Hell Hollow / Ronald Kelly Cemetery Dance / October 2009 Reviewed by: Famous Monsters of Filmland
Literature Review: Hell Hollow by Ronald Kelly
August 20th, 2009
(Originally posted by pete)
From out of a shadowy backwoods hollow, echoes a dark threat from the
past, nearly a century lost and forgotten.
The rural town of Harmony, Tennessee possessed a disturbing secret; a
secret so ancient that most of its residents were completely unaware of it.
Even the last survivors of a vigilante raid long ago have filed the tragic
events of that autumn night away, totally unaware of the evil that remains,
dormant, but forever patient, among the tall pines and thick-leaved kudzu of a
place known only as Hell Hollow.
There it would have remained, unrevealed, if not for a handful of
unknowing participants. Four kids, bored for excitement during one of the
hottest summers on record. A killer on the run, dodging his latest atrocity.
And a rape victim on a deadly mission scarred in both body and mind. All have
a hand in bringing forth an unspeakable evil from the dark woods of Hell
Hollow.
He is a skeletal figure in top hat and tails, brandishing a handful of
magical cards and a patented elixir that was brewed in the very depths of
Purgatory.
Ronald Kelly makes his triumphant return with an absolutely
stunning book. Hell Hollow is storytelling at its finest.
A coming of age tale of four friends faced with an evil thought long dead
and mostly forgotten. A deranged killer and one of his victims set on a
collision course with Harmony Tennessees long buried secret.
Ronald Kelly uses his extraordinary storytelling skills, to weave a
tale of horror, friendship, family and redemption.
Ron's writing is dark, yet hopeful; his descriptive prose drips with
atmosphere. He sets you in the rural world of Harmony Tennessee and manages to
convince you that you are actually there.
His characters, especially the four friends are breathing living entities.
You will grow to feel for these wonderful creations and all that they go
through.
You will laugh, you will cry and you will be frightened.
One thing Mr. Kelly doesn't do is wallow in explicit gore and
violence that is prevalent in a lot of todays horror. He leaves it up to his
readers' imaginations. If you like your horror atmospheric, suspenseful and
character driven, this book is for you.
Ronald Kelly left the world of horror fiction for ten years, let's
hope he is back to stay.
I highly recommend Hell Hollow for all Ronald Kelly fans
and for those of you that have not had the pleasure, Hell Hollow is a
great place to start.
