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.
About the Author: Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series (Arrow). He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age 11, 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, while working on his next thriller. He lives in Reading with his two children.
My Review:
Bear with me readers.. this is going to be a long, waffling, gushing review.. you have been warned!
They say there is a fine line between genius and madness and having read Will Carver’s previous books in this series I can honestly say that not only does he cross that fine line, he actually dances on it, moves it, buries it and then drags it kicking and screaming.
I’ve said it before in my review for Nothing Important Happened Today and I will say it again: Will Carver is, in my opinion, a literary genius!
I have NEVER read anything so clever, original, entertaining and dark as Hinton Hollow Death Trip and the fact that EVIL is our narrator is mind-blowingly BRILLIANT. Once again the observational parts of this book are 100% SPOT ON and become an integral part of the story. EVIL really understands the human race and when he pops his little notes and thoughts amongst the chapters you can’t help yourself pausing, re-reading and nodding your head in agreement.
Detective Sergeant Pace fresh from the catastrophe of Nothing Important Happened Today needs to get away from London, so he returns to his childhood town of Hinton Hollow, however he’s not alone.. EVIL has decided to follow him and causes havoc, mayhem and murder in this small sleepy town. The 5,120 residents won’t know what hit them when Evil decides to give everyone a little nudge towards the “dark” side of humanity.
I’m not going to sugar coat this for you – there are horrific, senseless child killings, guilt ridden suicides, violent animal tortures and murders, a disturbing serial killer targeting young mothers and five days of absolute carnage and hell all narrated by EVIL with no apology (but a slight tongue in cheek observational humour).
If you are looking for fluffy bunnies and happy ever afters then you are definitely not going to get that with this book. This is dark, twisted, horrific, sad, tragic, disturbing and harsh. It’s NOT for the feint-hearted but once again it just confirms to me that Will Carver is AMAZING.
