What do you think?
Rate this book
The Haunting of Hounds Hollow
Sometimes man's best friend is loyal for life... and beyond!
Lucas Trainer has just moved to the middle of nowhere -- a town called Hounds Hollow, where ghostly dogs prowl at night. At first, he's terrified by the nightly apparitions. But as he slowly uncovers the mystery behind the town, he learns that a ghost dog's bark is worse than its bite... and in fact the dogs are protecting the town from an even more terrifying threat.
Spooky, fun, and mysterious, this is author Jeffrey Salane's stand-alone follow-up to the Lawless series, and is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children...and dog lovers of all stripes.
Lucas Trainer has just moved to the middle of nowhere -- a town called Hounds Hollow, where ghostly dogs prowl at night. At first, he's terrified by the nightly apparitions. But as he slowly uncovers the mystery behind the town, he learns that a ghost dog's bark is worse than its bite... and in fact the dogs are protecting the town from an even more terrifying threat.
Spooky, fun, and mysterious, this is author Jeffrey Salane's stand-alone follow-up to the Lawless series, and is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children...and dog lovers of all stripes.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2018
16 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 21, 2024
A big city kid's mother inherits a house out in the middle of nowhere. They have trouble even finding the house. The town is very small, and is weird, like all small towns in these books. There are a lot of strange things going on.
Of course, the house is haunted, and the boy and his friends try to break the ghost.
Effective for this kind of novel.
Of course, the house is haunted, and the boy and his friends try to break the ghost.
Effective for this kind of novel.
October 7, 2019
When you keep nodding off while reading and the end never seems to come, you know it wasn't meant to be. I did make it to the end, but can't say it was worth it. 339 pages was too much for this story. Editing it down to 275-300 pages and simplifying the plot would have done wonders.
When a distant relative dies, Lucas and his parents find themselves the sole heirs to a large mansion in the woods. Thinking the county air might cure Lucas' breathing problems, his parents decide to leave the city for Hounds Hollow. Lucas quickly discovers things aren't right with the house. It's already huge and workers are always present, adding on. Unusual doors and passages make getting lost or hurt a real possibility. A boy and dogs appear one moment and vanish the next. New friends Bess and Len are interested in helping Lucas figure out what's going on and how it's connected to a beast roaming the woods. As they put it all together, they are sure it has to do with a house fire and the boys who once lived there with their dogs.
The story gets off to a good start as Lucas and his family arrive at the property to find the groundskeeper living in the small house they thought they were purchasing. Eartha Dobbs ends up being the best character in the entire story. Unfortunately, she doesn't make appearances that often. From here on out the plot gets muddled. This big, weird house is confusing. Some characters, including the dogs, start off mean then become nice, then become mean again. Most of the characters, including main character Lucas, are forgettable. I never fully understood the need for the house to be constantly expanding, nor the "zombie" workers. Both of these ideas could have been left out and the book would have been better. I seek easy, solid plots with great characters. This book didn't have that.
When a distant relative dies, Lucas and his parents find themselves the sole heirs to a large mansion in the woods. Thinking the county air might cure Lucas' breathing problems, his parents decide to leave the city for Hounds Hollow. Lucas quickly discovers things aren't right with the house. It's already huge and workers are always present, adding on. Unusual doors and passages make getting lost or hurt a real possibility. A boy and dogs appear one moment and vanish the next. New friends Bess and Len are interested in helping Lucas figure out what's going on and how it's connected to a beast roaming the woods. As they put it all together, they are sure it has to do with a house fire and the boys who once lived there with their dogs.
The story gets off to a good start as Lucas and his family arrive at the property to find the groundskeeper living in the small house they thought they were purchasing. Eartha Dobbs ends up being the best character in the entire story. Unfortunately, she doesn't make appearances that often. From here on out the plot gets muddled. This big, weird house is confusing. Some characters, including the dogs, start off mean then become nice, then become mean again. Most of the characters, including main character Lucas, are forgettable. I never fully understood the need for the house to be constantly expanding, nor the "zombie" workers. Both of these ideas could have been left out and the book would have been better. I seek easy, solid plots with great characters. This book didn't have that.
March 21, 2022
Fun MG horror with a good setting and main character - definitely one I would like to see more of in the future with a longer series or a just few more books.
October 31, 2018
This book was amazing! Lucas Trainer is a 10 year old boy who just moved into his great-great uncles mansion but there's something different about this mansion, something DARK. I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself by reading this book.
May 29, 2019
Lucas moves to Hounds Hollow, when he gets there strange things start happening, so Lucas, Bess and Lens decide to investigate what's happening and find out that the beast might be related to Abel.
"But the secret was, it was the same feeling Lucas had lived with for his entire live. Only he never thought about it as death. To him it was life." this is a powerful quote because it shows that Lucas accepted his illness as a part of him, which to me makes me feel motivated to accept life as it is.
Lucas trainer is a kid that suffers an unknown illness. When his great great uncle Silas Sweetwater passes away he leaves him and his family his house. Lucas starts noticing weird things about the house, for example, a mysterious kid leading him to trap doors, stairs that don't lead to anywhere, and ghost dogs. when Lucas meets Bess and Lens they tell him about the beast. together they decide to investigate the truth behind the beast. they try to find evidence of the existence of the beast, but instead, find that the beast is related to the ghost dogs and that they might be related to Abel Sweetwater, Silas brother.
I would use the word unexpected because some of the decisions that the characters choose don't make much sense unless you read carefully. Also, what they find can sometimes take you off guard. When reading this book, you need to read it carefully or twice because you just don't expect some of the actions. "The missing people been in front of him the whole time and he'd never thought twice about it.' The workers,' Lucas whispered. 'Eartha … the workers?'" To me it was unexpected that the missing people working on Lucas house ever since, it was more possible that the beast would've killed them rather then into zombie-like workers.
I used the adjective complicated because the story behind the beast is a bit complicated to understand. You have to read carefully to understand how it's connected. Some parts of the book don't much sense, and you need to know how to connect the dots. "The dogs came back, but they came back different. He couldn't control them. they were wild. He feared for the town and everyone in it. That's why he bought up so much property around here and put cameras." I choose this quote because even after reading the whole book, I still don't quite get why the dogs changed. I don't understand why they acted wild with Silas if he had raised them and taken care of them, this part just doesn't make sense to me.
I decided to use the word tragic to describe the book because the reason behind the things that happened are tragic. If some of the things that happened wouldn't have happened maybe the beast wouldn't exist, and Abel wouldn't have come back either. " 'The town' Lucas said. 'The town set fire to your house.' 'They came at night,' said Abel as he kicked the ground with his shoe. he was acting like a little boy getting restless. 'They had torches. They burned it down. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Oh but what they made was so... much... worse.' " If the town would've just let Abel have a funeral without burning his house he wouldn't be there taking revenge. Abel just wanted to feel normal even if it was at his own funeral, but since they came and destroyed the house Abel returned along with the dogs.
Someone that like mystery would probably enjoy this book. they would enjoy this book ever since it's a mystery that starts to get solved little by little and it's fun trying to solve the mystery yourself and try to find your own explanation of why the things happen.
"But the secret was, it was the same feeling Lucas had lived with for his entire live. Only he never thought about it as death. To him it was life." this is a powerful quote because it shows that Lucas accepted his illness as a part of him, which to me makes me feel motivated to accept life as it is.
Lucas trainer is a kid that suffers an unknown illness. When his great great uncle Silas Sweetwater passes away he leaves him and his family his house. Lucas starts noticing weird things about the house, for example, a mysterious kid leading him to trap doors, stairs that don't lead to anywhere, and ghost dogs. when Lucas meets Bess and Lens they tell him about the beast. together they decide to investigate the truth behind the beast. they try to find evidence of the existence of the beast, but instead, find that the beast is related to the ghost dogs and that they might be related to Abel Sweetwater, Silas brother.
I would use the word unexpected because some of the decisions that the characters choose don't make much sense unless you read carefully. Also, what they find can sometimes take you off guard. When reading this book, you need to read it carefully or twice because you just don't expect some of the actions. "The missing people been in front of him the whole time and he'd never thought twice about it.' The workers,' Lucas whispered. 'Eartha … the workers?'" To me it was unexpected that the missing people working on Lucas house ever since, it was more possible that the beast would've killed them rather then into zombie-like workers.
I used the adjective complicated because the story behind the beast is a bit complicated to understand. You have to read carefully to understand how it's connected. Some parts of the book don't much sense, and you need to know how to connect the dots. "The dogs came back, but they came back different. He couldn't control them. they were wild. He feared for the town and everyone in it. That's why he bought up so much property around here and put cameras." I choose this quote because even after reading the whole book, I still don't quite get why the dogs changed. I don't understand why they acted wild with Silas if he had raised them and taken care of them, this part just doesn't make sense to me.
I decided to use the word tragic to describe the book because the reason behind the things that happened are tragic. If some of the things that happened wouldn't have happened maybe the beast wouldn't exist, and Abel wouldn't have come back either. " 'The town' Lucas said. 'The town set fire to your house.' 'They came at night,' said Abel as he kicked the ground with his shoe. he was acting like a little boy getting restless. 'They had torches. They burned it down. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Oh but what they made was so... much... worse.' " If the town would've just let Abel have a funeral without burning his house he wouldn't be there taking revenge. Abel just wanted to feel normal even if it was at his own funeral, but since they came and destroyed the house Abel returned along with the dogs.
Someone that like mystery would probably enjoy this book. they would enjoy this book ever since it's a mystery that starts to get solved little by little and it's fun trying to solve the mystery yourself and try to find your own explanation of why the things happen.
January 25, 2019
Lucas Trainer, the boy with the mysterious lung disease, finds himself leaving his old city life behind to live in the middle of nowhere with nothing interesting about this place… or so it seems. This is the basis for a great book by Jeffrey Salane. When Lucas starts his ride to his late uncle’s old mansion, left to his family in his will, they find themselves lost in the twisting roads of Hound’s Hallow. There he meets Bess, who helps guide him and his family to their new home. No one here seems to have modern technology, and cell phones don’t work as due to the lack of mobile signal. Their new mansion seems to be normal, but something is off. There are ghosts wandering the house. Lucas has to make friends with Bess, and her friend Lens, to uncover the legend of the Beast, a mysterious being wandering Hound’s Hallow. In addition, the town has been having a spike in missing tourists, all are yet to be found. The reason the book had 4 stars was that I feel there could have been more about the exploration of the mansion. Also, when reading the excerpt from the book and Amazon description, it reveals a bit too much about the plot. Overall, I believe this is an amazing book for those who like adventure or mystery.
Reviewed by Owen B.,12, East Central Ohio Mensa (ECOM)
Reviewed by Owen B.,12, East Central Ohio Mensa (ECOM)
July 27, 2020
A well-told story that could have lost the first 100 pages. There was lots of good writing and memorable scenes. Hounds Hollow is a unique horror/mystery. The title and cover reveal it to be a dog story, but the dogs don't appear until halfway through the book. Recommend to eager readers because this plot is engaging, and the characters are relatable.
May 1, 2020
As a book for YA readers this was easy to get through. It saved all the action until the end of the book. I wish all of the characters were better developed, but as this is a YA book it's what I expected. I'm glad that the end wrapped up the many ties and was a happy ending.
March 1, 2021
This was a really good book! It was one of those books for me that when I started reading I never wanted to stop but at the same time I did want to stop. Definitely a good boo if you’re looking for a mystery!
March 22, 2023
I found the book to be decent and an overall good mystery. However, I feel it was not that enticing of a book because the plot was mostly clear from the start. I enjoyed the book, but I could basically had it solved by the time I reached half the book. Good book.
August 20, 2019
I think the book is scary enough to not read at night, but not too scary for people who don't like scary stories.
April 29, 2020
Lots of mystery.
Read
May 6, 2020Exciting book from start to finish. Easy read.
May 12, 2020
Winchester Mansion of the south with ghost puppies! excellent read!
July 27, 2020
This story was a little too long and lost me a bit between readings. I like scary books but perhaps not ghost animals.
November 17, 2020
A scary, mystery dog book. Very good
December 11, 2021
honestly put me in a book slump.
May 12, 2022
Fun read great on a dark and stormy night!!!
October 5, 2023
Good book, not to scary
October 21, 2023
The number of plot points that were thrown in only to be loosely tied together was higher than my student loans. The dogs were cute, though.
January 2, 2024
I enjoyed reading the book. Kinda forgettable in the middle near the end, but overall, I enjoyed it a lot.
June 10, 2025
I had a hard time staying engaged in this story. Only read it because the protagonist has a disability.
February 6, 2019
Lucas is ten years old and has a strange lung condition that doctors treat but for which there is no diagnosis. In an effort to help him heal, his parents are moving to a strange house in the woods around Hounds Hollow which they have just inherited. They hope that the air will be better for him than it is in the city. Strange things begin to happen even before they arrive at the mansion. Strange dreams and vague animal shapes seem to follow Lucas wherever he goes in the woods and around the house and the weird girl next door, Bess, seems to know more than she's letting on. Lucas, Bess, and another boy, Lens, begin a search to solve the mysteries of his new home. Several people have gone missing from the area including Bess' Dad. Piece by piece they unravel the mystery of Lucas' family and the disappearances and of a fire that happened long ago. What they find may even help Lucas heal as well.
A good mystery with characters that are well developed and easy to enjoy. The suspense is well built and well maintained but there are some loose threads of story lines that seem to have been lost in the primary focus of the ending. A mysterious pack of ghost dogs is an interesting premise but the story of the ghost boy seems to have very little connection to the story of the dogs when it comes to the demise of both. The inference that the ghost dogs are keeping the ghost boy from harming the town is underdeveloped and weak. This is a good book, but it is missing a few things that could make it great. The mystery of the workers who continually work on the house for example. How did the beast trap them and why on earth wouldn't Silas, the dear departed uncle, have sought help for these people, or at least have informed friends and family of their location? What happened to all of the passed out people at the town BBQ? Did the entire town suddenly understand what Lucas' actions were and what they accomplished? One infers so, but it's a bit ambiguous. All in all an enjoyable read, not too scary but a little creepy, but missing some elements that would strengthen the tale.
Read more reviews on http://byucbmr.com/
A good mystery with characters that are well developed and easy to enjoy. The suspense is well built and well maintained but there are some loose threads of story lines that seem to have been lost in the primary focus of the ending. A mysterious pack of ghost dogs is an interesting premise but the story of the ghost boy seems to have very little connection to the story of the dogs when it comes to the demise of both. The inference that the ghost dogs are keeping the ghost boy from harming the town is underdeveloped and weak. This is a good book, but it is missing a few things that could make it great. The mystery of the workers who continually work on the house for example. How did the beast trap them and why on earth wouldn't Silas, the dear departed uncle, have sought help for these people, or at least have informed friends and family of their location? What happened to all of the passed out people at the town BBQ? Did the entire town suddenly understand what Lucas' actions were and what they accomplished? One infers so, but it's a bit ambiguous. All in all an enjoyable read, not too scary but a little creepy, but missing some elements that would strengthen the tale.
Read more reviews on http://byucbmr.com/
June 18, 2022
Seeing as I’m not leaving my house as often, I find myself reading. And for once, I actually finished a book in one sitting. My sister and I had a group reading session since she will be off school as well. This book was one of hers and oddly, it was kind of nice. Admittedly, I didn’t really get hooked until like 100 pages in, but for someone in elementary school, I think it would definitely interest them. For me, the horror element was a bit juvenile, but it had a good climax. It kind of reminded me of Buzzfeed Unsolved at some points where not too many things connected until much later on. And even then, things were confusing. In any case, it was a good book ^^
Read
December 18, 2018overall i think this book is such a good book and really do hope others enjoy this book to!!!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews