The Haunting of Paynes Hollow
by Kelley Armstrong
Summary
When Samantha Payne’s grandfather dies, she figures she won’t even get a mention in the will. After all, she hasn’t seen him in fourteen years, not since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a child at their lakefront cottage. Her grandfather always insisted her father was innocent, despite Sam having caught him burying the child’s body, his clothing streaked with blood.
But when she does attend the reading of the will at the behest of her aunt, she discovers that her grandfather left her the very valuable lakefront property where the family cottage sits. There’s one catch: Sam needs to stay in the cottage for a month. To finally face the fact that she was wrong and her father was innocent, in her grandfather’s words.
Traveling to Paynes Hollow, Sam is faced with the realities of her childhood and the secrets kept hidden in the shadows of her memories. When her aunt goes missing a couple days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything again. Plagued by nightmares and paranoia, she begins hearing sounds in the forest and seeing shapes crawling from the water as the rippling waves of the lake promise something unspeakably dark lurking just below their surface.
GoodReads Nominee for Favorite Horror 2025
My Review
This was my first experience with this author, and I came away feeling let down. I really wanted this to deliver a stronger horror atmosphere. The premise had promise, but the execution missed the mark for me. The biggest drawback was the heavy use of profanity. It was constant enough to pull me out of the story again and again. I was also surprised by how few supernatural moments appeared. I hoped for more eerie scenes, more suspense, and a stronger sense of creeping tension, but the story never quite reached that level.
As a paranormal thriller, the book has several appealing qualities. The setting is moody and immersive, the family secrets are layered, and the main character carries emotional weight from her past. It is very readable and moves at a steady pace, but that quick pace also works against it. The story never lingers long enough to build dread. The eerie moments arrive in short sequences, so the fear stays at the surface rather than settling into something that creeps you out.
Even so, there were parts I genuinely enjoyed. The atmosphere is rich, and the supernatural scenes we do get are handled well. I appreciated the use of folklore and thought it was woven into the plot with care. The twists took me by surprise, and the family dynamics and flashbacks added emotional depth that made the characters more compelling.
To me, this felt more like a supernatural mystery than a true supernatural horror. The frightening moments are mild, and the overall tone stays fairly gentle. It is still a solid read for autumn, especially if you want something moody without anything too intense. Just keep in mind that it is not a retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It draws inspiration from the classic story but goes in its own direction.
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. She brought the story to life and made the experience far more engaging. If you pick this up, I highly recommend listening to it.
While this book did not wow me, I still found enough to appreciate. The excessive cursing was not for me, but the story itself had interesting ideas. I plan to try more from this author because the foundation is strong. If the premise interests you, it may be worth picking up to see how it lands for you.