I acquired a evaluate copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my evaluate and all opinions are my very own.

The Haunting of Paynes Hole by Kelley Armstrong

Mogsy’s Ranking (General): 4.5 of 5 stars

Style: Horror, Thriller

Collection: Stand Alone

Writer: Macmillan Audio (October 14, 2025)

Size: 9 hrs and 24 minutes

Writer Data: Web site | Twitter

Narrator: EJ Lavery

Kelley Armstrong has lengthy been a must-read creator for me, even when I can by no means fairly sustain with how a lot she writes. She’s additionally extremely versatile, leaping comfortably between genres like fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, and horror, however I’ve at all times thought her darker tales are the place she shines probably the most. The Haunting of Paynes Hole completely falls into that class, and it’s certainly one of her greatest.

The story follows Samantha Payne, whose life modified endlessly fourteen years in the past when she caught her father burying the physique of a neighborhood boy on the grounds of their household trip property. Nevertheless, he killed himself earlier than he might face justice, leaving Sam to develop up within the shadow of his heinous crime—the daughter of a kid assassin. Now, deeply in debt and struggling to pay for her ailing mom’s medical payments, the very last thing she wants is one other obligation on her plate. However when her grandfather passes away, she has no selection however to attend the studying of his will, regardless of being sure the depressing outdated man didn’t depart her a single penny.

In that, although, she was improper. As a substitute of being reduce out, Sam inherits the household’s useful lakefront property, the very website of the incident that shattered her innocence and tore her household aside, supplied she satisfies a variety of circumstances. Primarily, she will probably be required to remain on the property for an entire month, carrying an ankle monitor to make sure that guidelines are being adopted. At first, Sam’s intuition is to stroll away, figuring out full properly that forcing her again to the place the place she’ll need to relive her worst recollections is her grandfather’s method of sticking it to her one final time. And but, the property’s worth, ought to she promote it, can be sufficient to resolve all her monetary woes, which finally proved too tempting to withstand.

Consider me, there’s much more I might go into right here, however I don’t need to danger spoiling the plot for anybody, as there’s simply a lot in The Haunting of Paynes Hole that’s greatest skilled firsthand. What I’ll say is that Kelley Armstrong as soon as once more does an professional job constructing rigidity and thriller, and he or she is a pure in terms of working within the psychological thrills and supernatural parts. Pacing was as excellent as may be, slow-building however relentless, which saved me on edge always. The world created round Sam is as intriguing as it’s unsettling, particularly when native folklore is injected into the plot, together with the story’s personal tackle the legend of the Headless Horseman.

The writing itself is immersive and straightforward to get into, and Armstrong’s potential to layer suspense whereas growing her characters makes each twist hit tougher, and there have been certainly loads of surprises. A robust supporting forged additionally helped draw me in emotionally regardless of how dangerous it’s to turn into invested, since nobody is really protected in terms of the creator’s horror and thriller novels. By the point the story reaches its climax, you’re not solely invested within the thriller however in Sam and people round her. And when all of the solutions lastly come, the conclusion nails it with a mind-blowing reveal that has stayed with me lengthy after ending the ebook.

The audiobook format solely made the expertise much more pleasing, capturing Sam’s escalating nervousness and concern the longer she stays on the cursed property. Narrator EJ Lavery’s efficiency was wonderful, capturing the feelings of the character at simply the suitable moments. For followers of remoted settings with a contact of otherworldly folklore, I can’t suggest this one sufficient.

All in all, The Haunting of Paynes Hole balances atmospheric horror with a well-paced thriller, and the result’s a narrative that grips you tightly and refuses to let go. Kelley Armstrong’s potential to blur the strains between the psychological and the supernatural makes this novel certainly one of her most memorable in years.