The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong

 

Title:  The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

Author:  Kelley Armstrong

Narrated by:  EJ Lavery

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and24 minutes

Source: Thank you @netgalley for the review copy. 

What is your favorite ghost story? The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving is one of my favorite ghost stories and Halloween favorites.  I was excited to hear that a new novel, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong, was a modern reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Samantha Payne’s estranged grandfather has passed away.  She is surprised to discover that he left her very valuable property on Lake Ontario in Northern New York state.  He has left numerous stipulations including that she has to stay in the family cottage on the property for a month.  Her father took his own life there when she was a kid after being accused of murdering a local youth.  Sam needs the money to pay for her mother’s medical care.  She decides to live in the property with her aunt, but when strange things start to happen, is she losing her mind or are there creatures out there too terrifying to contemplate?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       There was a sense of dread and unknown throughout the novel.  Is Sam crazy?  Is she the one doing everything?  Is someone setting it up to spook her?  Is it really a ghost?

·       They visit an old cottage and discover old books left behind when the cottage was abandoned including Twilight, Shopaholic, The Time Traveler’s Wife.  This does tell a certain point of time and I was reading them all.

·       I couldn’t stop listening to this audiobook.  It was a riveting story with a great narrator.

·       The story had a great ending.  The story and explanation for it all really worked for me.

·       I enjoyed the Dutch folklore that was part of the story.  I have Dutch ancestors myself that lived in the state of New York on the Hudson River for two hundred years until they moved to Michigan.

·       This story has both horror and supernatural elements.

·       This story had great characters.  I loved Sam, her Aunt Gail, Ben (caretaker and brother of the murdered boy), and Josie (deputy).

·       The story was creepy and atmospheric.  It was perfect for Halloween.  I started it for the holiday but read most of it this month.

·       This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I will definitely be reading more.

Overall, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong was engaging horror story, with great atmosphere and characters.