Author Chevy Stevens' Dark Roads explores the real life highway of Tears in British Columbia which she calls Cold Creek Highway. For decades, people, especially young women, have been warned about the Cold Creek Highway. Don’t hitchhike, don’t drive on the highway at night, and do your absolute best to avoid it altogether. The Cold Creek Highway stretches close to five hundred miles through British Columbia’s rugged wilderness to the west coast.

Isolated and vast, it has become a prime hunting ground for predators. Motorists and hitchhikers, those passing through or living in one of the small towns scattered along the region, have fallen prey time and again. And no killer or abductor who has stalked the highway has ever been brought to justice. Women, especially from the First Nation, have been known to have their cars break down and never be seen again. Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home.

Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. She loves her aunt and cousin, but Vaughn makes her life miserable. He is controlling, rough, and secretive. Hailey's only real friend is Jonny who is constantly being harassed without valid reasoning by her aunts husband.

After her girlfriend Amber is found brutally murdered, and dumped in the woods, things change. Hailey is overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date by her overbearing uncle who works for the RCMP. Hailey chooses to vanish into the mountainous terrain with her trusty side kick Wolf, hoping everyone will believe she’s left town until she turns 18, and then Vaughn won't have any control over what she does. However, rumors begin to spread that she was taken by the highway killer—who’s claimed another victim over the summer. The only person who knows the truth is Jonny.

The second part of the book focuses on Beth Chevalier, who is Amber's older sister. One year after Amber's death, and Hailey's disappearance, Beth arrives in Cold Creek, where her sister Amber lived—and where she was murdered. Estranged from her parents after dropping out of her path to becoming a lawyer, she chooses to seek answers and closure. Beth takes a waitressing job at the local diner, just as Amber did, desperate to understand what happened to her and why. But Beth’s search for answers puts a target on her back—and threatens to reveal the truth behind Hailey’s disappearance.

Beth's only hope is that by befriending those like Johnny, she can get answers. But the answers she may find may end up putting her directly in the killers path. What she finds is an opportunity to pull back the layers of mystery still shrouding these cases and her sister's untimely death, and she follows in her footsteps by taking a job at the local diner and getting close to Jonny. But the killer is out there--unchained, untethered, and looking for his next victim---and Beth fits the profile all too well.

The identity of the serial killer was surprising, especially after the author spends so much time building up another character as being the one most likely to be a serial killer. What's even more diabolical, is that you, as the reader, won't be able to help yourself by hating the man the author builds up to be a man whose character has forever labeled him as Iceman. Can Beth find answers to what happened to her sister? Will Hailey ever be able to go home again after all that's happened to her, and the shocking revelation about her father's death?

The author’s note is also worth a read, as she was inspired by the Highway of Tears. Apparently there is a real life highway in British Columbia called the Highway of Tears. The Highway of Tears is a 725-kilometre corridor of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, which has been the location of many missing and murdered Indigenous women beginning in 1970. In the book, it is alleged nearly 1,000 victims. In real life, it's more like 80-100.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 Stars
Oh, This was good, spooky, scary and I didn't want to stop reading this. Who would want to be on a road where girls have gone down and then disappeared!

Thank you so very much to Chevy Stevens, NetGalley and Sphere for an early copy of this book, for my honest review.

AS ALWAYS, Chevy Stevens is at the top of her game and this book did not disappoint!!!

This book is her best yet, and the suspense level in this book is 100% spot-on!! The characters are easy to relate to, and while I thought a certain person was the 'who-done-it', how wrong I really was.

Thank you so much, and I cannot wait for Chevy Stevens to publish the next one.

Chevy Stevens! Her name is synonymous with psychological thrillers. They go hand in hand. Dark Roads was gripping, propulsive, and heart-stopping. I couldn't put it down. Her books are always dripping with "what-ifs" until the final page. I can never ever predict what is coming and that's what I love about her books. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley, Chevy Stevens and St Martin's Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed that this novel was centered around the Highway of Tears where all the indigenous women have disappeared. The beginning of this novel was a bit slow for me, but it really set up the rest of the novel and all the twists that come along with it. I really enjoyed suspecting all the characters, especially the police and felt really frustrated right along with the main characters. I loved the descriptive nature of the novel and how the main character was able to survive on her own in the wild. Definitely an interesting novel that I overall enjoyed!

This is a survivalist story about Cold Creek Highway, a section of road that has become a prime hunting ground for a ruthless killer. For decades, young women have gone missing. The story follows Hailey McBride who grew up in Cold Creek. After her father passes, she soon realizes that the town is far from safe and she eventually goes missing. Beth Chevalier, sister to one of the murdered girls, arrives to town one year after Hailey disappears in hopes of discovering answers about her sisters cold case.

I was immediately sucked into this book and I believe the author did a phenomenal job of creating a sense of unease throughout the book. The ending DID catch me by surprise.

The authors note really made it for me. This book was inspired by the Highway of Tears, a real tragedy of murdered and missing women in Northern British Columbia.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad read by any means, I freaking loved Wolf, the dog character in this book, but it also didn’t completely stand out to me. I think it was maybe a bit too cringey for me in some scenes, possibly that the characters and plot points were a bit too far fetched.

Dark Roads is a grisly tale!

There is a miles-long stretch of Canadian wilderness known as the Highway of Tears where over 80 women, many of whom were Indigenous/First Nations, have been brutally murdered. Since the 1970s these killings have occurred and yet the cases remain unsolved to this day. Chevy Stevens, a Canadian herself, grew up knowing never to hitchhike, never to wander alone, and it’s this highway that inspired her new novel, Dark Roads.

For Hailey McBride, Cold Creek is home, it’s all she’s ever known. After her mother passed away when Hailey was five, she became her father’s shadow – literally in some cases, as she learned everything about the unforgiving land around them. She learned how to repair bike chains, pick locks, hunt and fish and live off the land – but a dangerous curve at high speeds left her an orphan at 16. Now she’s living with her aunt and little cousin…and her aunt’s new husband, Sherriff Vaughn.

A summer romance with a new girl in town ends in tragedy and Hailey disappears, vanishes into the mountains. Though Hailey hopes the town – namely, her uncle – come to the conclusion she’s run off, circumstances leave the Cold Creek residents to believe instead that the highway killer claimed another victim.

The following year, another new girl arrives: Beth, the older sister of Amber, Hailey’s first love. Having given up pursuing a law degree, Beth is now seeking answers and closure, following in her little sister’s footsteps as she searches for the truth about what happened the previous summer. But the closer Beth gets, the more her life is in danger.

I’m going to be up-front here: having had a few novels under my belt prior to Dark Roads, I reached the conclusion that Chevy’s books are really hit-or-miss for me. My introduction to her work – pre-blogging! – was such a disappointment that I swore off any other books. Thankfully I didn’t listen to myself, because my next few reads were fantastic thrillers that I wholeheartedly enjoyed! So when I learned she was releasing a new novel, and one inspired by such a horrific event, I knew I would be reading it. And you know what? Going in, I thought I had another winner: the opening is told through the eyes of the victims and instantly set the tone for what (I had hoped) was to come.

Unfortunately, those moments of brilliance were few and far between. While this wasn’t necessarily an issue for me – I enjoy YA thrillers – Dark Roads read very much like a YA novel, rather than Adult, due to Hailey’s POV. Even when Beth appears, though at 21 she’s not much older. Not a problem for me, but I’m sure other reads would be put off by the younger feel. Instead my issue was with Vaughn. I get it, he’s bad. A creep. He pervs on girls and takes photos in various states of undress, has hidden cameras placed throughout his house and other areas in the town; he has a serious grudge with one of the town boys for reasons I never understood. It’s clear Dark Roads wants the reader to view Vaughn as a villain – and he is, don’t get me wrong, but he’s so over-the-top I was surprised he was never described with a twirly little mustache. He views himself as the capital L Law in Cold Creek and heaven help anyone who goes against his word. He throws around his authority, makes BS arrests, pulls punches (literally), and gets away with it because he can. He needed to dial it back SEVERAL notches; I don’t think I read a single scene with him where I wasn’t rolling my eyes.

The main chunk of the novel was more survivalist tale than murder mystery but it’s yet another part of the story that didn’t add up. Yes, Hailey grew up learning from her father, but all of Cold Creek grew up in those mountains. Hunting and fishing is a religion to that town. It didn’t make sense that she was able to camp out in the woods for an entire year without being found. There’s actually a photo of her cabin pinned up in the local restaurant! Beth, a city girl, manages to print out some maps and stumble upon Hailey’s campsite, but men who have lived their entire lives in that town couldn’t?

My biggest gripe though, was the big reveal that wasn’t. Much like the real-life Highway of Tears, the murders in Dark Roads have been going on for decades. Yep once the truth comes out..? One murder was explained and that was it, the rest – numerous women brutally killed – were all but forgotten by the author. Not by this reader, though. I wanted answers, I wanted an explanation. I wanted something, anything, more than a quick throwaway line about drug smuggling. Talk about a letdown.

Although Dark Roads was an extremely readable book – and will make a great addition to final, lazy days at the beach – I was left with more questions than answers. The big bad couldn’t have been more cartoony and the reveal was nothing but a quick wave of the author’s hand, don’t look too closely or you’ll see all the holes poking through the plot. That said, while the majority of the book didn’t quite do it for me, the prologue and epilogue were both beautifully written and I wish the entire novel had been THAT instead. Also, the dog makes it to the end of the book alive. I was extremely nervous when Wolf was introduced – this book is about a decades-long hunt for a ruthless serial killer after all – and none of the early reviews I read mentioned him. But I’m please to say Wolf survives.

I did not enjoy this title. The book seemed very inauthentic. I have read this author before and it was not a good first read for me.

I've been a big fan of Stevens' writing since reading her debut novel ten years ago. I think that this one, her latest, just might be my favorite yet! Based loosely on a real highway in Canada where women have died or gone missing from since the 1970s, the book unfolds mainly in two voices. Hailey, grieving the sudden loss of her father, moves in with her aunt and her husband. A sergeant with the local police, Hailey clashes with him from the start. But his unsettling reactions heightens the tension. No one will listen to her suspicions that Vaughn may be far worse than just the cop that the local teens all hate. Cold Creek is a town plagued with missing posters and corpses.

Events also bring Beth to Cold Creek - and she narrates the other half of the novel. It's an exciting read and one that I really loved. I had a hard time putting it down for any reason at all. I especially loved Wolf, the Wiley sheepdog who reminded me so much of my own Australian Cattle Dog. I just loved his bond with Hailey. The plot and its twists really makes this a genuine page turner! It's an exciting read and I am really looking forward to seeing what Stevens writes next!

***** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *****

I'm really hoping that Dark Roads isn't described as 'thrilling' or 'pulse-pounding' because while it's a good story, it's a slowburn. I have a hard time believing the audiobook was only 10 hours and 30 minutes, it seemed so long. There were chapters that didn't seem relevant to the case and were a bit lack-luster but relevant to making a well rounded story. There really was great development to the story and this story is very character driven. The beginning part with Hayley and Amber really pulled me in I was really invested in the story. I started to lose interest during Beth's part. Her part just didn't seem as plausible and I had a hard time getting through this section.


I think what was lacking for me was the case. I felt like the story didn't focus on the highway murders very much and this was kind of the root of this story. We have one 'situation' happen during the story and while it was interesting, it was lacking IMO. The writing by Chevy Stevens was amazing though. Like I said it was very character driven, very plot driven. It was just slow and lack luster. The story earns a solid 3 stars from me.

Now the narration was amazing. I seriously applaud these three narrators. These women held their own and portrayed strong, if not often foolish intentions, young women. Brittany Pressey is one of my favorite female and she kills every narrative she does. I'm not sure which one played what part for the other two narrators but one played a small part and had a fabulous voice for a dead woman talking.
5 solid stars on narration.

Gratitude to #NetGalley and #St. Martins Press for the ebook ARC of this novel.

This was my first time reading a Chevy Stevens novel, it was one hell of an introduction! This fact paced psychological thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has two dynamic narrators who are both young women struggling with trauma, loss, and searching for a safe harbor along the edges of one of the most dangerous highways in Canada. The highway adds a connection to a real stretch of road where many young women have gone missing over several decades. The use of two voices and experiences makes this novel more suspenseful as you follow each woman's tale. I have to admit was blindside to discover who the murder really was towards the end. I had chosen someone else completely. If you love a thriller that keeps you on your toes, I would highly recommend this one.

Hailey McBride is sent to live with her aunt and her aunt's husband Vaughn - a cop nicknamed Ice Man, who has a few (a lot) of dubious practices - after her father dies after going off he side of a mountain. She's terribly unhappy about her father, about Vaughn, an obvious narcissist and controller of everything that goes on in the house. Hailey, for her part, wants nothing to do with Vaughn, but has to put up with his creepy uncle bit until she makes her escape with the help of Johnny, her friend and confidante, and fellow dirt biker.

All of this is set against the background of a very real, very current, and very disturbing backdrop: the disappearance of hundreds of missing Indigenous girls and women in Canada over a span of decades. Read up on the Highway of Tears for more information.

Prior to Hailey's escape, she had befriended Amber, a waitress at the local diner. When Vaughn sees all the pictures of the two of them together, he predictably goes ape and forbids Hailey from going to the camp site at the lake, where most of the local kids hang out.

During Hailey's escape, she sneaks over to look at a litter of puppies a farmer's dog has had, wishing once more she could have had one at the house (Vaughn said no, of course). One of the puppies trails after her and will not leave, no matter how much she tries. So Hailey and Wolf wind up off the grid in an old and forgotten cabin. Johnny had stocked it in advance, and she and Wolf live off this, and what she can gather from the secluded area surrounding them.

She occasionally comes off the mountain, and horrifyingly discovers Amber, dead for a couple of days, at the lake. She calls it in anonymously, then waits, only to find Vaughn driving in and walking directly to where the body lies. She flees back into wild, and her section of the book ends when she and Wolf have to fend off a cougar, and Wolf is seriously injured.

The next part picks up with Beth, Amber's sister. There's a bit about their parents, who are decidedly religiously odd almost to the point of caricature, but soon we're following Beth to Cold Creek, to see what she can find out about Amber's death. The diner is down a waitress now, and she takes the offer of a job to work there. She runs into Vaughn fairly quickly, and gets the creep vibe from him, just as everyone else does.

To go further would be to spoil some excellent moments from the end of the book. I've also left out quite a bit from the beginning for the same reason. Vaughn is in fact quite creepy, and he has zero redeeming qualities about him, which makes him a bit of a one note villain. There are plenty of villains to choose from, though, and a number of heroes emerge as well.

A solid four out of five stars.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the reading copy.

I have not been a huge Chevy Stevens fan over the years. This book knocked it out of the park for me. It sucked me in and was a compelling read. It left me with a little book hangover.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #darkroads #chevystevens #stmartinspress what a phenomenal, fast paced read. Girls. Missing along a highway. They haven’t caught the man or woman whose responsible. But. They are out there. Watching. Preying. Girls are warned not to hitchhike. Or to be alone. But. The murders are happening. Again. Whose to blame? Why? Read this. The ending will blow your mind. #bookstagram #netgalleyreview #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations

Every time I finish one of her books, I think "when is the next Chevy Stevens book coming out??" This book was worth the wait! Kept me guessing until the end, I just couldn't put it down. She never disappoints!

This book was really good and well written. Readers will think they know who the murderer is but nothing is revealed until near the end & it’s a shocker. I gave this book a 4 star rating because there were times I felt like I was never going to finish - too much description!!

I was very excited when there was finally a new book by Chevy Stevens and this book was so good in part one I was loving it so much but then it definitely turned into more of a mystery and not a thriller after that. I did enjoy some of the other twists but as for the rating I would say 3.5 stars.

I’m kind of a big fan of thrillers, female-in-distress genre in particular. So I was super happy to receive a copy of Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens, author of Still Missing, Never Let You Go, and other equally entertaining books. It tells the story of women killed along the highway in British Columbia, and features several feisty young women, a corrupt cop, and lots of action.

I don’t generally guess the murderer so the fact that it was a surprise to me was — well, no surprise. Another solid entry Chevy Stevens’ list of books. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for this honest review.Four stars.

This was a brilliant thriller! I hadn’t read this author before and I definitely will look out for her books now.

This was creepy and atmospheric. Set in a remote area where a highway killer is rumored to prowl, a woman goes missing. Eventually Beth comes to stay in the town, her sister having been murdered by the killer. She uncovers more than expected.

I loved the writing style and how it was all concluded. Couldn’t put it down!

Several girls have gone missing on the same stretch of highway, and a community is filled with fear that someone they love will be next. Chevy Stevens tells this twisty tale from the perspectives of three young women whose lives have been affected by these awful tragedies. Is there a corrupt police officer behind these gruesome crimes? Is it a stranger or is it a member of their small community who is destroying the loves of these girls and the people who love them?
Whenever you think that you have it all figured out, Chevy Stevens takes you in another direction. Get ready for a wild ride with Dark Roads.