3.5 stars

A mysterious and engaging horror story featuring ghouls, headless horsemen, and things that go bump in the night.

I really enjoyed the isolation aspect of this story, in which our heroine Samantha is forced (by the bizarre terms of her inheritance) to stay on the grounds of an isolated lakeside property outside of town, where help—even if she has cell service enough to call for it—is a long drive away, and may not even be on her side.

I also enjoyed the folkloric inspiration for the horror that haunts the Payne family property, which I thought gave a nice twist to the familiar haunted-house-inheritance novel.

I didn’t love some of the more contrived elements of the setup or the plot, but I did enjoy the mystery aspect of Samantha trying to discover both what really happened on the property during her childhood and what secrets are lying in her family’s history with this place. This will be a fun read for mystery-thriller fans wanting to dip their toes into the supernatural horror genre.

I would like to start by thanking the author and publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I enjoyed this book very much; I couldn't put it down. I haven't read many ghost stories lately, simply because they don't give me goosebumps, and I figure out the ending way too early in the book. With this story, I had my theories throughout, but I did not have it figured out.

I do not like how the grandfather went about things to get her to stay there, as well as never saying anything to his daughter, which resulted in her death. That was a tough one to swallow. The creatures that came out of the lake great job at making them creepy because they gave me some goosebumps. I like that Ben and Sam were able to come together and develop a friendship with hints of a relationship. I loved how Ben was someone who did make something of himself and didn't let anyone know unless they needed to. The fact that he was there for his parents after the way they treated him for making a few mistakes, and seeing his younger brother as the angel when he was the psychopath. The way that Austin terrorized Sam and which took her so long to tell anyone, got me. I would like to say that I would have spoken up a lot sooner, but in reality, I probably wouldn't have.

What I liked most about this story was the twist. I truly did think it was Sam's father the entire time that set everything up. Even though her grandfather swore it wasn't true. To find out that it was her mother, all because she didn't want to get sick like her father, and that she used the local sheriff to get it done. Let us not forget that the sheriff even shot his daughter, even if it was not on purpose, just to keep his secret.

This such a great read.

I’ve been reading Armstrong from Otherworld, Cainsville, assassins, the Yukon, time ripping and stitching, a romance (?!), and am loving the stand alone stories that have come the last few years.

A great story with a great lead and detailed supporting characters. No spoilers, but there are a couple characters in here that are just so easy to hate 😆

The story is creepy, surprising, emotional, and unpredictable, with links to the familiar Sleepy Hollow legend, but also lesser known mythologies.

💯 recommend

“Payne’s Hollow” is a gripping and atmospheric read that blends folklore, suspense, and slow-burning romance in a way that only Kelley Armstrong can deliver. The small-town setting is richly drawn, complete with dark secrets, whispered legends, and a sense of unease that lingers on every page. Armstrong does a fantastic job of pulling the reader into the mystery of the Hollow, balancing the supernatural elements with very human emotions and relationships.

The protagonist is both relatable and refreshingly grounded, making her journey through the town’s chilling secrets feel all the more immersive. The pacing is steady but it builds tension effectively, leading to a satisfying and eerie climax.

“Payne’s Hollow” stands out for its mood, compelling character dynamics, and subtle supernatural touches. A great pick for fans of gothic mysteries and stories with just the right amount of creep factor.

Highly recommend but maybe don’t read it alone at night.

** Contains SOME Spoliers!!!**

The Haunting of Paynes Hallow is a brilliantly crafted thriller that blends the eerie charm of Sleepy Hollow with the dark mystique of Dutch folklore. Kelley Armstrong delivers a gripping tale that kept me reluctant to turn the final page.

The story follows Sam, a young woman forced to abandon medical school to care for her ailing mother. When her estranged grandfather passes away, Sam returns to a family she hasn’t seen in years; ever since her father was accused of murdering a local boy during her childhood. At the funeral, Sam learns that her grandfather has left her a substantial inheritance: a remote property where the family once vacationed just off Lake Ontario. But there’s a catch! She must live on the land for one full month, never leaving for more than an hour a day. If she fails to meet his conditions, the inheritance will pass to a distant cousin.

Haunted by traumatic memories of witnessing her father bury the boy’s body on that very property, Sam is reluctant to accept. Her Aunt Gail, disturbed by the idea of Sam staying there alone, insists on accompanying her for the duration. Soon after their arrival, strange and unsettling events begin to unfold: mutilated animals appear on the property, eerie gifts resurface painful memories of Austin, the murdered boy, and Sam begins to hear hoofbeats at night and sees mysterious lights beneath the surface of Lake Ontario.

After a heated argument, Gail vanishes, and the story takes a chilling turn. As Sam searches for answers, she uncovers an old storybook hidden in her grandfather’s cabin, revealing the haunting legends of Paynes Hallow. Kelley Armstrong masterfully intertwines the myth of the Headless Horseman with Dutch folklore surrounding the nekker (or nixie), a water spirit known for luring victims to their doom.

This novel is a haunting masterpiece, rich with atmosphere and suspense. Kelley Armstrong’s storytelling is immersive and evocative, breathing new life into classic legends while crafting a tale that feels both timeless and terrifying. The Haunting of Paynes Hallow is easily one of my favorite thrillers, one that will leave me glancing nervously at the surface of any lake I camp beside, just in case the nekker rise again.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow gave me creepy 90s summer camp slasher movie vibes with a sprinkling of myths and a whole lot of mystery to unravel. It was the perfect summer horror to read, just not alone in a cabin in the woods. The more I read the more I wanted to read to uncover the truths and mysteries as it was a slow burn, it gave you plenty to enjoy to get there. Each character had great depth and backstory that gives you what you need to know without distracting from the main story itself, like Ben. Armstrong has a way of making you feel and understand the headspace of the characters she's writing and really get you engaged with the story.
I could feel my heart race at parts and experiences the anger, confusion and paranoia of Sam as she navigates though the challenges she is faced with trying to earn her inheritance. Its was frustrating trying not to get sucked into the red herrings being thrown out while trying to uncover what really was at play and I gotta say, it knocked me through a loop.
While the whole book was eerie, some parts gave me the heebie jeebies. Trigger warning for those who are squeamish. There is talk to dismembered animals and how they are laid out, thought the actual killing is off page. Also, descriptions of dead bodies (leaving it at that to reduce the chance of spoilers), suicide, murder, emotional abuse and I am sure there is more but those are the biggies. The ending was something I did not see coming at all and how the story was unraveled and wrapped up but still left enough lose ends to make your own conclusions to parts felt fitting. It left enough where I would maybe want a sequel to it, but also very happy to just leave it be.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's press and Kelley Armstrong for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book is expected to be published on October 14, 2025

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. Kelley Armstrong is an auto-buy author for me, and I was very excited to read this one.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the book. The writing was so amazing and immersive that the story, which I'm sure is fantastic and will be loved by many, became too much for me. The main character's situation—caring for a parent with dementia, having sacrificed so much, and the recent loss of a beloved cat—was too similar to my own life. While I know the storyline is incredibly intriguing, it was just too close to home and became very triggering for me personally.

Samantha Payne’s father was a murderer based on her eye witness testimony as a child. The result was she and her mother were disowned by her paternal grandfather who always insisted Sam was wrong and her father was innocent. Since that time she has never returned to the family vacation spot, Payne’s Hollow, but now her grandfather, in death, is forcing her to return and confront hr memories. Sam’s mother is suffering early onset dementia and to keep her in the nice assisted living home and on the trial medication that seems to be helping Sam needs money and her grandfather’s will gives her the opportunity of inheriting $10 million but only if she spends a month in Payne’s Hollow at the family cabin where she witnessed her father burying the boy he was accused of murdering.
I am not a big fan of horror though since I am a big fan of Kelley Armstrong I gave this a try. Truthfully this turned out to be more suspense than what I think of as horror though there are supernatural elements to the mystery. The story moves along at a good pace, I read this in one day, and the conclusion was both a bit surprising in terms of the murder and totally satisfying in terms of Sam’s family relations. Like all of Ms Armstrong’s work that I have read this one is highly recommended

When Samantha Payne was a teenager, she saw her father burying a child at the family’s lakefront estate, and he subsequently committed suicide. Samantha’s grandfather never got over Samantha’s accusations, and the two haven’t spoken in over 14 years. Now, Samantha’s grandfather dies, and Samantha is shocked when the multi-million dollar estate is left to her, with one stipulation- she must stay in the house for 30 days, with the grandfather hoping that Samantha will realize she was wrong about what she saw. The Haunting of Paynes Hollow is a sufficiently spooky tale with a great hook, interesting characters and plenty of suspense as this entertaining story plays out. The plot moves at a good pace, with the right mix of supernatural and thriller-related natural happenings to keep fans of both genres happy. Eerie and entertaining, a winning combo! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read another great Kelley Armstrong novel! This story drew me in with its mystery, humor, and passion. Each character seemed to come alive just enough through even little bits of dialogue. It felt like experiencing small town gossip with a side of folklore. The mystery was paced well and I enjoyed figuring everything out with Sam. It was not a story where I knew anything that was happening until I had too which was exciting. I think my only comment is that I don’t think you read a podcast. But maybe I’m wrong.

A deeply disturbing story that makes the reader question how far we would go to ensure our families prospered. Kelley Armstrong delivers yet another horror novel that combines folklore, nature-based entities, and arcane rituals that will bring long-reaching consequences of catastrophic proportions.

I’ve read a horror arc by Kelly Armstrong in 2023, 2024, and 2025 now and I’ve rated them all highly. In fact, her last I’ll Be Waiting made it into my top books of 2024! She’s officially horror auto buy status for me now! For 2025 I read The Haunting of Payne’s Hollow and what a ride that was! When I finished the last word I just stared at the page and said “holy shit” Out loud to absolutely nobody while trying to process everything, which is a good thing. I literally read this book in a day and stayed up way past my bedtime to see what would happen to Ben and Sam (and it takes a lot to get me to stay up that late). I love how mysterious this whole story is and it’s quite a while until we find out the nature of what’s happening. Are there ghosts? Demons? Humans playing tricks? Other paranormal entities? You’ll want to pick this book up and find out for yourself! Welcome to my top books of 2025 list!

This story was weird and trippy. Strange things happening all in the name of winning an inheritance. Things definitely took a turn I didn't expect but overall I'm glad I read it.

This is a fantastic reimaging of the classic "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." It honored the source material while also being uniquely its own story.
Additionally, there's everything you'd want from a family inheritance meets horror story. There's small town folklore, family greed, shady locals, a potential haunted piece of property, and a murder mystery all at its core.

This was such a fantastic and spooky read. Pick this book up in October and cozy in for a good Halloween read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you to the author and team of NetGalley for the free ARC!

If you like legend of Sleepy Hollow, I highly recommend reading this story!
WOW! As always I was very excited to read this book as it is written by one of my favorite authors! I have to say I was NOT expecting the twists and turns even knowing how Armstrong is; however, I was very happy with the story. As soon as I started it I was entranced and couldn’t put it down! I absolutely LOVED this book as I love all her other books I have read. Armstrong is such an amazing author and I highly, HIGHLY recommend reading this book. I read this book in less than 24 hours. Heck maybe even less than 12! That’s how good it was! I just can’t even explain how good it was!

First I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this opportunity to read this book.
It is easily a 5 stars read, it is one of the very few books I just couldn’t put down. I finished it in only three days! OMG, I loved everything about it, the fast pace, the dialogues, the writing style, and the plot. Every chapter made me want to keep reading more.
Such an amazing story, really a must-read!

This read is just so much fun. Gothic and creepy, with a bit of folk horror and a very likable protagonist, I couldn’t put it down. It was hard to know what was really going on. Sam will inherit ten million dollars if she can just spend one month on her family’s lakefront property. She and her mother left after she accused her father of killing a child. Her grandfather never believed her, and his posthumous wish is to have her remember what really happened. As soon as she arrives, weird things start happening but, is it her resentful cousin or something from beyond? She has an unwitting ally in Ben, the brother of the boy Sam’s dad allegedly murdered. The plot is very entertaining and kept me on my toes. No one is what they seem and even the mystery behind the haunting is not what I was expecting. Mostly, I really loved Sam and Ben. They were relatable and their dialogues were sparkling with their chemistry. Some parts were gruesome and disturbing, but the tone overall is light, so it makes for a quick read. I loved it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press.

4.25 Stars ⭐️

As I went into this relatively blind, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was an eerily haunting supernatural thriller that completely took me by surprise.

The story revolves around FMC Samantha Payne who receives an unexpected inheritance from her estranged grandfather. When she was young, she "caught" her father in the middle of trying to bury a young boy that he had supposedly murdered. Her father them committed suicide, leaving Sam completely traumatized. Her father's father- the grandfather in question - never believed that version of events and Sam and her mother were estranged from that side of the family. That is why Sam was shocked to be the beneficiary of the $10 million property and compound where these events occurred.

But was her grandfather just being mean, or did he have ulterior motives? Because there were certain "stipulations" that required her to live at the compound for an entire month, only having permission to leave the property for a maximum of 1 hour a day. One minute more, and the inheritance was forfeit.

This was the place that Sam had never been back to. The place that caused her brain to protect her by erasing any memory she had of that summer. AND to top it off, the caretaker responsible for the property and responsible for monitoring her and making sure she followed the rules happened to be the older brother of the boy her father murdered. To say that Ben disliked the Payne's would be an understatement.

So that is how things begin. Where the story goes from there.....well, that is the crazy supernatural ride, ending up in some unearthed family secrets and a ton of events that could only be fairytales or folklore. Or could it? Definitely not a normal stay at the lake.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on October 14, 2025.

Looking for your next spooky season read, this one is it !! This was so creepy and chilling and I was here for it. I absolutely devoured this one. It is not my usual go to genre but I was here for it. It is a dark mystery and has some horror elements but I really enjoyed.

Woohoo! I can’t believe I got an ARC for a Kelley Armstrong book. I’ve been a longtime fan, so this one was a real treat—and it’s another spooky lake story to add to my collection.

When Sam Payne’s grandfather dies, she doesn’t expect to be in the will—not after the fallout when she catches her father burying a child’s body at the cottage. But surprise: she inherits the family’s valuable lakefront property… on the condition she lives there for a month. Cue a return to a childhood full of trauma, creepy memories, and family secrets.

This is fast-paced, creepy fun with twisty family ties and a solid dose of “what the heck is actually going on?” I liked that I was never quite sure—supernatural haunting? Elaborate scheme? Sam losing her grip? Or all of the above? There’s a riff on the Headless Horseman, some truly unpleasant family drama, and a setting that delivers all the eerie lakefront feels.

The ending did feel a bit over-complicated, but the spooky atmosphere and mystery kept me hooked. If you loved Hemlock Island, you’ll love this—more lake life with a horrific, haunting twist.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.