The Haunting of Paynes Hollow - by Kelley Armstrong

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

Praise for Kelley Armstrong:

"[A] nail-biting thriller... Armstrong's insightful characterization of her lead, even as it keeps readers guessing about Nicola's reliability as a narrator, makes suspending disbelief easy. Riley Sager fans will be delighted." --Publishers Weekly on I'll Be Waiting

"The atmosphere here is superbly realized... Fans of Riley Sager and Lucy Foley will enjoy this well-paced and atmospheric ghost story-thriller." --Booklist, starred review, on I'll Be Waiting

"A must-read for fans of atmospheric and occult horror with intricate storytelling." - Library Journal on Hemlock Island

"A tech mogul gifts his ex-wife their perfect vacation home on a remote island. You'd think this is a dream come true--but this is a Kelley Armstrong story! With creepy twists on every page and a unique horror element, it's got an ending you'll never see coming." -Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor, on Hemlock Island

"With Hemlock Island, Kelley Armstrong stakes a solid claim in the horror genre. A truly disturbing tale filled with complex characters, weird twists, genuine chills, and deep emotions. Highly recommended!" -Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of Kagen the Damned and Patient Zero

"Armstrong is a master storyteller. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was wrong--and I LOVED it! Also, I will never, ever look at wind chimes the same way..." -S.A. Barnes, author of Dead Silence, on Hemlock Island

"Armstrong lures you in with mystery, but once she yanks back the curtain, the horror is full-tilt. A great read!" --Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and All Hallows, on Hemlock Island

"Hemlock Island starts at 65mph and accelerates until you're in a breathless tailspin, holding on for dear life...I've always loved Kelley's writing and this is one of her best." - Christina Henry, author of Near the Bone and The Ghost Tree

About the Author

KELLEY ARMSTRONG is the author of over 50 novels in mystery, fantasy and horror. She believes experience is the best teacher, though she's been told this shouldn't apply to writing her murder scenes. To craft her books, she has studied aikido, archery and fencing. She sucks at all of them. She has also crawled through very shallow cave systems and climbed half a mountain before chickening out. She is however an expert coffee drinker and a true connoisseur of chocolate-chip cookies.