"The Hull family has owned the Gallows Hill Winery for generations. Their wine wins awards. Their business prospers. Their family thrives. People whisper that the curse has awakened once more.

The sprawling old house has long been perched on top of a hill overlooking the nearby town, jealously guarding the estate's secrets.

It's been more than a decade since Margot Hull last saw her childhood home. She was young enough when she was sent away that she barely remembers its dark passageways and secret corners. But now she's returned to bury her parents and reconnect with the winery that is her family's legacy - and the bloody truth of exactly what lies buried beneath the crumbling estate. Alone in the sprawling, dilapidated building, Margot is forced to come face to face with the horrors of the past - and realize that she may be the next victim of a house that never rests...

Darcy Coates brings you a brand-new horror novel that'll take your breath away... Gallows Hill is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Simone St. James, lovers of ghost stories and anyone mesmerized by the twisted secrets of the past."

This ghosts aren't your boozy pals...

Well, this slow burn horror novel certainly is a story that is going to haunt some people. It's claustrophobic and terrifying in all the right ways but it also has the most annoying and immature lead character that has probably even been written in modern horror.

Margot is, quite honestly, dumb. She is like a newly formed person who has been dropped onto Earth and is made to just....figure things out. Don't worry....she's going to do the exactly opposite of everything you think she should.

I've read a few Darcy Coates books now and I think that maybe it's just not for me. I think I need something deeper. I think they are for fans of obvious horror, something more base level, blood and guts. I prefer my horror to be more of the mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A few years ago when I started reading in earnest again, Darcy Coates made me fall in love with haunted house stories all over again. She has such a great talent for setting the atmosphere that I can't help but be completely immersed in what I am reading to the point that every little creak and groan of my own home will make me jump and I get startled at shadows.

The blurb for Gallows Hill had me intrigued immediately. I loved the idea of the house and winery being on this horrible land and couldn't wait to see what Darcy Coates came up with for the story. Margot (the main character), gets put through the ringer and you're with her every step of the way, feeling what she's experienceing because her entire ordeal and state is represented so well.

The story does have a bit of a build up and a slow start, and for the first little but I wasn't 100% into it, but once things started kicking off and being revealed little by little I got sucked in more and more. If I had one complaint about the book it was that at times, things were a little too drawn out and there were certain parts and situations where, in my opinion, a "less-is-more" approach should have been taken word-wise.

**Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

This is the first of Darcy Coates books that I have read and it definitely won't be the last. While a lot of horror tropes make appearances, and some of it was a bit predictable, it was still a very enjoyable read. Sometimes the wheel doesn't need to be reinvented. The atmosphere was beautifully done, and while there were times I didn't agree with the main characters choices, they still made sense, and not once was I wanting to scream "why are you doing that??" like with so many horror protagonists.

Will re-read, and pass along to my fellow horror lovers.

I’ve read that this author’s work can best be described as “cozy-horror,” and after reading two of her books, I completely agree. Things get dicey and downright spooky, but in the end, everything gets wrapped up neatly, and in Gallows Hill, it’s even kind of wholesome.
I really really liked the ending. I know some people might find it cliched, but I thought it added a nice touch of empathy and humanity to the story.
Oh, and the dog doesn’t die. I very much appreciated that.
I would recommend this to anyone who’s looking for something genuinely scary and even gross (I have SO many questions about the six wine barrels) but is also a softie at heart and appreciates a story where the main characters make it out alive and even break the curse.

This book was pretty predictable but none the less entertaining so I still enjoyed it. Would I read it again no I wouldn’t but I enjoyed it still

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by the author. Gallows Hill was a great read. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The characters and plot were very interesting. It's a real page turner, that once you start reading it you don't want to put it down. It's a really creepy story that I suggest you read in the dark. It is one of the best horror novels I've read this year. It's a must read for all horror book lovers.

Thanks to #Netgalley foretting me read an eArc of #GallowsHill by #DarcyCoates in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of any kind of haunted house story so I was really looking forward to this one.
However it was very slow to get started on, it didn't hook me the way these kind of books usually do. I struggled to enjoy the main character who seemed scared of her very existence. It took a long time for the book to pick up and when it did I was disappointed in the outcome. I was led to believe the book was about one thing from the property having been used to execute hundreds of people then made into a winery and the hanging tree being used to make aging barrels for the wine. This had the promise of a great ghost story but sadly went another way. It wasn't terrible in any way just not what I thought I was reading.

The best Darcy coates I've read so far. The writing and plot are more polished than previous novels . Finished it in one sitting. #netgalley #horror

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This was SO spooky and scary! I‘m really not someone who gets scared easily, but this legit gave me the creeps, especially when I read it at night.

As with every domestic horror, the vibes and atmosphere just need to be right, and the author did a great job at that. I felt transported to Gallow‘s Hill and the descriptions just made shivers run down my spine.

I also love that this had supernatural elements, it just made it so much scarier!

The plot itself was also pretty original for a haunted house, which I appreciated. I really enjoyed the plot, though I think there would have been more potential for the ending.

I personally also always struggle when pets are involved in a horror story, because animal death/torture is my one trigger, and given that the ARC didn’t have trigger warnings, I was just so stressed when she had the dog for a night. (Spoiler: The dog survived unharmed). This is 100% just a personal thing, but it gravely affected my reading experience because I had a great time with the book until the dog came in, then I was just stressed and not in a good way.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to people who love horror. I‘m definitely going to check out the author‘s other work (hopefully with adequate trigger warnings).

Darcy Cotes does it again in this cozy horror novel about what secrets lay buried in the past and if they should stay there. Our main character, Margot, is returning to a house that she doesn’t quite remember. Her parents have died suddenly and left her everything. What they haven’t left her is answers. Why did they send her off to live elsewhere? Why did they never contact her? Why doesn’t she remember their faces?

When Margot arrives in the small town where she was born, the entire town casts their eyes to her in secret and there’s something everyone wants to say but they don’t. In glorious Darcy Cotes fashion, things start happening right away in the home which is exactly what anyone reading a haunted house story really wants. As Margot explores the house and has experiences, Darcy Cotes writes the action just like watching a cinematic movie and it really helps set the atmosphere and tone.

There are some tropes (which is not a bad thing!) and the way they are presented and even customized in this piece brings more depth to a story you might have though you’ve heard before. There was an end twist that I did expect but not early enough for it to have ruined the experience. For fans of Poe’s ambiance and handling of phobia’s, Gallows Hill will be a delight.

This was not for me. The main character makes ridiculous decisions and is overdramatic.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59746719

Another enjoyable horror from Darcy Coates just in time for fall!

I found myself tesning up while reading and gasping at some parts. Everything a good horror needs! I jumped multiple times when someone interrupted me and had to double check locks on doors before bed!

I thought the pace was good, even though, at some points I felt it got a bit repetitive. But Margot was a logical and determined character, which made her easy to read and get comfortable with.

Like always her stories as dark, twisted and creepy , and the biggest thing about her stories I lov is her vivid descriptions which not only helpes me feel as if I was right there but it also helps sets the tone as well as the setting and the atmosphere of the story. She never lets me down , and nither did this story .Besides been dark , twisted and creepy it was also haunting, menacing and eerie in the best ways possible,and let's not talk about how many times I felt like I wanted to jump when every I heard a sound .

Another super spooky read from Coates! Margot is a wonderful character to follow and cheer for throughout this story. Trying to solve the mystery with her and watching her uncover the dark secrets of her parents’ winery was so entertaining. There were many creepy and terrifying moments!

My first book by Darcy Coates, while it started out slow it definitely picked up and left me searching for answers. I admit I went in thinking mystery but when it turned to horror I was pleasantly surprised. I feel her vivid descriptions helped me feel as if I was right there…

I have read three other books by this author; The Whispering Dead, The Ravenous Dead, and The Haunting of Ashburn House. All three were wonderful books but I have to say that Gallows Hill is by far my favourite of the bunch.

What an atmospheric read this was, the house depicted in this book is one of the creepiest I've ever read about. Margot has returned to the family wine estate after the death of both her parents. Long ago she was given away to her grandmother never to see her parents again. When she is left Gallows Hill Winery after her parents passing Margo investigates to see if the winery is truly cursed as everyone believes. As Margo explores Gallows Hill she also searches out the truth of what really happened all those years ago.

The book crept (see what I did there?) up on me at a slow burn and that really helped with the scary atmosphere. Margo's feeling of terror and anxiety leaped off the page Coates has a wonderful way of writing the very spooky and is an amazing word builder. I don't know how she manages to write horror/paranormal books so beautifully.

This book is haunting, ominous, and eerie in the best ways possible, it would make the perfect Halloween read, which makes it so great that it is coming out in September.

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates is the first horror book I’ve ever read. Well, not exactly. I have tried reading Stephen King before thrice but I DNF’ed his books every time and could not complete it. Gallows Hill is the first horror book that I completed reading and it blew my mind!

Right from the start, I could sense something eerie going on. The vibes were off in this small town. This book starts with Margot’s parents’ funeral. But she doesn’t know her parents because they have left her when she was 8 years old. Why, she doesn’t know. But all the people are looking at her suspiciously. She is having an unwelcoming foreboding feeling in her gut.

She has bequeathed her parents’ house, Gallows Hill, and their winery business. She has to stay in the town for at least few weeks to figure out what she will do next with the house and the winery. Only Kant, her parents’ employee, seems to talk to her nicely. After the funeral, Kant takes her to her parents’ home. She has to spend the night at an unfamiliar house all alone.

The house itself is like a major character in this book. The house is ancient, belonging to their ancestors in the 1700s. There are some sinister vibes coming from the house but Margot couldn’t figure it out what it is. But as she stays in the house that night, she hear bells ringing in the house…and from there she starts experiencing unnatural instances. Soon Margot wants to Gallows Hill and never turn back. She thinks this place is cursed. But she cannot leave.

My favorite part of this book was the atmosphere. It was so dark, grim, and creepy. I felt so creepy reading the descriptions. Some scenes were quite spooky and anxiety- inducing, and felt very claustrophobic. This book made me sleep with the lights on that night. This book also reminded me a lot of the movie “Don’t Breathe” (2016) but with ghosts.

The first half of the book was quite slow but it was all worth it because as soon as I hit 50%, I COULD NOT STOP READING. Literally. I was sucked in into the story, totally and completely hooked in the plot. Every chapter in a mini cliff-hanger and I just had to keep reading the next chapter to know what happened next.

The history behind the Gallows Hill and what happened in the past and why she couldn’t leave town even if she wanted to was so interesting and it all made sense. I loved to see how Margot’s ancestors’ past were all related to the present time. It was a really great backstory and I loved how everything was sorted in the end.

In conclusion, I can only say that this book blew my mind. I never knew I could love a horror book this much. This book was truly creepy but in the best way. I am officially a Darcy Coates fan and I am looking forward to read more of her backlists!

This novel was a wild ride for me! I haven’t yet read too many proper horror novels but this story really kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! Even though I mostly read this book in daylight, Gallows Hill made me feel very uneasy and scared which is what I really want horror novels to feel like!

Because I enjoyed this novel so much right from the start, I was a little scared that the reveal would maybe change my feelings for this story. But Darcy Coats absolutely didn’t disappoint! I really enjoyed the last few pages as well. The only thing I would have liked is to get a little more of an explanation after the reveal (e.g. who actually knew more than they said, how the town reacted etc)

Review on Amazon.de to come on the release date!

I love Darcy Coates novels, and this did not disappoint. This book was soooo creepy! It was so dark and atmospheric. I was drawn in right from the beginning. I highly recommend this for horror lovers!

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!!