Survivalist story meets action-packed thriller, “Dark Roads” took me on quite an exciting and twisty ride! Boasting characters that are perfectly imperfect, and a story that is both gripping and suspenseful, “Dark Roads” drew me in right from the very start and held me captive right up until the very end.

With a serial killer stalking an infamous highway in the fictitious town of Cold Creek, young women are on high alert, fearful of becoming the killer’s next victim. But there is so much more to this disturbing story than what initially meets the eye. There are several things at play, and author Chevy Stevens does an excellent job of laying out all the breadcrumbs, leading readers to a surprising ending that I, for one, never saw coming.

GUESS WHO'S BACK???? BACK AGAIN???? Chevy's back. Tell your friends. For real, though, go tell 'em.

Here’s a little confession. I broke up with Chevy Stevens for a bit because her books just weren’t doing it for me anymore. I still blame it all on the fact that Still Missing was just toooooooooo good and the others were probably fine if my brain didn’t insist on constantly comparing them to that one. Then I was over on the NetGalley because I need an intervention. This was a Read Now and if you are an addict you know it’s real hard not to click the button when pushers publishers are just freaking handing out the drugs books. So I clicked the button and then I shamed myself for being an asshole who probably was going to look a literal gifthorse in the mouth and poop all over the party. But guess what????

Holy crap. What a page turner! As the opening line indicates, Chevy’s back with a vengeance. This was one of my favorite types of thrillers – the one where the whodunit doesn’t necessarily even matter because you are so interested in everything else going on with the characters. Yes, you do have to suspend disbelief a bit, but who gives an eff? That’s what fiction is for – especially stabby stabby thrillers about a potential serial killer : )

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I have read all of Chevy's books, they scare me and I love all of them!
I love her writing style. I was excited to read this book..

Immediately, I was in story -
with a young woman who feels, "...future was a long bridge hanging over a dark hole..." !!

One highway is the location for many victims,
how can they not be stopped - who will stop them, since authorities are not
who will be the next victim?

Read this book to get answers!!

So…I’m irritated.

I’ll start out by saying that this is a well written and suspenseful thriller. I enjoyed most of our characters, I was surprised more than once by certain reveals, and I very anxiously wanted to know how it would all end.

Good stuff, right?

But like I said first, I’m also irritated. Extremely. Irritated.

The book starts out implying that this book will focus strongly on Indigenous women – as strong voices, but women who are seen to be disposable by authorities when they are victimized. Stories that need to be heard. I was excited. I wanted to hear their stories.

And I read. And I waited. And I waited. And I waited. And it never came.

In the afterword, the author explains that, while the story was inspired by a length of highway where Indigenous women have been killed, she didn’t feel like she should be the one to tell their story. I respect that, but…she started telling their story…and then gave us the story of generic white women in trouble…and then was like BTW the plight of Indigenous women is bad.

Excuse me what?

I honestly felt like she used them. If not telling their story, don’t tease that you are.

So, yeah, I’m irritated all over again.

It *is* a good book. Just ignore the stuff in the beginning about Indigenous women because it seemed like they didn’t matter at all.

4 stars for the book itself…but still.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

“Dark Roads” by Chevy Stevens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Thriller. Location: The fictional rural town of Cold Creek in Northern British Columbia, Canada. Time: 2018-2019.-
-
This is the story of some of the residents of Cold Creek. There’s outdoors loving Hailey, 17 and recently orphaned. She lives with her aunt, whose husband is a controlling police officer. Amber, an 18 year old flower child on her way to the Yukon. Offered a job in Cold Creek, she stays. And Beth, who arrives in Cold Creek looking for her sister. She’s 21 and troubled.-
-
Cold Creek Highway runs beside the town, heading from the mountains to the coast. Young women disappear along this highway, and their bodies are not always found. Young women who should still be leading fairly innocent lives must worry instead about serial murders- the town and its surrounding environment puts them in danger.-

The author does an exceptional job in describing her impulsive teenage characters. She does not blame the victims. Instead, it’s a reminder that adults must support teenagers as they grow toward independence and self-sufficiency. These 3 young women are not supported.-
-
From the prologue to the epilogue, this book has moments that make your heart beat faster from worry. Don’t expect Freddy Krueger thrills- these are reality-based, slow-building events. Stevens says she was inspired to write the book based on the true story of British Columbia’s Highway of Tears, where young women have gone missing for decades. At the end of this book, I cried for the fictional young women of Cold Creek, and for the real women of the Highway of Tears. It’s 5 stars from me. 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳 St. Martin’s Press will publish this 8/3/2021.”

This one took me a bit to get into but once I did it flew by. I had definitely suspected who the guilty party was, yet at the same time, I was so disappointed that I ended up being right. I really liked that character and didn’t want the killer to be them. I thought the pace was really good and that the characters were all very well written and developed. I would’ve liked to have seen a happier ending for Beth and Jonny but really liked how it did end.

Cold Creek Highway is known to locals as the place that women go missing. Everyone knows you don’t hitchhike around there or even get out of your car. Although, Hailey knows all this, her home situation is dangerous and she decides she will live in the woods until she is of age to be able to move out on her own. At the same time, another girl goes missing and when her sister, Beth comes to town to try to get closure and answers, Cold Creek Highway just may claim more victims.
If you are looking for a thriller, look no further than Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens. I have been an avid fan of Chevy Stevens since her first book. When I heard she had a new book, Dark Roads, coming out, I was thrilled. She did not disappoint. As always, her world is disturbing, gritty and captivating. The characters are all incredibly real and Stevens once again ripped my heart out and made me enjoy it. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Chevy Stevens is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all her books and enjoyed them all. I think this one is my favorite!

Part thriller, part adventure, a book that caused me serious anxiety (but in a good way) and strong female characters I fell in love with. I didn’t want to put it down and leave them hanging, I felt so invested. Saying that, I think the character Wolf is the one who will stay with me.

And excellent story with an ending that satisfied. But, maybe someday we will meet these characters again?

Chevy Stevens has done it again!!!! What an amazing storyteller. Cancel your plans for the day and read this book instead. I inhaled it in one sitting.

Sooo many things about this book!! I love her books and was so excited to get this one from Netgalley. It was one of the best books I have read!! So many different twists and turns, family drama, secrets and lies, true friendship and a totally different twist that I did not see coming. This is a must read!!!!

Cold Creek Highway. For years young women have disappeared along this grisly stretch of highway. You learn very early do not hitchhike along this roadway, do not drive alone and keep your cellphone charged in case your car breaks down.
Hailey McBride is still reeling from the untimely death of her father when her sister and her aggressive and questionable police man husband decide to move her into their home for security. And it sure makes their life easier with a built in babysitter. Hailey befriends a young woman who works at a local diner and later takes a part time job there to get out from under the intense scrutiny of her sisters husband. After Haileys friend Amber becomes another victim of the Cold Creek Highway killer she plots to run away. She is certain her sisters husband is somehow involved in nefarious activities, his spying on her and her friends, his sexual innuendos all become too much.
Once Hailey flees, she meets Amber’s sister Beth who is determined to find out what happened to her sister.
A compelling, haunting story captured from today headlines.
The characters become just a bit predictable but it is still a dark and brilliant read.
4 stars Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I have been a fan of Chevy Stevens for years. Dark Roads has some twists and turns that you won't see coming. Who is killing all these women on the side of the highway? You'll be shocked to see who the killer turns out to be!

I have enjoyed all of Chevy Stevens' novel, but I think DARK ROADS is her best. Hailey and Beth are both rich characters and i could easily identify with both of them. But Stevens' ability to build tension is what made this such a great read. I actually felt uncomfortable reading the book at times because of my fear of what was to come. Just terrific!

This book was too creepy to read at night and so creepy that I could not put it down! When Hailey loses her dad she has no options but to move in with her aunt and her husband, Vaughn, who is on the town’s police force. He is just inappropriate enough with her that she starts looking into his life. When she finds pictures and videos of girls on his computer, she makes a plan to leave. There’s a serial killer in the area that has been active recently. Where is Hailey? Has she fallen into the hands of the killer or is she stalking one herself! This was my guest read by this author and won’t be my last! I loved the gutsy characters and pace of the writing. Kudos!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy reading this author, and this one didn’t disappoint. Hitchhikers and women have disappeared or been brutally murdered for years on a dark stretch of road known as Cold Creek Highway. Hailey’s new guardian, a skeevy police officer named Vaughn (ugh, I shudder just typing his name, he was so horrible!), has warned her and warned her about the highway, so when he finds her biking it at night, he makes her face the consequences. Part mystery novel and part survival story, I read this all in one sitting. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

This was a good story that had a lot going on. The author led you to believe one path and then twisted it early to reveal the killer. I was glad to see that the story didn’t end right then but continued on to finish the story of the characters. Thanks for the opportunity to read this novel early.

Edge of my seat 2 day read! I loved the development of the characters and the plot - very fast moving. I enjoy Chevy’s style of writing - the drama - thriller and mystery!

As someone who loves Chevy Stevens, I was thrilled to see she had a new novel coming out! Dark Roads is an excellent suspenseful book! Cold Creek Highway is known for vicious murders of young women. Hailey should feel safer than anyone else-she just moved in with her step uncle cop after her father died. However, things feel wrong, and Hailey starts to suspect that things at home are not as they seem. Meanwhile, her best friend is being harassed by the police and is a suspect in the most recent killing. Who can Hailey trust? And who will be the next victim of Cold Creek Highway? This is a story of survival, fear, manipulation and sisterhood.
As always, Chevy Stevens hooked me from the first chapter and kept me invested all the way through!

I received an ARC of #DarkRoads by #ChevyStevens from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I love this author. Still Missing was one of my favorite books. I did not enjoy this book as much as some of her others. The plot/storyline just seemed to drag along. The culprit was a surprise, but it did not keep me as engaged as some of her other novels.

have been totally swamped with work and haven’t been able to update this site as much as I want to, but I’ve been reading every day. Now that my schedule has eased up, I have some unexpected stuff to take care of so I’ll be away from my computer! Insert sad face.

I wanted to make sure I shared the following books. All of them are fantastic!



Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens was just as amazing as I hoped it would be. I wondered when Chevy was going to come out with a new novel, I have been eagerly anticipating this one and it didn’t disappoint.

Take a look:

For decades, people have been warned about the Cold Creek Highway. Hitchhikers have vanished along it over the years, and women have been known to have their cars break down… and never be seen again. When Hailey McBride decides to run away from an unbearable living situation, she thinks that her outdoor skills will help her disappear into the Cold Creek wilderness, and she counts on people thinking that she was the victim of the killer.

One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek to attend a memorial for the victims of the highway, but it might as well be one week for the amount of pain that Beth is still dealing with after her sister, Amber, was murdered the previous summer. Beth has quit university, is lying to her parents, and popping pills like Tic Tacs. Maybe this will finally bring her peace.

When she gets a job at a local diner where Amber once worked, she connects with people who knew her sister. Beth wants to find who killed her sister and put her own life back together, but as she gets closer to the truth, she learns that there is more than one person lying in Cold Creek.

Do yourself a favor and pre-order this one now! Due out in August.