The moment I finished reading "Traces Of Her", I came back to the profile of the publisher and browsed through it, hoping to find yet another amazing read. The moment I saw the cover and the title, I was intrigued and I went on to read the description. The description stirred my interest and I went on to grab it! And I am so happy to say that I am so glad and happy to have picked this book!

Jacob Reese lives a quiet and satisfying life in The Hollows, a small victorian town, with his dog, Murphy. Owning Groundworks, a coffee shop which has received an offer to be turned into a franchise and a cottage which is one of the top suggestions on Be My Guest, the only thing weighing him down is his grave mistake in the past. But he is living a good life where nothing can go wrong until one day, a woman resembling his ex-girlfriend, Laura, books a night in the cottage and bringing his nightmares into life. His life starts to spiral downwards after suspicious events start to happen, messing with his life and his head. He knows that Laura is dead. He has seen her die and he knows there is no way she could've survived. He also knows he is the only one who knows the secrets of his time with Laura but now, he is certain that someone else must know something about it.

As a dark and suspenseful mystery-thriller, this book is rightly-paced, gripping, interesting, engrossing, eerily creepy and a perfect Halloween read! From the very first page, Steve makes sure he grabs the attention of the reader by their collars. The plot is woven very beautifully and the writing style makes the reader's experience vivid with fogs of suspense hanging just around the corner. Most of the twists and turns are unexpected and slaps you with the perfect amount of suspense. The characters are all perfectly developed and are given the right amount of importance. I am sure that whoever read/read this book has had/will have their hearts won by Murphy! The only complaint I have about the book is it's ending. I get that we are supposed to judge and decide ourselves what he must've done but it feels more like a cliffhanger than an ending. That disappointed me a bit.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed and loved reading this book. I will be sure to keep an eye out for the upcoming books by the author!

Recommended: Reading this book takes only a couple of hours and can be a fun commute read. I would read this book again and I would suggest anyone who loved mystery/thrillers to check this book out.

Dark Hollows is an easy read, mysterious and so addictive that you’ll not be able to put it down. I’ll say from the beginning that I started this book during a flight and when I landed I almost finished it, I was so absorbed by the story that the trip passed like an exhale!
This is a mysterious read, but since the beginning you can feel that there’s something more behind the mysterious ex-girlfriend that Jacob Reese seem to have seen. We will see some flashbacks from the past to let the reader discover the truth about all the mystery, but you can sense that Jacob is not a bad person, he is not perfect but is trying to live peacefully and not wrong anyone. On the other side “Laura”, the woman he thinks he has seen, seems to have a secret agenda to make him pay. But for what? Is Laura really dead?
I’ve read so many psychological thrillers that some of the “questions” of the story I saw the result before the ending, but the story is not really about Laura being dead or alive but more the story and what happened in the past.
I’ll admit that I really liked how Steve French wrote the story, it was like being part of it without even noticing that you are reading it, the story flows through you. The characters are really well described and the story is interesting to keep the reader guessing for the truth.
I am used to read psychological thrillers where the main character is a woman and everyone thinks that she is crazy, it was refreshing that it was a man seeing hallucinations and that the world is falling behind his feet!
I would really recommend to anyone to read Dark Hollows, it will abduct you from the first page!

This was a good read and I loved the added relationship between Jacob and his dog Murphy. My only issue was that it read more like a diary and that sometimes felt like I was reading an essay versus a book.

This is a pretty good thriller with an interesting plot and an OK ending. It is mostly engaging and shows that the author has talent. Probably not for mystery connoisseurs (who have very high standards). 3.5 stars

I really appreciate the review copy!!

The thing that got me most interested in the novel to begin with is that it is told from the male perspective through the entire book. That hardly ever happens in the thriller genre and I really loved that about this book. The twist is the only thing I am unsure of! I just don't know if its real or believable but I know that crazy has no bounds and I did really enjoy this one. It was a fun, fast paced novel with very vivid imagery. I would love to go visit a town like The Hollows because of how quaint it sounds. I love that the plot kept you on your toes and I couldn't have guessed the ending even if I tried!! It was a read that helps to get you out of a slump because of how quickly it moves. I read it in one day! I ended up empathizing with the main character and trying to guess the full picture. In the process, I missed major details. 3 star read from me!

The cover and synopsis for this book caught my attention, but sadly this one fell flat for me.

We meet Jacob Reese, a man who is enjoying a quiet life in the Hollows with his dog Murphy. He owns a coffee shop and rents out a little cottage on his property. When a guest shows up that looks like his ex-girlfriend it completely shatters his peaceful life he’s created. His ex-girlfriend Laura is dead, he knows this to be true. But whoever this guest is, she’s completely messing with his head and his life. Jacob has secrets of his own from his time with Laura, things he hoped would never surface, but someone must know something.

This book started off strong, the quaint setting was intriguing and it had some suspense building that held my interest. However, the storyline just became so far fetched and the big reveal didn’t have any shock value. I was hoping for more suspense and more of a satisfying ending.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ digital for this advance reading copy. This book will be published 12/6/19.

I’d like to start off by saying that I had no idea this one would go down on my list of favorite thrillers this year. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this book! The whole concept of a Vermont cottage, a man living with his dog, owning a coffee shop and narrating the story really drew me in for its originality. Although it isn’t easy to come out with such a great plot, it is even more difficult to make it into a crippling, anxiety inducing, twisted, and haunting page turner. Steve Frech accomplished both. It was so fast paced at times that I caught myself skimming through paragraphs just to find out what happened next. I was that invested in the story and you really can’t help but start rooting for Jacob Reese, despite his flawed, but multifaceted personality. There were also a couple of twists in the story that I couldn’t have guessed in spite of being familiar with the genre and its usual tricks. I thought that the ending was fitting and left it open for interpretation- I’d say, much like Verity: a cliffhanger. But it satisfied me nonetheless. If you’re looking for a fast paced and easy read, I’d suggest you pick this one up right away. I don’t think I’d ever heard of Steve Frech before, but a quick search showed me that he has a Podcast. I’ll be looking out for his name now, because he might just have made himself a name as an up and coming, contemporary thriller writer.

This was a quick and entertaining read. I read it in one sitting while on a plane and the hours just flew by. I liked how the book concentrated on the story without too many bypasses and subplots. The author goes straight to the point from the beginning and it stays that way until the end.

Jacob lives with his dog Murphy in The Hollows, a small town in Vermont. He runs a coffee shop and rents out a little cottage to tourists. Things are going well for him but there is something in his past that’s gives him nightmares and makes him supercarefull about other people. Usually he is very picky to which he rents out his cottage. But out of curiosity he gives in to the request of a woman who just wants to stay for one night although she does not fulfill his criteria. But something disturbs him about her. She reminds him of his ex-girlfriend. The next day the woman is gone without a word but she leaves a disturbing note in his guestbook. Jacob is already haunted by the things that happened in his past and to his ex. But it gets worse by the minute and his quiet life goes south.

The book draw me in immediately and I liked how focused this story is told. This is a highly entertaining and easy read. I liked Jacob. He is a good guy but he is also flawed and you can see how quickly your morals disappear when your own life is at the stake. I also loved his relationship to his dog Murphy. Steve Frech can write in an easy and unpretentious way which I really enjoyed.

Jacob Reese lives in a small town called The Hollows, Vermont with his dog, Murphy. He leads a quiet life with his canine companion. He owns a cottage that faces his home that he rents out to holidaymakers as well as running the local coffee shop.

Jacob is normally very picky when it comes to his cottage guests, choosing to only go with ones who have been previously stayed at other homes on the tourism website ‘Be Our Guest’ he rents through. When a young woman with no previous rentals asks for a one night stay at his cottage there is something about her that makes him say yes. However, when she arrives he’s not sure he was right to allow her to stay as she is giving off a serious vibe.

The next morning the woman is gone, but the cottage has been left open wide and nothing inside has been used or touched except for the guest book where there is a written note stating ‘Laura Aisling’. That is the name of his girlfriend who is dead. He knows it can’t be her, meaning that someone knows his secret.

Dark Hollows is a suspenseful, mystery novel that I flew through it a couple of days. The book moves along at a steady pace, never slow, never fast but keeping you hooked to the pages.

The plot is dark and creepy, what with the name of the place, The Hollows, the setting which is just Before Halloween and a possible dead girl come back to haunt her previous lover – Or has she?

We get to read all about Jacob’s present life as well as his past, in which we find out about his previous occupation and his relationship with Laura. There is also the reoccurring vivid nightmare he keeps on having to decipher.

There was plenty of tension within the pages and well as some unexpected moments as you try to figure out whether this is a supernatural story or a thriller. If you are not a fan of books with many characters then you will be happy that there are not many secondary characters in the book which keeps the main focus on Jacob.

I was a little apprehensive when I began as I realised early on that the book had very long chapters, given the copy I had, had only 17 chapters and 384 pages and that long chapters are one of my bugbears about books, however, I can honestly say I didn’t notice as I was so engrossed.

If you like books that are exciting, climatic, and keep you on your toes then this is a must-read for you. My tiny disappointment was that I wanted the book to keep on going as I wanted to know what Jacob had decided!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that kept my attention.
Jacob has a decent life now after a tough patch in college. Now the past has come back to haunt him. Lots of mystery going on and I love trying to figure out the who done its I did not figure this one out.
I was a little disappointed with the ending though.
A big thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This was a very interesting read. The setting, The Hollows, was quite vivid, the writing was very descriptive. However, the mystery itself could have been improved.

Great Book! I could not put it down. Read the book in one day. Had me guessing until the end. But speaking on the end I hope there is a second book...the end does leave you hanging.

This is one of those books that was impossible to put down as soon as I started to read. I couldn't help but rooting for Jacob, even while his conscience was definately guilty. I loved how he tried to build up a new life, do it the right way this time. I also fell in love with The Hollows, it sounds like one of those towns I'd want to live. The Hollows did have a kind of Stars Hollow-vibe.

3 stars

This book is spooky and creepy with an interesting premise. It is set in a small New England town which attracts tourists because of its haunted history…so it seems extremely fitting that the main character, Jacob, sees someone who looks like his dead girlfriend, Laura. The story follows Jacob’s search for the reason behind this strange appearance and readers start to find out about the “ghosts” of his past and his relationship with Laura.

The story advanced at a good pace and I was eager to know what happened with each turn of the page. I also loved the writing style and Frech’s ability to set the scene for each part of the book. However, I felt the ultimate reveal wasn’t as interesting or as clever as I thought it would be.

Overall, this was a good read but was left wanting more!

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller had some cute qualities, actually, that kept me engaged, like the fact that the protagonist has a coffee shop and a bed and breakfast (I mean, talk about cute). And I loved the fact that the setting was a town that features heavily in another author's favorite haunt. However, the thrilling part of the thriller left something to be desired. And the end of the book ended so abruptly you were left with so many questions - not just the moral ones the author meant to leave you with, but gosh darn it, what happened with the coffee shop and the bed and breakfast. Overall, an entertaining read - kind of a light, fluffy thriller, if that can even exist?

Jacob has a successful business and life, but when a woman who looks just like his dead girlfriend starts showing up, he knows that someone knows his darkest secret. This was pretty good for most of the book, but the ending seemed kind of abrupt compared to the buildup of the rest of the book. I mostly enjoyed it, even though I was unsure for most of the book what was really happening. Was it a horror story and Laura was alive? Was Jacob just crazy and imagining everything because of a guilty conscience? If it wasn't Laura, who could it be? 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

As usual for ARCs, let’s get the particulars out of the way. I was given an Advance Reader’s Copy of Dark Hollows from HQ Digital through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions are my own. And, boy, do I have them. Originally, I requested this ARC because of the mystery element and the setting. I love me a New England setting.

Things I really enjoyed:
Slice of life opening.–The set up and beginning of the story were very slice of life and I loved it. In this quaint New England town we have a guy who runs a coffee shop and a cottage rental and he and his dog Murphy are just living their life. I really loved that part of the book so much.
A quick read.–The story had enough action elements that the story never dragged and it made for a quick read. Especially in the sections of the book with shorter chapters.
The flashbacks.–This was the thing I enjoyed the most about the book. The flashbacks felt authentic because they would happen in the middle of the main character’s life. It wasn’t a separate chapter or just a dream sequence. The main character would be in the middle of a conversation and have a flashback and it all felt so real.

Things I was disappointed by:
The mystery.–The summary on Goodreads makes this book sound like more of a mystery than it was. Were there mystery elements? Sure, but it felt more like a guy being a detective rather than mysterious things happening.
Characters.–It seemed to me that we spent so much time with the main character that we never got to dive into the other characters in the story. We get a little, but by halfway through we’re on the hunt to figure out this big mystery and they sort of fall away. I think getting a chance to truly care about these characters before the mystery takes over would allow us to be more emotionally invested in their outcomes.
The ending.–I felt like it was a little ambiguous given the main character spending days agonizing over this major decision. I felt like we knew where it was going, but weren’t necessarily given a resolution.

I really recommend this for anyone who’s a fan of action, mystery, a non-police officer trying to get to the bottom of things, and a cute dog who will steal your heart. It was quick read and you do get sucked into the story. I suggest snuggling up to this book with a candle and a comfy blanket on a dark and stormy night.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from page one and did not want to put this book down. I felt that I was able to connect with all of the characters and even though Jacob made a bad decision in his past I still felt sympathy for him and wanted him to be ok at the end of the book. This was one of those books that I didn't want to end because I was enjoying the story so much but at the same time I flew through the book because I needed to know how it ended. I also totally loved the character of Murphy! I can't wait to see what this author brings us next!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net galley for the opportunity to preview Dark Hollows by Steve Frech. Jacob Reese is a successful business man - he has a lovely coffee shop, nice home, with a cottage that he rents out. Things couldn't be better - well except the nightmares.
Jacob suffers from terrible nightmares - unspeakable and scary - and they feel real. Jacob has a secret and he has fought long and hard to keep it that way. Until one day, a woman shows up at his cottage and she looks just like his ex-girlfriend - but she's dead - so who's this and what does she want.
Very suspenseful and fast paced.
3.5 stars.