Hollow Spaces

A Novel

By: Victor Suthammanont

Narrated by: Feodor Chin

The only Asian American partner at a prestigious law firm sees his professional and personal life demolished when he is put on trial for murder. Three decades later, his children reunite to uncover the truth and try to salvage what remains of their family.

Thirty years ago, John Lo was acquitted of the murder of an employee he was having an affair with. The repercussions of that long-ago event still haunt his adult children. Brennan, a lawyer following in her father’s footsteps in more ways than one, has always maintained that the trial got it right. Hunter, a disgruntled war correspondent whose similarities to his father run more than skin-deep, believes their father got away with murder. Their opposing convictions have pushed them apart. Now, spurred by their mother’s failing health, the estranged siblings decide to reconcile their differences by reinvestigating the murder to come to a definitive conclusion.

Told in a dual timeline that moves between John’s perspective thirty years prior and Brennan and Hunter’s present-day investigation, Hollow Spaces is a moving portrait of a flawed man’s shocking fall from grace and a gripping exploration of race in corporate America, filial loyalty, ambition, and the fallout of a sensational trial for those caught in its wake.

©2025 by Victor Suthammanont. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Cerebral, sexy, and provocative, Hollow Spaces is a can't-put-down exploration of marriage, infidelity, and murder. Every page is steeped in sophisticated commentary on the far reaching effects of violence. A smart, compelling read that pays particular attention to the nuances of family and what both brings people together and tears them apart."—Lo Patrick, author of The Night the River Wept

"Fast-paced and suspenseful, Hollow Spaces by Victor Suthammanont exposes deep fault lines that run through a family and the American justice system. Decades after a murder acquittal that nonetheless destroyed their father, his children seek out the truth and a way forward. A compelling debut."—Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City

"Victor Suthammanont has given us a layered, gorgeously written novel about the limits of courtroom justice and family duty. If I didn’t know for certain this was a debut, I wouldn’t believe it. Hollow Spaces is a masterful piece of fiction."—Lori Rader-Day, award-winning author of The Death of Us

Well crafted story

At first you don't really like any of the characters but the brother and sister grow in you. the "Now".. "Then" interweaving of the story is very well done.

Fresh new voice

Great writing and suspenseful plot that hooks you from the beginning and keeps you riveted till the end.

I didn’t enjoy the then and now switching back and forth..

I liked the way they showed how a wrongful conviction can ruin a life.. we need to be sure..

Great and compelling story

A fast paced story that kept my interest and kept me guessing. Terrific writing and excellent performance. Highly recommend to anyone who likes the legal thriller genre.

Very disappointing

With a recommendation from the New York Times, I thought the book would be worth reading. But it wasn’t. Supposedly the book is about determining whether or not John really killed his girlfriend. But most of the book doesn’t deal with that at all. It contains just a series of sexual Encounters fairly explicitly described, The issue of whether or not John murdered his girlfriend is barely discussed and described.
I almost never stop reading a book before I finish it. But this is one of those cases.