Let's just get into the basics of the novel, a stretch of remote highway in Canada where women go missing by the dozens. The girl at the heart of this story has ties to those who have been abducted murdered and also has suspicions about who is behind it. It really did grab me by the synopsis and even more the first page but unfortunately as I continued the story became a bit stale for me and the characters were duller than I'd like.
Full review to come on YouTube.

This was your basic thriller/suspense novel. There were girls who were being murdered and suspicious adults. You could tell very early on who the bad guy was, although there was a slight twist that I didn't expect coming that was enjoyable.
The dog was an excellent character who I cared deeply for. I wish there were other characters that I cared as much for though.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

When it comes to instilling dread in her readers, Chevy Stevens is the queen of tension. Every word in Dark Roads comes with a fear factor, taking the reader along for a story that won’t soon be forgotten. The novel is based on the Highway of Tears in British Columbia, where more than eighty women and girls have disappeared, never to be found. In the book, it is called Cold Creek Highway. The story is narrated by Hailey, a seventeen-year-old whose parents are deceased, who has been taken in by the local cop and his wife and Beth, who moves to Cold Creek to search for her sister’s killer. The highway and the lives alongside it are the main subjects here. The characters, good ones and bad ones, are fascinating and multi-faceted. Not much else can be revealed and I highly recommend you read Dark Roads for yourself. A thriller written by Chevy Stevens is time well-spent. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For decades Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia has been the hunting ground for a killer, Women have gone missing or been found murdered on the long stretch of desolate highway and the killer has never been found. We meet a young woman named Hailey, who recently lost her father, her only living parent, in a car crash. She finds herself living with her cruel step-uncle Erick Vaughn who is also a cop, his wife Lana and their son Cash. Hailey and her father loved the wilderness and he taught her survival skills that she uses when she flees the town to hide in the hills to escape her uncle. The townspeople think the serial killer has taken Hailey and she thrives on her new found freedom. Hailey finds a stray dog she names Wolf who becomes her protector and companion, After a time, Hailey's friend Amber becomes one of the murdered women and her sister Beth comes to town to ask probing questions and looking for answers. She has difficulty coping with the loss of her sister, and self medicates with alcohol and prescription drugs that leave her vulnerable to bad cops and killers. The brutality of the violence in this story is swift and dark.
The story is mostly told through the viewpoints of Hailey and Beth, both of whom at times feel trapped and threatened in the town. There is an atmosphere of distrust and impending danger throughout the story and it makes for a very good thriller. Stevens makes you want to shout out to the young women to be more careful and more aware of their surroundings. Many creepy suspects in this tiny town to keep you guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Some elements of the book that I really liked, but it wasn't a perfect read for me. When I first read the description for this novel, I was intrigued. I always enjoy stories that happen in small, rural, and haunted towns, with strong female characters. However I found it to drag a lot and it fell so short of my expectations.

It had been awhile since I'd read Chevy Stevens, but had always totally enjoyed her books. This one wasn't her best, Characters and premise were good, but it was a slow read, just not enough suspense to keep you interested for long.

Things aren’t always the way they seem.

This story will get you riled up and aggravated but in the best way.

Dead girls on the highway, an overbearing uncle, an orphan, and a best friend - what do they all have in common?

Trying to piece this together will keep you reading long past bedtime. Don’t let the actions of these characters make you put this book down. Finish it, feel the accomplishment of figuring it out, and breathe a sigh of contentment because it’s wrapped up.

this is the definition of an action paced thriller! I couldn't put it odwn and stayed up late to finish it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for keeping me up late!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This review is my voluntary and unbiased opinion.

This eerie story tells the sad story of how you never can tell who to trust. You take chances, trust people and possibly make a bad decision. Unfortunately, for some people this could be deadly. How well do we really know our neighbors and friends? It’s a scary thought to be in a position where you don’t feel like you can trust anyone.

Hailey McBride finds herself in such a desperate situation after her father dies. Her mother had died of cancer when she was 5 years old so she learned all her life lessons from her father. Little did she know that those lessons about survival would save her life. Hailey is left in the care of her Aunt Lana, her second husband Eric Vaughn, and her young cousin Cash. Vaughn is the police chief with an icy, mean reputation. All Hailey wants is to grieve and live her life like a regular teen. Vaughn is overbearing and borderline abusive with his intimidating stalking.

Hailey becomes freaked out when she discovers some shocking information which confirmed her fears about Vaughn. She sets out to find proof of his activities but ends up finding more trouble for herself. Her only friend Jonny Miller helps her as she plans to leave town to escape Vaughn’s control. She leaves behind Amber Chavelier, her new love interest, to protect her from Vaughn who will do anything to control Hailey. Her worst fears come true when she encounters the remains of a dead body off the side of the road and discovers it’s Amber. Hailey is devastated but watches as Vaughn is first to arrive at the scene and take pictures.

Later, Beth Chavelier moves to Cold Creek to understand what happened to her sister Amber. She ends up getting a job at the same diner where Amber had worked. Despite the warnings to be careful, Beth is careless and drinks and takes pills to cope with the pain. She doesn’t realize that being under the influence puts her in dangerous situations that end up being deadly.

This is a twisted convoluted story of how easy it can be to get wrapped up in a web you can’t get out of until it’s too late.

“ ‘You weren’t scared?’ ‘I guess I feel like the worst thing has already happened to me.’ ”

For decades, young women trevling the Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia have been abducted. Gone without a trace. Hailey McBride, a teenaged orphan, is finding it impossible to stay in Cold Creek after the death of her father. Her uncle is a crooked cop and has it in for her and her best friend, and she just can’t see a way out. Can she save herself and bring her Aunt’s husband down all on her own?

“You can’t let evil win.”

I had no idea that this story is loosely based on the highway of tears in northern British Columbia, an actual highway where women have been murdered or gone missing since the 1970’s. Indigenous women have a disproportionately higher rate of homicide and violence against them in Canada, and I applaud the author for doing her part, albeit in a fictional story, to bring awareness to this injustice. I loved touting for Hailey as she tried to do the right thing in this crazy town.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens is a thriller about a mysterious road where women disappear-- never to be found again. A young girl, Hailey, vanishes without a trace. One year later, Beth, moves home to try to figure out what happened to her sister who was murdered years ago. In the search for answers about her sister’s death, Beth also discovers secrets about Hailey’s disappearance. Will Beth regret coming home and revealing secrets hidden?

I really enjoyed this book. There were several twists and turns throughout the story that keep you on your toes. I also loved how this story contained two different mysteries that cross paths throughout the story. I was not sure how this book was going to end or where it was going to go-- for me that's what makes it a good thriller. It also had me hooked up until the very end.

This is actually the first book that I have read by Chevy Stevens, and it will not be the last. I am looking forward to reading more of Steven’s work.

My Review Of
DARK ROADS
By Chevy Stevens
Gifted & Published by {Partner}@StMartinsPress
On Sale: 8/3/21 - Purchase Link in my Bio
*****
This was a rousing & eerie read that went rather slower than I liked. So much of the story is drawn out into things I feel I didn’t really want to know & believe shouldn’t have been included in the telling. The concept was gripping & stirred the pot for me to keep me reading & hanging on. Even thinking of girls being assaulted, either physically or through pornographic photographs made me physically ill. Yet it drew me to want to see where the story would go; in hopes there would be redemption for the victims that were killed or assaulted. It went from there to a story that changed topic and placed more emphasis on a much less interesting topic that transpired over too long of a period of time. I believe it would have been so much better if it kept to the original plot, was faster paced and if the ending was less predictable.

The beginning of this book took me by storm and I was so excited to go on this mysterious thriller ride. But somewhere in between I got lost with all the different personalities. The end of the book did not keep up the same pace and it kind of fell flat for me at the end. I will read more by Chevy Stevens. I just think this one missed the mark for me.

Dark Roads is a well-written, fast paced thriller, with great, believable characters. From the protagonist to her dog, I was completely invested in everyone. Dark Roads hooked me from the first chapter, and I couldn’t put it down. If I had to pick a fault, I think I would have liked a bit more detail given to the villain -- motivations, justifications, just a little something more. But still, if you love a good thriller, don’t miss this one.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review Dark Roads.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, but I wish that the pacing had been faster.

This is my first Chevy Stevens’ book and I can’t wait to read more. This was such a thriller that will have you turning pages quickly trying to solve who was the serial killer. Such a surprise ending, this would make a good movie.

Bestselling author Chevy Steven returns with a compelling suspense that unravels across a dark stretch of highway where for decades, young women have gone missing.

17-year-old Hailey McBride knows the stories firsthand, she’s lived in Cold Creek her entire life and her father taught her to never travel the highway alone, taught her how to survive in nature. But when her father tragically dies, she has no alternative than to live with her aunt and police officer uncle, Erick Vaughn—a man whose controlling ways and wandering eyes unnerve her to the core. When Hailey discovers Vaughn’s dark secrets, however, they send her running into the rugged wilderness of British Columbia—desperate to bide her time until she turns eighteen and is free of Vaughn for good.

Meanwhile, Hailey’s friend Amber remains at the diner where they both worked… until Amber’s dead body is discovered.

With Amber’s killer at large, and Hailey presumed dead by the same perpetrator, Amber’s sister Beth arrives at Cold Creek desperate to unearth the truth, not knowing that she’s now a target herself.

Stevens masterfully builds a dark and chilling atmosphere in small-town Cold Creek. The story drew me in from the beginning, with questions swirling around those who vanished, and guesses to who could be behind it all. The story lost some momentum midway, but tension ratcheted once more towards a nail-biting ending I didn’t see coming.

DARK ROADS is equal parts suspense and coming-of-age, brought to life by two strong, resilient female heroines. And while my favorite Chevy Stevens book remains NEVER LET YOU GO, Stevens’ writing prowess and taut storytelling are nevertheless evident.

A solid installment—looking forward to the next.

This book is inspired by the unsolved murders along a highway in British Columbia called the Highway of Tears. Chevy Stevens sets the story in the fictional town of Cold Creek. A serial killer is on the loose and no one is safe. The story is told from the point of view of Hailey and Beth. Both women face danger and potentially death as they struggle to find the terrifying truth. The beginning of the book pulled me in, but the middle was slow and at times disjointed. Parts of the story read like a young adult novel. The plot picks up towards the end with a conclusion I did not see coming. The epilogue was compelling and made me wish more of the book could have been as captivating. 2.5 stars rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy.

I tried to love this and even though it was slow to start, I enjoyed the first 2/3 of the novel for the most part. However, once I was into the third section of the book I struggled. I like that she based this on the Highway of Tears and tried to capture the terror and emotion involved, but unfortunately, my favorite character was Wolf. Many people are raving about this book so try it for yourself, it just wasn't the right fit for me.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Honestly, this novel was not one my favorite by Chevy Stevens. Similar to her previous novels, Stevens writes with great detail and descriptions when it comes to the scenery; however the plot is slow and readers can get dragged along. Told in three parts, the ending/killer can be seen about half way through and was making me wonder why I kept reading until the end.