Wednesday, October 13, 2010

THE HOLLOWS: Book 1 - The Ticking by Ben Larken


Title: The Hollows: Book 1 – The Ticking
Author: Ben Larken
Publisher: LL-Publications (2009)

Book Blurb: 1949: A young girl is traumatized when she witnesses a grisly murder in the forest behind her home.

1999: A loving wife disappears in the middle of the night, leaving no trace of her whereabouts.

2009: Former detective David Alders rents an apartment at a typical complex; a quiet unassuming place nestled in the outskirts of Fort Worth called The Hollows.

David is at a dead end after ten maddening years searching for his vanished wife. With mounting bills and a daughter on the verge of college, he makes the only logical choice: sell the family home, get back to work, and take a cheap apartment. His daughter, Melanie, is secretly thrilled about the change hoping it means a fresh start for their withering family.

But The Hollows has other plans...

As a new community welcomes the Alders into its midst, elusive figures watch from the periphery, waiting for their moment. On the first night, a grotesque, burnt man seizes Melanie in her bed, spewing insane ramblings before disappearing into the darkness. She struggles to convince her father what happened was real, but David has his own problems.

Like the fact that he has just woke up in the wrong day.

Welcome to a tour through the dark underbelly of the last half-century where invisible hands take you by force to the demons of your past. Where you can find terror, time travel, and murder-all for one low monthly rent. Welcome to...

THE HOLLOWS: Pray that the lease agreement expires before you do.

Review: Ben Larken's THE HOLLOWS: Book 1 – The Ticking weaves a horrifying tale of love and lost. The suspense grips the readers by the ankles and drags them along on a ride through time. THE HOLLOWS is one of the best horror books I've ever read. Larken brings the characters to life and puts the characters through so many twists and turns. At the end of this novel, I felt this book was just the beginning of the complex enigmatic world Larken created. I can't wait to read book two and other books by this fantastic horror author.