Review: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A perfect read for book clubs, especially around Halloween. There is plenty of great discussion material in this book:
Is the story believable?
Are the characters relatable?
Are the mean people mean enough?
Did everyone get their just desserts in the end?


Well, Happy Halloween, and is this the perfect book to read for this holiday? Yes, it surely is! It scared the pants off of me. At first, I thought this was going to be a simple case of "gaslighting," but it was so much more. After the gaslighting effect, add in some Dutch folklore, a few deaths, and we have a winner!

DESCRIPTION: When Samantha Payne’s grandpa dies, she doesn’t expect to get anything. She hasn’t seen him in over a decade, not since her dad killed himself after everyone thought he’d murdered a kid at their old lake cottage. Grandpa always said her dad didn’t do it—even though Sam literally saw him burying the kid, his clothes covered in blood. So when Sam’s aunt drags her to the will reading, she’s shocked to find out her grandpa left her the cottage. There’s a catch, of course: she has to live there for a month. Supposedly, it’s to help her see she was wrong about her dad. Back at Paynes Hollow, all the old memories come rushing back. Secrets that have been buried for years start creeping up. Then, a couple of days in, Sam’s aunt goes missing. Suddenly, nothing feels right. Sam’s having crazy nightmares, hearing things in the woods, and catching glimpses of something weird crawling out of the lake. Whatever’s out there, it’s not just in her head—it’s waiting just beneath the surface.

There were so many enemies I couldn't even begin to know where to start. So I'll just leave you with this---read the Legend of Sleepy Hollow first, I wish I had!



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