Hemlock Island

Laney Kilpatrick finds herself facing a chilling nightmare in the first full-length horror novel by mystery writer Armstrong (A Rip Through Time). Renting out her beloved vacation home on Hemlock Island to cover its exorbitant expenses becomes a decision she soon regrets as strange occurrences escalate from mere wear and tear to sinister hex circles and terrified renters fleeing in the dead of night. Laney enlists the help of her teenage niece and is unexpectedly joined by a group of familiar faces from her past, including her ex-husband Kit and her former best friend Jayla. As the group arrives on isolated Hemlock Island, their investigation takes a grisly turn, with the discovery of a human hand and a series of eerie findings that point to a malevolent force at work. Armstrong skillfully builds tension as the novel morphs from a murder mystery to occult horror, revealing hidden pasts and weaving a complex web of secrets that add depth to the narrative. The novel’s slow but steady pace enhances the sense of unease, allowing the horror to intensify right up to the final pages.