Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens is a dark and emotional thriller. The Cold Creek Highway is where young women travel through and never come out alive. After Hailey loses her father in an accident, she moves in with her aunt and her police officer husband. The family she is living with now are overprotective and controlling. Hailey decides she must disappear in to the surrounding mountains for several reasons. A couple other girls are found dead making Hailey determined to find the killer.

I love the cover on this one and that blurb definitely pulls you in. This is one book that catches you and does not let go until the last word! A stunning read!

Narration: MacMillan audio …. YOU. ARE. AMAZING.
I was heavily entranced listening to this audiobook. Glued to listening while I went about my day. Narration by Angela Dawe; Brittany Pressley; Isabella Star LaBlanc and done so well you’d think I was listening to a movie!

What did I like? The book follows a highway where women have been abducted along for years. No killer has been caught and the police are a bit strange about it. The intrigue and suspense is so heightened throughout the book that it seems impossible to sit still reading it. It was a fantastic listen! Five stars!

Would I recommend or buy? I’m really starting to love audiobooks but this book was so good either method is fine. You can read and devour at your own pace. Or listen and let the narration entrance you! I would definitely recommend and read more by this author. This was definitely one of my best June 2021 reads!

I received a complimentary audiobook and ebook to read and voluntarily left a review! Five star fantastic

I really really wanted to love this story because it started off so great. But as it dragged on I just felt like I wasn’t getting what I wanted from it. I wasn’t connecting with the characters, Hailey actually got on my nerves, her aunt irritated me and Johnny was ok but nothing extraordinary. I wasn’t feeling the tension I was expecting and every time I thought it was picking up and we were going to get to the meat of the story it just flattened out.

There was such a great amount of ideas her but in my opinion it just didn’t fit with my idea of what the story was going to be.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy.

This was my 2nd Chevy Stevens book and I really enjoyed it.

Tha audiobook was great. Highly recommend.

I have come to prefer listening to thrillers: when the narrator is good (and all three narrators did an excellent job in Chevy Stevens' <u>Dark Roads</u> audiobook) it feels as if you are "listening to a movie."

I really enjoyed the ebook back when it came out. Stevens is a gifted writer and can expertly manipulate a reader's emotions. The sense of unremitting dread and fear whenever Vaughan came into a scene! I'm a pacifist and even I wanted to swat him with a heavy object! Bad, Bad Man!!!

I loved spending time with Hailey, Johnny, Amber and Beth - again! I didn't realize how much I was missing them until I started listening to this audiobook. Even though I had read the ebook, I could not stop listening to this very well dramatized ebook.

(For those, like me, who are squeamish when it comes to violence, the speed setting is a fabulous option. I would double the speed sometimes during those scenes! )

I also listened to the excellent audiobook for this author's earlier book, <u>That Night</u>.
When I saw that the audiobook for Dark Roads was available, I jumped at the chance to listen it, based on my experience with That Night.. (My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exhange for an honest review.)
I highly, highly recommend the Dark Roads audiobook! All the stars for this thrilling ride!

Not one of Stevens best. I was expecting more of a twist, but figured it out rather early in the book. Fair. Didn't keep me hanging on for more.

Thanks NetGalley & Chevy Stevens for this ARC!

This was my first Stevens read and it did not disappoint. It kept me guessing the entire time. It also rattled my heart and made me constantly wonder “what would I do in this situation?”

The town of a Cold Creek has a black cloud hanging over it. There’s been many missing girls on their highway, all left unsolved. This book opens up giving the reader an eerie feeling- where is this headed and why? Who is taking these girls? Will we know the villain when we see them?

We meet Hailey who is stuck living with her aunt and creepy Uncle Vaughan. He happens to be the town cop so when she discovers just how creepy he is- there’s no way out. She decides she has to escape. What must that be like to have no one left in the world and the police can’t even protect you? How many women and girls live this way?

Midway through the book we switch to another author- which at first was challenging for me. I liked Hailey and her survivor journey she was on. I wanted to know everything about how she moves on. But Beth, the sister of Haileys newly deceased friend and love, is just as interesting.

It was amazing to watch the stories intertwine and the towns secrets unfold. Missing girls were what was haunting this town and young, strong girls were going to bring Cold Creek to its knees. This would make an incredible movie. It was perfectly paced and kept the reader so intrigued. I gasped out loud multiple times or found myself cheering on a character.

I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook. She kept a great pace and had the perfect voice! I binged this book in a few days because I was so enthralled!

I was also blown away by the epilogue and the authors dedication to this topic!

Reviewing
Dark Roads
Chevy Stevens

Another spellbinding thriller from the beautifully twisted mind of Chevy Stevens. Readers follow Hailey as she struggles to find herself and her place in the world that has brought her nothing but pain. A twisted plot, hair raising villains, and secrets that even the “good guys” are covering up will keep readers up at night desperate to see how it all plays out.

Inspired by the Tragic Highway Of Tears in British Colombia Canada, Dark Roads sheds light on the more then 8000 neglected cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women throughout North America. With the recent discovery of the the 215 unmarked children’s graves outside the Kamloops residential school, Stevens release of Dark Roads count not have come at a more pertinent time.

With a 15 year old protagonist some may find this book reads more like a YA coming of age story. However, the subject matter and trigger warnings certainly bump it into the adult section in my mind.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five stars for another well written thriller that will open a lot of eyes to this crisis.

OMG no what happened? This book was not good!

The beginning had a lot of promise even if I absolutely hate Brittany Pressley as a narrator. She literally has the worst voice and I tend to stay away from her narrated books but this was a top read for 2021 and I couldn’t NOT read this early.

The first 1/4 of the book was good. It was super interesting and had a lot of promise and could go in so many directions. The one it went it was a bit unexpected but I was still into it. But then the middle chunk and the new character that comes in was literally SO BORING. Nothing really happens. Nothing significant anyway. The middle chunk was boring and the ending was such a letdown. I kept waiting for a twist. And the “twist” that came I was like no, that can’t be it? I kept waiting for something to hit harder and knock my socks off and nothing came. Even in the last chapter I was like okay there’s still time. Nope. This just was so underwhelming in all the ways. Such a bummer because Chevy is a favorite author and when I saw she came out with a new book I was so damn excited. But this was just nothing special.

For decades women have been murdered along Clear Creek Highway. After Hailey McBride’s father dies, she is sent to live with her aunt and creepy law enforcement uncle. He’s on the search for the Cold Creek murderer, but Hailey doesn’t trust him.

Wow! This gripping thriller had me begging for the truth and learning those answers were chilling to the bone. The detailed descriptions of each character brought this book to life, even the sweet dog Wolf! The perfect dynamic of riveting secrets, death, corruption, but also ultimate power of friendships. The soulful determination to seek for truth and justice for those murdered. While also protecting those lasting friendships left behind. The epilogue was heart wrenching, but beautifully written. Chevy Stevens this was my first of your books, but it won’t be the last!
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press for this audiobook ARC. The narrator of this book was perfect!

Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia is infamous for the number of women who have disappeared or been killed along its length. After the death of her father, a man who taught her to stay away from the highway, Hailey is left as a teenager in the care of her aunt and her aunt’s husband, a cop who uses his position to mistreat and bully people. When she disappears, folks figure she either ran away or was taken by the predator that roams the highway. A year later Beth Chevalier shows up in town searching for answers about her sister Amber’s murder. In her search for Amber’s killer, Beth attracts the attention of a predator determined that some secrets stay buried forever. Stevens is one of the best suspense writers publishing today, her plots are always original and exciting

A tragic and haunting story about survival, resilience, and sisterhood.

I really enjoyed this story. There was something about the small town atmosphere and desolate highway that put me on edge and made me feel especially unsettled. Vaughn, the character introduced as a potential villain from the get-go, especially our me on edge.

I loved the main characters and the originality of the story, but note this is more of a traditional mystery/suspense novel more than a thriller. A lot of things don’t come together until the end, but there aren’t too many threads to follow. While this is a more simple yet effective way for suspense novels, I do prefer more complex “I did not see that coming”. That being said, this story still managed to be unique and engaging throughout.

Being a fan of thrillers, I was super excited to get my hands on 'Dark Roads'. I am a big fan of Stevens's thrillers and her writing style so when I was approved for the audiobook - I buckled up and got ready for the ride.

The author shares with her readers in the prologue that this story is inspired by a real highway that has claimed countless lives of numerous First Nations women in British Columbia. These women were murdered and left alone, many were still unidentified.

This. Book. Was. Addicting.

I literally couldn't put it down. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting while I was at work and I have no regrets. The prologue alone had me gasping for more and boy did Chevy provide. For years, people of Cold Creek have been warned above the Cold Creek Highway, where hitchhikers (many women) would vanish, never to be seen again. The book focuses on two women, Hailey and Beth, who live in the small town of Cold Creek. Hailey is an orphan after her father mysteriously crashes his car along a road he has driven countless times. With her new orphan status, she moves in with her Aunt and creepy AF, and possibly dangerous Uncle Vaughn, who also happens to be a cop. We also meet Beth, the sister of one of the highway victims, who is attempting to start a new life. I loved the way Stevens brought these two characters together in an almost sense of guidance and support.

My words are lost because I really don't know how to describe this book without giving everything away. I love thrillers and this met all my needs and wants in a story. "Dark Roads' is a mix of mystery, thriller, love, and survival.

Did I mention there's a dog named Wolf that steals the spotlight numerous times throughout the story? I love Wolf. That's all I'm going to say.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC of this exceptional read. I will be recommending it to everyone I know, because this story and knowledge should be shared.

Chevy Stevens has been one of my auto-buy authors for many years, so I was so excited to see she was releasing a new book, and I was definitely not disappointed. I don’t understand how she can have so many fast-paced, unique stories in that head of hers.

The main idea of this book is the many girls that have gone missing near Cold Creek highway. Hailey thinks she has figured out who the murderer is, but once she confronts him, her life is in danger. Beth, the sister of one of the victims, comes in to town to try and relive the life of her wild spirited sister and gets more then she bargains for in this small town.

I loved all the twists and turns, although some of the violence gets a bit too gory for my liking. Although that wasn’t my favorite to read, I know it was needed and helped make the story what it was. I also like the narrator was able to move the story along and make it so enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Chevy Stevens has wowed me yet again with another empowering, thoughtful, character-driven suspense novel. This book is more of a character drama than some of her previous more pure thrillers, but there is suspense and mystery aplenty in this well-told tale of female survival.

The book focuses primarily on two women, and one wonderful dog, Wolf. (As a dog lover, I really just can’t adequately express how much I just loved the character of Wolf.) In the fictional town of Cold Creek, women are disappearing and turning up murdered along the highway. Stevens, in a very informative and sad afterward, shares how the story was inspired by a real highway that has claimed the lives of numerous First Nations women, murdered by a killer or killers as yet unidentified.

In this book, we meet the wonderful and irrepressible character of Hailey, a young woman who has to turn to shocking methods of survival after she is orphaned and placed in a home with an uncle who is beyond creepy and possibly extremely dangerous. We also meet Beth, the sister of one of the highway victims, who is attempting to start a new life in Cold Creek after her sister’s death. The stories of the two women intersect almost magically, with one woman acting as almost the guardian angel of another (as we women should maybe do more in this world that is dangerous for us). The second guardian angel in the form of Wolf was also wonderful. You could read this book for Wolf alone, but that would do a disservice to the two equally wonderful female protagonists.

The story is part wilderness survival story, part violence survival story, and part wonderful dog story, and all parts were equally wonderful and well-developed. I will say, however, that I rarely read wilderness survival type stories but this was not your typical one in that genre and I absolutely loved this aspect of the book.

I really loved this audiobook, so richly narrated with wonderful and distinctive characters (including the dog!) and was riveted to the audio from beginning to end. This is one of those occasions in which the wonderful narration definitely enhanced my experience of the book. But as always, Chevy Stevens’ beautiful prose shines, and her thoughtfulness places her a cut above the many more superficial stories in this genre. This is a really rewarding heartfelt story of female survival of violence, the human spirit, and the dog spirit. I really recommend this book, and especially the beautifully read audiobook, to all fans of the suspense genre, But know that it is more of a character-driven drama than your typical fast suspense tale. This is a story to be savored rather than raced through. I have always liked Chevy Stevens, but this is the book that made me a full-fledged fangirl.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and the wonderful author for this exceptional audio experience.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Dark Roads by Chevy Steven's. Chevy Steven's is an author I've read since her first book and she never disappoints.

I love when books turn out to be so much better than I thought they would be.

This is book is loosely based on the highway of tears, making it truly heartbreaking.

I feel like this would be a good story for someone who enjoys YA. It's definitely a thriller (that plot twist though), but more of a young thriller. It's dark, but you don't get a lot of the grizzly details.

A really well told story, with great characters that felt like real people.

TW: Abuse, SA, animal abuse.

The narrators were great, I like that there was a very distinct difference in their voices, it really helped differentiate which characters POV we were in.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

“Nothing about this town feels right.”-Beth
Have you ever read a book and thought, “is it really possible that everything about this is messed up?” And if I had to describe this with just one word it would be creepy! The cops were creepy. The campground was creepy. Creepy, creepy, creepy. But maybe that’s how a place feels when so many women go missing, are murdered.
This mystery thriller had all things suspenseful. I couldn’t figure anything out and that’s a good thing. More mystery at every turn with fearless girls just walking around looking for trouble. It made me crazy.
I recommend this to everyone who loves thriller-suspense. And suggest you take the time to read the authors notes to understand why she wanted to write this story.
Audiobook, Narrated by Angela Dawe, Brittany Pressley and Isabella Star LaBlanc. They did a great job.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St Martins Press via Netgalley.

2.5 stars rounded up

This book seems to be a better fit as a YA, than a thriller.

I was surprised because Chevy Stevens books are usually pretty good an have good twists.

The first part of the book is very promising, very well written, the plot is interesting and get you hooked. But one third in, things start to become unrealistic and the ending is surprising, not in a pleasant way, but in a....very predictable way.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the chance of reading this book.