Audiobook Review: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (October 14, 2025)

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Narrator: EJ Lavery

Kelley Armstrong has long been a must-read author for me, even if I can never quite keep up with how much she writes. She’s also incredibly versatile, jumping comfortably between genres like fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, and horror, but I’ve always thought her darker stories are where she shines the most. The Haunting of Paynes Hollow absolutely falls into that category, and it’s one of her best.

The story follows Samantha Payne, whose life changed forever fourteen years ago when she caught her father burying the body of a local boy on the grounds of their family vacation property. However, he killed himself before he could face justice, leaving Sam to grow up in the shadow of his heinous crime—the daughter of a child murderer. Now, deeply in debt and struggling to pay for her ailing mother’s medical bills, the last thing she needs is another obligation on her plate. But when her grandfather passes away, she has no choice but to attend the reading of his will, despite being certain the miserable old man didn’t leave her a single penny.

In that, though, she was wrong. Instead of being cut out, Sam inherits the family’s valuable lakefront property, the very site of the incident that shattered her innocence and tore her family apart, provided she satisfies a number of conditions. Mainly, she will be required to stay on the estate for a whole month, wearing an ankle monitor to ensure that rules are being followed. At first, Sam’s instinct is to walk away, knowing full well that forcing her back to the place where she’ll have to relive her worst memories is her grandfather’s way of sticking it to her one last time. And yet, the property’s value, should she sell it, would be enough to solve all her financial woes, which ultimately proved too tempting to resist.

Believe me, there’s a lot more I could go into here, but I don’t want to risk spoiling the plot for anyone, as there’s just so much in The Haunting of Paynes Hollow that’s best experienced firsthand. What I will say is that Kelley Armstrong once again does an expert job building tension and mystery, and she is a natural when it comes to working in the psychological thrills and supernatural elements. Pacing was as perfect as can be, slow-building but relentless, which kept me on edge at all times. The world created around Sam is as intriguing as it is unsettling, especially when local folklore is injected into the plot, including the story’s own take on the legend of the Headless Horseman.

The writing itself is immersive and easy to get into, and Armstrong’s ability to layer suspense while developing her characters makes every twist hit harder, and there were indeed plenty of surprises. A strong supporting cast also helped draw me in emotionally despite how risky it is to become invested, since no one is truly safe when it comes to the author’s horror and thriller novels. By the time the story reaches its climax, you’re not only invested in the mystery but in Sam and those around her. And when all the answers finally come, the conclusion nails it with a mind-blowing reveal that has stayed with me long after finishing the book.

The audiobook format only made the experience even more enjoyable, capturing Sam’s escalating anxiety and fear the longer she stays on the cursed property. Narrator EJ Lavery’s performance was excellent, capturing the emotions of the character at just the right moments. For fans of isolated settings with a touch of otherworldly folklore, I can’t recommend this one enough.

All in all, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow balances atmospheric horror with a well-paced mystery, and the result is a story that grips you tightly and refuses to let go. Kelley Armstrong’s ability to blur the lines between the psychological and the supernatural makes this novel one of her most memorable in years.