Black Hollow Hideaway

A Troubled Spirits Novel

By: J.R. Erickson

Narrated by: Brittany Goodwin

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

A stand-alone paranormal mystery inspired by a chilling true story.

When Alley is chosen for a six week writing residency in an isolated stone house, she’s elated. As a single, working mom, she’s spent most of her adult life caring for others. The residency is a dream come true, and an opportunity to finish her memoir.

However, the idyllic Black Hollow Hideaway houses a disturbing mystery. Twenty-five years ago, a 17 year old babysitter vanished from the house while watching a young boy.

She was never seen again.

As Alley unravels the twisted tale of that long ago night when the babysitter vanished, she encounters forces in the house intent on keeping the secret buried.

Need a spooky escape? Listen to Black Hollow Hideaway today.

©2022 Jacqueline R Erickson (P)2022 Jacqueline R Erickson

Black Hollow Hideaway

I loved learning about the point of view of aspiring writers and the challenges they face in the modern day, I enjoyed listening to the different Paranormal activities that happened during the Writer's Retreat as well. J.R Erkickson always leaves my jaw on the floor!

Slow to start but gripping overall

The book was slow to start. In the first quarter, the dialogue was awkward and the descriptions/info were repeatedly given so that it felt tediously repetitious. The pacing was a bit off so the spooky happenings felt dull and lifeless. The narrator was almost unbearably annoying with how her voice sounded and how she narrated. Weird pauses and ups and downs in the wrong places. I almost regretted getting the book.

I persevered, however, and was handsomely rewarded for my determination. The missing person's case got going within the first couple of hours, and I forgot about nearly everything else. I got used to the narrator and she seemed to get better as the book progressed, so that it was easy to fall into the story. The spooky bits remained a bit dull for the most part, but I was okay with that. They were a side thing with the case being the big point. And what a case! I definitely want to read more of these stories. Just preferably not with this narrator. So maybe I'll switch to the ebooks for the others.

I'd recommend the book for people who are interested in mysteries and crimes and things. If you're hoping for more horror, this might not be your thing. Hard to tell on that score. But the side of me that loves mysteries definitely loved this.

The narrator pretty much ruined it for me...

I have loved every one of Erickson's book but unfortunately the narrator was not my favorite. I really wish I had just read it myself. The narrator has a distinct pattern of reading every sentence the exact same way... she "shouts" the first couple of words every time. It kills the "tone" of getting lost in the story. It almost jars you and she's so loud with the first part of the sentence that you almost jump every time. And it doesn't matter what the sentence is trying to convey, she shouts the words out and you can't figure out if you need to turn the volume down, slow it down or what. I'm sorry but it's the truth. She just needs to tone it down and not be so bombastic. She also finishes every sentence like it's a question. Just a very sophomoric performance unfortunately. And I don't know why my review says I got this title for free... I paid for it. I was out of credits just FYI.

Eery and exciting

A writer moves into the black hollow house to write a memoir of mothers and daughters. While there, strange things happen, and the writer finds out about the very bad things that have happened in the house over the years. She decides to investigate and write a true crime story instead, but what she finds is both crime and paranormal activity.

This was a creepy story with good build-up and several interesting twists along the way. The climax was definitely a surprise and super creepy!

I love this author and the paranormal crime twist in her work, highly recommended!

Note: I received this book for free at my request and have left this objective review voluntarily.

Great Story but Narrator Ruined It

I absolutely love Erickson's work but this is one story I wish I'd read first. The narrator has absolutely no understanding of how to create dramatic tension—how to read for broadcast, period. Every sentence delivered in her too-breathy, overly earnest voice ends with an upward inflection, so it sounds like a question, even when there shouldn't be one. That's hard to listen to in a work this long, as is her tendency to rush through passages. It's such a shame; Erickson deserved so much better.

Awesome!

I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed all the books this author has written. This book had a great plot and very well written. And I really enjoyed the narrator she did a good job.

Good Plot

This started out a little slow and the characters got a little confusing at times. There are many twists and turns making it impossible to guess the “real villain. I will definitely read other books by this author.

Twists and Turns!

Loved this JR Erickson title! This story had a ton of twists and turns which really kept me guessing. It was also super suspenseful and well written. I also appreciated the narrator. A great read all around.

Awesome paranormal thriller

This story was very well done. While the true story on which it was inspired is still an unsolved case, I love how Jackie was able to spin a complete scary yarn to tell the tale to conclusion (fiction, of course). It’s amazing how she can take true crime and create something so different and paranormal. The characters were well developed; the protagonist, lovable; the storylines and plot, intriguing; and the twists, amazing. You won’t be disappointed with this one! I highly recommend!!

The Hideaway house, despite its spookiness, spoke to me on a couple levels, as I’m an artist and a freelance editor. I wish there was such a place to go just to create!!

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book directly from the author for an honest review. Another of her books I found not-put-downable was Darkness Stirring. Recommend that one as well!

Another great story

I have read several books in the Troubled Spirits Series. This was my first audiobook version in this series. Black Hollow Hideaway is a great addition to this series. I like the reference to Ashwood's Girls. The story kept me engaged from the beginning through the end. I was completely unable to figure out who the killer was.
I was really annoyed with some of the accents used by the narrator used for a few characters in the beginning of the story, but I thought her normal Narrator voice was very pleasant.
I really enjoyed this story. I would highly recommend this book and the Troubled Spirits series.