This book is intense! My heart was racing so fast throughout the book! Dark Roads is a fast-paced book, dark and haunting and heartbreaking.

Dark Roads is a fast paced psychological thriller inspired by the Highway of Tears cases involving missing women in British Columbia. This book started out strong and then fell a little flat for me. My tastes tend to slant more to the literary side as opposed to thrillers, but this was a solid read that I'm sure Chevy Stevens fans will enjoy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose, and when we meet Hailey McBride, she's lost it all. Her mother died years ago and now her father has been killed in a car crash. With no other family nearby, 17 year old Hailey has been living with her aunt and her step-uncle, Vaughn. Vaughn is a big-fish cop in a small town pond and he makes sure the townspeople know it. Most meet him with a mixture of fear and disdain, but he claims he's just trying to protect the people of Cold Creek from a highway killer - or killers - who have been targeting young women for years.

When Vaughn bars Hailey from seeing her only confidants - her friend Jonny and her first love, Amber - she wants revenge. What she finds drives her out of town - just far enough to discover Amber's dead body weeks later.

Who murdered Amber? A year later, Amber's sister, Beth comes to town to find out. Beth has lost everything to grief and a pill addiction; her only way out is to find out what happened to her sister. She takes a job at the same diner where Amber worked, and meets some of the same people - including Jonny. I am not usually one for insta-love, but something about Beth and Jonny really worked, and I was rooting for them.

There are some unbelievable elements to the story and the detective work, and I would have loved more clues along the way. But Stevens gave us the most beautiful ending, with the most haunting last line and for that, 4 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for this preview!

This novel follows the stories of Hailey and Beth as they try to navigate their grief and suffering alongside the story of a murderer who has a decades long track record of abducting and brutally murdering women along a highway.

Hailey is orphaned and now living with her aunt and her cruel husband, Vaughn, in Cold Creek. When Hailey discovers Vaughn is not only aggressive and abusive, but also potentially a sexual predator or even the murderer, Hailey feels forced to run away.

Shortly after Hailey disappears, Beth arrives in Cold Creek seeking answers about her sister’s murder. But with Vaughn onto her, is she putting herself in the killer’s path?

The novel is broken up into three parts - Hailey, Beth, and then a combination of the two. It took me several chapters to get into Hailey’s story and understand where the plot was heading, but once the narrative picked up, I was hooked. I was disappointed when the story shifted gears to Beth’s narrative and honestly never got invested. I think this could have been better remedied if the stories were intertwined from the beginning rather than being so separate, or if Beth’s story had been significantly cut.

Unfortunately this lag in the middle really impacted my opinion of the novel. By the time the story picked up again toward the end, I was just ready for the book to be done.

I was also very disappointed in the missed opportunity to feature the indigenous population. The book is based off the Highway of Tears and the true story of women being abducted and murdered for decades along the highway. There were a few passing references to the First Nations population, but it wasn’t clear if any of the characters identified as First Nations (I don’t think they did unfortunately) and this could have been a nice and deeper layer to the story while also highlighting the very real and heightened threat against indigenous women and women of color in general.

Overall, this book missed the mark for me. I know it’s already receiving stellar reviews and I suspect I’ll be in the minority, so if the premise intrigues you, I’d still suggest picking it up.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Dark Roads is a thriller, a mystery, a coming of age, and a story of a sister's love.

For years, young women have gone missing off of a long dark highway. The town has a long standing tradition of a memorial walk to honor those missing girls.

Hailey is a local, who has recently lost her father in a tragic accident. She know lives with her Aunt, cousin and her aunt's husband, who happens to lead the local police - and is the notorious most hated person in town. Hailey meets a new girl at the local diner and they quickly develop into a relationship - until Hailey find outs the the horrible truth about her uncle...and her friend is murdered.

The second half of the book is from the perspective of Beth - is the sister of Hailey's friend. Beth goes to great lengths to find out exactly what happened to her sister and often at a great cost to her own safety.

This book is a wild ride -turning from one direction to the other - often within the same page. Still, it's a powerful story about women and survival.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Dark Roads is book that will hook you from the first to the last page.

Although it's a dark story, its a story based on true events.

Cold Creek Highway is one scary place and now girls in Cold Creek are missing or found murdered.

When Beth comes to town to investigate her sisters murder she doesn't know who to trust.

You can't trust the police.

My hero was Wolf a more than loyal dog that went to any ends to protect his new owner.

Twists and turn will keep the pages turning to and ending that I did not see coming.

Another great read from Chevy Stevens and resonates more as it is based on true events.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a book I wont soon forget.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had attempted an earlier Chevy Stevens novel but DNF. This time around I really enjoyed her writing, the character development, and the overall plot. The story focuses on Beth and Hailey, two girls who have one unfortunate thing in common: the death of Beth's sister, Amber. The story follows each of their stories separately until they are ultimately intertwined in a suspense-filled ending involving crooked local law enforcement and the issues that always come with living in a small town where everyone knows your business. One of my favorite characters was Hailey's dog, Wolf, and you will see why! Overall I really enjoyed this book!

When a killer is on the loose, you have to be wary. When he’s living in your house, that’s a whole ‘nother story. Survival is the key while suspicions run high, and trying to trap a killer is hard work!
Steevns’ plot is interesting and although it slows in some places, the pieces fit together to get to the answers you’re looking towards.

The Cold Creek Highway runs through Cold Creek, a fictional small town in northern British Columbia. Like the real Highway of Tears, dozens of women, mostly Indigenous, have gone missing and/or been murdered along this stretch of road from the 1970s to the present. Seventeen year old Hailey McBride has lived in Cold Creek all her life, just her and her dad since her mother died of cancer when she was young. After her father dies in a car accident, Hailey is stuck living with an aunt she barely knows and her uncle Vaughn, the local RCMP sergeant, a controlling bully abusing his power. After a confrontation with him, Hailey runs away to live off the grid until she turns 18, but everyone thinks she is a victim of the Cold Creek Highway killer. Can she survive the wilderness on her own? In the meantime, the Highway killer claims another victim, and a year later her sister, Beth, arrives in Cold Creek looking for answers. An action-packed, fast moving plot, and characters so well-developed that I couldn't put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen to them.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hailey flees her home out of desperation and embarks on an isolated journey in the wilderness after she learns of her controlling step-dad/cop Vaughn’s nasty pastime. Vaughn is an awful character, creepy, overbearing and constantly popping up out of nowhere to control and manipulate. Hailey’s resourcefulness reminded me at times of the tv series ALONE, also set in British Columbia.

Beth’s story is equally powerful. Her sister Amber was murdered one year ago and she sets off on a mission to seek closure of her unsolved murder.

A compulsively readable and disturbing page-turner.

Chevy Stevens is an author I have enjoyed for many years and her newest novel, Dark Roads, is one of her best yet. Told in three distinct parts, it is a tale of murder, mystery, lose, love, loyalty, survival and friendship. Set around the Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia, Hailey McBride is living with her aunt and her uncle due to the sudden death of her father. As things at home get more tense and revelations are made about behaviors around her, Hailey chooses to run away, even if it means leaving her best friend and girlfriend behind. The first part of this story is Hailey's and it is focused on survival in two settings. I really enjoyed the way it was written and the way it transitioned into part two, Beth Chevalier's story part of the story. Beth has lost her sister in a tragic manner and has watched her life fall to pieces around her. She ends up in Cold Creek where she finds herself trying to figure out the truth of what happened to her sister. With the help of Hailey's best friend, Jonny, Beth starts to find herself in difficult positions both mentally and emotionally. The third section of the story is the fastest paced and just as strong as the other two. The way that Stevens creates two strong protagonists and then continues on with the mystery keeps the reader flipping pages to find out the truth. I didn't figure it out and I was happy to be surprised with how the story came to a conclusion, which I appreciate in a novel. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was my first by Chevy Stevens, and it definitely won’t be my last! The story was complex, with intense action scenes. The only reason I didnt give it five stars was because I found it to be a little slow in between the action. I still highly recommend it!

Really was trying to give this book a chance, because the prologue really drew me in. After reading a few chapters, I was not as drawn in as before. I really did not like the Vaughn character and was not relating to the main character either.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced read

I received an ARC of this riveting story. A young women, Hailey, has lost her father and now lives with her aunt and family. A serial killer is targeting young women. Hailey doesn't know who she can trust besides her best friend, Jonny. Lots of twists and suspense kept me reading until the end.

Thank you Netgalley, St-Martin’s Press and Chevy Stevens.
I have been a fan of Chevy Stevens since I read “That Night” in 2017. I love her work.
Full of twists and turns, jaw dropping ending which I did not see coming.
Once you start this novel you cannot put it down.
Difficult subject matter based on true events which to this day are still not solved.
If you are a fan of Chevy Stevens like I am you need to read her newest novel.
Highly recommend
5 stars

Unpopular Opinion Below

I thought Dark Roads was going to be a dark, psychological thriller about a serial killer. While there are some thriller-like moments, this book missed the mark. It has a YA feel, with some intense and suspenseful moments mixed in.

Divided into three parts, part one focuses on Hailey. Hailey’s story starts off strong. 17 years old and mourning the tragic loss of her father, she is now living with her aunt and her creepy, pervy uncle, Vaughn, who is an aggressive predator, and Hailey is his prey. Since Vaughn is a cop, there is little Hailey can do to protect herself except run away. What ensues is a long-drawn-out survival story until Hailey mysteriously disappears (I was glad to see her go).

Part Two focuses on Beth. Amber, who is Hailey’s first love, is murdered after Hailey disappears. Now in town to find out what happened to her sister, Beth finds herself spiraling into danger.

Part Three involves spoilers, so I am not sharing. This is the strongest part of the book, but it took too long to reach this point. This is where the action happens, and events finally come together. There is a decent twist and a satisfying conclusion.

Long and boring, this book dragged and dragged--honestly, I thought this book would never end. The narrative switches between Hailey and Beth. There was something about Hailey’s voice that grated on my nerves. Beth was more tolerable, but she wasn’t much better than Hailey. The epilogue was cringe-worthy, transitions were awkward, and, at times, I had to suspend my disbelief.

There is one brilliant character who kept me reading, Wolf ( who is a stray dog). Without Wolf, I wouldn’t have finished this book!

Most readers have loved this book, so ignore my review and judge for yourself!

Trigger warning: Sexual assault and violence

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Cold Creek Highway of British Columbia is dangerous for women - for years, young women have gone missing in this isolated territory, with no justice to be found. After suffering a huge loss, Hailey McBride uses this danger as a way to slip away from her life, hoping everyone will think she's been killed. A year later, Beth Chevalier comes to town to investigate her sister's death - but will she reveal Hailey's secret?

I loved the atmosphere Stevens created with her writing - it was easy to imagine the dark, isolated wooded area around Cold Creek Highway. Indigenous women represent many of the victims of the real-life Highway of Tears, and I appreciated that Stevens incorporated that into her narrative. Hailey and Beth were both captivating characters and strong female protagonists I was eager to root for. Unfortunately, the plot dragged a bit during Beth's investigation, which knocked my rating down to a 3.5. Some other reviewers have commented on this book feeling "YA" due to the age of the protagonists, and I definitely agree with them. This is not your typical thriller, but I'm glad I gave it a read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Roads is an engaging story told mostly from the perspectives of Hailey and Beth. Author Chevy Stevens has created a cast of interesting characters in this tense mystery thriller. And Stevens includes a wonderful dog named Wolf who helps Hailey. The description of this claustrophobic town, the woods, campgrounds and more sets the right dark, atmospheric tone. The story starts a bit slow, then the pace picks up and the suspense builds nicely with some effective twists and turns. (Don’t miss the author’s notes at the end.)

This was a fast paced, grippingly suspenseful novel! My main issue was that this ventured a little too far into YA territory for my personal taste. The characters made bad decisions that I couldn’t get behind, and the ending was a little too far fetched for me! I do think there’s a huge market that will LOVE this book; it just wasn’t the book for me!

"How many victims are there? The newspapers will tell you that twenty cases have been connected to the highway, more than half were First Nations, all of them young."

I know that when I start a Chevy Stevens book I won't want to do anything else from the moment I pick it up until the last page because I get totally sucked in. First of all, Stevens opens this novel in a unique way that gave me chills and quickly introduced Vaughn, who has won the title of "Most Hated Character" for me. That's right, he even beat out Paul from Kaira Rouda's Best Day Ever, who has held the title for the last four years. Seriously, I screamed and threw that book repeatedly and gave up after the first 50 pages because I hated him so much! Vaughn infuriated me enough to make me not be able to read the book at night because I would get so wound up that I couldn't sleep, and when I did go to sleep I had nightmares. That all being said, I find it extremely impressive when authors can evoke such a reaction. All of Stevens' characters are complex and I especially love that she doesn't rely on them making a silly mistake to build her storylines (you know, the equivalent of someone going in the basement in a horror movie.) Her characters are always smart and her writing keeps my heart pounding. I don't have a lot of auto-buy authors but Chevy Stevens is one. I will recommend this book and her previous novels to anyone who loves a truly great thriller.