls Uncle Eddie.
Her Uncle Eddie had a rough childhood. At age 8 he and his younger sister were physically and emotionally malnourished by their unfit alcoholic mother, so social services placed them in a home with other disadvantaged children. Speaking of Oliver Twist, this home and its cruel headmaster could have been taken from the pages of Charles Dickens. But even Dickens could not have contemplated the evil that was housed at Blue Hollow.
Eddie, now old and sick, wants Dora to write his story, “to put things right” he says — a story about missing kids (and one kid in particular) he is convinced that powerful people will stop at nothing to prevent its publication. He gives Dora one of five tapes he dictated; the other four are in the hands of friends who had been his boyhood companions at the home for disadvantaged children. The “home” of the missing kids.
Dora will need to find those friends located far and wide and listen to the remaining tapes to learn the rest of Eddie’s story — a story filled with mystery and dread, suspense and surprises, crime and corruption, revenge and redemption, and indeed, as advertised, a wicked twist at the end with a stunning revelation.
It is a pleasure to discover an author like Cheryl Rees-Price who knows how to tell such a haunting and horrific story so well. My memory is not getting better with age, but this is a book I will not soon forget. -
Fantastic story with many twists
I didn’t guess the biggest secret until just before it was revealed in the book. That’s unusual, I usually pick up on things a lot faster.
This is a fascinating story with sixty years of secrets gradually unfolding as our protagonist is thrust into a new and unanticipated chapter in her life. There’s child abuse, murder, police corruption, and even a secret cult. There’s compassion, friendship, family, and love.
I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil it for you. Just get a copy and read it. You’ll be glad you did. -
Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources and the author Cheryl Rees-Price for allowing me to be part of the blog tour for this amazing book.
WOW! WOW! WOW! 5⭐️
This book was absolutely brilliant, it kept me hooked from the minute I started it and was a real page turner.
I couldn’t read it in one go as I found I needed to have breaks to emotionally take it all in and process!
What a plot!!!!
Fantastic characters!!!!
Great writing!!!!
Full of crime and thrills and spots of romance!
It had me in tears at the end!
My words will never give this book justice! -
Blue Hollow is the story of Dora, who accidentally gets involved in a 40-year-old mystery, that results in her being unable to trust anyone, not even the police. In this rapidly paced novel, we watch her life be upturned, with very few answers coming, except in the form of a series of tapes her Uncle Eddie recorded. The first problem? Each tape is with someone different, and she must get to them to get the next chapter, all while avoiding everyone who do not want the story heard. I’ll preface this review by saying this story excited me, and if you love an incredibly well-crafted mystery thriller, this will be right up your alley.
The novel opens with a young boy, who isn’t named, waking up in the middle of the night, freezing cold, and needing the restroom. He has two options. Either he wets the bed, which has resulted in the constant humiliation of another boy who took that option, or he sneaks out to the toilet block behind the house. If he’s caught out of bed, he’ll be beaten… but in his mind, that’s the better option, so he goes. Once outside, he hears voices. There’s a church on the property, and as there’re candles lit inside, it seems that’s where the voices are coming from. The boy hurriedly relieves himself, and then goes to have a snoop… but once he gets to the church, he witnesses a gruesome crime. The next chapter is set in the present day, but through the incredibly clever storytelling device of using the tapes, we’re transported back in time repeatedly, to slowly discover what the boy saw, and overall, what was happening, from Eddie’s perspective. We’re also given tidbits by other characters, as the plot rolls, and even an internet search near-ish the beginning, but for the most part, the tapes are where we get the bulk of our information. This does something very intriguing, in that there are flashbacks, but they’re slotted in carefully, and with reason. The story simply doesn’t jump back. It also allows the tapes to be heard out of order, giving information when its needed, not when it’d naturally fall in the timeline. This also allows for a lot of context to be given, as Eddie is telling his story with the purpose of it being hashed into a book or just told to someone else later. But and this is important – he doesn’t recap what he’s said before. All of this gives a lot of freedom, but does so in a fascinating, wonderfully orchestrated way. My absolute favorite part was when we’re privy to tape 3, but haven’t heard tape 2 yet, and when I mentioned he doesn’t recap? This keeps the meat of the ambiguity in place. This has been carefully plotted, and it’s obvious a lot of work has gone into extending the tension as long as possible, without reaching the snapping point. That alone takes a lot of work, but to do so with everything else is a work of an amazing storyteller.
Something else I loved about this, was the way the author utilized the devices of ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’ or ‘how can I make life difficult?’, which both allow for excitement, and nothing being given to the characters. It’s not necessarily unforeseen, but it’s always satisfying to watch people have to think outside the box, or survive, when everything is working against them. When we first meet Eddie, he’s a paranoid, highly distrustful man, who wants to tell Dora his story, but knows he’s opening her up to evil. This, if nothing else, is a stunning rehashing of Pandora’s box – once the past is even minutely brought up, everything tumbles out. If you enjoy novels where it’s obvious the author won’t sacrifice what must happen because it might be unkind, this is something to check out. Everyone is expendable, so it’s best not to get attached to anyone – which for avid readers and TV and movie watchers, is amazing, as so many stories become unrealistic in how many people get away totally unscathed.
I mentioned the pacing at the very start but would like to bring it up once more. This is fast. I used the analogy of everything tumbling out, and that’s totally how this felt. Once Dora peeked behind the curtain, the world flipped. It’s much like a great action in that regard, and I adored the active movement. This is brisk, but gets a lot done in a tight amount of time, without sacrifice. There’s nothing saggy about this story. The added bonus is this is not a short read. It’s a chunky book, at 450 pages on my ereader – so if it’s fast, and doesn’t dawdle, you know a ton is going on, leaving tons of room for exploration. This is an exceptionally satisfying read in that regard. I can’t recall a moment where I wished things were snappier, nor a time when I felt something had been missed, or I was lacking information I needed. I mean yes, you’re not given everything quickly, but you have what you need, when you need it. I’d also add that you learn who is giving accurate information, and who is unreliable, which adds an extra layer of obscurity. I couldn’t get enough of the discovery element here, and tied in with the pacing and present movement, creates a very exciting novel.
Character wise, this really surprised me. Not in a bad way, but there’s something impeccably likable about the people we get to know. They’re not necessarily meant to be likable, but they’re endearing in a beautifully written way. My favorite was Charlie. I don’t know what it was about him, and I don’t know if I could even try to form it in words if I wanted to, but I loved him. Eddie too. The band of brothers in the tapes’ story are wonderful, and they win you over effortlessly. Dora too, but I definitely veered toward the guys more. This isn’t character driven, per say, but there is a healthy amount of thought and inner monologue, which adds another layer to the delivery. Dora and Eddie are two vastly different narrators, which showcases the level of development put into them, but that goes for everyone. Again, Charlie was just my babe, and I think with the size of the cast, even though it’ll sneak up on you, you will get attached to someone.
So, just to keep everything neutral, did anything not work for me? This might surprise you, but yeah. It’s minor, but I’d have taken the grit and grime further. Not the gore so to speak, as I think there’s a point where it’s gratuitous, but there are deeply moving scenes where the author is unafraid to be ugly, but not jump shocking. There’re also scenes where the scare factor is there, but delivered in a well-crafted, not body horror manner, such as the letter opener part, and then there are some shockingly tame moments that could’ve been taken up to that ‘oh snap’ level. It’s such a petty thing, but what springs to mind is the woman in the cream coat. That entire scene didn’t do it for me, and I wanted a lot more given, not assumed. I know that means literally nothing right now, but yeah, it just didn’t float my boat. I think I’d also have preferred some of the names to be more different. Julie and Jenny spring to mind, as do Dora and Denny. Hell, Jenny and Denny. It’s again, a total minor point, but when you’re speeding through pages to get that fix, the variations make it easier to keep track. Otherwise though, nothing untoward comes to mind, so really, it’s all simply my preference. -
Outstanding!
This is one of those books you just can't put down...at least I couldn't. How does one deal with the horror of a loved one's murder? Then to find he has left you with secrets that will put you in danger. What happened to those lost boys so many years ago that makes them willing to die to bring those responsible to justice? -
Nicely done “why done it” woman in peril tale
Dora’s Uncle Eddie, suffering from terminal cancer, entrusts her with a dictated memoir, part one of four. When Eddie is killed before disclosing anything further, Dora is left with a mystery to solve, right a long-standing wrong, and claim her rightful heritage, despite her mother’s objections. -
Another great book from this author. I did guess the twist in the book, but that may because this is the genre I read most of the time, so I do tend to see the twists before they are revealed. Having said that it was still an excellent read, the storyline could be very harrowing at times, and sadly not as far fetched as some people may think.
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Well this was a pleasant surprise. Wasn’t sure what to expect as around on my kindle and decided to read! Very good story and really drew me in. Was a little bit annoyed by Dippy Dora in places but she came round!! I guessed where the story was going, and although quite amateur, I really enjoyed and would like to try more by this author.
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Well written, excellent plot - lots of twists and turns ( some easily guessed some not so much). I felt the ending was a bit rushed.. book could have been another few chapters long but overall an excellent read and highly recommended.
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This deals with some very dark material. Dora is pulled into a story by her uncle who has a bit of a shady background. As the story progresses, Dora keeps learning more about a place called Blue Hollow and what happened to the children there.
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3-1\2 stars
Interest-keeping plot. Some profanity and sexual content. h
Charismatic characters involve the readers however, some situations may be hard for certain tastes (child molestation). -
I love a twisty mystery.
