To say that “The Red Hollow” by Natalie Marlow loomed ominously over my reading at the beginning of February is something of an understatement. The follow-up to Marlow’s outstanding “Needless Alley” from 2023 (which just happened to be my Book of the Month for January 2024), this is another historical mystery set in 1930s Birmingham and featuring detective William Garrett. “Needless Alley” is a book that not only kicked off 2024 for me in the best possible way, but it has also helped me rediscover my love of historical crime fiction; my favourite genre, which I have been somewhat out of sorts with for a few years. Thanks to “Needless Alley,” I have spent the month of February delving into historical mysteries such as S. J. Parris’ “Heresy,” Robert Harris’ “Act of Oblivion” and one of my favourite books ever written, “Dissolution” by C. J. Sansom. And this may be my favourite month of reading since I started doing this on Instagram nearly 2 years ago. Natalie Marlow’s writing unlocked something within me that I haven’t felt for a long time.

So, as I said at the start: “The Red Hollow” has been looming ominously.

Sequels are hard, particularly in ongoing novels like this. I find that they’re never quite as good as the first instalment, at best coming out as an equal, but often with a spark that will ignite an outstanding third entry. “The Red Hollow” not only breaks that convention – it truly and utterly shatters it. “The Red Hollow” absolutely kicked my arse in the best possible way.

Picking up in 1934, “The Red Hollow” follows William Garrett as he investigates a break-in at the titular Red Hollow Hall, a male-only sanatorium run by psychiatrist Dr Moon. There are mysterious goings on at the hall, however, and the patients believe they are being menaced by an otherworldly mermaid – a creature formed by the ghost of a murdered girl intent on wrecking terrible revenge on men. Before long, Garrett and his partner-in-crime, Phyll Hall, find themselves stranded at the hall during a flood, with gruesome murders and this supernatural threat looming.

By moving away from the standard Chandler-esque noir style of “Needless Alley,” Natalie Marlow has managed to create a tale that caught me off guard almost immediately, both from a story and character perspective. There have been changes in Garrett’s life since we last saw him; he is a broken man trying to rebuild his soul, but still overwhelming impacted by the events of the first novel. Phyll, too, has much more of a personal connection to the narrative this time around, which keeps things interesting. Marlow even finds clever ways to keep characters like the wonderfully entertaining Queenie at the heart of the action. For me, though, it is all about Garrett and I am willing to go so far as calling him one of my all time favourite protagonists in crime fiction.

As the novel progresses and the layers of the supernatural are delved into (with multiple moments that feel like they’re straight out of a horror story), we come to have a clearer picture on what is happening; but, even when we think we have a firm grasp on things, Marlow’s expert plotting manages to pull the rug out from under us. I never quite felt I knew where “The Red Hollow” was going to take me next, which made the experience just as delightfully enticing as “Needless Alley.” There is a third act twist that alters the perspective on events even further and I genuinely gasped, particularly as I’m sure there is enough deliciously subtle seed planting in the first two acts to make it feel like a wallop without coming out of nowhere.

When I finished “The Red Hollow,” I could do nothing except exhale. Much like “Needless Alley,” this was an experience that bowled me over in the best possible way. As far as craft goes, “The Red Hollow” is head and shoulders above its predecessor, which is high praise given that “Needless Alley” was utter perfection. Natalie Marlow is on to something special with this series and I cannot wait for her next book.

William Garrett and Phyll, private detectives based in Needless Alley in 1930s Birmingham, are back after their bestselling debut of the same name, and have a new case to solve.

The Red Hollow moves swiftly to the the start of the case, a mysterious intruder at an isolated residential home for men with mental ill health and addiction. In the time between reading this novel and its predecessor, I did find I'd forgotten a few key bits of information but I ploughed on regardless, making a note to revisit the first book in this new series again.

The scene setting is fantastically atmospheric - the house is set in an isolated, rural spot outside of Birmingham, alongside a canal and in a hollow. As a storm moves in, the residents and visitors must do all they can to keep the rising tides from entering the house. The case of the mysterious intruder kept me guessing right until all was revealed and there was a character list to match that of a Christie novel. There is a vicar, a doctor, a member of the landed gentry and her young daughter, plus the doctor's patients, and our key characters from Needless Alley - William, Phyll, Queenie and Freddy. All are at risk if they get between the intruder and their prize.

The story continues at pace and the relentless course of events barely lets up to give the reader an opportunity to consider all the information being hurled their way, and this carries on in the same vein all the way to the epilogue. I had to stop at times and revisit the previous few pages to reread particularly frenetic scenes. It does very much reflect the increasing paranoia of the characters, however, and ramps up the tension in this very dark, nightmarish tale.

Certainly a change of scene from Needless Alley, but a welcome return of William and Phyll.

My thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Red Hollow ahead of publication, in return for this honest review.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc!

in natalie marlow's stunning sequel to 'needless alley', william and phyll continue their work as detectives in birmingham. when phyll is informed that her brother, a mentally-ill patient at Red Hollow Hall (a male-only sanitorium), has not been well, the two find themselves in the warwickshire countryside and suddenly part of a problem much bigger than themselves. patients of dr moon's sanitorium have been leaving in droves, frightened by the visits of an elusive, malevolent mermaid - the horrific reincarnation of a murdered girl taking her revenge on abusers and misogynists. tasked with finding the identity of the intruder, william and phyll find themselves tangled in a web of lies, deceit, greed and sin - all woven together by threads of the occult.

just like her debut, i loved this book. the plot was so intricately sewn together and well established and i was so invested in the storyline and the characters. i'm so glad that needless alley got a sequel and we got to dive even further into the characters of william, phyll and queenie as well as having new characters such as freddy introduced - all of the characters in this book are so vibrant and it's evident that so much time has been invested in fleshing out both their desires and faults. i'm also convinced natalie marlow is one of the only authors that can write morally grey women well - i'm so glad we got to see more of bad bitch queenie even though most of her actions are so moraly questionable. i will say, there was a slight lull in the middle of this book and i was slightly confused by certain chapters but, overall, i was so enamoured with this book and i hope there's another one on the way. if there is a next book, my only request is that william finds happiness.

and that clara gets reincarnated please i miss her.

Having been approved this on NetGalley, I decided to read Needless Alley first and feel this gave me a better understanding of the relationships and back story between Garrett, Phyll and Queenie but you could still enjoy The Red Hollow without having done so.
This was a total change in rhythm and pace, which I preferred. The descriptions and characters were well written and rounded. There was definitely an eerie atmosphere of mystery surrounding the strange murders and disappearances and the author kept me guessing till very near the end.

I enjoyed this book. The writing is amazing and characterisation perfect - the kind of noir atmosphere is built up and executed perfectly and one gets a strong sense of the time and location.
I did struggle a bit with the plot - it meandered along and then a couple of twists were thrown in, almost too quickly, changing the shape of the story but not necessarily in a perfect way.
I've given it four stars though as I absolutely love the writing style and I do look forward to reading the next book.

5 stars

An excellent read. I have read the first book which I think helps me appreciate William's angst over Ronnie and Queenie. William Garrett (Billy) is a private investigator. He works out of Needless Alley in Birmingham and has a secretary called Phyl, who also poses as a life model. Phyl & Billy are looking through the paper to see if they can pick up any work. Having in the last book alienated their usual souce. Phyl's brother is at a sanatorium. Like Billy, Freddy is a casaulty from the first world war trenches. The Doctor leading the asylum wants them to investigate a break-in. Billy & Phyl go down to Red Hollow. Phyl stays behind to spend time with her brother and William returns to Birmingham because of his son's christening. Phyl is supposed to go back on the train and meet him there...

It's a well crafted story and I found it fascinating the detail that was given and the twists and turns. If you like Peaky Blinders I think you will enjoy this dark read. Highly recommended.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of 'The Red Hollow', the second in the William Garrett series from Natalie Marlow. Once again I was faced with a fast paced romp through Birmingham and the West Midlands as gruff-but-troubled Billy and strong-but-sensitive Phyll travel to a local psychiatric facility where Phyll's brother is a patient.

What followed was a beautifully written (some of the descriptions really make my heart sing!) murder mystery with, at it's heart, a battle between good, old-fashioned crime fiction and a character-rich family saga. I loved it. All the clues were there, leading me through the many twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the last couple of chapters. Another excellent instalment of this series, and I hope for many more.

Perfect for fans of historical crime fiction who like their stories a little darker.

3.5 stars

Billy and Phyll are down-on-their-luck Private Detectives, scrabbling to make a living in the ominous build up to WWII. At the sanatorium where Phyll's shell-shocked brother is recuperating, an elusive intruder is scaring the patients and playing sinister pranks. Billy and Phyll are recruited to investigate. By the time they arrive, the situation has already escalated to murder.

This is the second book in a series and while it can be read as a stand alone, I think you'd gain a fuller understanding of the relationships with the background of the first story.

I quite enjoyed the first three-quarters of this. It was very atmospheric and I enjoyed the noir/gangster-ish writing style. The story was fast pasted and suspenseful and there were a few clever twists that took me by surprise. Unfortunately, it slowed right down in the end game and things draaagged at a snail's pace to a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion.

I received this book for free on netgalley in exchange for a review.