Gallows Hill finds Margot returning home for the first time since she was a child after her parent’s sudden death, both from heart attacks. She also inherits the family winery business. Margot struggles with her feelings about everything that’s happened and her sense of abandonment as there was no explanation as to why she wasn’t raised by her parents but her grandmother instead.
Margot soon finds herself drawn into something unworldly and she becomes terrified of the home she’s in and now owns. She starts to believe that the rumors are true, her family’s property is cursed. It is now up to Margot to break the curse, but can she?
This was a 3.5 slow burn read rounded up to 4.. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the EArc and the chance to review it!

Margot Hull returns to Gallows Hill House to attend the funeral of her parents. As a very young child she was sent to live with her grandmother and all contact with her parents ceased. She has little or no recollection of her family, nor of the house and it’s surrounding area.

Margot is desperate to find out why they didn’t want her, and why she has now become their sole beneficiary.

This is the first Darcy Coates I have read, and I look forward reading more. The plot was good, full of suspense, and it was exciting to read a proper horror story. I loved Kant, a real hero, and the descriptive narrative was a treat to read. What I didn’t like was Margot, a real washout character who didn’t appeal to me at all. Also, the ending was a little lame. After all the good work put into the first three quarters of the book, the finale really let it down. It was long winded and, I felt, the easy option.

All in all a good read which I would recommend, but the ending needed to be better, hence 4*.

Thank you NetGalley.

My first Darcy Coates book! What a treat! Just what I want from a Horror book... extremely atmospheric to the point that last night when I was reading in the dark (for spooky purposes) I swear I saw a big spider crawling down the window, talk about the power of suggestion!!!!! I loved the story and although I guessed the big reveal pretty early in the book.. I truly enjoyed it all the way through.

Darcy Coates has become my go-to when I want a good ol' ghost / haunt story. Gallows Hill is yet another fabulous Coates book that has left me waiting for the next one! When asked for a spooky / ghosty book recommendation, I almost always recommend "anything by Darcy Coates," and I will continue to do so! Although I anxiously await the next book, I am just as anxious to read all of the ones I missed / were written before I (very happily) discovered this author.

This is my 3rd book I have read by Coates that I finally ended up actually really liking. My friends would keep telling me, come on, try another one of her books- she’s so good! I’m glad I listened.

The synopsis: Margot is inherited a large and successful winery named Gallows Hill by her parents after their death (no spoiler, already in description). She hasn’t seen her parents or house in years and was reluctant. There are many secrets hidden within the family past- secrets that almost made me claustrophobic with anticipation of what the answers are.

It is safe for me to say that Coates is a great writer. I had many questions entering this book, that were eventually solved, then led to even more questions. That’s what makes a writer so good (in my eyes). Unfortunately, one thing that I didn’t like was her repetition of certain words. I counted over 11 times that Margot (the main character) licked her teeth with her tongue. I am not kidding. I actually thought about having a drinking game with myself to take a drink every time Coates wrote that particular sentence. Also, the ending was very quick, and wrapped in a pretty little bow- and some readers might not like that.

Overall, I thought that this book was a great read! Thank you NetGalley for giving me a free ARC for an honest review of this book. It comes out September 6, 2022!

Another great Darcy Coates book!

LOVED the premise and the setting, very atmospheric and enjoyably creepy. A solid read for gothic fans, with the winery angle being unique - it worked really well. The story also tied up nicely at the end. Would be a great movie!

One star deducted because I would’ve liked more family history exploration, I think Gallows Hill would’ve really been enriched by more background. Also, the focus was very heavy on the main character at points, there definitely was room for the others (and I did like all the characters).

This may be my favorite Darcy Coates book so far! The story is twisted and creepy (exactly what you want from a “ghost” story). All of the characters are beautifully written and so easy to love. And the witchy old woman with a beautiful doggo is exactly who I want to be when I grow up!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Firstly, please buy this book when it comes out on the 6th of October! I’m not affiliated with the author, publisher or anyone involved with the book but instead this is a personal recommendation. This is a pretty perfect Halloween read and it releases just in time for the season of scares!

Secondly, huge thank you to @poisonedpenpress for the early copy, I was so excited to read this!!

This was a pretty well-rounded and solid horror book. Again, Darcy’s attention to detail and ensuring the plot is thorough has paid dividends in the form of a book that feels really complete when you put it down.

The story follows a slightly different structure to what I’m used to from Darcy and I really enjoyed that. The spooks come quick, from the first paragraph you have a strong sense of unease and it tangles you into the story very well.

This was the first book from Darcy that I’ve read that really gives you a consistent buzz in the back of your mind that something is wrong, something bad is going to happen very soon.

We follow Margot through her journey of familial discovery whilst dealing with the inheritance of a family home, business… and something darker.

I found the characters really in-depth and well-written. My favourite by far was Kant who felt like a natural fit to the entire plot and really felt real. Margot, was not the most convincing of characters mostly down to her inability to not be clumsy when it really counts, make all of the wrong decisions, and the fact that she just never really questioned anything in her life until the plot of the story began. But, saying all of that she goes through a fairly big arc of self discovery and redemption throughout the book and it definitely clears the air.

It’s a deserving 4.5 stars!

Another insanely spooky atmospheric read from Coates! Lot's of creepy imagery that kept me up at night reading in the dark! I enjoyed the mystery and the reveal. Also, Gallows Hill as a location is one of the scariest in my Coates experience. I did think this one was a bit long, but that might be just me because I was in a time crunch to read this one! Overall, I enjoyed it and got a thrill out of it! 3.5

The Hull family has owned the Gallows Hill Winery for generations, living and working on the beautiful grounds where they grow their famous grapes. Until the night Mr. and Mrs. Hull settle down for the evening...and are dead by morning.

When their daughter, Margot, inherits the family business, she wants nothing to do with it. The winery is valued for its unparalleled produce, but it's built on a field where hundreds of convicts were once hanged, and the locals whisper morbid rumors. They say the ground is cursed.

It's been more than a decade since Margot last saw her childhood home. But now that she's alone in the sprawling, dilapidated building, she begins to believe the curse is more than real―and that she may be the next victim of the house that never rests...

Thanks NetGalley!

DNF at 33%.

When I'm in the mood for a creepy novel, I want something that will scare the absolute shit out of me. This book did not even come close. And if it gets better, slogging through the first third is still not worth it. Margot is the most boring main character I've ever met. There are multiple mysteries presented in the first few chapters and the readers don't need all of those solved immediately (obviously, or there would be no suspense), but we got NOTHING. Nada. Zilch.

Bottom line, I was just so incredibly bored.

This is a brilliant, highly atmospheric supernatural mystery story about a woman who inherits an old winery that was owned by her recently deceased parents. Gallows Hill has been in Margot's family for generations and now it is all hers. The good and the bad. And the very bad.

Every single page of this book drips with dread and suspense. It's fantastic! Darcy Coates has become a firm favourite author of mine over the last few years. Her books never disappoint and this is another amazing story that I cannot recommend highly enough.

This was everything I hoped and dreamed of when looking for a "scary story." Darcy has such a way of bringing you into the story, I truly felt as though I was watching this.

After the sudden death of her parents, Margo inherits the winery and house - Gallows Hill . Having been raised by her grandma, Margo never understood why her parents gave her up and why they cut her from their lives.

Welp, as the name suggests, there had been some sinister actions in the past on the hill and we'll...they're not exactly ready to let the Hull family forget.

I love Darcy Coates, but this was not my favorite book. It was very slow and if not for the fact I like the author, I would not have read it past 20% mark. However, thankfully, the book did pick up pace in the later half. The ending also seemed very weak and unsatisfactory.

This was a good book, but not my favorite Darcy Coates. It kept me interested and was scary enough that I had to stop reading it in the dark. It started a little slow but then picked up and I couldn't read fast enough. I really enjoyed the ending and the decision that Margot made. To be vague, on Margot's mission, as soon as she passes the final step and processes where she is, I was able to immediately guess where the story was going. I think I actually said "oh, no" out loud. But it was in a triumphant way, not in a ugh, this is predictable way. This is my second Darcy Coates book and I'm loving them so far, but definitely a read during the day type of book for me!

I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without reading a Coates novel! Excuse me while I now deep dive into her backlist.

I’m gonna keep this short and cute because all you really need to know is this is absolutely worth a read if you love this genre. Gallows Hill is such a great slow burn, claustrophobic, haunted house/land horror book! When I say slow burn, I mean sloooow but it did a fantastic job creating tension and nothing was without purpose. The last 25% was legit scary as hell, highly recommend reading this one in the dark on an e-reader if you have one. The winery setting was eerily atmospheric and was a great backdrop. I had absolutely no clue how the book was going to end but it had a very satisfying conclusion. If you love a good haunted house trope, don’t skip this one!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Poisoned Pen Press and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Darcy Coates, the master of horror and suspense, at least in my opinion has another hit.

I absolutely love everything Darcy Coates so boy was I excited for this book! A slow burn horror with a foreboding and tense atmosphere and it did deliver. The story about Margot, who comes back to her family home when her parents pass away. We soon learn that she doesn't know them, and our first mystery is presented. As she stays on and figures out what she is going to do next, keep the family business or sell it, it soon becomes apparent that there a rules about this house and more going on.

The book did not dissapoint me and definitely delivered spooky vibes. Would recommend to Darcy Coates books as well as anyone who's looking for a spooky read!

“The oak. The gallows. Hundreds of bodies breathed their last while suspended from this wood. It had been changed—sawed and whittled and reformed until it was unrecognizable. But it still remembered, she thought.”

it is with no pleasure at all that i bring you this mini-review. this was unfortunately my least favorite Coates book so far and i am feeling *very sad* about it.

Coates, always delivering her signature recipe, crafted another read in one sitting scary story. though this one was not a favorite, i still enjoyed the ride. every single one of her books, though most similar in plot, are entirely their own - honestly it’s just really damn impressive imo. and despite this disappointment i will continue to read everything she writes because her talent is undeniable. if you want books that read like scary movies, she’s the author for you.

unfortunately, this story suffered mostly due to its main character, Margot. now as the horror obsessed human i am, i know you need to learn to suspend your disbelief for a lot of this genre’s stories. but Margot made that simply impossible. never have i read a character who was so incredibly out of touch with reality, lacked seemingly all common sense, made decisions lacking any rhyme or reason and literally couldn’t stay on her feet for more than a few pages at a time. she was, to put it truthfully, insufferable.

i found myself torn out of the story constantly because of decisions she made and easily-avoidable foibles she fell into. but alas, i can not solely blame Margot for the downfall of this book. the “twist” felt….lazy. it was from its start entirely predictable and every step from its reveal to the end was a stream of “saw that coming” moments.

as i don’t include any spoilers, that’s about the most i can tell you without giving anything away.

if you’re new to Coates i’d recommend reading either The Haunting of Ashburn House or The Carrow Haunt to start you off. and if you can - read them in bed at night for the full effect.

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates is the first book I've read by this author. Unfortunately, it didn't catch my interest. The story was a very slow burn. The concept was okay, but the story just didn't deliver for me. I may check out other books to see if I do like the author's writing style in other stories.

#NetGalley @PPPress

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates really kept me turning the pages. I was having trouble sleeping, so I picked it up very late at night, meaning to just read a few chapters. You can guess what happened….before I knew it, it was morning and I hadn’t slept at all because I was too engrossed in the story!

Let me tell you what Gallows Hill got right. First of all, it was atmospheric as all get out. Secondly, the pacing was very much on point. There is something very wrong at Gallows Hill, and we the readers know that, The atmosphere of wrongness and dread is so well done. It’s unnerving for the reader but never veers into cheesy or over the top. It’s a very fine line to balance, and Darcy Coates does it with ease.

I’d like to talk about one thing that I as a woman and a reader particularly appreciated. Darcy Coates allowed our protagonist Margot the agency to recognize what was going on. Many times in a gothic suspense novel, the book spends a lot of time gaslighting the protagonist and buying into the crazy or hysterical woman trope. That didn’t happen here. Margot knew something was wrong almost immediately, and she spent very little time doubting herself. She knew she was being lied to by the people around her, and she had the confidence and courage to go searching for answers herself. It led to a very satisfying conclusion of the book.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended!