Short Fiction Friday: The Whispers by Lisa Unger

Thriller maven Lisa Unger is bringing readers back to The Hollows with a trilogy of novellas this fall. The first, "The Whispers," released on Tuesday and introduces readers to Eloise Montgomery. But not really. Eloise does actually appear in the first Hollows novel, Fragile, but this is the first time we're getting her story.

Eloise's day begins like any other - she wakes her daughters, fixes breakfast, and gets both girls and their father off without a hitch. Almost.  As she races to catch up with them, she has no way of knowing that the delay will lead to tragedy.

Six weeks later, Eloise awakens from a coma and learns that both her husband and her eldest daughter have been killed in a car accident. As she and her remaining daughter attempt to move on, Eloise begins to see things - strange things that can't possibly be there. At first she thinks maybe she's dreaming, but she soon realizes that isn't the case. Somehow, Eloise's accident has left her with the ability to see things others can't. Things she can use to help the people who need it most. 

If you've never read Fragile and are just meeting Eloise and The Hollows, it's a nice prologue for things to come. If, however, you're a fan of The Hollows books and have been antsy to return there, you're in luck!

Much of "The Whispers" is simply set up for Eloise's character: her past, how she got her ability, and her first attempts to make use of that ability. The second eshort, "The Burning Girl," is due out November 25 and is set ten years after "The Whispers." The final story in the trilogy, "The Three Sisters," releases January 5 and brings back yet another familiar face, Jones Cooper!

Fans of Unger's work and The Hollows stories will love getting to know Eloise in more depth. They're also a nice diversion while we wait for Unger's upcoming release, Crazy Love You, which hits shelves in February.