I really wanted to love this book, it had a great atmosphere, and decent premise. I just couldn’t get into the story, maybe it was the writing style. It was just meh for me, DNF at 32%

This story read like a b horror movie and not in a good way. I couldn't connect with the characters and I really hated the dialogue. I feel like it's a great start, it just needed some polishing.

Laney owns a property that she rents out on Hemlock Island, but when one of the renters complains about scratches and blood in a closet she heads out to see what’s up and that sets into motion and terrifying, non stop nightmare. I really loved this one. It takes a lot to scare me and I was truly rattled by a scene in this cause it played into some of my deep fears. The only reason it lost a star is because of a twist near the end that just pulled me out of the story and didn’t feel needed. Overall though this was an awesome horror story! Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

A vacation home on a remote island on Lake Superior sounds like a great idea until creepy things start to happen. This is my kind of horror story where it starts out subtle and then gets under your skin. People start getting picked off from the group and it just builds to the end. Kelley Armstrong never lets me down!

I really wanted to like this as Kelly Armstrong has become a go to author for me, but this one just didn't hit the mark. This is a very slow burn horror that just kind of touches the surface. It never felt like the horror aspects of it got too deep. If you like locked room mysteries and abandoned islands you'll love the setting. The cast of characters all have secrets and as the novel progresses you learn more and more. Hemlock Island kept me reading, but wasn't my favorite. 2.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this one out in September!

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Laney, a school teacher & part-time novelist, was left with an entire island & the large house built upon it after her post-pandemic divorce. To continue to afford her dream writing getaway, she begins renting out the island to numerous guests who fail to respect neither the boundaries that Laney sets nor the island itself. When Laney gets a call about blood & scratch marks in one of the closets, which is not the first strange thing to have happened recently, Laney sets out to investigate with her teenaged niece, Madison. Laney’s ex-husband, Kit, and Kit’s sister & Laney's ex-best friend, Jayla, heard that they were going to the island & decided to join them. Two other people from Laney’s past show up uninvited, who start stirring up old secrets; secrets that Laney would have hoped to stay buried.
What doesn’t stay buried, though, is a human hand found half-buried against the house, which sets off a series of very unfortunate events, including having no way to get off the island or call for help. Tensions between the characters rise on multiple levels as they try to figure out who, or what, might want to strand them on Hemlock Island, & why.

This was the first book I’ve read by Kelley Armstrong, & I enjoyed it! I’ve been in the horror/thriller mood, & Hemlock Island definitely satisfied my mood. It was super fast-paced, wasted no time getting to the gory and scary parts, and had supernatural elements that I wasn’t expecting. Madison was so bad-ass & was my favorite character. I loved how everyone just accepted all of the weird, unexplainable shit that was going on & just went with it. I did think the “big secret” that continued to be alluded to played out way too long, & there was too much discussion of the past & of the status of their relationships than was needed, especially under the circumstances. Also, the very end was a bit weird & unorthodox, but I don’t think I’m mad about it…
Overall, this was the perfect quick & scary read, & I’d be open to reading more from Kelley Armstrong.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC!!

This was such a good book, I suggest going in blind and enjoy!

There are scary stories....and then there are Scary Stories. For me, I find the creepiest thriller/suspense stories are ones that keep me thinking "This could happen." I found myself frequently stopping while reading this book to think "Holy crap - something like this could actually happen to someone."

Going through a divorce during/after the pandemic isn't an uncommon thing. I'm going through one myself right now. Losing almost everything you own during a divorce and trying to hang on to the one thing you have left -- a house, property, whatever it may be -- is a common occurrence. But throw in being forced to rent the property to strangers and then having odd/creepy things happening that pulls in your ex, friends, relatives, etc.

For that house to be on an island. And, for all those people with awkward history to be trapped there together. Possibly with a killer.

I was seriously creeped out by this story.

At first I was pulled in by this new book because I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's writing. I've been a big fan of her Rockton series since it started, and just read the new novel in the spin-off series, Murder at Haven's Rock. But let's get real, if Kelley wrote it I would probably read the Encyclopedia of Stereo Instructions and love it. She's one of my favorite authors.

Once I got started reading, I couldn't put the book down. Binge read time! The story seriously pulled me right in and creeped me the hell out. I love mysteries and thrillers that involve locked doors or a group of people not able to escape the situation. Ever since I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, I have loved this sort of story!

Well done, Kelley! I loved this book!!

**I voluntarily an advanced review copy of this book from St. Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Hemlock Island is Kelley Armstrong's first foray into the horror genre, and for a first effort it certainly hit all the right markers - suspenseful story, dramatic backdrop, reasonably intelligent characters. While this is not ever going to be one of my favorites' of Kelley's works, it is one I will recommend to anyone looking for a solid spooky-season read.

Laney Kilpatrick has been renting her vacation home to strangers, a sacrifice to make ends meet that leaves Laney on edge. A series of damages, break-ins, and the loss of potential renters drives Laney to take her young niece and go investigate. Supported by a group of friends - or frenemies - Laney and her niece are dragged into a dramatic and terrifying experience on Hemlock Island that none of them expected.

Overall, this book had an excellent concept and storyline, but I felt we didn't get enough time for the characters to develop, for us to care about them. I was also a little disappointed by the twist ending, I enjoy trying to solve the mystery and the way this one was written it was simply not possible as a reader to piece together the clues and solve it yourself. This is simply my preference, and I'm sure others will love the twists and turns this story takes you on!

Hemlock Island follows Laney who has been renting out her vacation home to strangers. One day a guest staying at the house find blood in the guest room. Laney goes to the home to investigate along with her daughter. Her ex and his sister also show up. Soon they discover a hand poking up from the earth. They are determined to figure out what is going on.

I was a little let down by this one. This book sounded so good. I did like it but it didn’t live up to my expectations. I really enjoyed the horror / thriller vibes of this story. But I did feel like it was a bit all over the place. But overall not a bad book.

3.75 rounded up to 4.

Laney is a recently divorced teacher, who lives with her niece after the untimely death of her sister Anna. After receiving a complaint from the renters in her summer cabin in Lake Superior, she has to drop everything and go to the island. As a collection of people from her past join her, the secrets pile up almost as high as the dead bodies.

This book was a fantastic mix of suspense, mystery, and supernatural. I was expecting a situation similar to the season 4 Buffy Halloween episode. But was pleasantly surprised with how the overall story wrapped up.
The island itself provides the perfect spooky ambiance, being cut off from all communication, the only way on or off being by boat. As someone who grew up on Lake Ontario and vacationed in the Thousand Island region, I can picture this island perfectly.
I do think this would crossover to a theatrical adaptation remarkably well.
I am a longtime Kelley Armstrong fan and would read the phone book if she wrote it, but thankfully this was much better than that.
I received an arc on netgalley. My opinions are my own

Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? The early reviews have come in for Canadian writer Kelley Armstrong’s new standalone horror novel Hemlock Island, and they haven’t exactly been kind. Trade publisher Kirkus says this book is “a mishmash of mayhem, with wilderness adventure, supernatural phenomena, environmental activism, teenage angst, and #MeToo feminism all vying for the whiplashed reader’s attention. Hard to imagine the audience for this.” Ouch! Publishers Weekly is a bit more kind, but notes that “the supernatural reveal, when it comes, is a bit rushed … and leads into a slightly unearned climax.” This goes a long way for me to say that I’m not the only one who questions the artistic quality of the book. I have good things and bad things to say about it, but I’m getting a little ahead of myself. This is one of those novels that is trashy and meant to be fun — though how much fun might be a matter of debate. This is also one of those books that might have worked well as young adult fiction if it weren’t for the fact that the book is very gory in parts. So gory that even Stephen King might blush. So, Kirkus is right in suggesting that the audience hasn’t been thought about too much for this book, and Hemlock Island might have been better off being only for the amusement of its author. Perhaps it could have stayed on her laptop or whatever tool she uses to write. But saying that might be churlish, and I don’t want to be.

What’s the book about? It’s about a thirtysomething woman named Laney who has been gifted an island in the middle of Lake Superior by her ex-husband. To pay the bills, she rents out a home the two built there to strangers, who usually manage to desecrate the property. When she gets a complaint from a more responsible tenant who complains of blood dripping down a closet door, Laney sets out to investigate with her teenage niece, Madison, in tow. Joining her on the island, is her female ex-lover, Jayla, and Laney’s ex-husband Kit, along with Sadie — an uninvited guest — and her police officer brother Garrett. When Laney starts to play detective, weird stuff begins to happen, and things (quite literally) go bump in the night. Soon, dead bodies begin to be discovered and Laney and her cohorts find they cannot get off the island. The corners eventually get painted to the point where no place is safe — even the house built on the island.

I’ll be charitable and discuss what’s good about this novel first before getting to my criticisms. First, I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover (and please don’t with this one), but I really like the atmospheric cover art — even if it’s an obvious stock photo image because the house in the picture doesn’t match up with the house as described in the book. Two, the book is a bit of a nice no-brainer read in its opening chapters (until you start skimming through it to get to the good bits). This is the sort of thing you’d want to curl up with in a warm blanket in front of a fire on a cool autumn day. Three, the ending, even if Publishers Weekly found fault with it, features a particularly strong villain and is gripping — at least when it isn’t aping directly from something out of a later period Hitchcock movie. (You’ll know which one I’m talking about when you get there if you wind up reading this thing.) The other thing that is nice about the book is that it throws in a few queer main characters: Laney, for one, is bisexual. You don’t often see queerness too much in mainstream horror fiction — gays and lesbians are usually relegated to the background (or chopping block).

What’s bad about the novel? Quite a few things. For one, it’s overlong. This is the sort of thing that might have made a better novella — as the novel has lulls and feels padded in places. There’s also a problem with consistency: We’re told that the island is five acres in size, which isn’t particularly large, but the characters seem to find places to go off exploring. Third, the characters are rather one-dimensional and exist, in typical horror novel form, to be knocked off in gruesome ways. Fourth, the author frequently breaks the show, don’t tell rule by having explanations for things put in gratuitous dialogue. The characters sure like to also talk about their feelings for one another, which is a bit unrealistic given that their lives are in constant danger. Finally, the characters also act in unbelievable ways. For instance, when Laney discovers a dead body that belonged to someone near and dear to her, do the other characters offer condolences and inquire into Laney’s emotional and mental state? No. They’re more concerned with preserving a crime scene for when the cops invariably arrive. And it’s also not clear if the island has cell phone reception. I’m assuming not, but then why hasn’t Laney prepped the house with a satellite phone? Surely, that must have been needed to rent the place out, especially given that there’s a large cliff that renters seemingly have a problem walking off of.

In the end, Hemlock Island is a disappointment because the payoff takes too long to come. It feels more like an amateurish first draft than something a bestselling author (which Armstrong is) would write. I don’t mean that to be a personal attack, but that’s just how I feel about this novel. The book was probably rushed into production because its plot capitalizes on the recent pandemic, and the publisher may have been looking to strike while the iron was hot. Admittedly, there is a time and a place for bubblegummy, disposable reads. If you’re in the mood for something that you won’t have to think about too deeply, Hemlock Island may be the perfect book for you. Even though I wasn’t too impressed with the read, there’s bound to be someone out there who is going to enjoy this novel immensely — any book can become someone’s favourite. Alas, Hemlock Island is for the undiscerning reader. Its intentions are not to be high art, but surely it could have been better edited. To that end, ladies and gents, this might be one island that you should be wary of visiting unless you’re the kind of person who likes to be thrilled by thrills alone and like books with no deeper meaning. There’s not much to this, which is why I ultimately recommend taking a pass on it.

This was a fast paced horror that scares and thrills. Laney doesn't know what she is getting into when the call comes in about things happening on Hemlock Island. When she arrives her island paradise is anything but a calming magical place. It is a horror show that will change her life forever.

This was a very good story that had a certain edge to it. It was thrilling and full of danger. It was almost like a story that has a deeper hidden meaning. As if it was a message from mother nature itself. It was written in a very gripping and mysterious manner that had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. While it was not what I was expecting, I can say I was not disappointed.

The premise of this novel definitely had me intrigued: a recently-divorced woman tries to keep her property on Hemlock Island by renting it out to make ends meet. And, it is well-written and kept me reading to see what the finale would be. Nonetheless, overall I found it to be just an o.k read chiefly because a bit more than halfway through, the storyline took a a very sharp turn and seemed wholly farfetched and really disjointed, requiring the reader to have much more than a mere willing suspension of disbelief. And, I am really not into the horror genre all that much, but if you like a decent thriller with a hefty dash of paranormal horror thrown in, you most likely will really enjoy this one.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read prerelease copy for honest review. This is not the type of book I would normally choose. It was a very strange story, but it really kept my interest. There was some horror and a little science fiction. The main characters were well developed. It will probably be very successful, especially at Halloween.

“I will be the wise crone, and I will be the terrible crime. I will be what the island needs me to be, and I will be what I need myself to be, and most of all, I will be happy.”


First off, thank you @stmartinspress @kelleyarmstrongauthor and @netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book, right here, is why Kelley Armstrong is my favourite author.

It grips you right from the beginning and doesn’t let go.

The character development is perfection with both the main character and the side characters. And yes we do have Armstrong’s signature strong female characters that I love.

The plot and story are evenly paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

The atmosphere is chaotic and creepy in the best way.I started reading this while sleeping in a remote hotel, which probably wasn’t the best idea and needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep.

Honestly, I would recommend this book to any horror/thriller fan. I don’t think you would be disappointed!

I was hoping for some good spooky vibes from thus story but it didn't deliver. The writing was simplistic and choppy and I had a hard time staying in the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy. Pub date 9/12/23.

I had no idea going into this book that it was going to turn paranormal. Paranormal is not my favorite, but other than that I loved this book. It was so good and creepy and I couldn't put it down.

Newly divorced Laney gets her vacation home in the divorce settlement. Laney is strapped for money, her sister died and she is now caring for her niece. To make ends meet she is renting out her vacation home on Hemlock Island to strangers. She gets a phone call one night from her renters that something strange happened in one of the bedroom closets. Laney and her niece head to Hemlock Island to go check it out and everything spirals from there.

This book is a perfect fall/Halloween book, and if you like paranormal you are going to love this one!

Thank you to @StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #HemlockIsland. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. Based on the blurb, I expected a locked room type mystery (replacing the locked room with an isolated island in Lake Superior). What it IS is a supernatural thriller which I'm OK with, but this one missed the mark for me.

As a thriller, it kept me turning the pages because I had to find out what the hell was happening on that island. But the supernatural premise was a little too unbelievable for me. The backstory of the characters (high school friends) added some mystery & tension to the plot, but the characters were two-dimensional and annoying. I honestly didn't care about what happened to them.

✨ Hemlock Island ✨⁣
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⁣This book was bananas… b-a-n-a-n-a-s! ⁣
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⁣Lainey owns a beautiful home on a private island, but unfortunately must rent it out after a divorce leaves her unable to afford the upkeep. One night, she receives a call from renters claiming they found a closet covered in blood. Lainey heads to the island to investigate what she assumes is a prank and is joined by her nieces, ex-husband, and three old friends. ⁣
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⁣I enjoyed the remote, private island atmospheric part of the book. It had lots of creepy, WTF moments that kept me reading and a little confused. Unfortunately, Lainey also was very annoying; she was a total doormat and repeated herself a lot! Plus it felt like the characters spent half the book alluding to their dark history together, but only in half statements. Annoying! ⁣
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⁣I did appreciate the ending and how the author was able to wrap up such a bizarre book! Three stars! It was fine and fans of horror might enjoy this one more than I did! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in return for my review. Hemlock Island publishes on September 12, 2023.