Sometimes, I like to go into books not knowing anything about them beyond the pitch. Cabin on an island? Eerie events plaguing renters? Group with secrets? Sign me up.

Laney is still reeling from her divorce when she receives a call about someone trying to scare the renters on her island cabin. Stressed and distraught, she heads to the island with her niece, only to find her ex-husband, estranged best friend, an old high school friend and her brother also have arrived. Things go south quickly, and together they must figure out who or what is plaguing the island before it's too late.

I really enjoyed this book.

I thought it would be a locked-door mystery type thriller--which I love--but was pleasantly surprised at the sharp turn into horror. There was no shortage of gruesome imagery, plenty of twists, and a solid creepy tension underlying the entire plot. With insightful observations and discussions about gender identity, sexuality, post-covid repercussions, and consent, Armstrong creates a taut atmosphere with crisp characters and fresh takes on final girl tropes.

I Know What You Did Last Summer x Moana (and if these comps don't tell you everything you need to know about mom status as a horror writer lol) this is a fun, quick, gory read that will leave you satisfied.

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Can an island be a living entity...can it kill people or make them disappear...These things can't be happening; they cannot be real is all Laney can think. But no matter what is happening she has to keep her niece, Madison, safe and keep her long held secrets secret no matter what. Laney will do anything to keep Madison safe...anything. And she needs to keep her ex-husband, who she is still in love with, and his sister her former best friend safe as well. But can she save them all and herself from whatever is happening...

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I got to chapter seven before giving up.
There were too many characters showing up too often. I was constantly confused about who they all were in correlation with our MC. It was too fast paced. Sounds weird, but true. Made it a bit Scooby-Doo-ish and hard to keep up. This pace led to no atmosphere or building up any creepiness.
They were already making dumb decisions like walking to the woods to check for an intruder without putting shoes on.
I was disappointed in the writing. And I know this author can write! I read her YA trilogy, The Summoning, and enjoyed it. This felt like a rushed project.

Now this was a book that immediately brought me out of my reading slump! Thank you @NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press!

Laney a divorcee has one thing from her marriage, HER ISLAND. But to be able to keep affording it she has been renting it out to strangers. A middle of the night call from frantic renters brings her to the island to find out why mysterious and creepy things have been happening. Which leads her down a path she didn’t see coming.

This was a horror novel that thriller lovers can enjoy, the claustrophobic atmosphere brings you in, I couldn’t put this one down and broke my own rule of no horror books at bed time to know what happened.

This is an atmospheric tale, and I liked that the spooky stuff starts right from the beginning. This book did keep me guessing, and I definitely didn’t guess what was really going on on the island. I do think there could have been fewer distracting subplots and repetitive thoughts/narration from the FMC, I found that it took me out of the creepiness of the story and didn’t always make a lot of sense to me. Overall, a decent read for spooky season, especially as the book is set in Autumn.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. HEMLOCK ISLAND is out on 9/12/2023.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Poisoner’s Ring, A Rip Through Time Novel by Kelley Armstrong from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…found it to be an atmospheric, chilling, dark, creepy, and briskly paced horror novel which I devoured in one sitting...

Recently divorced author and teacher Laney Kilpatrick received the summer home on Hemlock Island in Lake Superior in their divorce. Isolated and a perfect place to write, it had been Laney’s dream home that her and her ex-husband Kit lovingly built together during their marriage. The past few years have been rough on Laney, the island became the couple’s refuge during the pandemic, but isolated without any form of communication with humanity it became the place where the seeds of divorce were planted. Right after the divorce Laney’s beloved sister loses her battle with cancer and Laney becomes guardian to her teenage niece Madison. Laney is struggling although she loves Hemlock Island and despite developers clamoring to buy it, she is struggling to keep it. Unfortunately for her, the upkeep is expensive and when she is on the mainland working as a teacher, she gets extra income by renting it out to visitors. When she receives a frantic phone call from her current renters reporting that they have discovered blood and claw marks in a closet in the home in addition to previous complaints such as finding hex circles, and wind chimes made of bones, it’s just one more thing for Laney to worry about.

Laney with Madison in tow visits the island to investigate, but they are not alone. Unannounced, Laney’s ex-husband Kit, his sister and her estranged childhood friend, Jayla, arrive, as do other former childhood friends, Kit’s ex-girlfriend Sadie with her brother Garrett. Although Kit and Laney’s divorce was amicable, and although estranged, is friends with Jayla, things with Sadie and Garrett however are rife with secrets, deception, and jealousy. After hearing an argument between Kit and Sadie, an overwhelmed Laney goes to bed. When they wake the next morning to find Sadie has packed up and left with the only motorized boat, leaving them stranded on the island as an act of revenge.

Convinced Sadie wouldn’t see him stranded, Garrett insists they look for her. When they stumble across a series of puzzling, unexplainable and gruesome discoveries, they must wonder who…or what is behind it.
With everything going on and with the isolation of the island when a brutal storm whips up out of nowhere it becomes the perfect backdrop adding to the chilling, dangerous and creepy atmosphere of the book.

A fan of Kelley Armstrong, I really enjoy the supernatural elements she brings to her books and this one is no exception. Although I enjoyed most of this book, the gore factor was a bit much for me. However, despite my aversion to gore it is a brilliantly written, cleverly plotted storyline which wraps up with an unusual and unexpected twist. The characters are well written, flawed and make mistakes which only makes them seem more authentic, in my opinion.
Other than the gore, I enjoyed this and found it to be an atmospheric, chilling, dark, creepy, and briskly paced horror novel which I devoured in one sitting. I highly recommend it.

FRICKKKKK. THIS ONE WAS AMAZING, and I'm sad I put it off for so long. I am so thankful to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, Kelley Armstrong, and Netgalley for granting me audio, physical, and digital copies of this twisty, paranormal thriller that will shock you with every turning page. Hemlock Island is projected to hit shelves on September 12, 2023, and there's still time to add this baby to your never-ending TBR.

Laney owns Hemlock Island and rents it out to vacationers and campers alike, and when she's awoken by an irate tenant who found blood smeared in their closet, she's up and ready to solve the case. Laney is also a mystery writer and is joined by her niece/now daughter (almost) after her sister's death to get to the bottom of this phantom blood incident.

Upon showing up to the island, she's met by her ex-husband and sister in-law who mean to solve the case as well, but with a twist to resolve to some relationship issues. All looks peachy until Sadie and her bigot-brother Garrett (two childhood friends of the group) show up to join the party. It's not long before dead bodies are found, some not quite all the way dead, and mysteriously bizarre island happenings take place, leaving the group trapped with no way out.

It's almost as if the island is avenging its losses and placing blame on Laney and her commercialized approach to showcasing the island... You'll just have to read more to find out.

Hemlock Island begins with an intriguing, but not very original, premise.

Laney has recently divorced her husband, Kit. She refused alimony but agreed to keep the remote private island where they lived. Unfortunately, she cannot maintain such an elaborate estate on her teacher’s salary. She has been renting out the house to make ends meet. Lately, someone has been leaving occult signs and hexes on the property.

The most recent discovery is blood sprayed in a closet complete with scratch marks as if someone was trying to get out. When the latest renters call to complain, Laney and her ward and niece, Madison, rush out to the island. When they arrive at the island, Kit, his sister and Laney’s former college best friend Sadie, and Sadie’s brother all invite themselves to the island too. Strange stuff begins to occur.

I am trying to not reveal the plot. However, I do want to explain my rating. Someone is doing the stuff. There are limited people on the island. It seems very Agatha Christie until about halfway through the book. Then I began to wonder how the author was going to extricate herself from a puzzle with seemingly no answer. The solution, unfortunately, was so unbelievable that I would have thrown the book across the room (but it was my new kindle, so I contented myself with shaking my head while quietly cursing).

Hemlock Island is best for horror rather than thriller fans. Since I prefer a smoother mashup than demonstrated here, 3 stars from me.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Hemlock Island gripped me right from the very first pages!

Laney’s ex-husband bought a remote island and built her a beautiful house on it. He gave it to her in the divorce, but she can’t afford to keep it on her teacher’s salary. So, she rents it out to strangers. But some of these strangers vandalize her home, and she has to head out to the island to investigate. Her niece, Madison, who she’s the guardian for, tags along for the ride. Once she’s there, her ex-husband, former best friend, her ex-friend and her brother are all there to “help.” It’s clear right off the bat that everyone has secrets and while her divorce was amicable, there’s a lot more to the story than even Laney knows. And then one of them goes missing, the boats are destroyed, and they’re all stranded on Hemlock Island–with a killer.

The basic premise feels somewhat tried and true, but as the book progresses, the twists and plotline becomes jawdroppingly unique. Armstrong perfectly blends a fast-paced plot with character development, as the truth about what truly happened between these characters is gradually revealed.


And then there’s the horror element. For the first half, I was convinced this book was more of a thriller. The tension escalates until the book definitely becomes horror, but not too extreme. There’s elements of psychological horror, as the book has a naturally claustrophobic feel to it, since they’re trapped on the island. And then there are some gory bits, particularly towards the end…

What really makes this book shine is the ending. Obviously, no spoilers here, but the major twist was phenomenal, and the way the book ended will stay with me for a long time. Excuse me, while I go read a rom com to cleanse my palate. 5 stars!

Somehow I missed that this is a horror novel- and thanks to Armstrong, it's a darn good one that doesn't reveal its secrets until deep into the very good read. Kip bought Hemlock Island for Laney as a wedding present and, when they divorced, she got it in the settlement and has turned it into a going air bnb type concern. But now something bad is happening there- and she's going out to check on things, along with her niece Madison. She met at the dock by Kit, his sister (and her former BFF) Jayla and then- at the last minute by Sadie and Sadie's brother Garrett. The older six have known each other for years and years, and they've got some issues, all of which blow out the window (and back again btw) when things go wild on the island. Sadie's gone, the boat is gone, the kayaks and canoes are gone, and there's a hand in the dirt. There's no internet and no way to get away from whatever is causing the chaos. Can they survive? No spoilers from me. Oh, and there's an interesting twist of a secret. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A real page turner.

Laney gets a call from her latest renters a lot blood in a closet. She rents her beloved island to be able to afford to keep it after her divorce. She heads out to investigate with her niece, Madison. Her ex husband, his sister (and her ex best friend), and another friend and her brother also show up. They’re soon neck deep in a storm, bodies and body parts, and the paranormal while their only way off the island disappears. What’s going on on Hemlock Island? Is someone trying to scare them or is it more? They all have secrets and they’re going to come out. Definitely recommend for fans of mysteries, thrillers, and paranormal lovers.

Hemlock Island:⁣
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Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio for my gifted copies!⁣
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Did Kelley Armstrong (one of my favorite authors ever) give me the best treat of a locked room mystery?! She did. And I’m thrilled.⁣
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More horror than mystery, there’s something going on with Hemlock Island. Our girl Laney has been renting out the secluded island like an Airbnb to make ends meet. But the renters always have something to say. So when one calls to say there’s blood inside the closet, and she goes and finds a hand in the ground, she knows this is not normal. ⁣
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I loved the suspense of this book. Was it paranormal? Who is sinister in this book? Do we like Kit? There was so much happening, but not to where you lost the plot. I could honestly not put this one down. I flew through it in 24 hours. ⁣
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The best thing about the audio is that I love Angela Dawe. Jayla became Vero from Finlay Donovan in my head the entire time. I guess that’s what happens when you listen to a reader too much 😂 If you listen to Finley on audio, your brain may make the connection, but I loved the audio regardless.⁣
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Another hit by Kelley Armstrong that I’ll make my husband read as well so we can talk about all the amazing parts of the book. Out 9/12!

Book Review
Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong

✅ Canadian author
✅ scary setting (Island on Lake Superior)
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Friends, family and foes
✅ Everyone is hiding Secrets
✅ Island has a history
✅ strange occurrences
✅ Ghosts? Occult? Zombies?

I am REALLY trying to avoid spoilers so details will be minimal!

I have loved Armstrong’s writing for years and her newest standalone thriller/horror #hemlockisland
is no exception.

Its the perfect #spookyseason read (and honestly would make a great horror movie) . If you liked the vibe of Midnight Mass (series on Netflix) you will like this book.

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my digital copy In return for an honest review.
Opinions expressed are My Own.

Normally, horror is not the genre I pick up. However, I have been a long time fan of Kelly Armstrong's books and when I had the chance to get an ARC of her new novel, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. As always, she does a brilliant job of creating memorable characters. You really feel like you get to know them and their stories. This is the part I enjoyed the most about the book. In terms of the horror plot itself, it was not really scary or mind-blowing in any way. However, this would do nicely during the spooky season. Kelley Armstrong does a great job creating atmospheric settings. The one thing I did NOT like in this book are all the "unsaid" things that are implied but do not get revealed until later in the novel. Rather than being subtle, they are glaring and are there to get the reader to keep going. I would prefer more subtleness. Character work was great though. 4 out of 5 stars.

Great premise but so poorly written that I had to force myself to finish it. Do yourself a favor and save your money.

This book has a creepy and tense vibe throughout. I love the trapped feeling in this book. No one can get off the island and the danger increased by the second. Plus, the dark skies and incoming storm provide atmosphere and add to the chilling and creepy feel of the book.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

For much of the book I was both captivated and frustrated. The story had me captivated, the actions of the characters had me frustrated. Eventually though, the pieces started coming together and I got lost in the angst and suspense of the locked-room scenario of being trapped on an island with no way off. The otherworldly events of the last quarter of the book had me riveted and on the edge of my seat. If you like a story that gradually builds with the suspense and ends with a bang, I recommend you try this one.

This is my ARC review for NetGalley.

I've been a long-time fan of Kelley Armstrong (having enjoyed *most* of her Rockton/Haven's Rock and A Rip Through Time books) and was eager to read a stand-alone new release. From the description and title, I expected a thriller/suspense a la Ruth Ware that I usually enjoy.

However, the horror and paranormal aspects were unexpected and I usually don't seek these out in my novel reading. While I don't mind tense or suspenseful reads, many parts of this book had me rolling my eyes (ie., characters going outside at night to "check things out" when they know there is something out there). There was an odd mix of characters who came together in a way that seemed a bit forced and I didn't really get invested in them.

Armstrong's main character-building and pacing were strong, If you are looking for a spooky and gory read, this will be up your alley.

Kelley Armstrong is a favorite writer, but I'd never read any of her horror. I might not have started "Hemlock Island" if I had realized what I was getting into, but despite some lost sleep, I'm glad I persevered. The characters are strong and engaging; the setting (a private island in Lake Superior) is fresh, and the gore is, well, gory. I had to avert my eyes from the page a few times, especially as blood and guts (literally) began flying. If I wasn't completely convinced by the climax and denouement, "Hemlock island" still supplies good scares.

Good lord, this book. This book had a delicious premise and hooked me at first, but in the end it was NOT for me. The twists were certainly there, and it went hilariously over the top in a fun way at moments, but other elements were decidedly less fun (content warning for past-rape as a twist/reveal that's admittedly very obvious via hints). So many things happened, and so many of them were kinda horrible, in problematic ways. (I also felt weird about the way race was--and wasn't--addressed and deployed in the book.)