"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.

Through two closely knit storylines, DARK ROADS follows Hailey and Beth, two women terrorized by the harrowing history of Cold Creek. For decades women go missing along the Cold Creek highway but no perp is ever found. While Hailey, after her father’s sudden death, tries to escape Cold Creek and her controlling cop step uncle, Beth is drawn to Cold Creek after the recent murder of her sister found along the highway. Both Hailey and Beth have to try survive what seems to be an inevitable path for young women in Cold Creek.

I went into this one partially blind. I had read the synopsis once when I requested this copy from netgalley but by the time I got around to reading it, I couldn’t remember what it was about. Ha! I’m kind of happy about that because I had no idea what to expect. I really enjoyed this book and would love to see it as a film. All the characters were great and the twist at the end was definitely unexpected. The love aspect between Beth and Jonny was a little annoying but that’s just because I’m not a fan of romance storylines and they were struggling hard. I loved feeling and visualizing all the woodsy PNW vibes that I love and miss dearly.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens
Published: August 3, 2021
St. Martin’s Press
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Chevy Stevens lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughter. When she's not working on her next book, she's hiking with her two dogs on her favorite mountain trails and spending time with her family. Chevy's current obsessions are vintage airstreams, Hollywood memoirs, all things mid-century modern, and stand-up comedians--not necessarily in that order.

“Gone without a trace.”

Hailey is trying to process the sudden loss of her beloved father as she tries to settle into loving with her somewhat estranged aunt and her aunt's husband, the big shot cop. Hailey and Vaughn don’t see eye to eye, and they tend to bump heads, and something about him strikes Hailey as dangerous. When her suspicious start to lead her into dangerous territory, the death of someone Hailey cares for changes everything. Now it is a race against a mysterious killer—someone hunting young women along the highway.

Wow. This book was powerful. The characters were so bold, so well developed, and absolutely incredible. The imagery used to bring the scenes to life was stunning. You can almost smell the trees and feel the cool breeze from the lake.

I loved Hailey’s character. She was so smart. So strong. And she is the epitome of a survivor. I loved Jonny and his friendship with Hailey. I loved how different, yet similar, Beth and Hailey were. The personalities were so realistic and so carefully sculpted. Wolf was also an incredible character. I loved that aspect of Hailey not being completely alone.

The pacing of this story is intense. And the buildup was very well done. I love that Chevy chose to bring a factional version of the Highway of Tears to life. Bringing attention to a true and devastating crime through the brilliance of a writer's imagination is genius. And Chevy was so respectful and so considerate in how she told this tale.

The power of emotion of choice is so intensely relevant throughout this novel. Everything about this novel is absolute perfection. The twists were so well done, and the terror was very realistic. I love that Chevy took a tragedy and chose to give it a happy ending of sorts. The power behind that is beautiful.

I think my favorite part of this novel was the epilogue. It contains some of the most beautiful and powerful writing I have ever read. It was the perfect way to end this story. Things may not have finished tied neatly with a bow, but the raw love and heart of this story are evident.

This is such a powerful tale of family, friendship, and love. The heartbreak is palpable, the fear is real, and the desire to survive is strong. This has to be one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read.

I’m so glad I was able to read this during my vacation because it was a hard book to put down. If not, I’m sure I would have been tired every morning from staying up late reading and then sneaking in chapters while I was supposed to be working during the day. It is a definite page turner that grabs you right from the start and doesn’t let go.

Although this is not historical fiction, the author was inspired to write it based on true unsolved crimes from the 70s known as the Highway of Tears in Northern British Columbia. This story takes place in a small town in Canada where multiple women have gone missing or are found dead along a small stretch of highway. In Part 1 we are introduced to a local teenager who recently lost her father so is living with her aunt and husband, who just happens to be the most feared police officer in town. In Part 2 we are introduced to a young woman in her early 20s who has come to town looking for answers to her sister’s murder on the highway. And then Part 3 brings both storylines together, solving the mystery.

Although she has written many books, this is the first novel I’ve read by Chevy Stevens. It will not be my last! She definitely knows how to write a good, suspenseful mystery.

Thank you to both NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the book.

This is the first book by Chevy Stevens that I have read and now I want to read all of her books! The description of Dark Roads sounded like a must-read for me. It sucked me in from the prologue and didn't let go until the last page. I felt like I was experiencing the adrenaline rushes along with Hailey and Beth. I thought I figured out who the killer was, but I was still hooked and I was wrong. This a fantastic, unputdownable thriller that I will be recommending to my reader friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! Talk about a thrill ride! This book was fast-paced and a fantastic page-turner. The ending was a surprise and had my heart beating pretty fast. I was captivated with this book from the beginning and found it hard to put down. The writing was well done, and the characters were likable, well, except for the creepy uncle! Very well done. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

Chevy Stevens if one of my favorite authors. Dark Roads is another great thriller. Loved the story, loved the characters. I've recommended this book to many friends and can't wait for the next book to be released.

I’m a big fan of Chevy Stevens writing and this new book, Dark Roads, did not disappoint. In fact, it may just be her best book yet! It’s a thriller with a lot of action that keeps your heart racing as you worry and root for the two main female characters, Hailey and Beth. It’s the prologue that really grabs your attention and makes you want to read the story and what a scary, pulse-pounding ride it takes you on. Females become victims along this dark and desolate road in the small town of Cold Creek. The town has even erected a billboard warning not to hitchhike. But who is it that is doing all of these heinous killings? It was the epilogue that really put the finishing touch on it all and had me in tears as I read about the ghost of Beth’s sister Amber riding shotgun with her as they passed all of the other lost souls standing by the billboard as Hailey heads out of town. From what I read at the end of the epilogue, this story is somewhat based off from actual events and it’s a book I highly recommend if you enjoy reading thrillers. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. This is a book I will be purchasing in physical form to add to my home collection because it was that good! It’s an amazing read and one that easily deserves a 5 star rating!

I was excited for a new novel from Chevy Stevens, one of my favorites. However, this book just didn't pull me in and keep me interested like her previous books have.

Oh wow what a thriller. Twists and turns up to the last page. This is based on the real life Highway of Tears in British Columbia and the many Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered and justice has never been found for them. Hailey’s has lived in Cold Creek all her life and believes she knows what is going on, so she tries to set it up where she can collect the evidence needed to bring the murderer to justice.
Haley lives with her aunt, Lana and Cash her cousin, and Vaughan Lana’s husband. Vaughan is the highest ranking police officer in Cold Creek and everyone calls him the Iceman. Vaughan hates Hailey’s best friend, Jonny and is constantly trying to drive apart their friendship.. but Jonny and Hailey are true friends.
Beth comes to town to see the place where her sister was murdered. Beth and Hailey become friends so that Beth is helping Hailey which of course leads to mischief.
You want to read this book. It’s great and one you wo t want to put down until you get to the end. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this amazing book.
#Netgalley #StMartinsPress

Dark Roads literally grabs you from the first page. I think more than once I held my breath. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a dark highway the same again. I loved Haileys strong characters and the different points of view. A must read for all thriller fans

This was a good book! I really enjoyed both Hailey and Beth's viewpoints and especially how they converged in part 3. I hated Vaughn, I liked Jonny, and I had no idea who the killer was until seconds before it was actually revealed. I read this book on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to find out what happened next! 4 stars.

It's been too long since Chevy Stevens gave her fans a new story to read. Dark Roads was worth the wait. This story immediately grabs you and you feel you are right in the middle of the action. At times you're holding your breath as you read what's coming next. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

What a crazy ride! This book was so well written and had me glued to it until I finished. I didn't want to put it down. I had my suspicions on what was happening but never saw that ending coming. All that aside, there is a true component to this story which the author touches on at the end. The statistics are staggering and this book has compelled me to look more into it.

Along the Coldcreek Highway in British Columbia, many women have gone missing over the past decades. Young women are repeatedly told not to travel alone and never to hitch hike. Yet they continue to put themselves in dangerous situations. This book is narrated by two very strong young women and keeps the reader on edge until the very last word.

Part One is told by Hailey, a young woman that just lost her dad in a tragic accident and now resides with her Aunt Lana and Uncle Vaughn. As Hailey learns some disturbing things about Vaughn, she decides she must disappear to save herself. Soon everyone thinks she’s a victim of the Highway Killer.

Part Two is voiced by Beth. After her sister Amber (Hailey’s love interest) is found dead, Beth comes to town for closure. Looking for clues and hoping to somehow find out what really happened to her sister, she instead finds the missing Hailey!

And finally in Part Three the two reluctantly pair up to hopefully find all the answers and to bring Amber’s killer to justice.

Well crafted with some great characters (my favorite being Wolf), this book was a compelling read about a dark and dreary Highway that holds way too many secrets!

Given everything going on in western Canada at the moment, this is a timely novel. Chevy Stevens does not disappoint again in her eloquent writing. It was both suspenseful and yet almost lyrical at the same time. A gripping tale that had me engaged right to the very end.

For decades, young women have been disappearing along the Cold Creek Highway. So when Amber disappears, it hits many people hard, especially the two main characters of our story, Hailey and Beth. Told in their viewpoints, we learn more about these incredibly strong women, who will get to the bottom of Amber’s disappearance, even when it puts them in the middle of danger.

The characters in this are well-written. I especially loved Wolf, who felt like a dog out of one of Koontz’s books. Even Vaughn, whom I hated with a passion, with his victim shaming, and his creepy, leering ways, played his role well. While I felt Hailey made some very questionable decisions, especially in telling her aunt about Vaughn, I still cheered her on, wanting the best for her. The wilderness descriptions were fantastic, and I could picture everything as Stevens wrote it. Overall, an enjoyable read. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along!

Cold Creek highway, a (fictional) cold, dark and lonely stretch through British Columbia is a dangerous place for young women walking alone or hitchhiking at night. Too many have been found murdered or have gone missing over the years. Only their faces on a poster remain to remind the locals that they once lived amongst them too. The police haven’t yet been able to work out if their disappearances or deaths are random events or if there’s a serial killer on the roads.

Seventeen year old Hailey McBride who lives in a small town along the highway, is orphaned when her father is killed in a car accident and has no choice but to go and live with her Aunt Lara and her creepy husband Vaughn, at least until she finishes school and turns eighteen in another year. Vaughn is a local police officer but Hailey doesn’t trust him at all, particularly the way he looks at her and tries to control her. He particularly doesn’t like her friend Amber who works at the diner or her best friend Jonny and tries to keep her home by refusing to let her get a summer job, ride her bike down to the lake to meet her friends or go trekking in the woods she and her Dad loved so much. When Amber disappears and her car is found damaged in the woods off the highway, Hailey decides she needs to get away somewhere safe.

This is a dark and brooding tale of young girls disappearing. The writing is very atmospheric, almost claustrophobic with the small town on a lonely highway surrounded by wilderness where danger abounds. Hayley narrates much of the story until Amber’s sister Beth arrives in town a year later to attend a memorial held annually for those whose bodies have been found and for those still missing. Beth ends up staying, determined to find out what happened to her sister, putting herself in danger as she asks questions and uncovers secrets.

Although not a fast paced thriller, the plot moves along at a steady pace, building suspense and tension as Beth and Hailey both struggle to survive and uncover the killer. The cast of well built characters helps to drive the plot – not just Hailey, Beth and the very creepy Vaughan but also Jonny and even Beth’s smart and loyal dog Wolf. To top it all off there are some good twists in the tale and a great ending. The author's afternote that Cold Creek Highway is based on an actual stretch of highway in Canada where girls have been murdered or disappeared adds a chill to the novel.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Women of the First Nation keep disappearing in a desolate stretch of a northern highway. This novel focuses on a few of the women, their relationships, and the hunt for the killer(s).

Based on real life unsolved murders in Canada.. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end..
Her uncle is always harassing her and is mysterious . She breaks into his office and finds pictures of several young women ,, herself included in various stages of nudity and undressed.

Her best friend is a boy named Jonny who is on her uncle's radar for theft.
Hailey develops feelings for Amber, a waitress at the local diner.. This doesn't sit well with her uncle who is a sargeant=on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police force ,..

One day Hailey decides she's had enough and decides to live off the land in the forest,
Jonny helps her with supplying canned goods and a place to stay in the winter,
It is presumed she became a victime of the killer..

While hiding out she spots crows circling in the sky and using her binoculars she discovers Amber's remains.
Her uncle is the first to arrive on the scene and takes pictures.]

Amber's sister coces to town and befriends Jonny and works at the diner as well, and gets on Hailey's uncle's radar., when she runs low on money she ives at the local campground and discovers Hailey is aive.

Her uncle plants drugs in Jonny's truck and beats him up which Hailey witnesses..
Mason who owns the diner attacks Beth. Hailey is able to rescue her and kill Mason.
It turns out there was a connection between the death of Hailey's father, her uncle and Mason who is determined to be the Cold Creek Highway killer .

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