HEMLOCK ISLAND

Dark doings on a private island retreat.

Laney Kilpatrick could never have afforded a 2,000-square foot house on a five-acre private island in Lake Superior on a high school teacher’s salary. But Hemlock House on Hemlock Island was a present from Christian “Kit” Hayes, CEO of his family’s tech company, and now Laney’s ex-husband. Although Kit generously turned Laney’s dream home over to her when they split, the only way she can maintain his costly gift is to rent it out to vacationers. Of course, being a landlord means handling a variety of complaints, from dirty towels left on the floor to unreliable cell phone service. But when her latest renter, Mrs. Abbas, calls to report blood in the closet of the green bedroom, Laney feels obliged to investigate in person. She reluctantly brings her niece, Madison, since she’s served as the teenager’s guardian since her sister’s death. Kit and his sister, Jayla, show up, alerted by the owner of a nearby campground. So do Laney’s high-school classmate Sadie Emerson and her policeman brother, Garrett. All hell promptly breaks loose. The band of frenemies has barely begun inquiries when a storm cuts them off from the mainland, while someone or something blows up all their boats. Armstrong piles on the calamities, with detailed descriptions of blood, gore, and other derangements, until the investigation’s initial purpose fades in the distance. The result is a mishmash of mayhem, with wilderness adventure, supernatural phenomena, environmental activism, teenage angst, and #MeToo feminism all vying for the whiplashed reader’s attention.

Hard to imagine the audience for this.