Thank you to the Publisher/Author/ and Netgalley for an ARC of this year to be published book.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong was a fun dark and twisty read. As Sam digs deeper, strange noises, disturbing nightmares, and the disappearance of her aunt, I'm sure some readers are wondering if Sam is going off the deep end or is something else afoot. With atmospheric suspense and emotional depth, Armstrong delivers a haunting story about trust, truth, trauma, and the ghosts that linger in both the mind and the shadows.

There are flashbacks to Sam's childhood that, I personally, would have liked to have them stand out more instead of being buried in a paragraph as the story progresses.

Also: love for Ben. I like that he was a consistent character the entire way through the story.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of The Haunting of Payne’s Hollow. Thank you NetGalley and Kelley Armstrong for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read many different Kelley Armstrong books and have loved every one I have read. This story is no exception. This is the first book I have read of Kelley Armstrong’s that is a horror/thriller, as all the books I have previously read of hers were fantasy, romance and mysteries. Although I’ve never been much of a horror/thriller reader, I will read anything she writes and love it just as much as the last book.

This story is a horror/thriller with a mix of mystery and intrigue. Like most Kelley Armstrong books, this one still kept me guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. Just when you think you have figured it out, you discover something new that puts a wrench in your whole theory.

I throughly enjoyed this story and absolutely cannot wait to read another Kelley Armstrong novel.

Please check trigger warnings, as this story talks a lot about difficult subject matter (including mentions of suicide, death, trauma, dementia)

This wasn’t the ghost story I expected but this spine-tingling supernatural horror was surprisingly an unputdownable read!
What could go wrong at a beautiful lakeside property with family secrets, and their own version of the Sleepy Hollow legend? Apparently a lot of scary and unexplainable things. The mystery surrounding Samantha Paynes’s past was sad and the Paynes’s family history was scary. The climax of the story was straight out terrifying but satisfying in the most macabre way. I feel the ending was left opened, maybe for a sequel?!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for this ARC.

The Haunting of Payne’s Hollow hits strong for fans of eerie, atmospheric horror. The haunting vibe, the tangled lore, and the mysterious unfolding of family secrets make it a compelling read. It’s especially effective if you love stories that keep you on edge and frustrated—but in a good way.

On the flip side, the main character and her aunt were kind of annoying - and I found them to be frustrating. Additionally, paranormal horror isn’t really my go-to genre - so I have definitely appreciated her other works more. Kelley Armstrong remains one of my go to authors though, so despite this not being my usual taste, I did enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Haunting of Paynes Hollow.

So I've been a massive Kelley Armstrong fan for years and I am always excited about new releases from her. Especially when the book has more of a horror take to it.

Samantha Payne finds herself back at her estranged grandfather's estate after he passes. The problem is she wants nothing to do with him or the estate after what happened in the past. On the other hand- the money would help out her financial situation.

The price? Sam must stay on her grandfather's estate in her family's long-abandoned summer cabin for 30 days and unable to leave the property. Nothing could go wrong with this right? Who cares that over the years many people have gone missing without a trace and no one seems to care. Also add in the fact that she found her father burying a dead boy on their property before he ended up killing himself. No issues right?

Wrong. Especially when there is a broody caretaker who is going to make sure you follow through with the rules.

I absolutely love the fact that Kelley Armstrong throws in interesting Dutch folklore along with the legend of the Headless Horseman from Washington Irving. The world and character building that she does is something I always enjoy from this author and I can never get enough of it.

This book is full of mystery, suspense and horror along with some creepiness. It's an absolute perfect read for October.

I have really enjoyed Kelley Armstrong’s other books, and was thrilled to read an eARC of The Haunting of Paynes Hollow thanks to St. Martin’s Press. This was very different in tone to her other books ~ much more ominous and suspenseful, but finding out what had happened to the Payne family throughout their years in Paynes Hollow kept me on the edge of my seat!
When Sam Payne’s grandfather dies, his will stipulates that she can inherit the (very valuable) family property only if she returns to the site of the worst memories of her childhood. She must stay for a month, but immediately someone seems to be trying to scare her away. If you enjoy suspenseful stories and not quite knowing who to trust, I think you will really enjoy Armstrong’s take on this horror story. I generally don’t like too much horror or gore, and while this was a little darker than my typical reads, I enjoyed the story ~ a perfect fall read!

4.5 Stars

The Haunting of Payne's Hollow Is one of those strange, dark stories that I absolutely love, which makes me question what might be wrong with me! 😂 Armstrong brings a story filled with the macabre, dark family secrets, manipulation, and tragedy that makes for a perfect spooky season read. I especially loved the way she brought in folklore, and a spooky legend that is one of my favorite stories, to add suspense and tension.

And if you feel like you have a horrible, dysfunctional family, let me assure you, that you have nothing on the Payne's. I loved the way Armstrong revealed the family's dark past, secrets, and betrayals mixed with the horror of what was happening at Payne's Hollow, during the FMCs stay to fulfill her grandfather's conditions left in his will.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
* Animal Death/Gore
* Suppressed Memories
* Childhood Trauma
* Dutch Folklore
* Sociopathic Behavior
* Drowned Zombies 🧟‍♂️
* Dark Family Secrets

𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲?
🥶 (No)

If you love a great creepy factor, where most of the "what to expect" from the story is a list of unhinged Trigger Warnings, and some characters that commit horrible acts, then I would definitely recommend adding The Haunting of Payne's Hollow to your Spooky Season TBR.

Sam never expected to inherit anything when her grandfather died. But she does. She will inherit a strip of land. There is a catch. She has to stay in the cabin for a month. This is the land where her father was accused of killing someone. Plus the land is worth a large amount. If she can't stay for the month the property is given to other family members that doesn't want her to get the land.. The story has family drama, emotional parts and the dead. It was actually a good story as we root for Sam to survive and win.

Reading The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong while on vacation at the lake may not have been my smartest idea 😊 I read another book in the horror genre by this author (Hemlock Island) and really liked it, but this is even better. So creepy and spooky!

I really love how Armstrong mixes the physical horror from the character’s childhood, the psychological horror imposed from returning to the site of the trauma, and the potential paranormal terror from the folktales of the area. Everything is fraught with potential dangers, real or imagined.

As always, the pacing is spot on, and I could easily imagine the lake setting (unfortunately!) The supporting characters are fleshed out well and kept me guessing about who might be a villain among them.

Once again, another great read from Kelley Armstrong. Highly recommended for light horror and paranormal fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the pre-release copy of The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong. Below you'll find my honest review.

If you've never read any of Kelley Armstrong's works, what the heck are you waiting for? She's got time travel books. She's got wilderness thrillers. She's got horror. She's got urban fantasy. And she does all of it well!

This is her latest foray into the horror genre, and I loved it. The characters worked for me, and so did the fantastic setting. What's creepier than being pretty much cutoff from most of the outside world and not being sure if what's happening is supernatural or just humans? I can think of a few things, but not many. And she has so much riding on the outcome of her staying cutoff from the world, so she's forced to push through.

This one really pushed the idea of having to realize that your perspective isn't always right, that you don't always know the people around you, and that everything comes with a catch.

Highly recommended for horror fans and Kelley Armstrong fans. Hopefully, this one gets her some MORE fans!

I went into this with very low expectations. I am not a horror fan in any capacity, but Kelley Armstrong is one of my top favorite authors so I gave it a chance. I should have had more faith in her from the start!
This book was spooky, had an original twist with very interesting Dutch lore and creatures. I loved the flashbacks from when the FMC was a child on this spooky land experiencing a multitude of traumatic events that she, now as an equally traumatized adult, has to face and discover the mystery of what's happening now and how it connects to that past.
While spooky, scary and had me wishing so very much I did not read this while I was camping (my bad!), I was so hooked and invested in the mystery and lore that I couldn't put it down!
Highly recommend you put this on your TBR immediately!

This review is my opinion and my opinion only. This is why I am a hugh fan of Kelley Armstrong. She can write a story in any genre and spin it into something new.
This is a horror/thriller. In “The Hauting of Payne Hollow”, Sam’s grandfather passed away and in the will she has to stay at the family home for 30 days. She can only leave for an hour a day for necessities. People see Payne Hollow as the Bermuda Triangle of Upstate New York. Sam hates it for another reason. What Is it? It has something to do with her father. That’s all I’m saying 😏
The caretaker of the property is Ben whose ties to the property is horrific. The reason he’s the caretaker because Sam’s grandfather blackmails Ben into it.
Kelly Armstrong is an amazing story teller. I have read every story she has written; sometimes more than once. This is another best seller!

This was a really good thriller/horror novel. It takes place in the fictitious town of Paynes Hollow outside of Syracuse, NY on the shores of Lake Ontario. I grew up visiting Lake Ontario as a kid as I lived only twenty minutes from the lake, so I had an instant connection with this novel.

Sam witnessed the unthinkable as a teenager, her father killing a teenage boy at their lake house. Her grandfather refuses to believe that her father is guilty of the crime even though her father committed suicide and left a note. Upon her grandfather's death, 14 years later, he forces Sam to stay at their lakefront property for a month in order to inherit the valuable property. Sam agrees since she is in desperate need of the money to take care of her mother who has early onset dementia. Once Sam is on the property weird and gruesome things begin to happen. Sam begins to remember back to that trying time. Things go from bad to worse though when her aunt goes missing. Sam must figure out fast what is really going on before anyone else gets hurt.

This was a fast paced supernatural thriller with horror elements. I am not always a horror fan but this book was very well done and I really enjoyed the supernatural element. I definitely did not see what ended up happening at the end. The author did a fantastic job with the descriptions and I could picture myself back in Lake Ontario. I do have to say that after reading this book, it may be a little while before I go camping or visiting Lake Ontario. An excellent novel especially if you love spooky and supernatural elements.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

My thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Kelley Armstrong for the eARC in exchange for a review of this book.

I have this memory. When I was a kid, I used to take dance classes. Class would end and I'd go out to the lobby area, where my Dad was sitting with a book. I'd give him the sticker I got at the end of my class and he'd put it on his bookmark, which was covered with stickers from me and my little sister. I'd stare at the covers of the books he read, wanting to know what they were about, because my Dad liked to read horror novels. The one I remember specifically is one called Dead Voices. If you look it up, the cover art is different shades of green, with people coming out of some water in various states of decay, their eyes glowing and focused on you as you stare right back. It's an image that has stuck with me for decades, literally. Because at one point in this book, Sam sees something coming out of the water and my mind filled in the rest with that cover art image and being a child and starting to understand fearing the things you can't see in the dark. And I sat there with this book in my hands and thought, whelp, I don't need sleep, right?

I've read so many Kelley Armstrong books. Not ALL of them, but it is a goal of mine to read as many of them as I can find. I love her A Rip Through Time series, which just released it's fourth book last week. I've read the Cainsville series and the A Stitch in Time series. I even have several Rockton novels that I mean to start once I finish last week's new release and I own nearly every Women of the Otherworld book out there. So when I saw that Armstrong was releasing one-off horror novels, I eagerly got my copies and sat down to read. I liked Hemlock Island for the most part, but there were so many little things that just irked me and I couldn't let them go, so LIKE is all I can say for that book. I just finished I'll be Waiting, and it actually took me a couple of months to finally finish it, which says a lot about my general attitude towards it. Suffice to say, I loved the writing and the general premise of each book, but blast it, those villain reveals just would not stick the landing for me. I wanted to be floored and creeped out and then turn around and give the book to my Dad, because he's where my fascination with the horror genre came from.

I'll be buying a copy of THIS BOOK for my Dad, no doubt about it.

I do have this pre-ordered. It's one of those books that I saw was an upcoming release from one of my favorite authors and just automatically added it to my cart. All the while eyeing it with some trepidation because of my experience with the last two horror novels I've read from Armstrong. I had my fingers crossed and maybe even held my breath a little as I started reading this book. I finished it in less than a day (I did end up falling asleep somewhere in those 24 hours since I opened this book yesterday, where I dreamed of waterlogged people grabbing my feet from under the bed, always a good sign that a book has gotten under my skin.) I devoured the first quarter of the book before starting dinner for my kids and then spent most of the night reading while feeding my infant a bottle and rocking him to sleep.

This book grabbed me from the start. It follows Sam, a woman who thanks to the stipulations set forth in her grandfather's will, has to stay at the lakefront cottage from her childhood. It's a place she hasn't set foot near in almost 14 years, since the last time she was there she witnessed her beloved father burying the body of a boy her age and then subsequently killed himself. Her grandfather didn't believe the story she told and now, in order to inherit the land the cottages sit on, she has to spend a month in her parents' old cabin. It's one last way to stick it to Sam that she had to be wrong, forcing her to confront the trauma of her past in order to move forward with the money she desperately needs by inheriting the property.

It's the kind of plot that is in a lot of horror stories out there right now. The main character has to go back to their childhood home and deal with the demons in their past that haunt them both literally and figuratively, in an old, sometimes derelict property. I'm sure it's the basis of several stories soon to be released this year. What sets this one apart is the background to the property. Turns out, the area around Payne's Hollow, named after Sam's family, has been riddled with disappearances going back for at least a century. Sam has always heard things out in the woods and had grown up knowing to never set foot in the trees or enter the water after dark. Nothing to question about what is seemingly good safety advice. Except over the course of the book, Sam starts to realize there is more than a little warning about the trees and the water. Because something wanders the land the Payne family has held onto for centuries, and it has now set it's focus completely on Sam. The why of it all, is what makes this book work, but for spoiler purposes, you have to read it to find out the reveal. I got to the ending and then went back and reread passages that stood out to me, highlighting how that reveal not only works but just gives the book that oomph that makes it stick in your head, and yes, finally, I LOVE a horror novel from my favorite author. Third time's the charm.

The writing is concise, revealing suspenseful tidbits in due time, enough to keep the reader guessing and turning the pages, needing to find out what happens next. Because I lied, I DO need sleep, but I had to keep reading this book, I couldn't just put it down, look what just happened, 5 more pages, 10 more pages, oh look an hour has passed by, fine, I almost dropped my phone because I'm exhausted, I yield to the need for sleep and the obvious bloodshot eyes I see in the mirror. And then as soon as I woke up, I continued reading in between feeding my family and myself, and doing my utmost to keep my toddler entertained while my infant watches us all in wonder.

I respected Sam as a character. She does her best to manage what she can, working a menial job while living in a rundown apartment, so all her money can go to keeping her mom comfortable in a home that can take care of her thanks to an onset of early dementia. Sam is barely keeping her head afloat and in the back of her mind is the trauma of what she witnessed her dad doing and now the deal she has to suffer through because of her a** of a grandfather had me squarely in her corner. I believe in hard work and determination, and people finally getting what they deserve and I wanted all of that for Sam and even her aunt Gail, who went with her niece to the cabin to keep her company because she didn't want Sam to suffer alone. I loved Josie, the daughter of the Sheriff and a deputy in her own right, who tried her hardest to make Sam feel welcome, providing the right presence to keep Sam focused as more and more gets revealed in the story. I even came to like Ben, the caretaker of the property, who has his own agenda to deal with concerning his connection to the Payne family.

I didn't get the connection from just the title to the classic Irving story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I should have, but it is placed front and center within the first few chapters, and I loved how Armstrong takes pieces of that story to make something that much more twisted in terms of familial secrets and monsters that go bump in the night. As I've already said, I finished this fast, which is a plus for me. And even though it goes fast, the book is not lacking in any way. I had questions and suspicions, and everything was answered and revealed in ways that made me smile because yes, that is so wow. I'll be reading this again when it's released later this year. I want to rave about more, but I'm trying really hard not to spoil the book. I usually read the endings to a lot of books I start reading but I managed to contain myself this time, and I did not regret it. I want other readers to share that same experience.



Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars. I loved this book. Really and truly, just loved this book. Everything worked, the writing, the characters, the reveals, the ending. When I get my hardcover, it will live on a shelf next to my other favorite stories, where I'll pull it out whenever I'm in the mood to be just a little scared. Read if you like T. Kingfisher's A House with Good Bones. I'm going to go read that one again this weekend.

This is not at all what I expected. Just goes to show you a great author can make any story exciting.

“Paynes Hollow: The Bermuda Triangle of Upstate New York?”

Lots of strange and unusual things going on with creepy happening around every corner. If you are looking for something a little different that will grab you and hold on for dear life this is the one.

As always a great read.

When Sam’s grandfather dies and leaves her almost everything she is nervous. She needs the money to support her sick mother, put herself through school and get back on feet but at what expense? She hadn’t spoken to her grandfather in all the years since her father died and he cast her and her mother out.

The inheritance comes with a stipulation - stay at the old family vacation home for one month. One month of not leaving the property where her father died after committing a murder. The property that gave her nightmares as a child and now an adult. The property that took so much from her.

As Sam sets up for her stay strange things start to happen. Is she going crazy or is it the paranormal? Are her memories real or dreams?

While yes a a ghost story it also touches on family, the lengths you will go to protect your own and finding out that some blood isn’t thicker than water.

The Hauting of Paynes Hollow is a horror-thrillery story about small town secrets, local folklore, (a lot of) family drama, and generational trauma with quite a few unlikable characters and a not-so reliable protagonist.
The setting is great for readers who enjoy horror stories set in cottages by the lake in the woods. The characters are, in my opinion, most of the time realistic enough. The pacing is great, really. The author throws us, the readers, into action and in the middle of the gore while developing the characters. It's gruesome, especially in the second half, and it envolves a lot of paranormal and supernatural myths and local legends, and it is emotional if you connect to the characters and care for them.

This is the third horror adult novel I read from this author. My favourite still is Hemlock Island, and the reason why I ended up really enjoying this one, Paynes Hollow, is because this book reminds me a lot of Hemlock Island. So I could easily say that whoever reads Hemlock Island might as well enjoy this one. My only reservation would be: sometimes, in my opinion, mostly in the final third of the book, the characters spoke and behaved in a very juvenile way. Even some dialogues read very young adult. And, according to the publisher, this is an adult horror novel. So, just keep that in mind.

However, I can also recommend this book to any horror readers out there who enjoy gruesome horror stories with supernatural twists and local folklores.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Why yes I did read 2 Kelley Armstrong books back to back. I received this ARC for Haunting in Payne’s Hollow from Net Galley and St Martin’s Press. Overall yes I did enjoy the book but I think of the 2 I prefer the more Sherlock Holmes style of a murder/mystery who done it story versus this mental gymnastics. Sam Payne inherits her families lake property from her grandfather which she desperately needs to pay for her moms medical care with the caveat that she must spend 30 days on the property and isn’t allowed to leave for more than an hour - she hasn’t been to the property in 14 years since she found her Dad burying the body of a 13 year old local boy and outed him to authorities. If the goal is to make you also question your own sanity while reading then boy you are in for a treat because I had 2 ideas initially of what I thought had happened and whew was I wrong but I did like the overall story/plot lines.

Sam really did also make me start questioning my own sanity. I kept flip flopping back and forth between her being the one doing everything or it initially being her Grandfather or a family member. I liked the supernatural twist to this with the nekkers though.

I'm a Kelley Armstrong fan; any story, any genre, I'll read it. Her books span multiple genres, ranging from paranormal to rom-com and everything in between. She's got a few stories to tell. Yes, I love some of them more than others, but I would still love to see the Nadia Stafford series expanded. The Rockton series cannot be compared to any other of its kind; it's that good. The Cainsville series set off a years long fascination with The Wild Hunt. Armstrong's writing flows as she builds characters and the community around them. It's easy to ignore everything else when you start one of her books. I recommend them and often gift them.

Paynes' Hollow is a small town that was established around a family estate, that's right, the Paynes. For generations, there have been rumors and unsubstantiated tales of the events in and around the Payne family's compound, but the death of a young local man many years ago has left the compound isolated and empty. When Samantha (Sam) Payne's Grandfather dies, he deeded her the compound, with some conditions. She definitely needs the money, but her past experiences have left her leery of anything to do with her Payne family. As her worst nightmares come to life, Sam will learn things from her past that cause her to question her future.