I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.

This mystery/thriller is first told from Hailey’s POV. Her parents are both dead so she’s gone to live with her aunt and her aunt’s husband, Vaughn. Vaughn is overprotective of Hailey because of the Cold Creek Highway killer and she’s suspicious of his motives. With help of a close friend, Hailey decides to run away from what she thinks is an unbearable situation.

The story then switches to Beth’s POV, who is connected to Hailey through Amber. Amber was a waitress of the local diner, a love interest of Hailey, and a victim of the Cold Creek killer. As Beth searches for answers, she develops friendships and relationships with several key characters. In part 3, she get both POV’s and see Beth’s capture from and escape of the killer.

This story was intriguing, but I just had a hard time getting into the story and connecting with the characters. I enjoyed the plot, setting, and twists of the story. However, the only feelings I felt towards the characters was Vaughn because he was an overbearing asshole. I don’t feel like I really got to know any of the key characters. Oh, Wolf was a super cute character and I really enjoyed his bits of the story ;).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Another really good mystery/thriller by Chevy Stevens! The first half of the book had me reading as fast as I could, waiting for the next shoe to drop. The second half slowed down a bit in intensity, but ended strong. Stevens develops some great characters (although not all of them are likeable!) along with a loyal companion dog, Wolf.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This book started out at a slower pace, but it built up really well. Told from the perspective of two different people to take you through different stages of the story. I'm not sure why women would stay in this town with a long-term serial killer on the loose, but they do. The fact that the concept is based on a real life mystery makes it all the more disturbing. I definitely recommend.

This tale was dark but excellent. It did not turn out as I'd expected, or even how my Scooby Doo-trained brain predicted. The only down side to this book was the lack of continuance. There were a few spots in the book where I had no idea when Beth went from one place to another, or when Hailey had a thought that turned into a week later. It wasn't once, I felt like this multiple times. The story was creepy AF, in a good way, and I thoroughly recommend reading it. Trigger warnings: drugs, murder, assault, abuse.

This was the best book that Chevy Stevens has written in years! When Hailey’s father dies, she’s forced to live with her aunt and her aunt’s new husband Vaughn. After a discovery that makes her feel like she’s in danger, Hailey decides to take matters into her own hands and disappears into the mountains of Canada. Meanwhile, her girlfriend Amber is murdered and Amber’s sister Beth, comes to town to find answers. I didn’t see the ending coming and thought Stevens dealt with it quite nicely. Definitely a great read that will keep you turning the pages!

What a ride! This thriller was a fast-paced guessing game that had me questioning everything til the last pages. The writing was excellent and was a lot different than most thrillers these days. Definitely a stand-out of 2021!

I would like to thank net galley and St. Martins Press for an ARC of Dark Roads in exchange for my honest review.

I love a book that has you rooting for the underdogs! And speaking of dogs, Dark Roads has one of the most lovable animal characters I have had the pleasure of reading in a very long time. Hailey, is an orphan and ends up in a bad living situation that she has to get out of and soon. She and her best friend Johnny fake her disappearance and make it look as though she has become another one of the Cold Creek Highways victims. Young girls are known to go missing, or are found dead along this stretch of road, lots of them.

I enjoyed the character development, not all of them were likable, but they were believable. Very well written, descriptive novel that will leave you wanting more. Chevy Stevens definitely has a gift!

I love Chevy Stevens, and this book was another success for me! It's always fun finding a local author and reading a book set in British Columbia is an absolute treat. Stevens does a great job creating atmosphere and transporting readers to this rough and gritty town of Cold Creek. While the Cold Creek Highway setting is fictional, I immediately caught the references to the Highway of Tears. This added a lot of authenticity to the story.

Dark Roads is a fast read that had me completely captivated. It was suspenseful and sinister, and had a great twist at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance read!

A must read for thriller lovers. Chevy Stevens is never a disappointment. This is right up there with Those Girls as a favorite from her!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Right from that intriguing prologue (Yikes! Ghosts!) to the epilogue (Yikes Again! More ghosts!), I was hooked! Vaughan was a horrible, scary creeper and no, I did not guess who the villain was! This is a very well-written thriller: great world and character building. Hailey, Beth and Johny were awesome! (Hailey's relationship with her dad - just ... sniffle!)

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Trigger warning: there are a LOT of graphic descriptions of violence and I had to take breaks, particularly towards the end. I usually tend to skim over those types of extremely violent, bloodcurdling scenes, but such is the caliber of this author's writing style that I was glued to each page, even while I was shuddering and wincing with horror. (And to think, I used to devour these types of overly graphic thrillers in my bygone youth!)

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I really can't go into any plot details without inadvertently giving anything away. Just know that if you are squeamish about physical/brute violence, you may want to think twice about picking this one up. I know that I had ordered a bunch of this author's novels from my local library, but, with real regret, I will have to cancel those requests, because of my fragile little heart. I binged on too many thrillers lately and they started giving me nightmares. Time to take a break! For those brave readers who devour these thrillers like bonbons, enjoy: this was a good one!

Wow! I received an advance reader copy of this book but that has no bearing on my review of this book. The subject is dark and disturbing but something that is sadly very real. The book took a turn that I was not expecting but in the end everything worked out for the best. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC of Dark Roads.

I’ve been waiting for something new from Chevy. I’ve read and loved everything she has written. I was so excited to be offered this ARC.
Very hard to put down and fast paced reading. The characters were all very well written and developed. This is a very suspenseful thriller.
The story was full of emotions, unpredictable twists and adventure with a fast pace thrill ride.
Family secrets and drama, true friendship, survival and some strong young ladies.
Lots of twists and turns and the ending was just awesome!!
I loved everything about this book!! I have loved all of Chevy’s books. Awesome author.
Highly recommend this book. 5 Stars!

This was excellent. I really like this author.

In a fictional town in British Columbia, young women are going missing or being found murdered. It is actually inspired by a real story, but has been mostly altered. Hailey is living with her aunt and her police officer husband, nicknamed the Iceman. As Hailey discovers more about him, the more she becomes determined to run away. And that sets the scene for this compelling psychological thriller / murder mystery. I definitely didn't figure out who the killer was right up until it was obvious. But I suppose that's a spoiler of sorts and I apologize for that.

I definitely recommend this. I would recommend anything by this author.

I've never read anything by this author, but the blurb sounded quite good.

The book follows two main characters: Beth and Hailey. The dialogue felt a bit a stilted, and there was a lot of telling, which made me feel disconnected from the story. There wasn't as much action as I'd expect for a book in this genre and the mystery angle was largely predictable, save for a surprise at the end. The pacing was off for most of the book, which added to the reasons why this book fell flat for me.

I wasn't familiar with Chevy Stevens before I saw this book, but after reading Dark Roads, this certainly won't be my last read. I was thrilled to be approved for the title and quickly dove in.

Cold Creek has been plagued by a serial killer for years. Young girls go missing, and their bodies are discovered days later. Memorials dot the dark highway, and as Hailey struggles to deal with the sudden death of her father, she finds her uncle--the sergeant of Cold Creek known as the Iceman to everyone in town--is displaying increasingly strange behavior toward her. When things reach a boiling point, she plans her escape. A year after her disappearance, Beth comes to Cold Creek to honor the victims of the serial killer--her sister, Amber, among them. Determined to get to the bottom of her sister's murder, Beth takes a job at the diner where Amber worked and forms connections with the townspeople--a decision that will prove monumental in more ways than one.

I LOVED this book.

Hailey's voice is everything I want in a narrator. Honest and clever, she uses her strengths to her advantage in order to save herself from a precarious situation. There's no superhero to rescue her. There's nothing to protect her from the danger. She relies on herself and does her best to be one step ahead. Her support system was endearing, and I loved Jonny and Amber. Their dialogue and chemistry added layers to the tension and, really, the heartbreaking reality in which they find themselves.

I can't say enough good things about Wolf. He's a Very Good Boy who deserves all the steaks.

Beth, too, had a compelling narrative voice that drove the plot and suspense. I liked that neither Hailey or Beth made the best decisions one hundred percent of the time. Their trial-and-error personalities made them feel more authentic.

I flew through this book. I couldn't put it down, and when I had to, I was thinking about what I'd just read until I could pick it up again. There is violence and sexual assault, but it's not gratuitous. We're not shown the horrors of the crime without reason, and I appreciated that Stevens chose to highlight the victims' voices. She showed characters raw and struggling with grief, depression, PTSD, and addiction. This isn't a clean-cut story of resilience, but rather a mountain of trials and tribulations that emphasize how strength can be defined in a number of ways.

10/10 recommend this one. Overall, Dark Roads is a gritty, fast-paced, terrifying examination of the girls who go missing and the ones who are left behind. I'd recommend to anyone who loves dark thrillers, strong female protagonists, or survival narratives.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

3.5/5

The Cold Creek Highway has been the stuff of legends. Littered with stark white crosses, the highway is marked by those whose lives were taken far too soon.

Hailey has been raised by her father, losing her mother at a young age. When her father tragically dies in a car accident, she is taken in by her Aunt who is unfortunately married to Vaughan, the insufferable local police sergeant.

When her living arrangement becomes unsafe, Hailey runs into the woods, hiding herself in her fathers old mining cabin. Hoping to be assumed as another victim of the Cold Creek Highway.

Beth enters Cold Creek, trying to get answers for the murder of her sister Amber. Her grief has resorted her to an addict, constantly drinking alone and taking an assortment of pills. Their lives intersecting will hopefully get them the answers needed to find out the truth of the murdered behind the disappearances of the Cold Creek Highway.

Haunting but often times frustrating, Dark Roads tried to do a bit too much. The first 20% and last 20% of the book were absolutely gripping, but the story became very murky in the middle. The transition between Hailey and Beth felt jarring until it fell into a rhythm of differing POV nearing the conclusion of the book.

The twist at the end was truly shocking, and I would recommend it for that alone! As the story is rooted in some truth, I think it will be a hit as true crime is an extra pull for most of us thriller junkies. Despite a few of my critiques, I was drawn in by this story and truly enjoyed reading it, despite its heavy subject matter.

I received this title from netgalley and it was my first time reading a pre released book. I was not at all disappointed! Dark Roads kept me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. This book is about a small town known for a creepy road where young women have disappeared. The story jumps between two main characters and different times as well which is something I love in a book. The characters are likable and you root for them the whole way through. A good suspense novel should keep you guessing who the culprit is until the last minute as this book does just that, and then wraps everything up in a nice bundle of closure. Would definitely recommend this one to all suspense/thriller lovers!

I loved this book so much! It was the first book I have read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters and their story stick with you long after you finish the book.

Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub. Date: August 3, 2021

The only part of this novel that I truly enjoyed was the prologue and the epilogue since they are similar to I book I did enjoy, “These Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold. In both books a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her death. In this crime thriller, teenage girls and young women who may have hitchhiked on a deserted country road, which is frequently used by truck drivers, go missing. Stephens does a good job of scaring us with the highway description as well as the whole setting in this logging-town. I felt empathy for the girl who lost her father whom she was extremely close to since her mother had passed. Now a 17-year-old orphan, she goes to live with her aunt and uncle where life there is intolerable for her. She runs away and becomes another missing female. Other main characters are the sister of the girl who was murdered and found on the dreaded highway from hell. She comes to town searching for answers. There is also a young man in the storyline who seems to be thrown into the tale so there is a love interest. As an older woman, I am guessing his character is there for young female readers.

Then the story morphs into a violent, kidnapping tale with characters that appear to be Wonder Woman-like. I say this because in between the horrendous torture that the two women experience they still manage to have cheeky comeback dialogue. This didn’t feel believable considering all the mental and physical anguish they went through. I get what the author was aiming for—empowered females. But the writing comes off as if the message is ‘serial killer should never mess with kickass young women’. This is the real reason for my not being keen on the full novel. Still, I did appreciate the book’s message that needs to be told, and that the novel is based on a true story. Stephens even gives the reader phone numbers and websites with information on women who have gone missing and never found. Still, this novel simply wasn’t for me. However, it may be for you.