HOLLOW OUT THE DARK

SYNOPSIS

Award-winning author James Wade blends atmospheric prose with soul-stirring themes in Hollow Out the Dark, a gothic adventure set against a Depression-era landscape where a whiskey war threatens to decimate a small Texas town.

A veteran of the Great War, Jesse Cole is grateful for the quiet life he now leads. But when his closest friend runs afoul of local criminals Frog and Squirrel Fenley, Jesse is forced to spin his moral compass and enter a violent and volatile underworld. There he encounters corrupt lawmen, hired assassins, and a dark family secret that will upend all he once knew.

Complicating matters are Texas Ranger Amon Atkins—who arrives to investigate the Fenleys just as their empire is threatened by a deadly new competitor—and the green-eyed, raven-haired Adaline, a love Jesse thought he’d lost forever.

With resources scarce and winter falling hard on the town, a desperate Jesse must choose between the law and the lawless and find a way to survive while still protecting the people he loves.

A heart-pounding tale full of plot-twisting revelations, Hollow Out the Dark brings readers into a whiskey-fueled world where everyone has a secret, and love everlasting balances on the edge of a knife.

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REVIEW

James Wade captivates readers with his expertly crafted characters, drawing them into his stories with a familiarity that is hard to place. Set in the rural southern gothic, ‘Hollow Out the Dark’, the novel delves into the difficult choices made when honor is no longer upheld. It explores the impact of Prohibition and the Great Depression in the early 1930s, particularly in East Texas.

The story follows Jesse Cole, a war veteran who returns home to care for his late brother’s family, only to face financial hardship. Things worsen when his friend becomes indebted to moonshine runners Squirrel and Frog Fenley. Jesse is forced to decide whether to work for the Fenleys or watch his friend suffer. However, working for the Fenleys is much more challenging than he anticipated, especially when new competition enters the moonshine business. Matters become even more complicated when Jesse’s former love interest, Adaline, becomes involved with Frog Fenley.

The plot takes a dark turn when Texas Ranger Amon Atkins is assigned to investigate the murder of Charlie Cooper. While everyone suspects the Fenley boys, Amon is determined to fulfill his duty, even if it means working on the case in his spare time. The novel delves into the conflict between maintaining integrity and succumbing to corruption as the characters’ internal struggles are laid bare for readers to ponder.

James Wade’s ‘Hollow Out the Dark’ presents a gripping exploration of whether greed, brutality, and suffering are truly necessary to confront life’s challenges. Each page has thought-provoking dilemmas, compelling readers to contemplate the characters’ choices and the undeniable consequences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Wade is the award-winning author of Beasts of the Earth, All Things Left Wild, and River, Sing Out. He is the youngest novelist to win two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America and the recipient of the MPIBA’s prestigious Reading the West Award. James’s work has appeared in Southern Literary Magazine, the Bitter Oleander, Writers’ Digest, and numerous additional publications. James lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and children.

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