The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

I read this book in one day ’nuff said…. but perhaps, I will say more. I love Kelley Armstrong’s writing and found The Haunting of Paynes Hollow to be chilling, thrilling, creepy, dark, eerie, mysterious, and you guessed it – hard to put down! I picked up this arc to read because I was in the mood for something a little creepy, a little spooky, and a little bit horrific and Kelley Armstrong delivered!

Samantha, call her Sam, Paynes has not seen her grandfather in fourteen years. She hasn’t seen him since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a local youth. Her grandfather always insisted on her father’s innocence, but Sam saw something that says otherwise. When she is called for the reading of his will, she is shocked. She is even more shocked when her grandfather leaves her his expansive lakefront property. But there is a catch – there is always a catch – she must spend one month staying in one of the cottages without leaving! Sounds easy enough, right! Sounds simple enough right? Get a little rest and relaxation in a beautiful setting by a lake, sure she can’t leave but you can’t beat the view! Her beloved aunt even agrees to stay with her! Plus, Ben, who she knows and has ties to her past, is the caretaker so she won’t be entirely alone. But things take a turn as things often do. Some secrets won’t stay buried, some memories might resurface, some things might go bump in the night, and when her aunt disappears ……

I loved the setting. I love that they are virtually alone by a lake, thankfully it is not ‘Camp Crystal Lake’ but don’t let that fool you. This lake is not as picture perfect as it looks! It’s scary, spooky and creepy. If the title of ‘Paynes Hollow’ has you thinking of “Sleepy Hollow” you would not be wrong. But The Haunting of Paynes Hollow has its whole other type of creepy going on.

I enjoyed the tension and the simmering something-isn’t-quite-right feeling in this book. I loved the dread which ebbed and flowed throughout the book. I thought Kelley Armstrong did a great job of having both Sam and readers wondering if one of Sam’s relatives was trying to scare her off so they could get the property or if there really was something going bump in the night!

Wonderfully written, perfectly placed, well thought out, addictive, horrific and dark! The Haunting of Paynes Hollow which is less than 300 pages, packed a powerful horrific punch while delivering the chills and thrills. Be warned – there discoveries of mutilated animals. These are not described in detail but are still there. Readers can easily skim past these parts if that may make for uncomfortable reading for them.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.