Laney Kilpatrick is still working through her feelings of being divorced from the love of her life (Kit) when they struggled through the pandemic. Since the divorce, Laney has has had a difficult time with finances since she has also become guardian to her niece (Maddison) so she has to rent out her beloved vacation home on Hemlock Island which was a wedding gift from Kit. Laney gets a call from her current tenant saying strange things have been occurring in the house so she and Maddy go out to the island and find Kit has been contacted also so he brings his sister along since he's determined not to let the girls go to the island alone especially since there has been hex symbols and items of satanic origin that have been previously found around the small island. They don't understand why their young caretaker didn't meet them when they docked instead they just found an uninvited and unwanted old friend and her brother who happens to be a police officer but Laney can't stand to be anywhere around him. So this ends up becoming a very uncomfortable situation for Laney but she'll cope for a few hours until they come upon a disembodied hand and of course there is no cell service on the island (right?) so they can't leave until the police arrive but someone has to get depth e mainland to make a call and then they find their boat gone and one of their guests missing. They are now all stranded together until someone else arrives or brings their boat back not knowing how dire their situation will turn out to be.

Someone wants to scare these people especially Laney but no-one could have foreseen the diabolical evil that will bring death and devastation to all of them unless they figure out who or what is behind the horrific happenings that are centered around Laney although she doesn't have a.clue what's going on and just thinks it's been renters trying to scare her into selling the island and she's not about to be bullied into selling Hemlock Island.

Little could any of the group have known that they may never leave the island and that who or what is taunting them will be a force so strong that whatever they originally believed will test their sanity if they are lucky enough to survive their terror and horror that won't let them leave Hemlock Island!


Another entertaining book by author Kelley Armstrong. This book was based on the Supernatural which I always enjoy and while it was entertaining I didn't find it scary although there were a couple of really good unexpected twists that were fun. I found the characters were somewhat opaque for me without much depth to the horrific situations that would occur. Maybe the romance got in my way since it played too big a part throughout the entire story which took away from the tension or terror that I expected from them so their reactions were too vague and unrealistic for my taste. I think this book will have a great appeal to readers who enjoy lighter supernatural mysteries or thrillers although be forewarned some of the murders are gory but didn't seem to line up with what I consider dark and frightening horror novels. With that said, I loved all the Kelley Armstrong "Rockton and Haven's Rock" series and I can't wait to read more of them in the future. There are just so wonderful!

I recommend this book to others so the can form their own opinions and enjoy this book for how it was written. I have always enjoyed this author's books in the past so I will continue to look forward to read other books that she continues to write in the future.

I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 3 ENTERTAINING & STRANDED ⭐⭐⭐ STARS!!

A perfect read for a spooky October!
The setting for this novel is an isolated island on Lake Superior where Laney Kilpatrick's vacation home is located. The only thing she owns, after her divorce, she is forced to rent to strangers in order to keep it.
When strange things begin to happen, and escalate quickly becoming dangerous, Laney is forced to go to the island and ends up with a diverse group of characters accompanying her. What happens next is horror-filled, mysterious and definitely creepy.
The premise was good with an interesting twist and it will definitely keep you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Laney receives an alarming phone call from her vacation renters in the early hours of the morning and from there the action in Hemlock Island starts and doesn't let up until the very end. As we join Laney on Hemlock Island, it immediately becomes clear that something isn't right here - the island is so isolated that it's only accessible by sea (or air, if you have enough money, but Laney begins to sense that they're not alone. Or is it all in her head? This book had me guessing the whole way through and was full of plenty of surprises.

There were a few gross and downright gory scenes that were somewhat unsettling. Also, I'll mention a trigger warning for a sexual assault that takes place off the page. I thought this kind of came out of nowhere and it seemed like we spent an unnecessary amount of time on that story line. Other than that I really enjoyed this author's writing style and liked how the story went in a direction I wasn't anticipating. I'll definitely read from her again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a review copy.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Kelley Armstrong. This newest writing is a standalone story that is different than other books of hers I have read. While this is not my favorite, it was still an interesting read. This is a mix of mystery, suspense, horror, and supernatural elements...plus there is the backstory connecting all the characters, leading them to Hemlock Island.

3.5 stars

I’ve read other Kelley Armstrong books and was excited for this one. It pulled me right in but we quickly scarier than the other books - and in fact got too scary/gory for me and I’m calling it at 25%. I’m just too much of a wimp and one bad dream is enough for me to say this one isn’t for me - but if you like to be scared, you may want to check this one out! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Laney Kilpatrick is an English teacher who finds herself divorced from her tech CEO husband during the pandemic. Forced to rent a beloved vacation home to stay afloat financially, she struggles as the vacationers she rents to prove difficult and cause damage. Ultimately she is called to the island home by panicked visitors after blood and nail marks appear in a closet.

Once she arrives, 16 year old niece in tow, she finds her ex husband, estranged friend, and estranged friends brother have also come to investigate. They all decide to stay at the house for the night, and things quickly escalate. Secrets are reveled, gorey discoveries are discovered, and it all cumulates in an ending no all readers will be willing to suspend their disbelief for.

I personally find books that focus on divorce to be a turnoff, and I did have trouble buying into the ending. However, if you are looking for a more visceral horror read, this may be for you.

In Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong, Laney Kilpatrick, the owner of a secluded island getaway, is called back to her island home when her rental tenants find some crazy stuff happening. By crazy, I mean blood-in-a-closet and other strange occurrences.

With her is her sister's daughter, who Laney is now raising, Laney's ex-husband Kit and his sister Jayla, and another former friend named Sadie and her brother Garrett. It's clear from the start that there are secrets among this group and I have to say I was surprised when the truth finally comes out.

As more strange things continue to happen, each incident escalating until it's clear they are stranded on the island and someone is after them all. And there's a chance that "someone" is actually not human, when some of the bodies react in ways they shouldn't. I'm not a big reader of the horror genre and I did like where this story took me as a reader, since it wasn't my typical read.

The truth of it all isn't revealed until the final pages, and I did like how this story wrapped up. I was engaged with these people on the island, even though they aren't all very likable and they did stupid stuff like walk around the island in the dark. I still wanted to know to know what was going on. Hemlock Island is a nice twist on the forced=proximity with a killer on the loose story. This is a quick and engaging read that might make you think twice about secluded vacation spots!

I was not prepared for the twists and turns of Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong but that didn't prevent me from staying up too late just to finish reading it! I guess when a heroine and her family and friends are gathered on an island in Lake Superior with no way off, something nasty is going to happen to some of them. This nastiness was well done, a lot gory but the story kept getting more and more twisted as secrets come out. A well done horror story for someone not used to reading much horror.

This is a departure from what I usually read from Kelley Armstrong—but a very good one. A bit of horror to go with the mystery—and as always excellent characters. This is a stand alone book, and would be a good read if you are new to her books.
Perfect read for fall.

I think this book had great potential, but it fell flat for me. I found the characters a bit confusing to keep track of at times, and I really wasn’t invested in any of them. The plot line was a bit chaotic and felt rushed. One thing is for sure, I won’t be renting a stay at Hemlock island anytime soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martins press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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.