What begins as a simple plan to visit her rental island/house - Laney soon finds herself and her niece Madison in the middle of a nightmare. People she has been renting the island to have hurriedly left the island amid reports of strange things occurring on the island and the house --- but they are not the first ones to do this! When Laney arrives to travel across the lake to the island, she is unhappily surprised to find her ex-husband Kit and his sister Jayla, along with a long-ago friend Sadie and her brother Garrett, there to go with her. While the storyline is sometimes clunky, there are mysteries that need to be unraveled - and not just what is happening on the island. The history of the characters is drawn out and sometimes unexpected. Where the story goes is a twist that is somewhat expected, but not necessarily my type of story closure. Will admit that it kept me reading to find out what the heck was happening, and lovers of this genre will enjoy the book for sure. I find my rating more 3.5 than 3, but have a hard time giving it a 4 from my own personal taste. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley#HemlockIsland

This book turns from a murder mystery to horror pretty quick. It almost felt like two different books. I definitely wouldn't want to be trapped on an island with all the gruesome things that were going on.

If you look past all of the horror aspects, the writing on the connections between the character is done well. We get some backstory on Laney and her ex Kit and a whole bunch on her friend and friend's brother. Let's just say, a lot of ties between all of them that others didn't know.

I have liked Kelley's time traveling books that lend more to the mystery aspect. I thought that this was creative, but wasn't so sure about being pulled into the horror flick type detail. The ending did wrap up everything nicely though.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

This one started out really strong and then just kind of went downhill from there, but it was still a captivating read!

Following her divorce, Laney has been renting out the summer property, Hemlock Island, that she and her husband bought while they were married and she got in the divorce. She always thought they would grow old together there, so she doesn’t love the idea of renting it, but after the death of her sister and taking custody of her niece, she needs income so she decides to do it. Unfortunately, with that comes a complaint from renters who have run from the island after making a gruesome discovery in one of the bedrooms, so she decides to head over there and see for herself, expecting it to be some prank that the guests before them left for her to find. When she and her niece arrive on the island, she finds her ex husband there, and her best friend has met them there as well so that they don’t have to face whatever this is alone. But then some unexpected visitors decide they are going to join the investigation and things quickly take a dark turn.
This was an eerie blend of atmospheric horror and mystery together with an isolated island and. Occult imagery. There was lots of tension between all the characters and it’s not revealed until way into the story why that is (although it is super predictable once it is finally revealed) but the bottom line is nature gets her revenge with this one!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review

I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong and once again she does not disappoint.
Her Rockton series and A Rip Through Time are just phenomenal.
I was truly thrilled to see a new standalone horror written by her.
Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong is a true horror novel.
As always, the characters are well developed and very real.
The way she builds tension and a mystery that is captivating and interesting is just amazing to me. She crafts an immersive and masterful narrative creating a riveting twisted string of multiple unexpected reveals that propel this page-turner.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kelley Armstrong for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Hemlock Island coming out September 12, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Laney Kilpatrick rents her vacation home to strangers. The invasion of privacy isn’t ideal, but it’s the only way she can keep her treasured Hemlock Island, the only thing she owns after a pandemic divorce. But damaged property and campfires that nearly burn down the house have escalated to bloody bones and hex circles. Now terrified renters have fled after finding blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet, as though someone had tried to claw their way out. 

When Laney shows up with her teenaged niece, she discovers that her ex-husband Kit, has also been informed and is there with Jayla, his sister and her former best friend. Then Sadie, another old high school friend, charters over with her brother, who’s now a cop.

Tensions run high. Secrets in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it... But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they’re trapped with someone―or something―that doesn’t want them leaving the island alive.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite writers and I’ve read several of her books. This book was a little messy for me. I thought there was a lot of past drama that didn’t really work for the story. I feel like if they were really in danger for their lives, they wouldn’t have time to hash out old problems. They’d be in more of a survival mode. Then with everything that happened after, it was a little too much. I thought the story was definitely action packed. It was a great thriller and I think it didn’t need all the drama. I really liked the supernatural aspect and would’ve liked to see more of that.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys island thrillers.

I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan and was ecstatic when she announced she was writing a horror novel. Hemlock Island was suspenseful, scary, and addictive. Check out my review and see why this novel is perfect for the spooky season!

I love a horror story where the characters are cut off from the outside world. Armstrong mixed supernatural elements with suspense to provide a hair-raising thriller. This one might require a night light.

After her divorce from Kit, Laney Kilpatrick began renting out the island home the two of them built on Hemlock Island. The home is the only inhabitant of the island. When her latest guest complains of blood in the closet, she and her teenaged niece head to the island. At the campground where they keep their boat, they are met by Kit and Jayla, his sister and her former best friend meet them there. They are later joined on the island by Sadie, another old high school friend, and her brother, who’s now a cop.

Armstrong blends shared history between the characters with the supernatural to create a story that kept me on edge. When Sadie goes missing and a severed hand is discovered, the group soon learns someone trapped them.

I am convinced Armstrong could write any genre she set her mind to. From historical to fantasy. The story is well done and reads like this is her hundredth horror novel. Fans of Ruth Ware will want to grab this one.

Hemlock Island shares its secrets and we soon learn about Kit & Laney’s failed marriage. It’s evident from the start that these two still have feelings for one another. We learn about the rifts between childhood friends and the darkest secrets from Laney’s past.

I highly recommend adding this to your fall reading list.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kelley Armstrong for the advanced copy of Hemlock Island in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a lot different than what I was expecting and unfortunately in a way that didn't really work for me. The way this is being marketed I expected it to be pretty heavy on the horror elements, but it was more of a domestic suspense/thriller with horror and supernatural elements thrown in in the latter half of the book.

There was one big secret that definitely threw me for a loop and I didn't see coming, and I did enjoy that particular twist.

Hemlock Island will be on US bookshelves September 12!

I was excited to receive a ARC of this book, I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan! I have been enjoying her books since I first read “The Summoning” in 2008. So, it is with a heavy heart that I write this review. I really didn’t care for this book at all.

My issues were: 1) lack of depth to the characters 2) Totally implausible plot twists

It just didn’t hit the mark for me, Im just going to stick the the authors other (excellent books). I especially love the Rockton series and the stitch in time series.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

The description of this one really hooked me, and overall, it was an interesting read. My main issue was that the pacing was very inconsistent and parts of this book really dragged. But then I would read a chapter where a lot happened and be right back in. This led me to feel kind of meh about this one at the end.

The character development in this novel was very strong. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Laney, Kit, Jayla, and Madison. Their relationships felt real and realistically complicated (although at times the personal drama and the sharing of backstories felt like too much). I was definitely rooting for all four of them to survive the horrors of Hemlock Island. Even though I enjoyed the characters in this story, I wish a little more time had been spent on the horror as I sometimes felt bogged down and just wanted the story to move a little quicker.

I don’t totally know how I feel about the “big bad” in this one. It was certainly unique which I like but could have maybe been a little more explained. Armstrong’s horror scenes are exceptionally well-written and graphic, and I did find these scenes to be really intriguing. I was just left with a lot of questions. The ending also felt kind of rushed and random, and I didn’t totally love how things were wrapped up in this one.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this as an eGalley through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this. It started out terrifying in a slasher type of way but then moved to more of a creepy supernatural type of vibe. I found the first part of the book to be overly scary (I hate slasher type of horror). I enjoyed the story a lot more as it went on. This is pretty gory and violent, so if that sort of thing bothers you, I would skip it.

The story follows Laney. Laney has had a rough time of it lately; her marriage fell apart during the pandemic and her sister passed away from cancer shortly after. She is now the guardian for her niece and trying to eke out a living on a teacher's salary. Her ex-husband and her parted amiably and he left her a vacation house on the isolated Hemlock Island; a house she's been having to rent out to make ends meet. Strange things have been happening at the house and Laney and her niece end up going out to investigate. To Laney's surprise, her ex-husband Kit and his sister, Jayla, show up to help. Then a couple other old high school friends show up as well. Things start to fall apart as more and more creepy things start to happen.

As mentioned above, this starts out as a kind of creepy serial killer/slasher type of mystery and then turns into something else completely. Remnants of strange rites and dead things are being found on the island and Laney and her friends are trying to figure out what's going on but cannot trust each other because of their sorted pasts. As things progress you find that there are more secrets that this group of people have than you initial expect, and that things are happening on this island that none of them could predict.

I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. I liked the strange supernatural-like twists at the end. This elevated the story from a basic serial killer mystery to some with a lot of fantastical paranormal/supernatural vibes. I enjoyed the way things wrapped up as well.

Armstrong is an excellent writer. This story was super easy to read and hard to put down. It was very engaging. I liked the main characters (and disliked the ones I was supposed to dislike) and enjoyed the twists and turns as the story got stranger and stranger.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this stand alone paranormal/supernatural thriller/mystery. I would recommend if you enjoy creepy/scary stories that have a supernatural twist to them. I enjoyed this and look forward to Armstrong's future books.

This book is full of all the spine tingling action and sinister vibes that I've come to expect from this author. She has become a must read author for me and I loved this book from the gorgeous cover to the shocking ending. Highly recommend to anyone that loves a good horror novel!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong is a horror/mystery about Laney, who rents out her island vacation home. The renters keep complaining about really strange things happening at the house, so Laney goes to investigate. Then, it gets really weird once Laney and her friends and family get there. There are so many twists and surprising reveals in this story. I really enjoyed it, as it sucked me in from the very beginning. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Good plot, good writing style, and sitting on edge of chair anticipation. What more could you ask --to make a good novel!! This is a book that is hard to just stop reading at any one spot after the first few chapters. I really enjoyed reading this book, and Hemlock Island has a whole new meaning for me now.

I’ve read this before so I was thinking I’d like this. I didn’t.

I didn’t like the characters, the storyline didn’t appeal to me and seemed a bit ridiculous at times. Once I hit the 70% mark, I just didn’t care. I also went into it thinking it was a mystery/thriller but it turned more into a campy horror.

This just wasn’t the book for me and I don’t think I’d recommend it to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Kelley Armstrong has become one of my favorite authors since I became hooked on her riveting Casey Duncan series. I used to be a big horror story affiicianado, but my tastes really changed and that interest fell by the wayside except for an occasional tale. However, when I saw Ms. Armstrong had a new stand-alone horror novel coming out, I had to give it a try. It took me a while to get into it, but when I did, holy ****! Talk about a thrill ride!

Hemlock Island is the only thing Laney Kilpatrick has to her name since her marriage fell apart during the pandemic, and she loves it dearly. She hates renting it out to strangers, but it's the only way she has funds to hang onto it. It's annoying enough when renters damage her personal belongings and don't follow her rules, but now hex circles and weird wind chimes are being reported. Not only that, but the latest renters fled from the island, terrified after finding blood and claw marks inside a guest bedroom closet. What on earth...?! Laney and her teenaged niece Madison head to the island to investigate. Her ex, Kit, was notified and he too shows up with Jayla, his sister and Laney's former best friend. To round out the party, another old friend, Sadie, and her cop brother Garrett arrive uninvited. Soon a hand is found sticking up out of the ground, then the body to which it formerly belonged. But now their only way off the island has been destroyed, and it seems someone - or is that something? - doesn't intend to let them leave alive.

My life has been hectic and stressful lately, so for a while I was only reading a few pages a day. I was finding it difficult to really be drawn into the story. But then an OMG! moment occurred and I was hooked. I didn't want to leave the house until I was through! First off, let's talk about the characters. Laney, our leading lady, started off somewhat likeable. Divorced, she was a teacher, but also a writer and horror fan. After being divorced and given Hemlock Island by Kit, she was doing her best as guardian to niece Madison after Laney's sister Anna died. Kit was the love of her life, and she was never told exactly why Kit wanted to split. She moved from "somewhat likeable" to being an awesome heroine when she went all "Mama Bear" to protect Madison. I just adored Madison! She was smarter than most of the adults in the room, as Kit liked to point out. Ex Kit was extremely likeable and caring from the start and seemed to really care for Laney...so why did he and Laney split? Jayla was Laney's former best friend. What went wrong there? And then there's manipulator Sadie and her brother Garrett, both of whom were easy to detest. With the exception of Madison, all of these people had some deep, dark secrets. When these secrets starting being revealed, my mouth hung open in shock! And then there's the suspense. That's what got really wild! At first it seemed someone was causing great problems and trying to terrify everyone else. Then things got weird...REALLY WEIRD. And absolutely terrifying! No way was the cause a vengeful person. I will not ruin the story by giving many details; that would be cruel. Trigger warning, though: If graphic violence and blood and gore disturb you, then this isn't your cup of tea! But if you can stomach it, you are in for a terrifying treat!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Laney owns Hemlock Island, a private island reachable only by boat. When she gets a call from her renters saying that there is blood in the house, she heads off to investigate with her sixteen year old niece. Once here, her ex-husband, her best friend, her old friend, and the guy she hates. The second they get there, weird things start happening and they get trapped.

This was a really cool ride!

The genre of this is thriller/horror. So be away that there is a supernatural aspect to it. BUT, it's really well done and truly scary. The setting of this was perfect. Armstrong does a good job describing the setting and using it to really tell a scary story. Beyond the setting, I loved the story. It is laid out in a really approachable way. I liked Laney and the whole cast of characters. This is more than just a horror book though. There is a little romance and has tons of drama amongst the friends that are there. Everyone has secrets and they all come out in the stressful situation.

All in all, this was a heart-pounding wild ride that I would recommend to anyone. A perfect Halloween read!!!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

I don't love horror, but I do enjoy Kelley Armstrong's writing. This was a twisty atmospheric story. It would have preferred it to be more of a psychological thriller ending, but that's just me!

Thriller/horror books I not something I normally read. This is an easy read with a fairly compelling story. The supernatural turn at the ending of the book was a bit of a let down for me. I was hoping for a more complex ending.

Fans of the author's Cainsville series will love this standalone. A perfect blend of supernatural, suspense, and thriller with a dash of romance. I was sucked in from the beginning and this one kept me gripped to the reveal. It was a unique twist on the genre.