Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong Narrator: Angela Dawe
Published by MacMillan Audio on September 12, 2023
Genres: Horror
Length: 9 hours, 6 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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A standalone horror novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.
Laney Kilpatrick has been renting her vacation home to strangers. The invasion of privacy gives her panic attacks, but it’s the only way she can keep her beloved Hemlock Island, the only thing she owns after a pandemic-fueled divorce. But broken belongings and campfires that nearly burn down the house have escalated to bloody bones, hex circles, and now, terrified renters who've fled after finding blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet, as though someone tried to claw their way out...and failed.
When Laney shows up to investigate with her teenaged niece in tow, she discovers that her ex, Kit, has also been informed and is there with Jayla, his sister and her former best friend. Then Sadie, another old high school friend, charters over with her brother, who’s now a cop.
There are tensions and secrets, whispers in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it... But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they’re trapped with someone—or something—that doesn’t want them leaving the island alive.
 
I had no doubt that Kelley Armstrong could write a gloriously creepy horror story. I usually enjoy everything I’ve read from her. She writes amazing characters that really make you fall in love with them. In this story, there is a character we never meet on the page, but I still fell in love with him.
In this story, Laney is a single mom of a teenage niece after the friend’s death. She is struggling to get by as a teacher and a rookie mystery author. In her divorce, she got a private island with a house on it. She can’t afford to not rent it out to help cover the costs, no matter how much it pains her to let others into her private space. But things are getting weird. Some weird pranks or something is going on and she gets an angry call from the current renters.
As she and some others start to investigate, things get even weirder. Not to mention some tension between the people doing the investigating (the ex-husband, an ex-friend who has a crush on the ex-husband, and the ex friend’s brother). Not to mention the teenage niece who couldn’t be left alone on the mainland. So not only do you have creepiness, you have all the human tension between the group.
I had a great time with this story. I had no idea where it was going. There are several twists and turns. A few I did figure out before I was told, but that didn’t diminish the story in any way.
I hope this isn’t Ms Armstrong’s last foray into horror. I would love to read more.
Narration:
This is not my first time listening to Angela Dawe. I knew she would do a good job. And I was not wrong. She was great. I don’t really know what else to say, other than she’s an amazing narrator and if you haven’t tried her, you really need to. If you’re not a fan of horror, she does a lot of other works. I first listened to her performing the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Angela Dawe
Angela Dawe is an audiobook narrator and actress living and working in Chicago, Illinois. Winner of several Earphones Awards from Audiofile Magazine and narrator of two Audie-nominated audiobooks, Angela is also an accomplished improviser/sketch comedian, and has worked with such theaters as Second City, iO (formerly improvOlympic), and The Annoyance. Among Angela’s recordings are Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh, Wild Roses by Deb Caletti, and Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts.
About Kelley Armstrong
Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could
write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a
story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls
and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. Today, she continues to
spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked
away in her basement writing dungeon. She lives in southwestern
Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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I didn’t love the ending of this one…I didn’t hate it exactly, I just didn’t love it. But I do love the way Armstrong crafts a story and creates characters you like and root for.
Ooh, group dynamics are a;ways a draw for me when reading horror. They’re so unpredictable. Sounds like my cuppa tea. Great review, Melanie.
That sounds fun. Twists can sure make a story exciting.
Oooo creepy!