Eh.....I wanted to like this. An isolated island on Lake Michigan. A woman going through grief after her sister's death, while also going through a divorce. Her beautiful home on the island that she wanted to use primarily for writing her novels is now an AirBnB.

Her current visitors call in a panic after yet another occult type surprise, Laney runs directly to the island, with her niece in tow. Her ex, Kit, has also been notified and arrives with his sister as well. Then....her ex friend, Sadie, and her cop brother, ALSO arrive.

This turns into a locked room/island mystery where everyone suspects everyone else. BUT THEN....BUT THEN.....it becomes supernatural and....dumb. I understand what this was trying to do, but it moved the story in the oddest direction, one which I did not care/enjoy.

I think some people might enjoy this more than me, but be prepared for the story to drag a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Very gripping and fun to read, with wonderful setting and atmosphere. I enjoyed the writing and the characters as well. It had some truly creepy moments, which is always appreciated. I'll happily recommend this to fans of the genre.

This book solidifies that I will love any book written by Kelley Armstrong! I’ve only read her two A Rip Through Time series books so I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading a totally different genre from her, but Hemlock Island pulled me right in.

Hemlock Island takes place on an island in the middle of Lake Eerie that is owned by our main character, Laney. To make ends meet, Laney rents out the house on the island and when one of the guests finds blood with claw marks in a closet, Laney sets out to investigate. In tow are her 16 year old niece who is in her care, her ex-husband and his sister, and an ex friend and her cop brother (who invited themselves along). Things start to go horribly wrong when one of them goes missing and they find a severed hand in the yard.

This is such a fast read- I read it in a couple of days but could’ve read it in one. It immediately sucks you in and you can’t put it down because you need to see what happens next. It has the best concepts of horror/mystery/thriller and doesn’t shy away from horror elements.

As usual with Kelley Armstrong books, romance isn’t the main plot device you should be focusing on, but I couldn’t help but root for two of the characters to get together.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong, 304 pgs, Pub date: Sept 12th
Genre: Horror
Overall (out of 5) ⭐⭐⭐💫
Prose⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pacing(1=slow 5=fast)⭐
Character Development ⭐⭐⭐
Scary (1=mild 5= terrifying) ⭐⭐💫
Gore (1=clean 5=splatter)⭐⭐⭐
Atmosphere ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Library or Buy-worthy: Library

***Caution Spoilers Follow***
Similar vibe: Phantoms by Dean Koontz, Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Witchy things are happening at Hemlock House. Owner Laney Kilpatrick is trying everything she knows to hold on to her post divorce home, including renting it out. After charred animal bones were found in the boathouse, a hex circle under the crawlspace rug and feathers and bones hanging from the gazebo, now a renter has discovered bloody claw marks in a closet. Laney and her niece have to travel out to seriously examine the property.

I'm a horror reader as well as a fan of Kelley Armstrong's various other series. Hemlock Island is set in Lake Superior, in Autumn which gives it the ultimate spooky gothic atmosphere. This book has all the horror elements I usually like. The whole book reminded me a bit of Rebecca, with it's grand house, boats and mystery then morphs into a Scooby-Doo episode that morphs into Night of the Living Dead that finally ends with Phantoms by Dean Koontz. The ending was my favorite part. It took too long to get to those "scary" parts for me but I loved the fully fleshed characters. Laney, the main character, is a very relatable, bi-sexual, divorced woman, supporting herself and her deceased sister's daughter Madison. During her drive through the scenic fall foliage on the way to Hemlock House, Laney's memories of happiness with her ex-husband Kit seem to portend trouble coming. It gets more suspicious when he and others from Laney's past unexpectedly appear. The story then takes a pass by the "me too" movement, that in light of the supernatural event happening, didn't really fit at all. The pacing is super super slow and plodding. If you start this book do not give up before 75%. I lost interest twice and read other books while finishing this one but the ending made up for it. Kelley Armstrong's writing has always been great but there's a cinematic quality to this story that is pleasing, think Lifetime Horror. Most of the book is written in a stream of consciousness style which makes you question the narrator. I won't reveal more than that. Even though I usually abhor stories told in s.o.c. I didn't hate it this time. My issue is I didn't love it either. The writing is solid. I felt at times that the supernatural event happening got totally forgotten to the point that it felt unnecessary behind all the domestic drama until the ending. All in all a fantastic ending but I wish the whole book was like the ending. I wanted KA to really go hard for her first horror book. The ending made me glad I'd read the book but not scary enough for me.

A private island sounds good in theory…

but Hemlock Island cured any desire I might’ve had to live on one!

This story is heavy on atmosphere and plot, and light on character development. I loved the intensity and claustrophobic feel, but I would have liked more character depth.

The relationship drama felt out of place, given the circumstances. If I was finding dead bodies, I don’t think I’d be worried about who my ex slept with. But, hey, that’s just me.

This is one of those books that, if you examine the details too closely, you’ll see fault lines, but the intensity won’t give you much time to think. In the end, the story provokes a lot of thought on the essence of life and nature, more than who the characters were or what the did along the way.

*Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC!*

Terrifying and I loved it! Laney owns a tiny island, disconnected from the world, but she’s low on funds so she starts renting her house to vacationers. That’s when trouble begins, starting with mysterious bloodstains in a closet. She and her family and friends go to the island to investigate, and what happens there is horrifying.
I thought it was so creative and compelling, scary and intense, while still developing character arcs. I loved the pacing, while I tried to figure out what was going on along with the characters.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy of the ebook!

This is a complete page-turner, read-in-one-go kind of book, there's no portioning this one out. Really dark and thrilling.

I finished this book in 5 hours and all I have to say is it was quite the ride. I definitely didn’t expect Armstrong to take this route with her story but I’m glad she did. When reading horror, they say expect the unexpected and believe me when I tell you that THAT was unexpected. I enjoyed every part of this twisty, terrifying and heartbreaking book that has a slight homage to nature itself. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a book that starts off running and doesn’t stop. I never read books in a day so this one is special!

After a divorce, the only way Laney Kilpatrick is able to keep her vacation home on Hemlock Island is by renting it to strangers. She hates doing it, but it is her favorite place in the world so she will do anything to hold onto it. After a renter calls complaining about strange markings and blood in a closet, Laney takes a trip with her niece, ex-husband and two friends to investigate. Before long, there are broken boats and broken bones. Completely isolated, with no boats and no cell phone service, someone is trying to make sure they never get off the island.

This book grabbed my attention from the very first few pages and did NOT let up til it was over! The isolated setting of the island, sprinkled through with gore, was everything I love in a good thriller/horror book! Atmospheric and dark, the tension was palpable as secrets came to the surface amongst the group. When I thought I had an answer as to what was happening, the author threw another curve ball and had me second guessing. It all worked brilliantly and I can’t believe this was the first book I read by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Kelly Armong for the ARC! “Hemlock Island” will be released September 12th. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

This was the horror story I didn't know I needed this year! Tense, claustrophobic and full of creeping dread. Not going to hide the fact that, as much as I love horror, I'm also a big scaredy cat so I may have read this with the lights on and my dog next to me!

I was lucky enough to score an ARC from @netgalley of Hemlock Island by @kelleyarmstrongauthor - an author I discovered almost 20 years ago (not to age either of us us!) when I read Personal Demons and became hooked to her Women of the Otherworld series. As an added bonus, she's a fellow Canadian, which makes her loads cooler.

This standalone was a quick page-turner of a read with a really unique premise that I don't want to give away. It reminded me of why I fell in love with her in the first place!

Pick this up when it comes out September 12!

When Laney gets a panicked, late-night call from her latest renters that they’ve left her secluded vacation home on Lake Superior because of a haunting scene in a guest bedroom (clawing scratches and blood on the inside of a closet door), she and her niece race out to see what’s up. This is the latest in a string of every incidents at the high-end home on Laney’s private island getaway, a gift from her ex-husband. Speaking of whom, at the dock, he and his sister show up, alerted by Laney’s niece, to help uncover what’s going on. Soon two other friends show up, and tensions and fear rise as the group sets pit to discover what’s going on. But as a storm closes in, they’re forced to determine if these are really just “pranks,” or something way, way worse.

The official book description doesn’t do this story Justice, IMO. This isn’t just an ordinary locked-room mystery, with a hint of creepiness, it’s a full-on romp into ghostly full-on terror and thrills, with an ever-present sense of “you can’t trust anybody” thrown in. Because of course there are secrets among the group. And everyone has a motive for screwing with everyone.

But things get really weird, really fast. And it’s a great spooky story for anyone that is looking for a truly spooky mystery. The ending is just open ended enough to keep you guessing, like any good thriller, but with enough resolution that you’re satisfied. It was perfect.

The only thing that was slightly annoying was how many crazy theories everyone came up with to avoid facing the truth. It was kind of frustrating that they were saying such far-fetched things that could never happen in the real world, I was rolling my eyes at them at times, but I guess I get it. Who wants to believe the worst case scenario?! And none of that took away from the story. It was still a great time.

This book was an amazing read and a great thriller/horror tale. It’ll be a must read heading into the fall season!

Laney has been renting her vacation home to strangers even though this invasion of privacy gives her panic attacks. Unfortunately renting it out is the only way she can afford to keep her Hemlock Island after her divorce. Incidents are escalating from dangerous campfires to bloody bones, hex circles, and now blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet. The latest incident has caused the renters to flee in terror and now Laney needs to find out what is going on.

When Laney shows up with her niece, she soon realizes her ex, kit and his sister Jayla were also informed of the ongoing issues and show up at the same time. If that wasn’t already a lot for her to deal with, an old friend Sadie and her brother Garrett show up too. The group has tension and buried secrets they don’t want getting out but before they can even get to that, there’s something lurking in the woods. They soon find out there’s something sinister happening. Body parts and bodies are being discovered, and their only way off the island is gone. Someone or something doesn’t want them off the island.

Wow! My first Kelley Armstrong book and it did not disappoint! Let me just tell you that you will not want to put this one down. It lures you in with so many questions and sets your up for a truly sinister plot twist. I don’t want to say too much but wow… what a chilly twist, absolutely terrifying. I loved that any questions you may have had were answered and wrapped up in a nice horror filled bow. I love the turn it took and it is easily binge worthy. I’m telling you, set aside the time when you pick this one up because you will not be able to put it down. Hemlock Island is out 9/12/23, perfect for spooky season.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and the chance to read and review it honestly.

I really wasn’t sure what kind of genre this was going to turn out to be. I’m most familiar with Kelley Armstrong from her Rockton series (which I adore) and this was not that. It’s not a genre I spend much time in, or one I enjoy spending much time in, but I think despite that, it was a pretty good story. The tension kept me invested and it was downright unsettling at times. Though I prefer Rockton/Haven’s Rock, I wasn’t disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this book.

Lacey receives house on Hemlock Island as part of her divorce. She has to rent it out to strangers to pay the bills. But strange things start to happen while the renters are there so Lacey and her niece decide to got here to investigate. Lacey finds her Ex-husband Kit has shown up too because he was informed of the issues. They search and try to figure out if someone or something is creating these issues. Then they wonder if they will ever get off the island.

Twists and turns throughout get me at the edge of my seat.

"Hemlock Island" by Kelley Armstrong is a deliciously spooky late summer read. It's the perfect book to get a reader in the mood for shorter days, cooler temperatures, and the advent of the Halloween season. After receiving a terrifying call from the people who were renting her remote island home, Laney goes to investigate. She, her friends, and her ex-husband become trapped on the island and soon discover they are not alone...

I enjoyed this story very much and was fully engaged from start to finish. There were many surprising twists and turns, including an ending that I absolutely did not see coming! Part thriller, part horror, and completely engrossing, this atmospheric, fast-paced book kept me guessing and thoroughly entertained. This was my first book by Kelley Armstrong, but it definitely will not be my last!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book!

"A standalone horror novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Laney Kilpatrick has been renting her vacation home to strangers. The invasion of privacy gives her panic attacks, but it's the only way she can keep her beloved Hemlock Island, the only thing she owns after a pandemic-fueled divorce. But broken belongings and campfires that nearly burn down the house have escalated to bloody bones, hex circles, and now, terrified renters who've fled after finding blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet, as though someone tried to claw their way out...and failed.

When Laney shows up to investigate with her teenaged niece in tow, she discovers that her ex, Kit, has also been informed and is there with Jayla, his sister and her former best friend. Then Sadie, another old high school friend, charters over with her brother, who's now a cop.

There are tensions and secrets, whispers in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it...But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they're trapped with someone - or something - that doesn't want them leaving the island alive."

I love people being trapped on islands with killers...

This book!! Way to give me the creeps! The suspense just builds and builds and I really enjoyed how it moves along. I do recommend.

This was not good -- I kept trying to finish it but ending up giving up about 60% in... the story was fantastical to the point of boring because it was so far from reality. All the characters were terrible. The plot was terrible. I love this author's Rockton series but I don't think her other works are for me. Thank you for the opportunity

Laney rents her private island vacation home to strangers so that she can afford to keep it after her divorce. Her guests have never displayed ideal behavior, but recently things have been escalating. Laney is called to the island after a panicked guest found blood and claw marks inside a closet. Her ex-husband and ex-best friend also show up, along with a few others from their past. As they begin to investigate the property their discoveries become more and more gruesome.
I really enjoyed this book! I love the "locked room" premise in thrillers and horror, and usually the tension and panic from that setup alone is enough, but Armstrong manages to take an already terrifying situation and make it worse than one could imagine. It did not go in the direction I predicted but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The plot is very unique and I really liked Laney's character. The pacing is very quick, making this a quick read. Perfect for fall and spooky season!
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.