If Edgar Allan Poe and Clarice Starling had a lovechild raised on smut and psychological thrillers, it would probably write something like Lovely Violent Things by Trisha Wolfe. This second installment in the Hollow’s Row series is a fever dream of obsession, trauma, and twisted romance—equal parts seductive and sinister. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you like your love stories with a side of blood and philosophical madness, buckle up.
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🧠 Plot Summary: Freud Meets Hannibal in a Gothic Motel
Halen St. James, criminal profiler and trauma magnet, is back in Hollow’s Row, a town that seems to run on murder and existential dread. She’s been hired to consult on a case involving not one, but two killers: one who’s offering gruesome sacrifices in pursuit of ancient philosophy (because why not?), and another who’s a walking red flag from her past—Kallum Locke.
Kallum, the chaos magician and former asylum resident, is the kind of villain who makes you question your morals and your libido. He’s back, and he’s not just haunting Halen’s memories—he’s actively trying to unravel her reality. As the investigation spirals into a psychological labyrinth, Halen must confront her own fractured mind, the truth about her past, and the dangerously magnetic pull of Kallum.
The book is a slow descent into madness, wrapped in poetic prose and laced with philosophical musings. Think True Detective meets Wuthering Heights, but with more knife play and sexual tension.
🧛♂️ Characters: Beautiful Monsters and Broken Minds
Halen St. James Our heroine is a walking contradiction: brilliant yet broken, fierce yet fragile. She’s haunted by trauma, driven by justice, and deeply entangled in a toxic, obsessive relationship with Kallum. Her internal monologue is a mix of poetic despair and razor-sharp insight. She’s not your typical damsel—she’s the moth who knows the flame will burn her and flies in anyway.
Kallum Locke The chaos magician, the devil incarnate, the man who makes you say “I need therapy” and “I need him” in the same breath. Kallum is manipulative, seductive, and terrifyingly intelligent. He’s the kind of villain who quotes Nietzsche while licking blood off his fingers. Wolfe writes him with such intensity that you’ll hate yourself for loving him.
“I’ve tasted Halen St. James, my muse of heartbreak. I’ve sank my teeth into her tender flesh, lapped at her tears, marked her as mine…” —Kallum Locke
Supporting Cast Honestly, they’re mostly there to be murdered, manipulated, or mildly traumatized. The focus is squarely on the twisted dance between Halen and Kallum, and everyone else is just collateral damage.
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Proceed With Caution (And Maybe a Therapist)
This book is DARK. Like, “don’t read this on a sunny beach” dark. Wolfe doesn’t shy away from graphic content, and the trigger warnings read like a checklist of human suffering:
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Graphic violence and gore
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Sexual assault and rape
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Torture
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Cannibalism (yes, really)
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Mental illness and institutionalization
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Emotional and physical abuse
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Drug use and addiction
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Self-harm
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Panic attacks
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Miscarriage
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Child abuse and death
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Toxic relationships and gaslighting
If you’re sensitive to any of these, this book may not be for you. Wolfe does provide a full content warning list on her website, which is a thoughtful touch in a genre that often skips the disclaimers.
🔥 Tropes: Dark Romance Bingo
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Enemies to Lovers: If “enemies” means “he might kill her” and “lovers” means “she might let him.”
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Obsession: This isn’t love—it’s a psychological hostage situation with lipstick.
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Morally Gray Characters: Everyone’s a little bit evil, and that’s the point.
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Unreliable Narrator: Halen’s mind is a haunted house, and we’re just wandering the halls.
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Villain Love Interest: Kallum is the blueprint for “I can fix him” delusions.
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Trauma Bonding: Their relationship is basically a case study in toxic attachment.
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Philosophical Musings: Nietzsche, Plato, and chaos theory walk into a murder scene…
💬 Quotes That Slap (and Sting)
Wolfe’s prose is lyrical, haunting, and occasionally unhinged—in the best way. Here are a few gems:
“It’s easy to be tricked when you believe your own lies. And, oh, how my little Halen loves her pretty lies.”
“The moth is attracted to sweetness—and my little Halen is the sweetest damn thing.”
“He’s the devil. And she’s his wicked game.”
These lines are dripping with menace and desire, perfectly capturing the book’s tone: seductive, dangerous, and emotionally devastating.
🤡 Humor Break: If This Book Were a Dating Profile…
Name: Kallum Locke Age: Timeless, probably immortal Occupation: Chaos magician / suspected serial killer Hobbies: Philosophizing, gaslighting, blood rituals Turn-ons: Emotional instability, poetic suffering Turn-offs: Boundaries, therapy Looking for: A muse to destroy and adore
🧩 Final Thoughts: A Beautiful Nightmare
Lovely Violent Things is not a book you read—it’s a book that consumes you. It’s messy, intense, and unapologetically dark. Wolfe doesn’t just flirt with taboo; she French kisses it in a back alley. The romance is toxic, the plot is twisted, and the prose is hypnotic.
Is it perfect? No. Some readers may find the pacing uneven, the philosophical tangents indulgent, and the romance deeply problematic. But that’s the point. Wolfe isn’t writing a love story for the faint-hearted—she’s writing for the ones who crave chaos, who find beauty in broken things, and who want their fiction to bite.
If you’re into dark romance that makes you question your sanity and your taste in men, Lovely Violent Things is your next obsession.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 blood-stained roses Recommended for: Fans of Hannibal, The Mindfck Series*, and anyone who’s ever said “I love morally gray characters” and meant it.
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