Laney and her niece Madison venture to Laney’s private island, a gift from her ex husband Kit, to look into some strange occurrences reported by renters. Once there, Kit and his sister Jayla show up as well as a former friend Sadie and her brother. Family secrets are revealed as well as a darkness on the island as they realize they’re stranded and being targeted.

I enjoyed this book. I wanted to give it 5 ⭐️ but didn’t because I thought the revelation of what the entity was lessened the story a bit. That said it was a good story with sufficient horror and gore! There were some downright horrifying scenes that I was able to vividly picture as I read it!

This book was wild! It definitely gave me The Blair Witch Project vibes and I absolutely loved that. It was dark, creepy, ominous, suspenseful, and overall just a harrowing read. There are supernatural/paranormal and occult elements. There’s drama, secrets, isolation, complex relationships between all the characters. It doesn’t take long to get to the crazy stuff and I love it when books put us right into the action.

I so appreciated that the characters actually made rational, smart decisions (instead of the cliché idiotic panic that happens a lot of times in horror), all the while coming up with theories and possibilities for what was happening. I never could guess where this mayhem was going to go. I loved the characters’ banter and personalities. The dialogue and monologues actually made me feel as though they were real people.

The audiobook is excellent! I will definitely be checking out what other books the narrator has done. Her voices for the different characters fit them perfectly, and the way she inflects the tone of the story really upped the suspense and kept me rapt.

Highly recommend this book! Can’t wait for everyone to read it just in time with spooky season!

Laney is still trying to get by after the heartbreak of her divorce. She’s hanging onto her wedding gift, Hemlock Island, by renting out the beautiful, secluded house and dealing with troublesome renters when she gets reports of strange hex circles and blood in the house. She’s about to investigate with her teenage niece, Madison in tow, when her ex-husband, Kit and his sister, Jayla insist on coming along. Unfortunately, Sadie and her brother Garrett, and ex-best friend and her brother also push their way into the investigation and it’s an uncomfortable gathering.

With complicated relationships and old hurts swirling about, this group finds themselves stranded on the island without a way to communicate with the mainland. Grisly discoveries have everyone on high alert! Are these accidents or a plan to scare them off the island? One of their own taking revenge, or is something evil at work here?

There’s a history with Laney and the others that’s slowly revealed, the reasons for their falling out while they deal with the horrors that seem to keep coming. Laney and Kit also deal with the feelings that haven’t died between them despite the divorce.

Hemlock Island was not only a horror story with supernatural elements, but also Laney and her old friends reconciling a past that drove them apart. A captivating story that gave me some chills and left me a little unsettled! The perfect kind of read for this time of year!

Kelley Armstrong is basically a one-click read for me. The minute I saw Hemlock Island as an option on NetGalley, I was thrilled at the opportunity to read it. Then when the audio popped up, I couldn't snag it quickly enough. I'm happy to say that neither disappointed. This book was everything you could want in a mystery/horror novel coupled with the trope of being stranded on an isolated island with no way to escape.

Laney is raising her niece on her own after her sister passed away. She's divorced from Kit, who she still cares deeply for and can't seem to move on from. Kit is wealthy and gifted her with an island when they got married. It's the one thing she kept when they divorced and she loves it. But it's difficult for her to maintain it on her teacher's salary, so she rents it out for a good portion of the year to help subsidize the maintenance expenses. But lately there have been strange things happening and she receives a phone call from her most recent renters telling her they found blood in a closet and abandoned the home and island. Knowing she needs to investigate it herself and see what's truly happening there, Laney heads to the island to investigate but along the way, she runs into Kit and his sister who insist on tagging along to help.

Things definitely aren't what they expected when they get there. Including the addition of two more people they didn't expect to join them. You have to wonder who's responsible for the creepy events taking place there. And as scary as things are initially, it only gets worse.

This book definitely is high on the creep factor and is clever on the why. I enjoyed it quite a bit and flew through it while toggling back and forth between the ebook and audiobook.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: This was really good. It was well narrated and creepy as heck. I think it made the book even better personally and would recommend listening to the audio, 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read/listen and review both and the opinions contained within are my own.

I'm a long-time Kelley Armstrong fan, but I was still completely blown away by Hemlock Island. I loved the creepiness of it along with the completely unpredictability of what might happen next. One of my favorite settings is a remote cabin locked room mystery, and Hemlock Island takes it to the next level. There isn't anything about it that I didn't love. It's spooky season perfect.

Scary, propulsive reading - not recommended for dark and stormy nights. Once again in Hemlock Island, Kelley Armstrong has used her talent for creating realistic supernatural settings. The character-driven story had me hooked from the beginning with an ending I didn’t see coming. Can’t wait for the next one!

This was a new to me author, and I will definitely be looking for more of her stories. The author pulls you into the story and doesn’t let you go till the end. This is a fast paced, suspenseful and action packed adventure. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys horror stories.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I am not normally a fan of scary/horror books but I am a fan of Kelley Armstrong plus my library book club is reading this book for October so I was game. This book was very gory and more suspenseful than I usually like but I really enjoyed it. The characters were varied and most of them were likeable. The entity that was causing the mayhem was very creepy but I liked the way it resolved. Nothing freaks me out more than when the creepy thing is left to wreak havoc on the world. I can't really say too much more without spoiling the story but you will not regret reading this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this story. It was very much enjoyed.

I’ve never read a book from this author before but the synopsis pulled me in: creepy island where a group of people find themselves trapped - I figured it was the perfect spooky season read as we head into autumn & I was right!

The erie events start out tamely enough - Laney has started to rent out her beloved island getaway as a means of paying for it now that she’s post-divorce & has recently become the guardian of her niece (a teacher/writer’s income only goes so far), & some of the renters have been less than respectful. The island has been vandalized & a few small things like strange windchimes & occult symbols have been popping up - but when actual blood is found, Laney decides to take a trip out there & brings her niece with her. Upon their arrival, it becomes apparent that word got out as four other people have come to investigate as well: Laney’s ex-husband (who gave her the island in the first place), his sister (Laney’s former BFF), & another former friend with her law enforcement brother. The six of them make an unlikely party as they explore the island, & as time goes on it becomes clear that many things are not as they appear - the relationships within the group are full of surprises, & the situation on the island is much grislier than anyone could have predicted.

So many things are happening in this book!! These people were all in various forms of turmoil BEFORE they realized they were on an island with no way off, & none of them know who or what exactly is terrorizing them. A severed hand is only the first in a series of gorey discoveries that the group makes as they do their best to keep each other safe & wait for help to arrive. I enjoyed how the author balanced all the horror with a bit of humor here & there, and will have to keep an eye out for more sinister stories from Kelley Armstrong in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5 stars rounded up

I thought at first this was going to be another 'And Then There Were None' sort of mystery. Six friends arrive on a privately-owned island in Lake Superior and find themselves trapped there with a killer. But then the plot morphs into quite a horrifying supernatural thriller. Parts seemed to be quite nightmarish where the heroes try to rescue someone who keeps evading them time and again. Eventually all is explained in a way I thought was well done. Different.

I received an arc of this new novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoy Kelley Armstrong's writing. She's a prolific author and isn't bound to one genre. Her latest is Hemlock Island - a horror tale. (And it is a standalone)

That cover hints at what the reader is in for. What you'll find is a private island and a group of friends, family and frenemies. And more.....

Laney is the owner, but she has had to rent out the island and cottage to make ends meets. When a renter calls to report a closet with what looks like fingernail scratches and a lot of blood in a closet, Laney and her niece head to the island. This isn't the only 'thing' that's happened, but it has been escalating. Four other people join Laney, even though they weren't invited.

There is definitely something wrong on island - very, very wrong. And that's all you're going to get from me. I always think going in cold is the best way to experience some books and I don't want to spoil it for you. Suffice to say that Armstrong has a vivid and more than a little scary imagination! Gentle readers, there are some gory bits.

But in addition to the horror aspect, Armstrong has written a strong plot that explores the personal life of her protagonists - in this case its Laney. The other characters we come to know through Lane's eyes, interactions and experiences with them. This is always a strong point of Armstrong's writing.

The last chapters caught me off guard with an unexpected finish. Creepily good.

A island owner gets a phone call from her tenant saying there’s blood in the house and they’re leaving and they want their money back. This is it a very scary read. It’s a fruitful fun ride for people who into a creepy books like me. This is my first time for reading and Kelly Armstrong.book and I will be reading more. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the advanced copy of this book to me.

"The biggest tragedy here is the death that came at the hands of ordinary people with ordinary greed."


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 Dark 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 is a master at creating an atmosphere that sets the tone; it feels isolating, claustrophobic and creepy. The characters were flawed, which made them more realistic and relatable. There were also two unlikeable characters that I wanted to throttle. The idea of being trapped on an island with a killer skulking in the woods and the high school connection between the characters who are keeping dark secrets from each other, along with the surprising revelations and twists, kept me on my toes.

My only issue was that one would have to suspend their disbelief to make the entirety of the plot plausible, which didn't distract from me thoroughly having an enjoyable experience. I just went with it and enjoyed the wild ride that had my heart racing; the tension around the 80% mark was palpable at times and heartbreaking. Armstrong didn't leave any loose threads; I was happy that the ending wasn't OTT and enjoyed the satisfying conclusion.



The story focuses on the MC Laney Kilpatrick, an English teacher and debut mystery author who recently divorced during the pandemic and is grieving her older sister, who lost her battle with cancer. She is raising her 16-year-old niece, Madison, and has to rent out her off-the-grid summer house to strangers to offset the costs of the upkeep of "Hemlock Island," a two-thousand-square-foot custom-built home on a five-acre private island on Lake Superior.

By renting the house to strangers, she lets them invade her private domain and deface her property; that is not the worst thing. The worst thing is someone knowing every inch of your personal space, and they can do whatever they want to it— and, maybe, to you. Too!!

The current renters called Lanie in the middle of the night to inform her that she found blood and deep scratch marks on the closet door, like somebody tried to claw their way out all over the green bedroom's closet. Laney, with her niece, Madison, drives to Fox Bay. To her surprise, she finds her ex-husband, Kit and his sister, Jayla, preparing to take the boat to the island and check it out for her. They checked out Hemlock Island together since they were all at THE Foxy Lady Campground, where the boat launch is. Then, to make matters even more complicated, Laney's former high school best friend and their mutual friend Sadie. Sadie and her brother, Garrett, a cop, showed up uninvited on the island. How did they even know that they were at Hemlock Island? To everyone's shock and surprise, things are about to get complicated, uncomfortable, and chaotic.


Things become a nightmare when they decide to spend the night together at the house. And come across the hand of someone they found sticking out of the ground. And then Sadie disappears, leaving them stranded with no way off the island. The backyard and Sadie's disappearance are the beginning of the intensifying situation. When the secrets, lies, and betrayals they've kept come to light, they will change their lives indefinitely. Somebody is playing a deadly game with them, and to what end? But who? And why?

I went back and forth between giving the book three and four stars. I ultimately decided to round up 3.5 stars to 4 for the great writing style and excellent balance of paranormal meets horror elements.

I know this book won't be for everyone, but if you like a mix of mystery with the paranormal and are not squeamish, I recommend you pick up a copy. Now available September 12, 2023

I want to thank Kelley Armstrong St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review,

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I love Kelly Armstrong and she did not let me down with this book. I felt like I was watching a creepy movie. The story is about a bunch of unreliable characters who don't trust each other, and of course they are stuck on an island..

This is a really good atmospheric thriller. Once again kudos to the author. Compared to her other books it did feel a little rushed though and I have to take away 1 star sadly for that.

This review is my opinion and my opinion only. Yes, I received this ARC for an honest review. This story is a mix of horror and the paranormal. I haven’t read a story like this before. Kelley Armstrong is a master at world and character building. She knows how to draw you into a story and make you want more.
This book is mostly about Laney, Madison, Kit, & Jayla. Laney and Kit are divorced and Laney was able to keep their vacation home on Hemlock Island. Laney’s sister passed away and she now Madison’s guardian. Since Laney is a teacher, she has a hard time keeping the bills for Hemlock Island paid unless she rents it out.
The past few renters have been complaining about strange happenings on the property. She found a hex circle, mysterious wind chimes made raven feathers and hollow bones, and with the last tenant finding blood and scratches in the closet.
Laney truly believes that someone is messing with her. But why? Kit and Jayla accompany Laney and Madison to the island to find out exactly what is happening.
I’m not saying much more because I highly recommend this book. I admire Kelley Armstrong’s ability to write an enjoyable complex story.

Kelley Armstrong is an automatic author for me- no question. If she writes it, I will buy it! Hemlock Island proves that her versatility knows no bounds as she crafts an incredible, atmospheric landscape of creeptastic mystery.
Reading this story made me feel like I did back in the day watching creopy movies like “Stir of Echoes.” Reading about a cast of unreliable characters, who really are quite skeptical of each other, who are stuck on this island, presents the perfect recipe for drama and suspense. I recommend this one to all who love a good atmospheric thriller.

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. My thoughts are my own.

Great read. This is a new author for me and I really enjoyed the book. It was an edge of your seat read that I should have read with the lights on. Excellent scary book.

Once again Kelley Armstrong does not disappoint!

Hemlock Island is the perfect fall read! It takes place on a secluded island so it has an eerie, atmospheric setting with a dash of the paranormal that makes it incredibly hard to put down.

Laney has been renting her vacation home to strangers in order to keep her beloved island. After receiving complaints from renters about strange occurrences on the property she takes her niece with her to investigate. Upon arrival, she finds that not only is her ex-husband there with his sister but an old friend is there with her brother as well.
It isn’t long before they come across a disembodied hand, and then a body. By that time, someone has taken their only means off the island and they realize they are trapped.

Hemlock Island slowly transforms from a mystery to full out horror and I loved every single second! The characters are well-developed and the relationships are full of secrets and betrayals.

I do want to note that this can get quite gory at times, so if you’re squeamish it may not be for you. But if you love scary, gory books this is definitely worth picking up!

I often love Kelley Armstrong. I never hate Kelley Armstrong. This was more of the latter. The characters seemed far too similar to really tell them apart. They all made equally ridiculous mistakes that defy belief. I feel like this book was rushed.

Lacey has been experiencing some hard times - her marriage has fallen apart and her sister has died of cancer leaving Lacey as guardian of her young niece. As a newly single woman with a child to care for on a teacher’s salary, she is struggling financially. Fortunately, her marriage ended amicably and her husband gave her the vacation home on isolated Hemlock Island which she now rents out to make ends meet.

But strange things have been happening at the house and Lacey has gone out to investigate, taking her niece along with her. To her surprise, her ex-husband, his sister, and a few friends also arrive to help. Almost immediately, more strange and creepy things begin to happen. Is someone playing tricks or is something darker, more evil, loose on the island?

Hemlock Island is a standalone paranormal mystery novel by Kelley Armstrong, a writer I love and Hemlock Island is a good example of why. As always, with one of her novels, this is one heck of an exciting ride. There’s plenty of drama, just a touch of romance, an exciting mystery, and the creep factor is through the roof. It's the kind of book you need to put time aside for because, once started, it’s nigh impossible to put down. And, trust me, whatever you do, do not start it at night!

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review