This book grabbed me from the start. Some books have a slower start, and I have to read for a while to find interest. Not so with I’ll Be Waiting! This thriller kept me guessing until the end. Each time I thought I had figured it out, there was another twist. I enjoyed the writing style and I highly recommend this read!

Kelley Armstrong can do no wrong in my eyes! Her latest is a haunted house mystery with an unreliable narrator and unpredictable plot twists. The last part took an interesting turn, a bit outlandish, but you know what? It worked. The end was satisfying, not leaving the reader with more questions than answers. All in all, another solid read by Armstrong and good addition to the paranormal fiction genre.

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

Ghost stories often have a healthy dose of mystery to them. Readers and characters want to know why the specters are haunting a particular location and why they haven’t moved on to whatever lies beyond. Kelley Armstrong’s “I’ll Be Waiting” appears to be a straightforward ghost story at first. But as the novel progresses, readers learn that it’s more of a puzzle than an outright fright. I never had the lingering, uneasy feeling I have when I read the best horror fiction. Instead, I was fascinated by the intricate plot the author gradually revealed. By the end of the book, the storyline resembled the intricate craftiness of a Ross MacDonald novel. Best of all, the author finally ties up all the loose ends in a way that will please even the pickiest readers.

Since “I’ll Be Waiting” is more a mystery than a horror novel, I must be vague in describing the plot so I don’t spoil any of the twists. The title phrase refers to the last words that the narrator, Nicola’s husband Anton, said to her before he died in an auto accident in which she was barely injured. His death brought a tragic end to a storybook romance. Nicola has cystic fibrosis, and she approached middle age with the knowledge she only had a few years to live at best. But then she met Anton, who seemed to be Mr. Perfect until his tragic death. Later, Nicola could not get over her loss and engaged a variety of charlatan would-be psychics who claimed they could contact Anton’s spirit.

As the story begins, Nicola holds one last seance at Anton’s former summer lakefront home. The seance will be conducted by a professor of parapsychology whose specialty is debunking fake psychics. He intends to take scientific measurements to prove or disprove any ghostly manifestations. Nicola brings her brother-in-law and a young woman from her grief support group to lend some support. Strange things occur in or near the house, including a thick swarm of annoying insects outside and weird noises inside.

Nicola is a classic case of an unreliable narrator. Readers eventually learn that she was involved in some seances back when she was in high school that did not go well. Her high school experiences explain, to a large extent, her current-day attitudes. However, the author reveals this information arbitrarily in flashbacks. This makes the book’s central mystery much more entertaining for readers. Through the timing and content of those flashbacks, the author determines how much readers need to know about the events that occurred when Nicola was in high school. These revelations rarely have anything specific to do with what Nicola is doing in the present day but rather because the author feels it’s an excellent time to let readers in on a little more of the backstory. This gimmick can frustrate readers, but the author handles it well. The result is a well-crafted mystery that comes together over the course of the novel.

One shocking discovery (which I won’t reveal) occurs after about 80% of the book. At first, I was thrown off by some of the characters’ subsequent actions in the immediate aftermath of the discovery. I felt the author had lost control of the characters and was making them behave in implausible ways to complicate the plot. When I finished the book, however, the scene made complete sense. I realized my lack of knowledge of crucial facts made the book seem implausible. The author fooled me in the way the best mystery writers sometimes do.

Readers who try to solve the mystery before the author reveals the solution may have difficulty. The author primarily plays fair with readers, leaving most of the clues in the text. However, Nicola occasionally only remembers an important detail late in the book, making it impossible for the readers to precisely piece some earlier events together. My advice to readers would be to just go with the flow, enjoying the surprises as they come.

The author’s emphasis on the mystery elements of “I’ll be Waiting” comes at the expense of horror. The events Nicola recounts would undoubtedly scare me if I were in the room with her when they happened. However, her narration of events leaves out some details that could have intensified the experience. Nicola glosses over the details of the seances, making the sights and sounds that occur later less potent than they should have been. The horror elements in “I’ll Be Waiting” are creepy (the book has some graphic violence) but not too scary. The abrupt transitions from present-day events to Nicola’s high-school flashbacks are also jarring at times.

“I’ll Be Waiting” is being marketed as ghost horror fiction. It’s really not. It’s a mystery with paranormal elements. The author has written several time-traveling mysteries in another series, and she’s pretty accomplished in the genre. As a supernatural mystery, “I’ll Be Waiting” is one of the best examples of the genre I’ve read in a long time. Die-hard horror buffs may be disappointed by the relative lack of outright shock moments. Those of us who just enjoy a good ghost story will be mystified and then satisfied by the surprises in “I’ll Be Waiting.”

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong’s paranormal series for 20+ years (Bitten and Stolen are seriously some of my fav werewolf books of all time), but I this was my first time reading her more contemporary books. I was reminded with this novel what a brilliant writer she is, especially when it comes to creating characters that are fully realized and complex.

Overall, I’ll Be Waiting is a good old fashioned haunted house story. The psychological stress as the main character battles with whether she is witnessing true paranormal phenomena, or if her mind is conjuring ghosts from her own tragic past, creates plenty of suspense and creepy vibes.

I felt like the first half of the book was very engaging, but the middle was too long, dissipating the tension. The finale of the book was action packed and paid off in many ways, if not entirely unpredictable. Overall, an enjoyable read and perfectly timed for adding to a spooky season TBR list.

I'll Be Waiting is an atmospheric, paranormal mystery that excellently blends the ghostly with emotional depth. The story revolves around Nicola, who, after losing her husband Anton in a tragic accident, seeks to communicate with him through a séance in his family’s old house. The plot alternates between flashbacks of significant moments from Nic’s past and present-day events. Armstrong's writing is as clever and engaging as ever, keeping the tension high and the reader captivated as the paranormal unfolds.

As the narrator, Nicola is one of the standout characters; cynical yet endearing, grappling with grief while navigating a supernatural world. While some twists are predictable, the book’s eerie atmosphere and intense pacing (especially picking up at the halfway point and not stopping until the end), make it a perfect read for fans of ghost stories. This novel is the perfect October spooky read with a mix of violence, gore, and suspense.

Creepy story with supernatural elements and people with secrets; such a great premise! I loved the characters and got so invested I couldn't put the book down. It is very atmospheric as Armstrong's books always are.

Ghosts! Séances! Murder! Here's the perfect horror novel to read for the spooky month of October. Nicola Laughton's husband, Anton Novak, was killed in a freak car accident during a snowstorm and seven months later, Nic is still grieving and can't move on. His dying words to her were 'I'll be waiting' but Nicola wants more and seeks the help of mediums to connect with her husband in the after life. All have been charlatans so far but now she has hope. She learns about a university professor named Dr Davos Cirillo, who is also a parapsychologist--perhaps he is legit. They agree to meet at Anton's favorite place on Lake Erie, along with two of Nicola's close friends, to hold séances and do this scientifically. But soon it seems that they have inadvertently invited a dark spirit into their midst...

A very atmospheric thriller. Oh my gosh, not only were they plagued by sounds in the night, by ghosts and spirits, but also by a hoard of midges so they were trapped inside! I really liked Nicola with her feisty spirit. She's had to fight all her life, having been born with cystic fibrosis and living much longer than anyone had predicted. A very strong, likable character.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved "I'll Be Waiting", by Kelly Armstrong. This story is very suspenseful, spooky, and full of twists and turns. I had a hard time putting this book down, so much so, that I read it in two sittings! I also listened to the audio book, and even though I knew what was going to happen,( because I read the book first) I found it to be a whole new experience.

I’LL BE WAITING by Kelley Armstrong is a contemporary, adult, supernatural thriller focusing on thirty something widow Nicola Laughton.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspectives (Nicola) using present day, and memories from the past, I’LL BE WAITING follows Nicola Laughton in the wake of the death of her husband. Approximately twenty-two years earlier, a group of high school friends went into the woods to perform a seance but in the ensuing aftermath death and destruction would follow. Fast forward to present day, wherein Nicola’s husband Anton would die tragically in an early winter snow storm, and in the months that follow Nicola would be contacted by mediums and psychics claiming they have been in contact with the dead but when a certified parapsychologist is willing to help NIcola contact her dead husband, the resulting fall-out sees more death and destruction for our story line heroine.

I’LL BE WAITING is a story of obsession and madness, secrets and lies, grief and acceptance, betrayal and vengeance. Nicola’s extended family struggle with her need to contact her late husband; a new friend is determined to help Nicola get the closure she needs and wants; and the angry spirits refuse to give up until everyone has paid. The premise is dramatic, dark and thrilling; the characters are determined, destructive and dynamic.



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As an avid fan of Kelly Armstrong I have come to not be surprised when she tackles different subjects than I'm used to. I've watched her go from urban fantasy to mystery to thriller and now her take on horror is one that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. Kelly Armstrong always manages to take any subject but put a perfect spin on it with characters that jump right off the page and plots that I find myself sucked into fully. I was so happy to be able to read this book early and I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep until it was finished. Well I had very high hopes for this book It's surpassed everything I could have imagined. This book is all about our main character Nicola. She didn't have the easiest life and wasn't expected to live very long however she surpassed everything. She fell in love she got married she had the life she always wanted. That is until a sudden car crash took away her husband, Anton. This wasn't supposed to happen to her and she didn't know what to do. With his last words to her "I'll be waiting" still ringing in her mind she sets out to contact him the only way she knows how, through a medium. Even though originally a medium was not the plan after consistently being pursued by them Nicola decides to give it a shot because what's the worst that could happen. Her friends and family believed that this is going to be the cure to get her out of the funk and spiral that she has been in since Anton's passing. When Nicola and her friends decide she needs one last go at the medium, they rent a beach house that Anton used to frequent and try one last time. Unfortunately for them this time it's a little different as things don't go according to plan. And when things from Nicolas past start to come to the surface we really see where her hesitation to the occult and seances starts. I love this book and I couldn't wait to finish it. I loved our main character the most and the fact that she was grieving so deeply is very hard to convey sometimes however I feel that Mrs Armstrong showed all of the rough emotions that Nicola was going through pain sadness hurt confusion and the struggle to continue all with knowing that she had to move forward. The subject of this novel was so strong along with the complexity of her characters that I found myself getting lost in the story. This is one book that you will need to clear your schedule if you're going to read because it is completely impossible to put it down once you start. This is unlike anything I've ever read before even by this author and I'm so excited to see her dive deeper into this genre. This was the sort of book that left you in goosebumps and looking over your shoulder at every noise. I didn't expect to be at all rattled reading this and the fact that I was made it so much better. I was completely surprised by everything reading this book and never saw any of the twists coming. The ending had to be the best part and and I was completely flabbergasted. Great job and as was to be expected I couldn't get enough. Check out this book for sure when it is released because you won't want to miss it when it's at the top of all the best seller lists. I loved this book and I can't wait to add it to my collection.

I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

“I started dreaming about the deaths of people I loved. My mother. My father. My brother. For ten years, anyone who came into my life died in my dreams. That faded until my parents did die, and the dreams returned. Keith died over and over. Libby died. Their kids died. When Anton entered my life, it was his turn”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off, this ebook was sent to me by @stmartinspress in exchange for an honest review!

I’ll Be Waiting is Kelley Armstrong’s second horror novel, released just in time for spooky season.

It is a paranormal horror with occult elements that make for a great October read!

What I liked:

1. I loved the Cystic Fibrosis representation with the main character. While KA does not have this chronic illness, she did collaborate with someone who does and they were a sensitivity reader on this book. CF has impacted my extended family so this representation was nice to see.

2. The character development in Armstrong’s work is always perfection. Her female leads are some of my favourites.

3. I legit gasped out loud, completely shocked, at some parts of the story. It was creepy, kept you in the edge of your seat and engaged the entire time.

4. I loved the science, scepticism and spiritual believe all mixed/working together to find out the truth. It made for an interesting read.

Now for what I didn’t like:

1. At some points information was added in that was not needed. I suspect it was added in for character development early on, but we get enough of that with the required information that all it did was mess with the pacing.

2. There is one part during the end where I thought “Really? That is what we are doing right now?” And not in a good way. It was so hokey that I almost dropped the rating even lower. But the rest of the book did make up for it, thankfully.

Overall, I think this is a great paranormal horror for anyone who wants to have a creepy read for spooky season!

Kelley Armstrong drops a standalone horror / paranormal book at the perfect time! Nicola, battling cystic fibrosis loses her husband Anton to a horrific car accident. Her love for him is unmatched. She should have passed before him and the fact that she is alive is devastating to her.

Atmospheric , vivid , creepy and laced with tension. This should not be missed for horror fans

When Nicola and Anton married, they always thought she’d die first with Cystic Fibrosis, but Anton is killed in a tragic accident and Nicola is mired in grief and haunted by his last word: “I’ll be waiting…” Since then, even though she doesn’t put much stock in spirit mediums, she can’t help holding out hope that she can connect with Anton again. Nic doesn’t let up, because there’s an experience from her past that leads her to believe there’s more after life, even though this experience went horribly wrong!

I was hooked from the start, as the story starts with a bang! Hints of Nicola’s past is dangled. Her history is slowly revealed, and I was riveted by the mystery! Built up suspense, crazy things happening, an old home with creaks and noises that shouldn’t be possible!

I’ll Be Waiting was spooky, and I was a little jumpy reading late into the night! I wondered if there was someone behind all the scary things or if it was some malevolent, paranormal force at work. I had my suspicions.

Things got wild, just like the ending of a horror flick, and it was a battle for survival! I enjoyed every minute!

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy, and I recommend either version. The narration was wonderful! Loved Jennifer Pickens’ voice, rich, and quietly strong, it fit Nicola’s calm, practical character. Definitely enhanced my enjoyment!

I’ll Be Waiting is a supernatural story perfect for those autumn nights when you’re craving something eerie. Kelley Armstrong takes us to a haunted house where Nicola, a woman with a past, attempts to reconnect with her lost love, Anton. But there’s more to Nicola’s story than meets the eye, and this isn’t her first brush with the other side.

Nicola Laughton, who has lived with Cystic Fibrosis since childhood, never expected a typical life—love, marriage, growing old—but medical advancements made it possible for her to meet Anton. Tragically, a devastating accident claimed his life, with his final words promising he’d wait for her. The media frenzy that followed attracted spiritualists eager to offer her closure, and to stop their relentless offers, she agrees to a séance at a beach house on Lake Erie—coincidentally, one that Anton’s family used to own.

From there, the story unfolds into a truly atmospheric and spine-tingling ghost tale. The setting is eerie, full of strange happenings and chilling sounds that had me hooked from the start. Armstrong does a great job of layering the suspense, and Nicola’s secrets add an extra twist to the events. That said, there were a few moments where the pacing dragged, and I found myself skimming through some slower parts. It didn’t take away from the overall story, but I did feel it could’ve moved a bit faster in certain sections.

Nicola’s journey is complex, and her experiences as someone living with a rare genetic disorder are highlighted in a way that feels genuine and integral to the plot. It was refreshing to see this kind of representation in a supernatural thriller.

This is a great ghost story with all the elements for a perfect fall read. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Kelley Armstrong, and #NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

3.5/5 stars

This felt like a supernatural, almost Gothic-like thriller.

This is a dual timeline story stretching from the main character's teenage years to current day (my preference being the younger Nicola's story). But while the writing and plotline were OK, I did have some frustrations with Nicola as I didn't feel much connection with her and became exasperated with her wishy-washy attitude toward the "ghost" aspect of the story. Yes, she sought out evidence of the supernatural, but she seemed a bit blase about it at times. And yes, this is fiction, but I definitely had to suspend my belief during the denouement.

So, while it did work on some levels with me, it wasn't quite as great as I had hoped in others...but not a bad read.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the free early arc of I'll Be Waiting for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I know that both, love and grief, make people act foolish and make questionable decisions. But do all the characters, main and secondary, have to sound stupid? I personally don’t enjoy romance novels because of that reason. I thought that the “horror” component of the story was going to add some gravitas to the plot but I was wrong apparently. The characters are not likable and the story too shallowly told.

A spooky read that I admit I skimmed in places. I've decided I'm actually a big chicken and no longer need to attempt to read horror. There's bugs. I don't do bugs. I do love Armstrong's writing, so four stars for that.

Horror fans will probably enjoy this book

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Oh, yeah! October is when Kelley Armstrong brings us her standalone horror novels. This year, it’s I’ll Be Waiting about Nicola, a woman with Cystic Fibrosis who loses her husband, Anton, in a car accident.

The one supposed certainty in their relationship had been that she would die first but now she’s unexpectedly alone. The next unexpected thing, because Nicola appears pragmatic and rational, is that she seeks out spiritualists to contact her husband. His last words, “I’ll Be Waiting” reverberate in her mind. After her brother, his ex-wife, and current husband host an intervention, Nicola agrees to one last time, but this time it would be with a reputable “spiritualist,” a scientist, actually, who specializes in determining the credibility of hauntings. With her brother’s husband, Jin, a young woman who’s lost her sister, Shania, Nicola and the scientist go to a rental house on Lake Erie that was once in Anton’s family. Here they will have a séance for three nights in a row, hoping to contact Anton.

As midges mass in clouds over Lake Erie and then around the house, unexplained things occur. Have they contacted Anton or is there something worse hovering in this old house? Tension and fear mount forcing Nicola to question her past as well as her entire relationship with Anton.

While reading the first half of I’ll Be Waiting, I decided the book would be relegated to daylight hours only. Yes, Armstrong did a great job of building the spooky tension–so much so that a squirrel tapping at the window scared me to such a degree that there’s now a hole in my ceiling (wink). And, if you’re a horror fan, you know the tension I mean. The kind where the author creates this brittle, scary atmosphere that’s the epitome of the fictional dream.

Unfortunately, Armstrong also broke that fictional dream by taking us out of the tension through flashbacks and/or via info dumps and preachiness. Now the flashbacks were necessary to establish the backstory and the info dumps were interesting while the preachiness was redundant because I’m part of the choir. As a whole, they worked like a bucket of cold water reality. Let’s just say that I had no problem finishing I’ll Be Waiting last night. In the dark. (Well, you know, I had a light on to read by.) The spooky tension created so adeptly during the beginning of the novel was gone.

Perhaps losing that energy would have flattened other novels. But since this is a Kelley Armstrong novel, we know that the detailed plotting will carry the story through. And, it does.

I was not a fan of Nicola’s. Not that I had to be. At times she came across as too self-righteous, too self-congratulating, which, even during periods of self-doubt, did not dwindle. As the end neared, I wondered if writing in third person wouldn’t have helped immensely. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Meh, I just wanted to be in Nicola’s brain less.

All that said, this is still a thrilling mystery/ghost story that will keep you hanging on to the last page. An excellent selection for the season.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for sending me a copy.

This is such a great slow-burn horror!
Nicolas's husband has passed away, and one of the last things he said is I'll be waiting. This has prompted her to find psychics to see if she can contact Anton. Now most of these psychics have been frauds and Nicola was tired of the constant let so she and a couple of her friends along with a professor of parapsychology go to a place Anton loved and try one last time to make contact.
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Voices, bumps in the night, a room full of dolls, dreams of past trauma, the bugs, and the beautiful setting of a cabin on the lake bring the creepy atmosphere. Sometimes Nicola is sure Anton is there. Other times it feels like something else, and the dreams about her past are becoming more and more frequent.
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There were some surprising twists, and the atmosphere and characters kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next and if Anton was really there.
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I have loved everything Kelley Armstrong writes and I can't wait to read her next book!!

I had high expectations for this book based on the description. However, it missed the mark a bit. The pace was quite slow for most of the book, and I expected more of a ghost story. The writing was solid, but this isn't a book that will stick with me. I never cared for any of the characters, but that might have been the author's intent. Nic was annoying. The second half of the book was somewhat repetitive, though I did enjoy the ending.