I struggled with this book from start to finish. The writing just didn't do it for me, and I had a hunch that I knew where everything was going right from the get go. 2 out of 5 stars.

I will read anything Kelley Armstrong writes, but this blew my mind! I expected a twisty mystery, but this is actually horror at it's finest. Laney rents out her home on the private island she got from her now ex-husband, Kit. She's been getting complaints from her renters about weird things happening, so she and her niece, Maggie, head to the island to investigate. Along the way they run into Kit and his sister, who decide to go along with them to find out what's going on. A couple of friends from Laney's past also show up, so the 6 of them head to Hemlock Island.

What seems to be a straight forward thriller is so much more, and the horror escalates quickly. This was a "can't put down" for me - loved it!

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to read this arc book and it did not disappoint. I had never read anything from this author and Kelley Armstrong is now one of my favorite authors.

Hemlock Island book a little bit of everything for a horror book (some creepy, some nail biting, secrets…) — it had great detailed characters with strong dialog, amazing world building, twists & turns.

I was so sad when this book ended — I wanted MORE! This book was fast paced and kept me turning pages and guessing what was waiting on the next. This book needs to be on your read list if it isn’t already. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and reading clubs and cannot to read more from this author!

A perfect blend of thriller and horror! Word of warning though, you may not want to read this when you are all alone and it is dark outside. Laney owns an isolated house on an island in Lake Superior. She rents the house out to help make ends meet and her latest renters have called her up to complain that there is blood in a closet. They are demanding a refund and are leaving immediately. Laney, a teacher and writer, brings her niece with her to check out what is happening. When they are almost there her ex-husband and his sister meet her to help find out what is happening. Once on the island an ex-friend and her brother who happens to be a cop show up. Things are not what they seem and there is definitely hidden tension among everyone in the group. Just when they think they may have figured out what is happening a dead body appears. The situation quickly spirals and secrets are spilled.
This is a must read! I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong and this book did not disappoint. It is different from her other books but it caught my attention and I could not stop reading. The blend of horror and thriller along with the drama of the characters had me hooked from the beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy.

Hemlock Island was such a quick and easy read for me. I was so Interested in the character dynamic and the island itself. I really loved the mystery of it all and that towards middle half It started to seem more horror ish.⁣
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This novel is definitely very atmospheric and very fun to read. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for approving me!

This is my first book from Kelley Armstrong, so I'm not familiar with her catalog to have had any expectations. I requested this book based on the ominous looking cover and the synopsis, which sounded intriguing.

The good:

1. I love isolation thrillers, especially a group stuck on an island. Has it been done a thousand times already? Absolutely, but I'll read it every time.

2. I enjoyed a lot of the horror elements

3. ...I'm sure I'll think of something.

The bad:

1. The dialog. No one talks like this. The dialog was written as if by aliens who've never heard a human conversation. The exception being maybe vapid teenagers? Which brings me to my other complaint:

2. These were adults, right? Not a single person reacted to the situation in a believable way. They're having looong, completely unnecessary discussions while legit horror is happening *literally* right outside the door. It's as if this book was intended to be YA, but then last minute the characters' ages were changed, and a 'grown up' plot twist added.

3. The 'plot twist' was hard to see coming, but mostly due to it being just on this side of ridiculous. Also, the horror takes a back seat to the years old drama of this friend group. A drama, I might add, that also feels incredibly forced. These are people in their 30's who seem incapable of having an adult conversation, and tip toe around every single topic that could actually heal their drama. It's like spending days working yourself crazy about what you should make someone for dinner. Tons of inner dialog, flashbacks, *almost* attempts at actually getting an answer, a build up of tension, until it finally culminates into an emotionally stunted conversation when you could have just asked the question you wanted to know!

This was a wild, frenetic ride. If it had been YA, I could have afforded it more leeway. I seem to be in the minority here, most reviewers appear to be familiar with, and fans of the author. I didn't have that luxury, so I had to give it an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of Hemlock Island.

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong.
I have read and loved almost all of Kelley Armstrong's books. I barely read the blurbs because I know that if Kelley Armstrong writes it, I will love it.
I was not expecting this book to go the way it did. It is a straight horror book. I don't usually read horror, so I can't really compare it to others. I will say that this one is intense but I could still sleep at night, maybe meant for young adults but gripping enough for everyone.
The story teller, Laney, gets divorced from her rich husband, Kit, after being quarantined together during the pandemic. She walks away with the dream vacation home that they built on private Hemlock Island. Unfortunately, she can't afford the place on her own, so she rents it out.
After receiving a frantic call from one of the renters, she and her niece, Mags, head to the island to investigate. They are joined by her ex and some friends that she is on the outs with.
Throughout the book, past drama is unveiled while present horror rapidly picks up its pace. Is Laney imagining what she is seeing? Or is everyone in over their heads? 4.5 stars.

#bookreview #2023 #netgalley #horror #YA #postpandemic #romance

Wow! I absolutely inhaled this book! Within a few pages, I quickly realized this would be one of those conundrum books for me….I want to enjoy it as long as possible but can’t stop reading it. This was the first book I’ve read from this author and now I’m ready to Add All to Cart. I loved the characters, loved the atmospheric setting, and loved the fast pace thrill that started almost instantly and didn’t end until the last page. Thank you to the publishers for letting me read an ARC of this book. I cannot wait to tell everyone to add this to their TBR lists!

4 stars

To say I was surprised with this book would be an understatement. I always thought that Armstrong wrote paranormal romance or urban fantasy. I’ve never read her before because those genres dont appeal to me. I was really shocked to see that she writes sooo much more and so good as well. This book was totally engrossing and had all the best elements of a good horror novel. I highly recommend.

What a ride! What started as a thriller/suspense novel turned out to be something I never expected.

Huge thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgallery for the advanced copy. I LOVE Kelley Armstrong novels!

I loved the first 50-60% of the book. I was sure this was going to be a solid 4- to 5-star read for me. Then the plot took a hard left, and I was completely caught off guard. I thought I was reading a thriller, and it turns out I was reading a horror. This, however, is not the book’s fault. Had I taken a minute to look at the author’s backlist or even the genre listing on Goodreads, I would have known this. It’s for this reason, that I don’t feel comfortable giving this book a rating. It’s not the book’s fault that I didn’t love it; it’s just a purely subjective reader opinion.

So... if you love a good horror thriller with gothic elements, I think you would probably love this one. I will say that the action could be quite chaotic at time and extremely gory and graphic at others.

My thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

So, I’ve read Kelley Armstrong before and I’ve never associated her with straight up horror. Suspense thrillers? Yes. SF/Urban Fantasy with some supernatural elements? Yes. Crime thrillers? Yes. YA & Middle school? Yes, even that.

Well, apparently we need to add butt kicking horror novelist to the list.

This was sooooo good!

It’s gruesome, creepy, and has some scenes that will have you looking over your shoulder (what was that noise???). The storytelling is on point and it lulls you into thinking it’s straight suspense thriller at first. Nope! Next thing you know, the characters are facing unfathomable horrors and I was so into it.

I loved the characters, even those I didn’t like, and the author surprised me more than once with some of their secrets.

I loved this and I definitely want more horror from the author!

• ARC via Publisher