That prologue was such a great start to 'Dark Roads'! It got even better from there- the plot was fast paced and had me reading for hours to see what was going to happen next! One weak point of the book was the characters. I wish they were more developed, I found it hard to connect with them which made the ending less impactful than it could have been.
Overall, this is a great plot driven story that thrillers fans should definitely pick up on release!

Thank you to St. Martin's press and Netgalley for an eARC copy of 'Dark Roads'!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published August 3, 2021.

This is my first book by this author and it seems she has a loyal fan base. This book wasn’t quite the thriller I was hoping for. I found the ending a bit anticlimactic (and it got a bit graphic) and I really didn’t care for any of the characters except Wolf, the dog.

Review also posted on GoodReads.

I have loved all of Chevy Stevens books but I just can't say that for this one. It started off great - the first couple of pages pulled me right in and then getting to know the characters went well and the ending took me by surprise and I loved the epilogue. But it's the whole middle that left me wandering around, literally with characters that just seemed to be wandering around and thinking. Honestly I was bored and began skimming most of the middle section. Plus, with the young characters and their relationships, it felt a bit YA to me. But, like all her books, this one also has great writing that you can just settle in and read effortlessly.

Dark Roads is pretty dark, and pretty intense. The story is told by Hailey, who after becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the uncle that she lives with after her father's death, runs away to live in the woods. The story then picks up with Beth, who comes to town because of her sister Amber. While there she meets Hailey's good friend Jonny, and experiences the same uncomfortable vibes from Vaughn, Hailey's uncle. Eventually the stories intertwine as the young women are motivated to make sure Vaughn is held accountable for his actions. The only problem is that Vaughn is the police chief, making it hard to know whom to trust. There are several things, but one in particular, that could justify trigger warnings - being of violent and sadistic nature. It's a good story that makes you wonder how you would handle being in Hailey or Beth's situation but it will likely have a decent number of moments that could make the reader feel pretty uncomfortable.

Is Cold Creek simple, idyllic mountainous small town? Or remote hideaway for a notorious killer?

Hailey is on the precipice of adulthood, but lives an unbearable life with her police sergeant uncle...a man obviously keeping secrets. Really, the entire town seems full of secrets, and young women feel constantly threatened of the "Highway Killer". Hailey decides to capitalize on this fear to solve her problems. One year later, the sister of a victim of the Highway Killer arrives in Cold Creek to try to find answers. In her search, she may have overestimated what she can handle...will she too end up a victim?

This book fell a bit flat for me. I didn't like or resonate with any of the characters, though I did find some sympathetic. It read a bit slow for me, and I didn't find myself pulled to pick it up and see what happens next. Finally, the "whodunnit" was definitely a big surprise - in fact, it seemed totally out of left field. I did appreciate some connections between characters that I definitely hadn't picked up on before the final pages.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for my ARC! All opinions are my own.

This book reminded me of my young days when my parents warned me against going certain places that have been marked by murder, or kidnappings and disappearances.
Cold Creek is the place in this book where this is happening. Young women disappear and are maybe found later beaten and abused, always dead.
There is one main character we know is the one doing these crimes. As the characters connect in the book you start having doubts. The author cleverly has your mind going every which way. You figure out the plot and then PLOT TWIST!
Great read! I was given this book to read and review by the publisher. Excellent!

I haven't read a Chevy Steven's book before. I had zero expectations going in to the story for anything. I might have to pick up a couple others from the author.

This book is set in a remote small town along a highway notorious for disappearances of women. A good portion of them tribal. While the book is fictional, that tribal women are victimized at an alarming rate is not. I like it when fiction can bring a slight awareness or knowledge to a fact. Back to the fiction, the story follows 2 women. Young Hailey who has just lost her father and now is contemplating running away from her aunt's. Then Beth who came to town for the memorials for those victims of the Cold Creek Highway killer. Including her own sister. Beth starts following in her sister's footsteps and tries to find her killer. Putting herself in danger.
The story weaves in a heightened sense of suspense and desperation. Hailey puts herself from fire to frying pan and you're stuck watching it (reading it) all unfold while yelling either verbally or mentally at the pages.
The author enjoys playing with you as you're left wondering if character(s) are okay, or will another be stumbling upon them or later you'll be informed by the police characters that they are not okay. Or will they be a ghost narrator?
Set aside some time for this one, you might find yourself like me up at 2 am trying to peer around the corner of the story telling yourself that you'll just finish another chapter and go to sleep. You promise.
Okay one more then sleep. Pinky promise.

Numerous hitchhikers have disappeared along the Cold Creek Highway, their bodies found nearby later or never found at all.

Teenager Hailey McBride is well aware of these dangers — they've case a shadow over the town of Coal Creek for nearly her whole life. After Hailey's father dies, Hailey ends up living with her aunt and her husband, Vaughn, who is also a police officer. Soon, Hailey is left with no choice but to disappear to the wilderness to escape Vaughn's quickly-closing hold on her life. Hailey couldn't predict that her disappearance would lead the town to think she was another victim of the killer.

Beth Chavalier comes to Cold Creek in search of some closure in her life a year after her sister is found murdered presumably by the highway killer. She stays in town in hopes of finding out who murdered her sister, slipping further into her grief with drugs and alcohol. She quickly learns that there's more going on in the small town of Cold Creek than meets the eye.

"Dark Roads" is billed as a grisly serial killer thriller. It isn't that, though. It's not scary. There's very few moments of suspense or tension and the few intended "twists" really aren't that twisty. I hesitate to say anything out of fear of spoiling, but the big "reveal" fell into an all-too-common trope I've grown tired of seeing in books like these.

That aside, the book is enjoyable. It's fast-paced and engaging. Stevens acknowledges that the book is inspired by Northern British Columbia's Highway of Tears where numerous women were murdered or still missing. I give kudos to Stevens for taking inspiration from this real-life event and spinning it in a way to give a voice to the victims—even though the characters in the book are fictional.

3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy!

DARK ROADS: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Holy smokes Batman!!! What was that?!”

“That’s what I call a thrilling ride Robin.”

“I mean, that beginning, that middle, and woah, holy smokes, that end!”

“Robin, let the people be surprised, you’re giving away too much.”

NOTE: I was given an ARC in exchange for a honest review. Thanks Netgalley!

This book was a great mystery/thriller. It follows teenage girl who goes to live in a small town after family tragedy. What she finds is that the secrets of a small town are hiding horrors she couldn't have imagined. This crosses paths with another girl who is running from her own horrors.

This book does veer into a YA-ish territory at some points but I think it's appropriately written to the age of the protagonist but still enjoyable for adult readers. The suspense builds well as the story unveils.

This book was inspired in part by real life crimes, and I wish that more of that inspiration of the tragedies of indigenous women came through in the protagonist rather than sticking a generic teenager at the center of the story.

I received a free copy of this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Stevens' earliest works, but this one fell flat for me. I admire the setting and the cultural essences, and the handling of real-life issues. But what started out as a murder mystery ended, for me anyway, as YA fluff and romance. Not a horrible read, but not what I expect of Stevens. Doesn't mean I will give up on her though.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

A well written story with great characters and heartfelt emotion. The tension and continuous action builds suspense from the first page through to the surprise ending. I Highly recommend Dark Roads to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this thriller.

I've been a big fan of Chevy Stevens' thrillers sings Still Missing, and this one didn't disappoint. Hailey and Beth could never have imagined how their lives would intersect in the small town of Cold Creek. With a string of girls' having disappeared, it's clear that no one is safe, especially when you can't trust those who are charged with protection.

What I've always found interesting about Stevens' writing is that in many of her books, there is an element to the ending that you know from the beginning, yet it doesn't ruin the ending, or diminish the suspense throughout the rest of the book. I'm looking forward to more thrillers from her!

So small spoiler alert about the dog (Wolf) if you are currently reading and need to know if he's okay: <spoiler>he gets hurt but is okay and lives (it bothers me when animals get hurt/killed in novels or movies, so FYI in case anyone else needed to know that). </spoiler>

With that out of the way - I liked this story overall but it's one of those books where you wish that the characters would make different decisions, like letting other people know what they've seen or where they're going, etc. (though Hailey does get better about that later on). My fault, but I didn't realize this focused on young characters and that's probably why some of the decisions they make aren't that great. I liked the ending and how everything gets resolved.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a well written but intense read. Be prepared to read of sexual abuse, pornography, unnatural sexual attractions, physical abuse, murder, and more. The story is told through the eyes of a murdered girl, her sister, an orphaned girl, and her best guy friend. There is suspense and unexpected twists and turns as justice is finally met out. I enjoyed the suspense but may not have chosen to read the book if I had known how intense and full of detail, giving me a creepy feeling, even though the book is very realistic.
I would not recommend reading this book if you are dealing with recent trauma.

Hands down one of THE BEST mystery/crime novels I've read! Strong story with likeable and well fleshed out characters - plus super tension provided by protagonists you really want to get their just due! For me that's what makes a great story - a bad guy you really want taken care of. A few intertwined storylines really involve the characters and bring everything together. The beginning and end kinda like The Lovely Bones, also a nice touch. Has everything, tension, adventure, resolving past incidents, first love, serial killer, and a bit of romance to even things out. Plus, gotta love when a dog is a girls best friend. I will read more by this author.

From the first page, I was hooked. I love an attention grabber and Chevy Stevens delivered! Dark Roads is about a young girl trying to survive through her small town's terrifying claim to fame known as the Cold Creek Highway. Through the years, several young girls have gone missing or turned up dead. Hailey is determined to escape her cruel uncle's rules and survive on her own, but that means taking her chances out in the wilderness with a killer on the loose.
Enter Beth, one of the victim's sisters, who is determined to find out what really happened to her sister. Will she be the key to solving this town's darkest stain?

A very fast paced, psychological thriller with characters you are rooting for and want to see justice for them in the end. Another win for Chevy Stevens.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This novel is due to be published August 3, 2021.

Dark Roads is a riveting story set in Cold Creek, a small town whose secrets can be deadly. The book is told from two points of view: Hailey, a seventeen year old whose domineering uncle causes her to run away and live in the woods, and Beth, a young woman who comes to town looking for answers about her sister's murder. Both women discover secrets about certain people in the town that put their lives in danger. The book weaves both character arcs together seamlessly. I've enjoyed several other books by Chevy Stevens and was excited to read this one. She writes engaging stories that hook readers from the first chapter. I would recommend this book to fellow readers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Give me a minute while I calm down. I read a lot of thrillers so it takes a lot to really get me on edge these days but, boy, this was a one of them.

Does the dog die? Answer at the bottom of the review if you want the spoiler.

First, highway killers are scary af. This book is fiction but it’s pulling on some very real - and very scary - situations. The story chronicles three young women who are doing what they need to do to survive. Hailey is on the run after he father’s death and run in with an abuse family member (think Naked and Afraid minus the naked), Amber is trying to live her life and finds work in a diner and Beth, after losing her sister, follows in her footsteps in an attempt to find resolution. But the best character, IMHO, is Wolf, the loyal (and crazy smart) dog who joins Hailey on her quest for justice, truth and tracking down a serial killer.

Trigger warnings: domestic abuse, scary incidents for the dog.

Does the dog die? Nope. Wolf is ok in the end.

Going into Dark Roads, I had no idea what to expect. I loved the characters, the setting, and all of the surprises that came along with it. The strength they had to overcome was insane. I will definitely recommend this book to friends.