Investigative journalist Shona Sandison is attending the wedding of her closest friend and former colleague, Vivienne. But the night before the wedding, Vivienne's reclusive school friend, Dan, jumps from a roof to his death. Shona is the only witness to the suicide - and so the only person who saw the occult tattoos covering Dan's body, and heard the unsettling, mystical phrases he was uttering.

Compelled to look further into the tragic incident, Shona sets off on a quest to find out why Dan killed himself and what happened to Vivienne's missing brother 20 years prior. Despite knowing that investigating Viv's family will mean she could lose her friend forever, Shona travels to a small, forgotten town in the north of England to investigate an insular group of classmates who have held a dark secret for decades.

Haunting and hypnotic, The Hollow Tree is a return to Philip Miller's dark world of subterfuge, betrayal, and fragile justice.

About the Author

Philip Miller lives in Edinburgh. An award-winning journalist for twenty years, he is now a civil servant. His previous novels include The Blue Horse, All the Galaxies and The Goldenacre, and his poetry has been published online and in print.

Reviews

'an absorbing mystery, full of conflict and dissolution that even debates the existence of the soul... Philip Miller is an excellent writer'

-- Mark Sanderson * The Times *

'The Hollow Tree is both political noir and occult thriller, gripping yet haunting, and surely one of the best crime novels of the year'

-- David Peace

'this is writing of the highest quality'

* SNACK Magazine *

'The Hollow Tree is not short of lurid incident, but the novel's noise is embedded within a powerful sense of place and time and a real understanding of human psychology. It may be Miller's best novel yet'

-- Teddy Jamieson * Herald *

'The Hollow Tree deftly weaves into a tortuous string of mysteries, dark supernatural threads... a wholly unnerving tale'

-- Sally McDonald * Sunday Post *

'this time around it's darker and more dangerous with a large slice of devilry... it's a great crossover of genres in that it's both crime and horror... a thrilling read'

-- Alistair Braidwood * Scots Whay Hae podcast *

'A compelling and rewarding crime novel where the focus sits with a journalist as she investigates links between the occult and a death by suicide'

* LoveReading (eBook of the Month) *

'As far as crime goes, this story is up there with some of the best I've read. It was dark, gritty and the occult elements weaved a chilling thread throughout'

-- Michelle Mackenzie, 5 Stars

'This second novel is to be highly rated for mood, atmosphere, ingenuity and narrative'

-- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *

'A dark and beautifully written story with sharply honed characters, threaded through with regret, death and long buried secrets.'

* Live and Deadly Reviews *

'An ingenious piece of literary work'

* Gumshoe Review *

'This was a great, dark and atmospheric crime novel that kept me intrigued throughout'

-- Emzysbooks



Book Information
ISBN 9781846976483
Author Philip Miller
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited
Publisher Birlinn General
Weight(grams) 262g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 28mm