Hemlock Island    by Kelley Armstrong Order:  USA  Can St. Martin's, 2023 (2023) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Kelley Armstrong is a prolific author and I enjoy everything she pens, from fantasy series like Women of the Otherworld to her Rockton wilderness mysteries and YA series like Darkest Powers. All her work has a tinge of horror to it, and Hemlock Island has it in spades. The pandemic led to divorce for lead Laney Kilpatrick, a high school English teacher and an author. As settlement she received the couple's isolated 'two-thousand-square-foot custom-built home on a five-acre private island on Lake Superior.' It's Laney's sanctuary from the world but she has to rent it out to afford to keep it, so she does, reluctantly. Renters report blood in a bedroom closet and scratches inside its door - and there were previous incidents. Laney and her niece Madison head to the island, the latter keen to solve the mystery. They arrive to find Laney's ex, Kit, already there with his sister Jayla, her estranged BFF. Then another estranged friend, Sadie, shows up, along with her brother Garrett, a detective. This group used to be close, but something happened and readers are anxious to know what. A gun goes missing, as does Sadie and their boat as well. They find a hand that seems to be that of Laney's caretaker Nate. Tension builds as one horror follows another. Is someone trying to scare Laney into selling the property or are old secrets behind it all? A storm is coming and they realize they're trapped on the island with a killer - and more corpses. Horror escalates to a chilling conclusion. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews