I'm not sure what I expected from Kelly Armstrong's new book Hemlock Island, but by the end of the book I was disappointed. The story started out with a bang, and held my attention. I felt that character development was slim and awkward and the paranormal element overbearing and unlikeable. Once the paranormal element became part of the story I lost interest because I just didn't like it. For me this was not a overall great read.
My Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, the Author and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy. The book was published on September 12, 2023, in all book formats.

I’m always up for reading a horror/thriller that takes place on a remote island, so I was super excited to read Hemlock Island. This was a quick and scary read that I really enjoyed. The isolated island setting added to the eerie atmosphere and made the story even more terrifying.

This story had a lot of gory moments and parts of it felt like The Evil Dead. The main characters didn’t make the wisest decisions and it seemed that the only smart one was Madison. I wanted to shout at many of these characters because they were just really obnoxious and I was just hoping they’d get killed.

I loved Armstrong’s writing and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future. I’d recommend Hemlock Island to lovers of tense, gore-filled horror/thrillers.

4/5 stars

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Listened to this book while working alone in the woods... and it was creepy as hell lmao thankfully it was during the day but yikes! this was a very creepy read for sure! would recommend, buy and even reread in the future!

I was not expecting such a creepy story when I picked up Hemlock Island, but Kelley Armstrong completely blew my expectations out of the water!

From the start of this book, the action, suspicions, and creep factor are present. The setting lends itself to consistently keeping this vibe alive as the story progresses. It’s a pass for me on going to a secluded island where weird events have been happening. You would think because Laney is with so many people you would be able to feel more secure in her safety, but that thought is stolen away after a few short chapters.

Despite being wholly creeped out by the secrets this island is holding, I couldn’t help but be fully invested in discovering what was the cause. The idea that such a serene location with a vacation home turns into the spot of terror and fear was fascinating to watch unravel. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming the way that it did and the ultimate finale which was a pleasant surprise!

Kudos to Armstrong for creating a haunting and eerie atmospheric story within the pages of Hemlock Island.

Laney is raising her niece Madison on her own after her sister passed away.

She's divorced from Kit, but she still cares deeply for him, and can't seem to move on.

Kit is wealthy and he gifted her with an island when they got married.
Hemlock Island, in the middle of Lake Superior, has lovely scenery, a state-of-the-art house, and no way of contacting the outside world. No cell phones, landlines, television, Wi-Fi. It's the one thing Laney 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.

When her current renters call to report blood on the carpet and claw marks in a guestroom closet, Laney and Madison race to the island to check it out. It’s not the first time unusual things have happened.

Joining them on the island are Laney’s ex-husband Kit (they’re still friends), his sister Jayla (Laney’s kind of estranged best friend), plus her former high school friend Sadie with her cop brother Garrett. It’s not long before chaos ensues – characters disappear, bodies turn up, and bloody bones and hex circles are discovered.

Within hours, the group finds themselves stranded amid sinister and supernatural occurrences which get increasingly frightening. Their boat is missing, as is one of the group, and now they're completely trapped. A body appears (and disappears), people say and do strange things. Convoluted backstories come to light, while night falls and a storm approaches the island.

I’m a fan of locked room mysteries, and this novel and setting turns up the creep factor, with no communication, no boat, and lots of blood and gore (warning here).

There are scary moments aplenty. The claustrophobic feeling of the isolated island was palpable. But be prepared for some chaos and convoluted backstories that make it hard sometimes to keep up. Plus, zombies and a supernatural entity full of revenge at the end. I didn’t expect (or fully believe) either of those elements.
On the other hand, this is a great horror read for October. There was a lot of action, with some slower sections where the characters and the drama between them is revealed.

If you are a fan of locked room mysteries, tension-filled scenes, and flawed characters with complicated relationships, check out Hemlock Island.

A private island in the middle of Lake Superior, a group of friends with a rough history, and a supernatural force refusing to let them leave.

This book gave all the best creepy vibes I needed this time of year! I stopped reading it at night for fear that I wouldn’t be able to get a decent nights sleep. Great pacing, great building. Highly recommend for anyone looking for something to tickle their need for a horror book!

Thanks to @Netgalley for the chance to jump on this one.This one is out in stores now!

Ever since her divorce, Laney can’t afford to live in her vacation home on Hemlock Island in the middle of Lake Superior. She has been renting it out as a luxury secluded getaway but in the past year, she keeps getting reports of hex circles, broken possessions and all around spooky stuff. When the last renters call her after taking her boat to the mainland, ranting about finding blood in the house, Laney knows she needs to go to the house to see what’s happening.

Unbeknownst to Laney, her niece Madison calls her ex-husband, Kit, to help deal with the situation. Kit shows up with his sister and other acquaintances soon follow. They all leave for Hemlock Island without realizing what’s happening and it all devolves into darkness from there.

And holy crap is there darkness. Hemlock Island is so intense between all the incidents and the relationships among Laney, Kit, et al. It’s a sly horror that creeps up on you. It’s more paranormal than I was expecting but I don’t think it took away from the story. It’s a perfect book for “spooky season.” 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. Hemlock Island is out now.

I’m a fan of locked room mysteries, and this novel turns it up to an eleven with characters trapped on a secluded island in the middle of Lake Superior while a killer lurks. With no cell phone reception, internet, or boat, it definitely inspires claustrophobia.

After reading this novel you’ll never want to rent your home to strangers. It’s not something Laney wants to do, but with her school teacher and new author salary, she needs the extra cash to cover expenses. After the death of her sister, she’s also raising her teenage niece, Madison. When her current renters call to report blood on the carpet and claw marks in a guestroom closet, Laney and Madison race to the island to check it out. It’s not the first time unusual things have happened. Joining them on the island are Laney’s ex-husband Kit (they’re still friends), his sister Jayla (Laney’s kind of estranged best friend), and two others from her past. It’s not long before chaos ensues – characters disappear, bodies turn up, and bloody bones and hex circles are discovered.

All the characters are realistically flawed, but I felt like teen Madison is a voice of reason amidst a sea of squabbling adults at times. She, rational Kit, and fierce Jayla are probably my favorite characters. The adults interwoven pasts, combative interactions, and complicated relationships provide no shortage of suspicions.

The author is highly skilled at creating atmosphere and tension – I held my breath in some of the scenes and yelled at the characters. Scary moments are aplenty, and many include gore (as a warning for some readers). The big reveal? I have mixed feelings about it, but no spoilers here. Some readers loved it, others also had mixed feelings. Don’t let my opinion sway you. Up to that point, I couldn’t tear myself away from the story.

If you’re a fan of locked room mysteries, tension-filled scenes, and flawed characters with complicated relationships, check out Hemlock Island.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I like the creepiness of this book and it’s a good book for spooky season . I felt it kep you engaged in story especially since I usually font like horror. Overall a good book
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for letting me review book

I really enjoyed this book. First, I loved Kelley Armstrong's Cainesville series and I currently have the Casey Duncan series on my "must read immediately" list so I was excited to see a standalone. The characters are engaging, the mystery pulls you in, the element of supernatural works very nicely and I loved the ending. Highly recommend this as a fun, spooky season read!

I really enjoyed this book…until the end. The atmosphere of this book was top notch. And I loved the creepiness of the island. Being stranded on it was perfect for the story. I also loved that everyone started to turn against each other. The ending just really ruined it for me, unfortunately

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong.

Laney has just gotten a phone call that she did not need. The residents currently renting her remote home on an even more remote island have just discovered blood in home, and are getting out of there. Reluctantly, Laney and her niece go to the island to figure out what is going on. But she gets an even bigger surprise when her ex husband Kit, and his sister also show up. From there, hopefully they will finally figure out what has been going on with that Island, and get out safely.

Gosh this had so much potential, but it was just too wishy washy? There were way too many weird turns with the relationships, as well as the mortality status of each character, it didn't take long to totally lose interest. I appreciated the story development of the characters, but I don't know if it was enough to make up for how hard it was to keep track of the rest of the story.

I am not a fan of horror, but if Kelley Armstrong writes it, I will read it. I’m so happy I gave Hemlock Island a chance because I loved this book and absolutely devoured it.

As always, Armstrong write such complex and well developed characters, including strong female leads. The story was fast paced with a few twists I did not see coming.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for thé ARC Im exchange for am honest review.

This was a fast paced read! The atmosphere was creepy and be forewarned there are some gory parts. A shared secret among the friends unfolds as the story progresses that draws the reader in and the scary twists kept the pages turning. Several sub plots made it a little chaotic to read but the author wound everything together nicely at the end. There was also a lot of running around the island and I had a hard time visualizing the layout but overall I enjoyed this strange, scary story with its paranormal twist. If you’re wanting to give the horror genre a try this would be a good book to start with. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors (and huge bonus that she is Canadian). When I saw she had a horror novel I had to give it a go and am so glad that I did!

Kelley is an amazing author that can write anything. Hemlock Island had amazingly creepy vibes and I had no idea where it was going to go.

Highly recommend this one for Halloween season, you will not be disappointed!

A twisty and spooky mystery that will keep you guessing. Is it all real? Are there supernatural forces at play? Or just crazy people trying to scare them away from their happy place?
This book jumps right into the action and keeps you guessing if you can trust what the characters are seeing or not.
I was worried the larger group of characters would make it difficult to keep track of them, but it ended up perfect. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen to them all.
This is a great book for fans of scary thrillers. You will be racing along to get to the end.

Stormy, Scary, and Supernatural


Laney had hurried to the island to check for damages after complaints from bad tenants. That sounded like trouble. What she found there was strange, but as she and her niece looked around, Laney's ex, friends, and frenemies unexpectedly arrived to "help." The plot meshed well, complications quickly escalated, and I was hooked.

Laney's heart is still broken over her ex and she's still mourning the loss of her sister, but she's a tough female lead. Her resourcefulness and drive to keep and care for her beloved island home are admirable. She's loyal to friends and devoted to her orphaned niece. Her niece displays a similar courageous spirit. Rooting for them as they contended with trouble was easy. For a few of the others, not so much.

Trapped on an island in Lake Superior, the storm blowing up was hair-raising enough that they took cover without time to consider who else may be on the island with them. As the winds blew and rain came down in sheets, that someone or something was there became apparent.

The unusual twisty turns and jump-scares had me turning the pages frantically until the shocking conclusion. Hemlock Island may have a romance at its heart, but the near-Lovecraftian elements made me remember that I'm scared of the dark.

I selected this novel because I've read other excellent books by Kelley Armstrong. Her style often features strong female characters in plots packed with supernatural horror-fantasy and romance. Her excellent Otherworld series was made into the SyFy series, Bitten. Those books were great but I must say, this novel was even scarier.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the free advance reader's copy. My freely-given honest review is uninfluenced by my gratitude. Kelley Armstrong's skillful writing made Hemlock Island original, startling, and terrifying. I am sleeping with a nightlight again.

First half, great A+. Then the second half dragged and Laney's martyrdom wouldn't stop. And the antagonists constant whining, brought my rating down

Short synopsis: After Laney gets divorced from Kit, she has to start renting out their summer island on Lake Superior for extra money. When a renter calls to complain, she heads to the island to find hex circles and blood.

My thoughts: This one sure started off with a bang and kept me gripped to my seat the whole way through. The perfect “locked door” atmospheric thriller that quickly turned to more of a horror with bits of paranormal interspersed.

Parts of this got quite gory, and there was lots of throwing up bile and dead body parts. Don’t read this while eating lunch, or in the dark, or when alone!

Read if you love:
- Locked door mystery
- Secluded island getaways
- Paranormal aspects
- Mother Nature
- Fast paced thrillers

I did most of this on audio, and the narrator told the story with just the right amount of spooky factor. This is perfect for your October spooky TBR! Out now!

This was phenomenal. The eerie vibes were just right. The drama and history between the characters was even better. The twists and turns and ultimate reveal of what was going on made me not want to put it down. This was perfect for spooky season.