The Hollow Tree - (A Shona Sandison Investigation) by Philip Miller

About the Book

"Intrepid investigative journalist Shona Sandison, gone freelance following the tragic events of The Goldenacre, is attending the wedding of her closest friend and former colleague, Vivienne. But the night before the wedding, Vivienne's reclusive old school friend, Dan, throws himself off a roof. 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. Shona sets off on a conflicted quest to find out why Dan killed himself, the meaning of the strange messages, and what happened to Vivienne's missing brother twenty 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 a small group of classmates who have held a dark secret for decades."--

Book Synopsis

This spellbinding thriller conjures a tale of forgotten crimes, the sinister rise of modern fascism in England, and the compromises and imperatives of journalism.

The second installment of the Shona Sandison Investigations is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Denise Mina.

Investigative journalist Shona Sandison is attending the wedding of her closest friend and former colleague, Vivienne. But the night before the wedding, Viv'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 Viv's missing brother twenty 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.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Hollow Tree

A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book of 2024
LoveReading E-Book of the Month

"Mr. Miller is a superb writer. One of the pleasures of his latest novel is its evocation of authentic colloquial speech across both sides of the Anglo-Scottish border. As her editor says of the sinister story that the intrepid Shona slowly pieces together, the book is 'a cracker, an absolute belter.'"
--Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

"The Hollow Tree deftly weaves into a tortuous string of mysteries, dark supernatural threads . . . A wholly unnerving tale."
―Sally McDonald, Sunday Post

"Miller is a melancholy master of atmosphere as well as a poet who knows how to cast a spell."
--Air Mail

"In his second novel about Shona, Miller has created a gripping, cerebral tartan noir thriller."
--Oline Cogdill, Shelf Awareness

"Philip Miller is an excellent writer . . . His depiction of the 'rural [and] repressed' landscape around Tyrdale enhances an absorbing mystery, full of conflict and dissolution."
--The Times (UK)

"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."
--The Herald

"This second novel is to be highly rated for mood, atmosphere, ingenuity and narrative."
--The Scotsman

"The Hollow Tree is an ingenious piece of literary work."
--Gumshoe Review

"Very fine."
--The Critic (UK)

"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

"Darkly absorbing, The Hollow Tree is a thoroughly satisfying and convincing read."
--LoveReading

"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, author of the Red Riding Quartet

"The Hollow Tree confirms Philip Miller as a powerful and unique voice in the crime fiction landscape, carving out a niche for himself at the boundaries of crime and horror. In his stories there is always much more going on than can be seen with the naked eye, and it takes a special investigative mind like Shona Sandison's to uncover the truth. It's clear that Miller has just scratched the surface of his compelling journalist which augurs well for the future: more of Shona Sandison's adventures, please. Much, much more."
--Iain Maloney, author of The Only Gaijin in the Village

"Philip Miller's latest Shona Sandison book, The Hollow Tree, starts with the embers of a mystery that slowly but persistently catch into a barn-burner."
--Raven Book Store

"Reading The Hollow Tree parallels eating a globe artichoke, leaf by leaf. Your teeth scrape the sweet richness at the bottom edge of each, but you can't reach the aromatic heart of the 'choke until you complete the disrobing."
--Strong Words That Matter blog

"Miller has written a terrific thriller full of complex characters and dramatic twists and turns."
--San Diego Book Review

"A dark and beautifully written story with sharply honed characters, threaded through with regret, death and long buried secrets."
--Live and Deadly

"An absorbing mystery, backed up by settings in Argyll and Edinburgh, incisive social commentary, and Shona's quirky detective work."
--Booklist

"Darkly atmospheric."
--Kirkus Reviews

Praise for the Shona Sandison Investigations

"The Goldenacre features a dense cast of vivid characters, not least Tallis, a tortured pilgrim worthy of a Graham Greene tale. The book--which explores through prose the interplay between light and darkness in the physical and moral worlds . . . ambitious and wonderfully realized."
--The Wall Street Journal

"This terrific art mystery is as twisty and dark (even a wee bit gruesome in places) as the 'crooked medieval lanes' and the 'brooding bulk' of St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, where this exceptional novel is set."
--Star Tribune

"A riveting, brutal journey into the high-stakes world of legacy art and inherited wealth."
--Denise Mina, author of Conviction and the Garnethill trilogy

"One of a kind and loaded with original plotting."
--Toronto Star

"A first-class thriller."
--The Times (UK)

"Unputdownable."
--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"As a novelist, he [Philip Miller] constructs an intricate and intelligent plot and peoples it with richly imagined and deeply realized characters. As a poet, he composes strikingly crafted descriptions . . . And as an experienced journalist, he captures the continuing diminution of print newspapers as they pursue 'digital transformation.' An authoritative work on art and an accomplished work of art, The Goldenacre also represents a shrewd study of family dynamics and a splendid sample of literary crime fiction."
--The Free Lance-Star

"A gritty, propulsive and moving thriller that makes important points about art, wealth and class."
--Kirstin Innes, author of Scabby Queen

"Outstanding . . . In a style recalling the brutal dreariness of le Carré, Miller describes a pivotal character as 'sharp and severe as a snapped bone.' It's also an apt description of this biting tale of society in decline. Noir fans won't want to miss it."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

About the Author

Philip Miller lives in Edinburgh. He was a newspaper journalist for twenty years, and was twice named Arts Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards. His previous novels include The Blue Horse, All the Galaxies and The Goldenacre; and his poetry has been published online and in print; his first poetry collection, Blame Yourself, will be published in 2024.