Not what I expected!! I was thinking this was a classic mystery by Kelley Armstrong but it was an out of this world psychological thriller with a twist!

Hemlock island sounds like somewhere I’d love to visit minus the killer!

This book kept me guessing almost the entire time!
I will admit I was slightly dissatisfied with the ended- not that it was bad but just seemed anticlimactic.
Thank you to netgalley and St Martins Press for an advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
I have really enjoyed the Rockton and Haven’s Rock books by this author but this one was just not for me. Call me a coward but I had to DNF at less than 20%. I did not enjoy A Rip Through Time by this author either. Maybe I just need to stick with the series I like.

more and more I am liking Kelly Armstrong. This was a fun book if you are a horror fan. lots of scares and plenty of action

Thank you to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and St Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I loved this one! It’s so fast paced, thrilling, gory and just twisted as can be! It’s wild and so good. I didn’t see the twists or that ending coming! I will forever read Kelley Armstrong’s work as it keeps getting better and better!

I am a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s writing but parts of this book didn’t work for me. The ending was just too weird for me.

Thank you Netgalley, Kelley Armstrong, and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this e-arc.


Gross. I'm sorry to be giving such a low star - I hated everything about this book.

Hemlock Island pulled me in right from the beginning. I am a big fan of Kelley Armstrong's writing, so I was delighted to read The Twisty Mystery with the added supernatural element that kept me furiously turning the pages late into the night. It made me guess who the culprit(s) were while trying to gather all the puzzle pieces and make them fit. Armstrong does an excellent job of bringing all the details together and tying up all the threads into a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Hemlock Island in exchange for my honest opinion.

Hemlock Island is my first Kelley Armstrong book. Honestly, her name caught my eye because I know someone with the same name, just spelled differently. When I read the synopsis, I was very intrigued.

Set on a private island, recently divorced author, Laney, owns a house on Hemlock island. She rents the house out in order to be able to afford it. She also has just gained full guardianship over her niece. When vacation renters start to complain about finding weird things around the house, such as hex circles and satanic stuff, Laney and her niece, Madison, go to investigate. She’s joined by her ex-husband, her best friend, her Ex-best friend and her ex-best friend’s brother.

None of them could ever be fully prepared for what the island has in store for them. Great book for the creepy season dealing with the paranormal and supernatural. It definitely held my attention.

I love Kelley Armstrongs Rip in Time Series so I was excited to read this stand along Thriller/Horror book. The pandemic was rough for Laney Kilpatrick. It played a part in ending her marriage. Now divorced and raising her sister’s teenage daughter, Laney still clings to memories of better times and the wedding present from her now ex-husband: Hemlock Island, a secluded island on Lake Superior.

The island house were once her safe haven, now to make ends meet she’s been forced to turn it into a rental property. And lately things haven’t been going well. When her latest renters call, complaining about finding bloody scratches in one of the closets, Laney decides to head out and check it out. Her niece insists on going as well, and once there she finds some of her friends have arrived to help investigate as well, including her ex-husband.

Laney thinks it’s someone interested in the property, attempting to scare her off so she’ll sell it cheap. But when a severed hand, among other things, is discovered it’s clear this is way more than simple pranks. I liked Laney from the start so was completely invested. The secluded setting helped ratchet up the tension, especially as more and more gruesome discoveries are made. This is a excellent horror/thriller and definitely a great read to kickoff the Halloween reading season.

Talk about twists and turns. This book was so fun to read. Just enough of a spooky element to keep the reader engaged. Perfect read for October.

I wanted to love this supernatural thriller but had a hard time connecting with the characters. The story line fell flat for me but maybe I wasn't in the ri9ht headspace to fully absorb it. The premise was good being placed on a remote island with an estranged couple and family and friends and the creep factor ramped up in the second half of the plot but struggled all the same. Possibly another readers cup of tea.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Unfortunately, this fell flat for me and I was not able to finish it. I didn’t connect with the writing style but encourage others to try it!

If you’re looking for a spooky fall read/listen for the season that’s not too scary, I recommend Kelley Armstrong’s Hemlock Island. It’s set on a remote island on Lake Superior where people are dying, disappearing, and seeing visions. There’s a lot of background info to unpack along the way but it all resolves in a satisfyingly unique and spooky tale for our current times!
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio, St Martin’s Press & NetGalley

This was the first book I have read by Kelly Armstrong. This was a very interesting book. I think readers will enjoy this one during Spooky Season. This will pulling you in from the beginning and will keep you wanting more. I definitely didn't see the twists coming!! I found this to be really entertaining . I will definitely be recommending this book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I'm not usually a fan of the supernatural or horror, but this book had exactly the right "creep" factor mixed in with an awesome story that kept me reeling until I finished it! Protagonist Laney has taken her niece, Madison to Hemlock Island which was a gift to her when she married her now ex-husband Kit. Madison has been the caretaker since then and has had countless renters there to keep the island funded and running. But there are dark forces at work and when a group of her friends/family congregate there, all bets are off! So go in blind as you can never prepare yourself for this often-gruesome tale of family ties and the lengths some will go to in their quest to right a wrong!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was pulled into this fast-paced twister of a thriller from the get-go. I stayed up way past my bedtime a couple nights in a row to binge read because I just had to know what would happen next and how it would end.

Laney’s been through a rough few years. Her adoring husband built her an idyllic cottage on a remote off-grid island on Lake Superior for her wedding present. But sadly the pandemic did a number on their marriage and they’ve gone their separate ways. Then Laney’s sister got sick and passed away leaving her as the sole guardian of her teenage niece. Times are tough financially too, and to hold onto her island paradise she is forced to rent it out to pay the bills.

When hex circles and bloody body parts start showing up Laney heads to the island to investigate the strange happenings that are creeping the heck out of her guests. Her ex husband shows up with his sister, and her old friend Sadie tags along for the ride with her cop brother. What follows is a wild ride as the motley crew of friends is stranded on a spooky island in a powerful storm.

I’m a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s books and loved this one, though the ending was definitely not what I expected. This was a great thriller that had me gasping more than once.

Hemlock Island is both as beautiful and poisonous as it sounds. Located in Lake Superior, the island was a wedding gift from Kit to Laney when they got married. During the pandemic, they got divorced, and Laney got the island. She’s a teacher, but has published a couple books and her dream is to write full-time. Until then, she has to rent out the property to afford the maintenance it requires.

Laney’s sister Anna recently passed of cancer, and Laney took in her teenage daughter, Madison. She takes her guardianship very seriously, and loves their time together. When some rental guests call to complain about a bloody, scratched up door in the house, Laney packs up Madison and heads to the island to see what animal did the damage.

She thought they’d just be in and out after finding a rat’s nest, but as soon as they get there, they are joined by Kit and Jayla, Kit’s sister. As Laney is trying to get over her annoyance, two more people show up: Sadie, Laney’s former friend, and her detective brother, Garrett. Kit had to cancel a business meeting with Sadie to check on Laney and the island, and after hearing about the bloody door, she decided to bring her brother.

Unfortunately for the group, something on this island don’t care how much reinforcement Laney has. The closet door in question? It definitely wasn’t from an animal…it almost looks like a human was inside, trying to claw their way out. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, as that’s only the beginning of what this group finds. Soon, they are all ready to leave and call police from the mainland, but every mode of transportation they have has been ruined. Now they’re stuck together, trying to stay alive.

This was pretty gory, and though it was set on an island, it’s a northern island with a forest that gave this a slight Blair Witch feel. When things in a novel start to turn towards the supernatural/paranormal, reviewing it can make it sound cheesy, but it didn’t feel cheesy while I was reading it - it felt suspenseful and creepy. This is a modern twist on old-school horror, and I very much enjoyed it! Four stars.

(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Kelley Armstrong and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

While Airbnb often serves as the backdrop for contemporary thrillers, Kelley Armstrong takes a unique approach by placing the owner at the center of the terror in her latest work. Laney, who has recently acquired her cherished cottage in a divorce settlement, finds herself in a remote Lake Superior island without modern amenities like WIFI or a phone signal. To cover the maintenance costs, she decides to rent it out. The story begins with Laney receiving a distressing call from a renter who discovers bloodstains and scratches in a closet.

Laney, accompanied by her ex-husband, niece, frenemies, and a police officer, ventures to investigate. The group dismisses the possibility of a genuine threat, believing it to be a prank by renters aiming to pressure Laney into selling the island. However, things take a horrifying turn when they stumble upon scattered body parts across the island.

This thriller takes an intriguing supernatural twist. While I didn’t mind this departure, I was disappointed that the spirit haunting the island received minimal attention on the pages. Additionally, there were unexplained events that left me with lingering questions and no answers. I love the author's books but this one was a miss for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital ARC of this novel.

Laney Kilpatrick is newly divorced and struggling to make ends meet. She is desperate to keep her luxurious home on Hemlock Island, a place she finds peace and solitude. To preserve her chances to live there, she begins to rent her home to wealthy vacationers. When a series of suspicious events occur on the island, Laney along with her niece go to the island to investigate. Several estranged friends and her husband also end up there in an unlikely reunion.

From there, things begin to get strange and horrifying as Laney uncovers unusual markings around the island and people start to disappear one by one and then reappear slightly different from before.

This story was an easy, fun read, however this story may not have been for me. I found some of the plot trite and familiar, nothing new in the horror genre. As the ending of the story approached there were suddenly some very fascinating twists that I wish were explored much more, and earlier in the story! Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Such a unique take on the island/killer theme. Laney is called to her island vacation rental home as the renters call in the middle of the night stating they found blood and other frightening items in the home. Laney and her niece head to the island, surprised to find when they arrive her ex husband, his sister, and old friend and her brother. Now someone is terrorizing and hunting Laney and her friends or is it one of them?

The killer was so unexpected and a great twist towards the paranormal - one that I would have never seen coming.. The concept was sound, the writing was a bit slow at times and i would have loved to know more about Laney and her ex's relationship.