"Gallows Hill" by: Darcy Coates tells the story of Margot Hull who inherits her family's home after the untimely death of her parents. This book was an absolutely beautiful and terrifying journey into the supernatural. As an avid fan of horror, I find that there is very little that scares me these days but Darcy Coates did her job well. There are absolutely terrifying parts of this book; since it's a horror novel that is exactly what you go in hoping for. 

The writing in "Gallows Hill" was amazingly done. The picture that was painted was so vivid in all of its haunted glory I could not get enough. I loved some of these descriptions so much that I would go back and re-read a chapter. It has truly been a long time since I read a horror novel that was so well done. I cared about the characters, the town, the dark and disturbing things lurking about, and the overall story. 

I was worried about the pacing in the first chapter but honestly, after that, you are literally thrown right into the thick of things and it does not stop until the very last page. I really appreciated the thought and effort which went into this very well-planned out story. You can tell through reading it that Darcy Coates knew every inch of the story she wanted to tell and she did a great job of telling it. 

Without giving too much away I will say the thing that scared me the most and had the hair on the back of my neck standing up was the bells. The description of what they sounded like and when we found out what they truly meant made them even scarier. 

I wanted to race through this book to see what happened next, but I also forced myself to read it slowly. One because the descriptions were too well done to just rush through and two I did not want it to be over. If you are a fan of horror and a good old-fashioned haunted house tale with a twist "Gallows Hill" is the book for you!

I've been wanting to read Darcy Coates for awhile, and I was excited for the opportunity provided by NetGalley and the publisher to review this book. After reading Gallows Hill, I am definitely a Darcy Coates fan. The story was spooky, and Coates did an excellent job building the tension. Margot's tension was palpable when she was in the tunnels or hearing the warning bells ring in the house, and I loved the resolution at the end. Definitely plan on reading more by this author!

Easily another one of Coates books that has blown me away. I love the atmosphere that she creates in all of her stories and this one was not different. I had an amazing time and I can’t wait for the next one.

A perfect spooky season read! 🎃🍂 This slow-burn haunted story creeped me out!

Margot inherits a winery 🍷 (uh yes please!), built on a hill previously used for hanging criminals for petty crimes (maybe not). There's family history and secrets, along with hauntings and a cursed land. A town which avoids the people from Gallows Hill too, due to reputation (obviously smart), so it's isolating for Margot, with no family or friends.

A slow-burn, the suspense built slowly until it hit a fast pace in the middle. Margot, not raised by her parents, is trying to understand this haunting along with the reader. On top of just learning about this haunted family business/home, the haunting is worse than it's ever been. The stakes are life and death with this perfect spooky season read and Margot is a tenacious and brave heroine who pushes through her fears and discomfort. A great read!

First of all, Darcy Coates is my favorite horror author for a reason. She has a way of building a story that is so suspenseful and creepy that literally builds the whole time, leading to an explosive and terrifying ending. This book did just that. Margot was sent away from home to live with her grandmother at a young age, and never really knew her parents. When she learns that her parents both died on the same night, she must return home to claim her inheritance. Which happens to be a winery located on some seriously haunted land. This book is perfect for this spooky season and was released just in time. Anyone looking for a terrifying story that reads just like a horror movie, that keeps you glued to the pages and terrified to turn out the lights, this one is for you!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy Coates for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

Darcy Coates has done it again! She is the Queen of Haunted Reads! 🖤

The story starts off with a bang and doesn't let up until the end. It will scare you at times, it may force you to want to turn on all the lights, it may also haunt your dreams and then it may pull at your heart strings just a little.

I will never be able to hear a Bell Ring and react to it the same way again.

This in my opinion was the perfect Spooky Read!

This book is absolutely incredible. It is one of the best horror books I have ever read.

Margot inherits the family winery and estate when her parents unexpectedly both pass away. When she begins to explore her new inheritance, things get very creepy, scary, and down-right terrifying.

The house itself is a character all of its own. Darcy Coates knows how to weave a story with an attention to detail that pulls you in and takes your breath away. She sets the scene so vividly that you don't even realize that you are holding your breath. This story played out like a movie in my mind. I could imagine every sound, sight, and even smell on each page.

But what really got me about this story was how the author wrote a horror story that has heart, explores trauma in a respectful way, and made every character truly real to the reader. And when I speak about the characters, I am including the ones that are not alive.

Horror is so underrated and Darcy Coates really knows what she is doing. She wrote a truly terrifying story and I loved it! This is the first book I have read by this author. It will not be the last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced reader copy of this book. It is perfect for spooky season, and it is out now!

It took me longer than expected to really get into this one.

I did like the originality of the story concept. A cursed family that over centuries had survived off of their famous wine 🍷 business. There was a heavy price to pay for this though. It takes a blood relative 200 years later to find out where the curse originated and to figure out if she can reverse it or break it.

I honestly don’t know why I didn’t love it. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I just didn’t. I did like it though and would still recommend it.

**Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book I’m exchange for an honest review **

This is my second Darcy Coates book and it won’t be my last! There were so many creepy scenes,Where I was like nope you won’t catch me stay another night in that place! The atmosphere is dark and interesting as you try to learn along with Margot why her parents sent her away as a kid but also what plagues the land and house.

3.5/5 Stars for Gallows Hill

This was a slow burn if I've ever read one, folks. The first half of the book was the build-up, the second half full of ghosts, twists, suspense, and all kinds of creepy/questionable insanity and I came out of this closer to the middle in my own opinion of it.

Margot has been called back to her childhood home after the mysterious death of her parents, inheriting their vineyard and their employees in the process. As she explores the property, the house, and tries to uncover the truth of what really happened, secrets and ghosts come creeping out from the dark for a confrontation Margot is definitely not ready for.

I'm late coming with this review simply because this book took me far longer to read than normal. The beginning is s l o w. Margot is hard to get attached to, at least for me, because she feels like she is just there to be told things and not to actively take part in her life except to make really....really odd choices that end up with her in dangerous situations that could have been avoided entirely or at least mitigated to some respect.

The second half certainly picked up and when I tell you it was a breath of fresh air, I'm serious. It was a lot easier to turn the pages once the mystery/horror aspects actually picked up. Coates certainly knows how to make you look over your shoulder in a dark room when she gets the chance. The initial setup definitely wasn't for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of this and I'm glad I pushed through til the end. Fans of the slow-burn, creep-up-your-spine horrors are definitely going to want to pick this up.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Haunted House reads are one of my favourites and this one definitely delivered! There were a few moments that felt a little bit repetitive, but the build up was amazing. Such a creepy, atmospheric read. There were moments that you could convince yourself that you felt a whisper or a breeze at the back of your neck. Great for spooky season!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fun, fun, fun…. with a touch of creepiness and horror! A spooky story just in time for the Halloween season. Darcy Coates takes the reader on a fun ride in Gallows Hill, with an interesting and atmospheric storyline. The creep factor steals the day in the best of ways!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great story will be looking for more from the author just what I needed for this time of year thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Margot Hull returns to Gallows Hill more than a decade after her parents sent her away as a child. She comes to bury her parents and to get a grasp for the property and winery that she has now inherited. Unfortunately for Margot, the Hill's sordid past won't stay buried.

Gallow's Hill was more of a slow burn in the beginning as the author built up that sense of foreboding. She provided so much detail that really gets you into the story and sends more than a few chills down your spine. Things really amped up in the second half and became the stuff of nightmares. Not gonna lie, this book was hard to read after dark.

As tension builds on the Hill, we really see what Margot is made of, and damn is this girl brave. She truly comes across as someone who is 'pure good'. She brings a lightness to the Hill which is a welcome reprieve from the absolute horrors that strike.

Add this one to your spooky season TBR for sure! I don't think the sound of bells ringing will ever sit right with me again.

Thank you @netgalley @poisonedpenpress and @darcybooks for this digital ARC!

*Many thanks to Darcy Coates, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
My first book by Darcy Coates though not my first house horror, and I admit Ms Coates knows how to create the atmosphere. It is not only the plot but also the way she writes, limiting dialogues to a minimum with emphasis on inner thoughts of Margot, a young woman who returns to the house she was forced to leave at the age of eight, and who has to confront the history of the place and what lurks around Gallows Hill.

When Margot was sent to live with her grandmother, she didn't realize it would be the last time she saw her parents alive. Now over ten years later, she returns to her childhood home after the death of her parents. Her parents were the owners of Gallows Hill Winery and one creepy old house. (This IS after all a Darcy Coates book!!) As Margot decides whether or not to take on the family business, she begins to learn that not everything is as it seems at Gallows Hill. The townsfolk are wary of her and the land the house sits on. There are whispers of curses. It was where numerous criminals met their death at the end of a noose many generations ago. As Margot gets to know the winery's employees, long-held family secrets start to reveal themselves. She finds herself swept up in solving the mystery behind the curse and bringing closure to everyone involved.

I loved this latest book by Darcy Coates! I spent a number of late nights reading and being completely creeped out by Margot's experiences at Gallows Hill. At times I felt that the breadcrumbs were a little too few and far between. As everything began to fall into place, however, it all made sense why certain characters weren't forthcoming with information.

This was a fun read and the perfect kick-off to spooky season!

"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."

If you're looking for a good spooky season read that's creepy but not too scary, this is it! It is the perfect mix of mystery and goosebumps.

The main character is, Margot, who inherited the family home and winery after her parents suddenly passed away. Margot struggles with how she feels about her parents passing since they sent her away as a small child to live with her grandmother and have had zero contact. She knows nothing about her parents, the family home, or the business. The business manager, Kant, guides her to her new home; the family house on Gallows Hill. While Kant is very helpful, he always seems to be holding something back. And then, bells begin ring in the middle of the night in her new home and Margot feels like she is being watched.

This is my first Darcy Coates book and it won't be my last. I've heard other reviewers say that Darcy Coates books are a lighter side of horror and I would agree. While I was rooting for Margot throughout the story, I did find her to be a bit naïve at times - she just inherited a large home, in a new town, and never takes the time to explore the home to understand the layout or to lock the doors before going to sleep at night. I also found some parts of the curse, and how Margot dealt with it, to be a bit too convenient. HOWEVER, there was a twist at the end that I did not see coming and it was horrifying - in the best possible way for a horror story. I was already wanting to read more from the author but that twist alone made me a Darcy Coates fan and bumped my rating. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
Release Date September 6, 2022.

This eerie ghost story is the perfect read for spooky season. It has a creepy atmosphere, haunted house, winery, secrets, and a curse. What’s not to love about it!?

Wow. This book hit all the spots for me. Well written, interesting characters, and a bit of horror. So creepy that I had to put it down a few times, only to pick it back up because I had to see what happened next.

Margot has to return to the home she was sent away from at age 8. Her parents have died, and she has inherited the family winery. When she arrives, strange things begin to happen. The townspeople are unwelcoming, the house is forbidding, and nothing about her parents' deaths add up. Slowly, she learns the history of the land, and the winery, and the curse that has followed the family for generations.

Soon the only question Margot has is will she live, or will Gallows Hill claim another Hull member?

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, and Poisoned Pen Press for the excellent read!

An atmospheric, creepy horror that, although a little slow for me, I enjoyed. Great storyline that was different enough to be enjoyable.