Thanks so much to @stmartinspress for accepting me into the SMP Early Readers. So many great looking books I hope to get to soon!
Loved this book! Such a creepy, mysterious, and suspenseful read. I'm not really familiar with the legend of the headless horseman, but I don't feel like that mattered. A great option for a spooky season read. If you like supernatural horror, I definitely recommend this!

A spine-tingling and deliciously chilly retelling of the legend of Sleepy Hollow that perfectly blends elements of the original tale with a unique touch that will keep you flipping pages until the very end.... with a touch of the unusual that makes this mystery thriller such a unique, fun, and spooky read, perfect for October... or whenever you desire something that will keep you on your toes.

Set in the fictional town of Paynes Hollow just outside of Syracuse, NY comes our charming female main character, who witnessed the unthinkable as a young girl. She watched her father kill a boy at the cottage house... yet her grandfather (who is a total douchebag) refuses to believe her and desires her to see the truth. At her grandfather's death, she is forced to stay at that same lakefront property that haunts her worst nightmares in order to fulfill the cruel requirements to gain her inheritance. So, she does, and when she does, strange nightmarish things begin to occur.

Soon, things take a turn for the worst when her aunt Gail goes missing too... what is exactly going on in Paynes Hollow? What's with the caretaker? Where is her aunt? Sam must distinguish what is reality, and what is her mind tricking her with old haunts... before it is too late.

A masterful work and beautifully written, Mrs. Kelley Armstrong will have you hooked up in this story until the very last page. I definitely recommend you add this to your to be read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book completely surprised me in the best possible way! While I knew going in that it had supernatural elements, I had no idea what I was actually walking into - and I loved every twist and turn.

Sam is estranged from her wealthy grandfather following her father's confession to murder and subsequent suicide 14 years ago. Now her grandfather has died, leaving her the lakeside family compound near Paynes Hollow - worth $10 million to developers. The catch? She has to stay on the property in her family's old cottage for 30 days to claim it. With her mother needing expensive dementia care and her own medical school dreams on hold, Sam reluctantly returns to face her family's dark past, accompanied by her supportive aunt.

What Made This Work So Well:
- Masterful plotting - Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, Armstrong threw in twists I didn't see coming
- Psychological tension - Sam's isolation and mounting paranoia create genuine unease
- Rich folklore integration - The supernatural elements feel rooted in believable family history
- Atmospheric setting - The lakeside compound becomes a character itself
- Clear supernatural rules - Once you start piecing things together, the mythology makes perfect sense
- Clever red herrings - Armstrong keeps you guessing about threats both supernatural and human
- Fresh take on familiar legends - Without spoiling anything, this puts an interesting spin on classic folklore

Armstrong has crafted a supernatural thriller that surprised me at every turn. The blend of family secrets, folklore, and psychological horror creates a genuinely engaging read that kept me on edge throughout.

Perfect for: Fans of supernatural thrillers with folklore elements, or anyone looking for atmospheric horror with clever twists.

A delightfully surprising supernatural thriller that exceeded my expectations. I'd round up to 4.5/5 stars!

Sam Payne is set to inherit 10 million dollars after her grandfather’s death but there’s a catch. To claim it, she must spend a month in her family’s cabin in Payne’s Hollow. A cabin she hasn’t set foot in for 14 years. Not since her father murdered a 13-year-old boy and then took his own life. In other words, the worst day of Sam Payne’s life.

The Haunting of Payne’s Hollow is classic Kelley Armstrong—spooky, atmospheric, and layered with supernatural elements. From the very beginning, I was hooked by the eerie tension. Armstrong balances the creep factor perfectly: chilling enough to keep you on edge without ever overwhelming the story.

I loved the suspense, the tension, and especially the lore of Payne’s Hollow, with its ties to the Headless Horseman and Dutch folklore. What I always admire about Kelley’s writing is her fresh take on the supernatural, and this story delivered.

That said, while the end twist was clever, it wasn’t one I personally loved. The ending too me felt a bit rushed, it didn't hit as hard as the rest of the story did. Still good just felt like it was missing something in my opinion.

Overall, this is a fun, quick read. I really enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a spooky supernatural story I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

I’ve been a fan of Kelley Armstrong since 2008, so I’m immensely grateful to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the incredibly talented Kelley Armstrong for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the concept of this but it ended up feeling a little underbaked in some places and a little overdone in others. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and at times they didn’t feel super believable as really people. That said, I was definitely pulled in by the first 25% and had a few moments where I was on edge. However, the further in we got, the more I realized this story wasn’t for me, even though on the surface it totally should’ve been. There’s a supernatural element that is less ghost and more of something else that isn’t my vibe. I think readers who want that Sleepy Hollow concept with more of a fresh take will enjoy this more than I did. There’s definitely twists and turns that will keep a lot of readers engaged, I just tend to be someone who needs to care about the characters to be invested in the plot.

A tart little morsel of Creep in the hands of the talented Kelley Armstrong.

If you've read Kelley Armstrong before, then you know she's got multiple layers of perfectly hewn storylines up her sleeve. The Haunting of Paynes Hollow takes us to bites of Dutch folklore thrown in with a jolt of Sleepy Hollow for good measure. Just you wait and see.

Samantha "Sam" Payne is sitting for the reading of her grandfather's Will. She expects nothing. After all, she hasn't even set eyes on him in over fourteen years. She has nothing but terrible memories of her grandfather's lodge in Upstate New York. Terrible doesn't even cut it.

It was there that Sam witnessed her own father burying a body in the forest. She was a child, but she knew what she saw. (This is all revealed in the first few pages. Hence, no spoilers.) Sam and her mother left this lake compound to live on their own. Sadly, her mother is experiencing early on-set dementia. All of Sam's money goes to her care. Sam has even dropped out of medical school.

Old Grandpa bequeaths the lodge and adjoining cabins and over 300 acres of prime forest to Sam. But there's a catch, People. Isn't there always? Sam must live at the lodge for exactly one month. She can't leave or she loses the property. Our gal must wear an ankle monitor checked continuously by ol' grandpa's lawyer. And check they do. There's even a caretaker by the name of Ben who seems more hands-off than hands-on. But Ben has a story himself.

Kelley Armstrong weaves just the right amount of hazy fog of events in this one. It will set you up perfectly for the Spooky Season. There are sounds and vocies and unexplainable happenings taking place on this lakefront property. Sam begins to doubt her own sanity as to what is real and what is real Creep. And of course, it all takes place in the darkness when the Moon slides behind those eerie clouds.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow is definitely a Night-Lite read. And don't you crave one of those about now? Surely you do.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St.Martin's Press and to the talented Kelley Armstrong for the opportunity.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong is a thriller with horror elements making for a
creepy, atmospheric read that is full of tension. When Samantha Payne’s grandfather dies, she’s given strict conditions to inherit, money she needs for her mother’s medical care. But returning to Paynes Hollow brings up a dark family history that slowly comes to light.
The book has a strong sense of paranoia that made it unsettling at times, and the small town setting added to the atmospheric vibe. There’s a brooding, mysterious caretaker, a haunted property, and a murder mystery at the center of it all. I liked the mix of folklore, family secrets, and untrustworthy characters. The story is dark and entertaining, with just the right amount of horror to keep things interesting. Just a heads up, there is animal violence. Overall, it’s a solid, spooky read that doesn’t disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Kelley Armstrong never fails to wow the reader, and her book The Haunting of Paynes Hollow is no exception. This is a heart pounding thrill ride of a book, filled with interpersonal family drama, deceit, mystery, and suspense, all with a paranormal twist.
The main character of Samantha Payne is sympathetic as she revisits the summer home of her childhood and grapples with the return of memories she has blocked and the painful truths behind those memories. The supporting characters are complex and multi-faceted, their true selves revealed slowly throughout the book, along with the history of the property and its owners, the Paynes. Woven throughout is folklore, including the story of the headless horseman, all given a unique twist.
The Haunting of Paynes Hollow is the perfect book for the fall, spooky season, or anytime you feel like reading an intense, scary tale.
Thank you for the ARC of #TheHauntingofPaynesHollow to #NetGalley.

Imagine this: A girl has been told her whole life not to go out at night by the summer cottage. Bad things happen to people that do.

Girl: Oh, it's night, but I need firewood, so I will walk around in the complete darkness with no one around for miles, without my phone, and go to a shed.

Something bad happens.

Next night. Girl: Oh, I see something outside, even though it's night and something bad happened last night. I'll just go out again to check what it is. I'm not scared at all! I'll take my phone this time.

Some strange choices aside, I must say that this was a gripping read. I found it hard to put down, wanting to know what in the world was happening here.

Plot summary: Sam Payne's grandfather passed away, and he leaves her an important inheritance - but she only gets it on the condition that she lives for one month in her family's old cottage in Payne's Hollow, her family's heirloom estate. It brings back crazy memories, and strange things start to happen. Sam doesn't want to leave and lose her inheritance, because she needs the money to pay for her mother's care as she faces dementia. But when people start dying, Sam uncovers a carefully guarded secret that alters everything.

What I found most interesting was that there are few characters in this novel, but the plot and pacing are strong enough without them. I was truly immersed in this story.

However, several things went wrong for me, aside from Sam having no fear (or, seemingly, sense.)

There was more foul language than I like, and much of the current story was contrived to make the plot work. Ben, the estate's caretaker, just had to keep at his job because he was strong-armed into it by Sam's grandfather, for example.

Although Sam is described as having an interest in medicine and no fear of the human body, she somehow is not freaked out AT ALL by some incredibly distasteful states of the human body. She also doesn't show much grief when necessary.

Although there is a supernatural element here, part of the ending is completely unrealistic in a different way; people who have outsmarted the system for decades do some pretty dumb things to get that perfect Deus ex Machina.

Finally, mostly at the end, there is way too much telling, and a major infodump.

Notes: some soft horror elements. I am not a horror reader, and it was ok for me.

However, it was still a highly compelling read, and if you're in the market for a good thriller, this should do it for you.

3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kelley Armstrong for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

Words can't describe how much I loved this book! It's been years since I've read anything by Kelley Armstrong. But I can definitely confirm that her writing hasn't dulled one bit. The Haunting Of Paynes Hollow is a loose, modern, horror retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow that will leave you wanting more. I had an amazing time with this book! It's a wonderful blend of horror, folklore, rich family secrets, and mystery.

Samantha Paynes is in the position to inherit a ten-million dollar property from her grandfather's will. However, there is a catch. She must stay at the property for a full month without setting foot outside its borders. Easier said than done, right? Except that property happens to be the summer cottages on the lakefront where Sam witnessed her father murder and bury a boy's body when she was a child, which led to her father killing himself shortly after. Her grandfather always believed her father was innocent and, in his own words, says that her stay will allow her to face the truth. Agreeing to stay there with her aunt, she is sent down memory lane and the darkest corners of her childhood. When she starts seeing lights in the water, hearing sounds in the forest, and watching dark shapes crawl from the lake, she can't tell if it's just her imagination or if there's something more going on in Paynes Hollow.

I flew through The Haunting Of Paynes Hollow, unable to put it down. It kept me on edge and made my heart race! The supernatural aspect didn't disappoint either. It was intriguing and gave the mystery of Paynes Hollow a watery, folkloric vibe. I also love that at some point, the characters stop denying that something supernatural is going on. It's not something that just gets acknowledged near the end of the book. They know what they're seeing is real by the halfway point, which I find refreshing. There isn't a side love story in this either. Sam and Ben, the caretaker of Paynes Hollow, are friends by the end of the book but are also aware that they are broken individuals. Both of them have been wronged and deceived throughout their lives, and they have both experienced lost. Having them stay together to help heal each other's trauma in a platonic relationship actually makes a lot of sense considering the circumstances. And the reveals were good! Sure, there might be some predictability, but there are still things that surprise you.

All in all, I had a great time! Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-ARC copy.

"From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a nail-biting supernatural horror about a haunted lakeside property and twisted family secrets.

When Samantha Payne's grandfather dies, she figures she won't even get a mention in the will. After all, she hasn't seen him in fourteen years, not since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a child at their lakefront cottage. Her grandfather always insisted her father was innocent, despite Sam having caught him burying the child's body, his clothing streaked with blood.

But when she does attend the reading of the will at the behest of her aunt, she discovers that her grandfather left her the very valuable lakefront property where the family cottage sits. There's one catch: Sam needs to stay in the cottage for a month. To finally face the fact she was wrong and her father was innocent, in her grandfather's words.

Traveling to Paynes Hollow, Sam is faced with the realities of her childhood and the secrets kept hidden in the shadows of her memories. When her aunt goes missing a couple days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything again. Plagued by nightmares and paranoia, she begins hearing sounds in the forest and seeing shapes crawling from the water as the rippling waves of the lake promise something unspeakably dark lurking just below their surface."

Sam totally killed the kid and her father was trying to cover it up, right?

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this early review copy.

Yet another amazing book from Kelley Armstrong, please please keep writing these standalone horrors. They are absolutely amazing and I love reading them. This was a spin on the Sleepy Hollow story, and other supernatural beings, with a large dash of family secrets. I was hooked the entire book and loved the twists and turns. Every time I thought I had it all figured out about what was going on, I was surprised. I also love a good book that has a great platonic friendship and does not end with everyone falling in love in the end.

I thought this was a really interesting and unique take on the Sleepy Hollow legend. I enjoyed it quite it but.

Another day, another book that proves why Kelley Armstrong is at the top of my auto-buy author list. I swear, she's as prolific a writer as Brandon Sanderson and it makes me very happy. The more Armstrong books, the better.

What about this book? It's a horror, releasing mid October, so perfect timing for spooky season. Our protagonist Samantha is estranged from her grandfather. When she was a child she caught her father burying a murdered child, and he ended up taking his own life after being accused. Samantha's grandfather insisted her father was innocent, causing a rift. Now her grandfather has died, and left her the family lake cottage. Of course there's one caveat; she has to stay at the cottage for one month.

Horror! Family secrets! Nightmares and childhood memories! All set on the shore of a lake that looks beautiful in the light of day but hides something terrible in the dark.

It's sinister and creepy and I couldn't put it down. I thought a few times that maybe I'd figured out the mystery, but each time I was wrong.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC!

Always love Kelley's novels....again loved the pace., loved the characters., Follow main character Samantha Payne after her grandfather dies and the will is read....You want a thriller you got one!!!! You will not beable to put this one down...Binge reading this one is a must


thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

🌲💀 4 Stars – A Chilling, Twisty Tale of Memory and Monsters

This book surprised me in all the right ways. It starts with a classic setup—an unexpected inheritance, a return to a haunted childhood home—but quickly spirals into something darker, more psychological, and deeply unsettling.

Samantha Payne is a protagonist you can’t help but root for, even as you question everything she remembers. The author does a fantastic job weaving together grief, guilt, and suspense, all while keeping the reader guessing: Was her father really innocent? What did Sam actually see that night? And what is lurking beneath the surface of that lake?

The setting is gorgeously eerie—Paynes Hollow feels like a character in its own right. The forest, the water, the cottage… everything pulses with dread. I loved the slow unraveling of Sam’s mind and the way the story plays with perception and memory. The supernatural hints are subtle but effective, adding layers of tension without going full horror.

Why not five stars? A few plot threads felt a little rushed or unresolved, and I wanted just a bit more clarity around the ending. But overall, this was a gripping, atmospheric read that kept me turning pages late into the night.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers with a touch of the uncanny, this one’s worth diving into—just don’t go swimming alone.

LOVED this! I loved the blend of folklore and old tales, the historical aspect, the mystery - the horror was incredible and made me feel like I was right in the story along with our main character!

I wasn’t sure about this going in, but I really enjoyed this book. Some of the mysticism and supernatural elements were a bit far fetched, but they did work with the story. I don’t typically raead tales with a supernatural feel hencemy hesitancy, but The Headless Horseman is one of my favorite of folklore so I had to try it. Good overall and a strong appeal for a few varying audiences. I will recommend.

Kelley Armstrong has done it again. As a longtime fan of her work, I always dive into her books with high expectations—and The Haunting of Payne's Hollow reinforced exactly why I keep coming back. While horror isn’t usually my genre of choice (and that may slightly influence my rating), Armstrong’s storytelling still pulls me in effortlessly.

This chilling tale follows Samantha (Sam) Payne, who unexpectedly inherits her family’s lakeside property after the death of her estranged grandfather. The catch? She must stay in the cottage of her nightmares for a full month. The premise instantly reminded me of those viral AI TikToks— “stay in a house for a month and win $10 million”—but instead of dreamy cabin aesthetics, Armstrong delivers haunting imagery of shadowed woods and dark, rippling waters that seem to whisper secrets. What unfolds is a chilling journey through twisted family secrets, eerie memories, and a setting so atmospheric it practically breathes.

One of the things I love most about Armstrong’s work is her ability to craft relationships that feel deeply human. Much like a Miyazaki film, her characters develop chemistry slowly and organically, with a wholesome depth and emotional yearning that never relies on spice to drive the plot.

If you enjoy ghost stories, psychological tension, and exploring “what if” scenarios of nightmares, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow is the perfect cozy autumn read. It’s a masterful blend of horror, mystery, and emotional depth that showcases Kelley Armstrong at her best.

It starts out good. A good strong storyline that keeps you lured in and reading.. its very mysterious. But it just turns really strange and nothing makes sense. I lost interest.