Canadian-author, horror, thriller, mysteries, fiction, suspense, Canada, creepy, family-dynamics, family-drama, relationships, relatives, twisty, paranormal, divorced, grieving, author, eerie, atmospheric****

The suspense just keeps ratcheting up!
The publisher's blurb drew me in but the imaginative writing kept me going. I already love the author's other stories, but this one is in a new vein. If you love horror/suspense, you can't help but take this thrill ride!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I was pleasantly surprised by Hemlock Island. It was a very atmospheric setting on a secluded island with no way to communicate with the mainland and creepy thing after creepy thing happening. Around 75% I found myself trying to speed read because I wanted to know what was happening next so bad! I did get a little frustrated with the 'secret' that everyone seemed to be in on, and was mentioned frequently but in a very annoyingly vague way. Once it landed though, I was definitely surprised.

A gritty, intense, fast-paced, riveting, artful melding of stunning psychological thrills and nail-biting suspense. Edgy, atmospheric and full of dark secrets, shocking plot twists and pulse-pounding, palpable tension. A MUST for fans who thrive on superbly-written, unputdownable thrillers!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Hemlock Island is a whirlwind of a book. The action starts almost immediately into the book. Starting off light with some spooky signs to full blown demonic possession. The author spares nothing as they describe the horrific events that occur on the island. It’s almost like a car crash, you know you should look away but you just can’t. The book is a quick read that hits most of the points I want in a good thriller/horror book.
My one critique is the ending. I feel like with the gruesome nature of the book, ending it on a positive note with hope feels a bit out of place. I almost wanted another twist, to leave me with a sense of unease and lasting horror.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free and give my honest feedback and review.

A thriller that kept me up all night reading. A definite page turner. Very interesting story line. Look forward to more by this author.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and St.Martins press for giving my the ARC of this book. I don’t read many Horror books so I wasn’t sure what I would think of this book at first. Once I got started reading this book I could not put it down at all. There were a good number of twist and turns throughout the book. Kelley Armstrong also did a great job at hinting at an event in the past that all the characters knew about but the readers didn’t. Loved how she did that to lead up to that big reveal. There were so lot of subplots in the book that I was loving. I will most definitely be rereading this once it is published and will be recommending it to anyone I can. This is a stand alone book I believe but in the end it left me wanting more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong!

Kelley Armstrong’s Hemlock Island is a disappointing and poorly paced horror/thriller that never quite comes together. In the novel, a writer travels to her remote lake home after a series of horrifying incidents occur. Together with her ex-husband, niece, and others, she must discover who or what is causing the mayhem. Armstong’s novel has so much potential, but the novel fails to build suspense, mystery, or tension. Once the characters arrive on the island, the novel moves clunkily from one plot point to another without ever leaving the reader time to process what’s unfolding or why it matters to the characters. The novel begins to feel repetitive after a few chapters. The characters are poorly drawn and the novel handles sexual in a way that is distasteful and lacking in care. The dialogue is poorly written, the island lacks a cohesive sense of place, and the horror never truly scares. I loved the premise of the novel, but little here actually works. The final reveal is bland and feels disappointingly familiar. I do not recommend this novel.

When I heard Kelley Armstrong was coming out with her first Horror novel, I was so excited and knew I had to request it!
The good: I was absolutely hooked - blew through 3/4 of the book in one night. I was also SPOOKED while reading this! Like had to watch something upbeat before going to bed, and even then I was still freaked out by noises I heard. It's been a while since that happened so I loved that I was feeling this way. The author did a fantastic job at creating a scary atmosphere and giving the right amount of gore.
The just okay: I couldn't fully connect to the characters/backstory despite really wanting to. The unspoken SA element was fine, but I guessed pretty early on what happened and would rather have had it addressed up front. I was also super frustrated with Madison a lot. I get she's a teenager and they try to be adults, but her actions were reckless and I feel like the real adults were giving her too much freedom.
I also usually love a Supernatural element, but this one just didn't do it for me. I think I would've liked it a lot more if it was understood as the underlying reason from the start, a slow unraveling of the reasons behind the actions, and not rushed into the end where it felt forced.
A solid 3.5 star (which is still good for me!) horror debut and I hope the author continues to explore this genre as I'll definitely read more!

I generally love Kelley Armstrong's writing. I went into this book with no expectations except that it was categorized as a horror story which isn't my usual read.

Laney Kirkpatrick owns a house on an island only accessible by motor boat and that's usually on calm day. Set on a Great Lake, Hemlock Island is truly isolated and of course the perfect setting for a scary story.

Upon notice from her latest renter, Laney with her 15 year old niece, (also her ward), races to the island only to find her ex-husband and his sister arriving too. The renter complained about a closet door with scratches and blood on the inside like someone was trapped in there. Shortly after her friend(emy), Sadie, and her brother show up.
This unhappy group all try to be civil to each other but clearly the "friend" and her brother have an alternate agenda, so Sadie departs in the middle of the night with their only means of transportation. Thus a great scenario for a chilling story. Add in inclement weather, weird people sightings, and did I mention, really bad weather? This culminates into a great telling with a twist.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Paranormal meets horror in this new fiction thriller from paranormal queen Kelley Armstrong.

Laney is an aspiring author with wishes for best-selling fame who is confronted by unhappy renters. A couple have rented Hemlock House, the dream home Laney received on secluded Hemlock Island from her now ex-husband Kit. Along with her niece, Madison and best friend Jayla, Laney travels to Hemlock Island to solve the bizarre events occurring on her property.

Not long after her arrival, Kit her ex-husband arrives with their ex-best friend Sadie and Sadie’s brother Garrett, a detective. In the midst of a storm the plot thickens and becomes a roller-coaster of twists and turns uncovering a deep rooted family secret.

Confronting the evil on the island Laney must face her past and balance the fate of her loved ones while safeguarding the island and her own future.

A thrilling page turner, one will become easily encapsulated in Hemlock Island and the power it beholds.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book..

I was so excited to get this Kelley Armstrong book early. She's one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately, it was not as enjoyable as most of her novels. I struggled to get into this one and I'm not sure why.

This started out strong and I was pretty into it. The book synopsis grabbed me. I’m in the minority here though because what started as a solid 4 read, ended as “what did I just read?” I wasn’t feeling the paranormal, nor would I call this horror. But what really got me was the anticlimactic ending. I appreciate the ARC, but this one was just too unbelievable for me..

Though not a big fan of horror, I found this to be a good story with plenty of suspense. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

2 stars

In theory, this book really should have worked for me. In practice? I struggled.

Laney, the m.c., makes rental income from her home on Hemlock Island. There are many strange occurrences there, and finally she heads over to check out the most recent one for herself. She, of course, brings along a truly strange group of people from her past and present including her niece, her ex-husband, her long-time friend, and others. What ensues is... odd.

There are a lot of gross out scenes here that include body horror, and there is also so much confusion. Readers don't know if they're dealing with an unreliable narrator or if the actual happenings are really as bizarre as presented, but they will certainly go on a winding ride to find out the answers. Is this all the result of an overactive imagination? Greedy interlopers? Supernatural forces? What?! By the time the results arrived, I was more relieved to be leaving these characters than interested in finding out what I had been reading.

The most unsettling part is not even what's going on outside; it's the utterly bizarre relationships between the characters. Most of them involve spoilers, which I dislike, so I'll just add that there are certain things that can happen between people that make it okay and actually ideal for them to break contact permanently. Some of these characters need to learn that lesson. There's one related reveal that I could not get behind at all. Additionally, some of the other relationships, including ones that should seem stable or at least grounded in a stronger foundation, are built on questionable circumstances, to say the least.

And the end...are we in Aiaia now...?

I am on a real thriller kick with my summer reading and couldn't wait to dive right into this one, but wow, there was a lot that didn't work for me at all. I am curious to see what else this writer can do.

After divorce, Laney is left with a vacation home on Hemlock Island. Well, she actually owns the entire island. In order to keep it, Laney is forced to rent it out. Since renting, the property was the centre of some creepy occurrences. Laney finally has to show up to investigate when a couple flees the property after finding blood and nail markings in a closet.

Laney shows up at Hemlock Island with her niece, Madison, ex-husband, Kit, former-BFF and sister-in-law, Jayla, as well as Sadie and Garrett, who are siblings. Sadie was a former high school friend of Laney's and Garrett is now a cop. The group explores the island, determined to figure out what is going on. While searching the island, the group stumbles across a hand reaching out from the earth. They later find the remainder of the body. After all of this, the group decides it is time to leave the island - things are just getting way too creepy! However, they quickly find out that all the boats have been destroyed. They have no way of getting off the island. Is someone trapping them on the island? Or is a more sinister force at play?

Wow, what a great horror book! Armstrong nailed the creepy elements while also telling a cohesive and intriguing story. I was completely wrapped up in the plot and needed to find out what would happen to all the characters. I would say this book is part mystery and part horror. The horror elements definitely picked up as the story went on. The only reason I subtracted a star was due to the ending. The ending was not bad, but I was not blown away. The rest of the book makes up for it, though.

This is a perfect read for spooky season!

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

Set on an island in Lake Superior, Hemlock Island is a supernatural thriller that throws together murder mystery, greed, betrayal, revenge, and the occult into a delicious and perfectly baked hotdish perfect for anyone who loves a good horror novel. It felt very much in the same vein as Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix’s novels – big fan! Strained relationships and betrayal star alongside severed arms, hex circles, and bone windchimes, creating an atmospheric survival horror that really makes you wonder if they’re ever going to get off of that island.
Being from the Duluth area, Lake Superior has always been prominently featured in my life and memories. It made it that much easier to imagine a secluded island with a single isolated house surrounded by the cold waters of the largest of the Great Lakes, and to know exactly how cold that water can be. The smells and atmosphere are honestly unmatched, and I would love to read more stories that feature the setting.
The twists and turns in this story were great. The mystery kept me turning page after page, absorbing each gory and mysterious detail. The mystery was kept largely mysterious, the gore was properly gory, and the is-it-or-is-it-not-a-murderer was like a constant pull. It felt like I was in a macabre Edgar Allen Poe story of a girl who is slowly pulling a bucket out of a dark well, overtaken by some force with an unknowable name that has existed since time immemorial. The conclusion was also extremely satisfying, with equal parts “that checks” and “holy shit” which you don’t always get with stories like this. I’m not going to say I found it fair, but life rarely is and the perfection of horror like this is that it is tied up, even if the bow isn’t the prettiest. The satisfaction is that it’s there, fair, and was a bloody good time.
Overall, Hemlock Island is a great read and Kelley Armstrong is an author you need to have on your watch list if you don’t already. I was a fan of her YA back in the day, but I’m so ready for more adult horror!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for this review. I really loved it and can’t wait to see what Armstrong has for us next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this ARC.

Kelley Armstrong is a favourite author of mine. I've binged all of her Rockton series, and just recently started on A Rip Through Time, so when I had the chance to read this ARC, I was quite excited. This seems to be her first foray into horror (though she dabbles in many different genres), and I'll say that for a first go, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

The story is supernatural; while this isn't typically my favourite plot, I actually liked the way this was written. It wasn't just some ghost, some lost spirit; it was nature. The book had a good lesson around respecting our lands, ancestors, and the world on which we live - even if it was delivered in a very wild way. The creepy vibes were great, I frequently felt on edge, and when I was reading in bed last night I actually though "I might have nightmares", which is never a concern for me.

For anyone who loves horror, supernatural elements, and a fast paced, exciting plot - this is for you.

I had been hearing about the positive feedback for this book through my Facebook book groups and was so excited to get early access to this book with it's creepy vibes. This was a fast, entertaining book that I really enjoyed and couldn't put down because I really wanted to know what happened next especially with all the twists and turns. I really enjoyed that this story was not predictable and kept me on my toes as I wondered what would happen next.

I'm a huge Kelley Armstrong fan and was THRILLED to get early access to this creepy, tense, atmospheric story. The dynamics between the people on the island are interesting and the setting is vivid enough to count as a character all on its own.
The body horror is scary without being too over the top, and the pacing is very well done. I read most of this in one sitting because things kept rolling along so quickly.
This was a fast, entertaining read, perfect for taking to the cottage in the fall and devouring while tucked up by the fire.

What a great book! I went from wondering who would do something to what in the world just happened! It had just the right amount of spook to make me nervous at night, but not enough to give me nightmares. I really fell in love with Laney and Madison and felt as though I knew them in real life.