Chevy Stevens is one of my all-time favorite authors and she did not disappoint with Dark Roads!

We start following Hailey after her dad passed away in a car accident. She's living with her aunt and super strict husband. Home life gets too intense so she runs away and makes her leaving look like the next highway murderer in her hometown.

Beth is our second character perspective. Addicted to pills, she is trying to piece together everything that happened to her sister and tries to solve her murder and ends up more involved than she hoped for.

I was hooked from the first chapter. That pacing was just right, the twists were not something I expected, and so much sleep was lost because I could not put this book down!

Wow!! Trying to get my thoughts together on what I just read!! I love Chevy Stevens - all her books I have enjoyed!! This one was intense, disturbing, a great who dunnit! It’s based on a true story in Canada which makes it that much more real!! Her attention to details is “spot on” and she drags you into the book! Yes she did! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. Always looking forward to her next book!

Thank you NetGalley, Chevy Stevens and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Dark Roads. This is my personal review.
This is the first book by Chevy Stevens I have read and from the description of the story I was intrigued to read one of her books.
The story line and characters were some that will stay with me for a while. The location of the story was very well described.
The story was a bit slow in spots, but it kept my attention. I was not sure of how the book would end and that kept me reading.

Wow! Dark Roads was a fantastic read that was both suspenseful and emotional. I can only imagine how difficult at times this novel could have been to write when drawing inspiration from the disturbing crimes involving The Highway of Tears. In my opinion, Chevy Steven is able to successfully write about sensitive scenarios in a fictitious setting while still being respectful of the reality past victims and their families have suffered through.
The novel is well written and kept me enthralled in the town of Cold Creek until the end. I liked the alternating narration between Hailey and Beth. Have to mention Wolf, he was a great and crucial addition to the story.
When I read, I do like to be entertained, but I also like to take something away from the storyline. In that regard, Dark Roads is a must read that will not only capture your attention, but leave you thinking well after the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC, and thank you Chevy Stevens for telling this story.

I've read three previous Chevy Stevens females-in-peril thrillers and my experience with them can be summed up thusly: Great premises, powerhouse beginnings, good writing ... and messy, implausible, unsatisfying last acts.

DARK ROADS isn't perfect, but it's an improvement on that experience. In large part that's because of the emotional resonance of its setup: Someone has been killing girls for a long time along the Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia, and no one else is safe. Especially not Hailey McBride, who, after her father's death, is sent to live with her aunt and her aunt's creepy, control-freak husband, Vaughn. Who happens to be the town cop. When Hailey decides she has to run away before Vaughn does his worst, her staged disappearance sets in motion a string of tragic events that involve her would-be love Amber, her best friend Jonny, and Amber's sister Beth. All are hostages not just of the fear but the setting that seems to echo their fear — endless forests and mountains and strange shadows and spooky night sounds. You'll twitch a little — or a lot — with each snapping twig in the primitive stillness.

I believe that a thriller is only as good as its villain — and the extent to which the villain feels justified in doing horrible things to innocent people — and I dock DARK ROADS one star because it denies us that complicated bond with the forces of darkness. But I'll say this: while the reveal of the killer lacks impact and resonance, the emotional experiences of the victims — living and otherwise — ultimately are what keep the pages turning in this taut, tension-thrumming thriller. That some plot strands lack satisfying resolutions doesn't detract from that. They merely make a potentially novel into a merely pretty good one. And for fans of females-in-peril thrillers, that's pretty good enough.

This is a sensitively-handled mystery/thriller inspired by the godawful Highway of Tears. And if brings more awareness to the phenomenon of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, then that'll be a bonus.

I tend to most love the first work that I pick up by an author, and for me that holds true with Chevy Stevens and Still Missing. I still recommend it frequently (too frequently? Not possible!), and it's a favorite of mine! Dark Roads just wasn't it for me. I wasn't super invested in the story, and found myself putting this down to read other things. I ended up skimming from about 40% forward.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

High school student Hailey loses her dad in a car accident and has to move in with an aunt she doesn't know very well. To make matters worse her aunt's cop husband Vaughn is controlling and creepy. Soon Hailey, with her best friend Jonny, devises a plan to hide in the woods until she turns 18. People will assume she was taken, since many women have turned up murdered on a highway that runs through the small town.

I am sorry to say this book was too slow for me and contained way too much detail that didn't move the story along. At times I thought I was reading a nature survival guide. Entirely too much detail on a topic I don't care about. Beyond that, I just didn't feel like that much happened or that the story was that interesting. Some of the survival stuff and Hailey's ability to stay hidden for so long seemed far fetched to me. Vaughn was over the top horrible. It was just too long. I didn't hate it but I definitely didn't love it either. Chevy Stevens is a talented writer and I have enjoyed several of her books in the past but this one wasn't really for me.

Thank you St, Martin's press and Netgalley for a copy of Dark Roads in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to be offered this ARC before its publication this summer. I have read all of Chevy Steven's books and I have never been disappointed, and this one was no exception one of my favorites by Stevens. I started my journey with Chevy and her writing with still missing and was so happy to see she had another book coming! Seems like it’s been forever since s a new book! I couldn't put it down! I was up until 1 in the morning the last 2 nights it had me that engrossed! Honestly starting this book I was a little wary knowing that Chevys stevens incorporates hard subjects in her books, hard subjects but real subjects but she does it very tastefully and catches the emotions of the characters and the situation very well. I really feel this was her best book! I Definitely recommend!!

What a fantastic thrill ride of a story! Strong female characters and my favorite character of all-Wolf! The suspense kept coming in waves. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC and the chance to read this amazing story early!

<i>Dark Roads</i> is my third Chevy Stevens novel. Consistent with my first two Stevens' books, <i>Dark Roads</i> is chock-full of trigger warnings: abducted women, assaulted, murdered, and more.

Cold Creek is a place where young women have gone missing. Eventually, most of them turn up dead on the side of the highway, brutally mutilated before being killed. It's where Hailey McBride was born and raised, and while she is cautious of this fact, it by no means controls her existence. Hailey's father raised her to be tough, self-sufficient, able to fend herself in the woods or in the town. When Hailey's father dies in a car crash, her life is turned upside down. She moves in with her aunt and uncle--the uncle, Vaughan, is a local cop on a power trip. Hailey can't figure out exactly why her skin crawls when she's around him, but she's determined to find out.

Hailey's first love, Amber, is the next Cold Creek murder victim. Hailey is convinced Vaughan is connected, so she skips town to stow away until the coast is clear.

Months into Hailey's hiding, Beth, shows up in Cold Creek to learn more about her sister Amber's death. Finding the truth, possibly even Amber's killer, is the sole thing that is keeping Beth moving.

It's clear that, at some point, Hailey and Amber's paths will cross and the combination of their research will help track down the killer, but when and how remains elusive. The story moves well with enough twists to keep me guessing. Overall, I was interested and wanted to keep reading. At the end, I felt there were one too many twists--like it could have ended sooner--but generally enjoyed this tough read. Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If Chevy Stevens writes a book, I know that I will love it. The opening scenes sounded almost predictable but this thriller soon veered into the breathtaking and unpredictable. I love that she had me guessing and I love the broken characters, including Wolf, one darned crafty and loyal dog. The wilderness itself is so well developed as to almost be a character in its own right. Thanks for the pulse-pounding read, #chevystevens!
#netgalley

Boy do I LOVE Chevy Stevens! This book is a chilling, hair standing up thriller that also has aspects that will tear your heart open. It's everything you're looking for in the psych thriller genre!

Chevy Stevens does not disappoint. I always feel like her books are extremely well written and captivating. This one is no different. Hailey has to escape from a bad home life and so she disappears. However, she lives near a highway that is notorious for girls going missing and ending up dead. I honestly don’t know how to summarize this book to do it justice. There is mystery, first love, friendship, and grief. It is atmospheric and gripping. I loved it and highly recommend it.

Chevy is one of my favorite authors..... Those Girls is probably my favorite so far!
But this book was also amazing. I love the way she writes... Love it!
I like how fast paced it is. This book is engaging and enjoyable.

This book was pretty much everything I wanted it to be. It kept me guessing, was riveting, and I couldn't put it down. When I came to the end of Part One and I wasn't sure if Hailey and Wolf survived I was angry that it switched to Beth's part and was prepared to be annoyed and not enjoy the rest of the book but I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised and that anger quickly left and I couldn't wait to read more and find out what happened to everyone. I guessed who the killer was about more or less half way through but thought I had to be wrong and quickly changed my focus to Thompson. I thought the author did a great job of providing just enough clues where I was able to guess but made me doubt myself. I thought Stevens did a great job of weaving everything together and look forward to reading more books by them.

Loved the storyline, dragged a bit, but it really was good, and I enjoyed it. It's about a girl, who loses her Mom and later her Dad, in an accident. She has to go live with her Aunt and her husband, a cop, and the girl's young cousin. There have been several murders of girls picked up in the area around a highway, and the cop (Uncle) is a suspect throughout. She ends up running away and living in the woods. The townspeople think she was another victim of the murderer. Hailey, the girl, tries to get evidence on the murderer. Then a friend of hers gets murdered. Her sister, Beth, comes to also try to find the murderer. It is interesting and holds your interest, characters are good. Highly recommend.

Thank you St, Martin's press and Netgalley for a copy of Dark Roads in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to be offered this ARC before its publication this summer. I have read several of Chevy Steven's books, have never been disappointed, and this one was no exception one of my favorites by Stevens. There is excitement and suspense in each chapter of the book and I couldn't put it down. There are tough themes that come up throughout the book- alcohol abuse, drug addiction, murder, But with it, there is an extremely loveable dog, sweet friendship, and resilience. Definitely recommend!!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited to get this ARC! People in my reader communities have been talking nonstop about Dark Roads and about Chevy Stevens in general. They talked about the twist and turns in her books and how they can never guess the endings. I was so ecstatic to get Dark Roads that I finished it in a day. I literally could not put it down. I had to keep reading to find out what happens at the end of this story.

Dark Roads is about two girls: Hailey, who runs away from home, and Beth, who is investigating the murder of her sister. I'm not a fan of alternating perspectives, because it tends to confuse me. I was so happy that Chevy Stevens chose to make Part 1 entirely narrated by Hailey and Part 2 entirely narrated by Beth. Then, Part 3 alternates perspective chapter by chapter. By giving us multiple chapters from Hailey's perspective first, I got to know her and her plight before I got to know Beth, so I didn't have any trouble distinguishing between them once Part 3 hit. I wish more authors would do this so that I'm less confused when reading.

Overall, I highly enjoyed Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens. It is part thriller and part wilderness survival story, which makes it extremely exciting. My heart was pounding, especially during Part 3 as we got closer to the explosive finale. I do feel like there weren't as many twists and turns as I would have expected. I also feel like the murder mystery aspect became overshadowed, but the thriller aspect definitely made up for it. I was rooting so much for Hailey and Beth to be okay and to survive. I was extremely satisfied with the ending and how it tied up loose ends. In conclusion, I highly recommend Dark Roads for fans of the thriller genre.

Hailey is forced to live with her aunt and uncle after the tragic death of her parents. The living situations becomes unbearable, and she is unable to contact any type of authority for fear of her life so she runs away to live in the woods. Girls are abducted and never seen again in this town all the time, so everyone just assumes she was a victim of the killer that abducts girls along the highway. Meanwhile, the killer is still...well...abducting and killing girls. Hailey refuses to be any sort of real help while in hiding even though she believes she has information that could help put the killings to an end so she hangs out in the woods with her dog.

I should probably preface this with saying that I have never read a book by Chevy Stevens prior to this one. She seems to have glowing reviews in the psychological thriller department so I look forward to reading something else she has written. This one just didn't do it for me. I thought the storyline was ok, but it seemed just unnecessarily long. With so few characters in the book, I found it was not difficult to guess who the killer was early on.

3.5 stars

I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest reviews.