Five days in the history of a small rural town, visited and infected by darkness, are recounted by Evil itself. A stunning high-concept thriller from the author of Good Samaritans.
SYNOPSIS:
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.
MY THOUGHTS:
This was such a unique read, narrated by Evil, about a killing spree in a small community mainly targeting young children and mothers; definitely not for the faint-hearted. I loved the way the story was structured and set-out on the page, it made for a quick read although the content was quite hard due to the nature of the brutal attacks. If you have read Will Carver's previous Detective Sergeant Pace novels then you will be familiar with the character DS Pace and the internal battle he is facing. If you haven't read the previous book Nothing Important Happened Today then you are kept well informed about Pace's mental turmoil as you read Hinton Hollow Death Trap which can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
I must confess there were quite a few scenes in the book where the writing was so vivid I had to take my eyes away from the page to bring me back to the present. These scenes did cause me some distress as they were harrowing, unprovoked attacks that left me saddened. I applaud Carver's writing ability as I was completely captivated by this novel and it became a nightmare that I couldn't escape. What was really clever was that the book was set in an ordinary town, Hinton Hollow, where a community of ordinary people lived and the crimes taking place had a profound effect on everyone. This made it feel personal where no-one was safe. I very much become emotionally involved with the story and it felt like a very realistic scenario, which was both alarming and spine-chilling.
At times this did remind me of The Book Thief but on a much more terrifying level. It is such a chilling tale, where all things evil are brought to the forefront. I did enjoy reading the narrative and thought that Evil raised some interesting points which would make for an excellent discussion. One point in particular was that Evil cannot cause people to do bad things, he can only nudge them gently in the right direction but after that it is down to the humans to cause the chaos. I particularly enjoyed the ending of the book where after such a roller coaster of a read there was a calmness, Day 6, entitled A Moment. Surprisingly, here was a poignant message given by Evil and it knocked me for six. The message simply urging you to stop, to take stock and make changes now. It was totally unexpected and cast a whole new light on Evil, changing my perception instantly.
I can honestly say this book completely pushed my buttons and left me with all sorts of different emotions whilst reading. As a reader and blogger you are always looking for that one unique book to shine out from the others and to challenge you, and I have to say this book is definitely the one to do just that. The jury is still out on my feelings about this book and writing this review has made me even more confused. Simply put, this is a book you just have to read.
Many thanks to Random Things Tours and Orenda Books for inviting me to join the Hinton Hollow Death Trip, what an exhausting but invigorating read!
AUTHOR:
Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series.
He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age eleven, when his sporting career took off.
He turned down a professional rugby contract to study theatre and television at King Alfred’s, Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company.
He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition company, and lives in Reading with his two children. Good Samaritans was book of the year in Guardian, Telegraph and Daily Express, and hit number one on the ebook charts.
