Don’t walk alone or the Stitcher will find you. Don’t stay out late or the Stitcher will take you. People are vanishing in this small town Illinois. When they are found they are dismembered and sewn back together in unimaginable ways with red thread.

It was definitely different and not what I was expecting. Had me on the edge of my seat the entire time reading!! Perfect for spooky season. I will never see red thread the same again! Thank you Netgalley for my ARC copy!

Abby and Hope’s father disappeared several years back and their mom hasn’t been quite right ever since. It’s safe to say almost everyone who lives in Doubtful has suffered a similar tragedy, whether it’s a family member or friend, most residents of this haunted town know someone who has been taken by The Stitcher. Or worse, who has been returned by The Stitcher, chopped and mangled and sewn back together, hideously mutilated and utterly unrecognizable. More often than not, these grotesquely damaged corpses are missing several parts.

Things go weird before The Stitcher strikes. Technology becomes unreliable and stops working altogether. The animals begin acting in odd, disturbing ways. In their homes, many folks have increasingly horrific nightmares. This is when following the rules becomes especially important. Never be outside after dark. Never walk through town alone. And keep far, far away from Charles Vickers, a bizarre and unpleasant man who most suspect of being behind the murders, and who seems to obscenely revel in the accusations. Vickers always has an alibi and the police haven’t got anything on him, though–so maybe there really is a supernatural, monstrous entity behind the killings, after all?

Abby and Hope aren’t alone, though; along with loyal friends Rhys, Riya, Connor, and Jen, the new girl who refuses to believe in town conspiracies or things that go bump in the night–they comprise The Jackrabbits. A jackrabbit never drops its guard, it’s always ready to run–and run fast. And most importantly, it survives.

And then Hope gets taken. From her bedroom, in the middle of the night, without a sound. Desperate to find her sister and to find answers, Abby will stop at nothing to get Hope back–and her friends are with her every step of the way.

This book was freaky as hell! I worried though; in stories like this, I feel that freakiness is unsustainable because it massively hinges on the unknown. When we’re left to our own devices to fill in the blanks in a horror story, almost everything we come up with is going to be scarier than the actual answer, whenever the author reveals it. Even if it’s tremendously horrific! Because as soon as we know it, the power of that fear is taken away.

I will say that even though that may be the case in Where He Can’t Find You, when the story pivots in that direction it becomes something else entirely: a high-stakes adventure where everything–the lives of friends, family, even the fate of the town of Doubtful– is on the line.

"From USA Today bestselling horror/thriller author Darcy Coates comes the chilling legend of a monster no one can escape.

DON'T WALK ALONE, OR THE STITCHER WILL FIND YOU.

Abby Ward lives in a town haunted by disappearances. People vanish, and when they're found, their bodies have been dismembered and sewn back together in unnatural ways. But is it the work of a human killer...or something far darker?

DON'T STAY OUT LATE, OR THE STITCHER WILL TAKE YOU.

She and her younger sister live by a strict set of rules designed to keep them safe - which is why it's such a shock when Hope is taken. Desperate to get her back, Abby tells the police everything she knows, but they claim their hands are tied.

DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES, OR THE STITCHER WILL REMAKE YOU.

With every hour precious, Abby and her friends are caught in a desperate game of cat and mouse. They have to get Hope back. Quickly. Before too much of her is cut away. And before everything they care about is swallowed up by the darkness waiting in the tunnels beneath the home they thought they knew."

Yeah, I love reading about this town but I don't want to go there.

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for giving me an early copy of this novel. Below you'll find my honest review.

I read my first Darcy Coates horror story earlier this year, and was really excited to get my hands on this one. It did not disappoint!

This one drops you right into the thick of it, into the town of Doubtful. It lets you know that it's a bad place where bad things happen. It tells you the rules you must follow to have the best chance of staying alive, so the Stitcher doesn't take you. It doesn't explain what's going on, why these things are happening... it just lets you discover all of that as the story unfolds.

And unfold it does... when one of the main characters' sister is taken by the Stitcher, vanishing into the night, they do the unthinkable... they decide to fight back and try to save her.

The bonds of friendship, the isolation of only depending on each other as the town has given up trying, and the constant fear of the Stitcher - man or monster?, intertwined with the weird effects on wildlife and electronics and the empty, dead feeling of the town, really push this novel into true horror. The atmosphere is set up perfectly. The hook is set deep inside. And the action drives it forward.

My one complaint is that I'd have loved a little more detail of how things became the way they are. The explanation is satisfactory, but I'm craving more information on this well-painted world.

Absolutely loved this one. Highly recommend.

This is a fantastic book for YA and adult horror fans! It definitely brings the spooky vibes without being too heavy. I thought it’d be a bit “immature” for me, as a seasoned horror lover but I was pleasantly thrilled and captivated.

This was my first horror book, and honestly I was shocked when I realized this was YA. The crime scene details were pretty gruesome, and this book gave me the total creeps... in the best way! However, I think if I had read this as a young adult, I would have had nightmares for months. As an adult, I loved the town of Doubtful. Coates did such a great job of creating an atmospheric setting. Also, can we talk about the mom?! Extra creepy! IYKYK. This is the perfect book to binge late into the evening. If you like IT or Stranger Things, I think you enjoy this book!

Where He Can't Find You is another nightmare inducing addition to Darcy Coates horror collection. This book may have teenage protagonists and initially have a YA feel, but the author doesn't mess around with delivering the thrills, scares, and gruesome details. 


Doubtful, Illinois has been plagued by disappearances and grisly murders for decades. Legend credits the crimes to a mysterious creature nicknamed the Stitcher. The bizarre and horrific occurrences have gone on for so long that the town has come to accept it as almost normal. A small group of friends decide to once and for all get to the bottom of the vicious killings and free their community from the entity holding them all hostage. 


Darcy Coates has such a gift for crafting terrifying imagery, slowly building tension, and chilling atmosphere. The villain she created in this book is truly creepy and enough to fuel a few bad dreams. This story had me glancing over my shoulder and turning on an extra light or two. Where He Can't Find You reminded me of all the reasons to fear the dark, keep the doors locked, and never go out at night alone. This is easily one of my favorites from Darcy Coates. Her writing just keeps getting better and better.


Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me a copy to read and review.

This book was super creepy! I clap my hands for this one, no book has been written so beautifully and creepy where I have been so creeped out!!! I will definitely be raving about this one for a while!

Rules ….
*DON'T WALK ALONE, OR THE STITCHER WILL FIND YOU.
*DON'T STAY OUT LATE, OR THE STITCHER WILL TAKE YOU.
*DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES, OR THE STITCHER WILL REMAKE YOU
I am an adult, and this book had me terrified. Who says YA Thriller/Horror isn’t as scary as adult?
Set in the town of Doubtful, IL - a place that doesn’t seem to allow you to leave. A town full of mysterious vanishing, that go unexplained (and yet no one seems to question why). Some will eventually be found; others never will. Some will be whole, some in pieces, while others … the bodies will be put back together in unseemly ways with red thread. The town has a curfew, you don’t go out at night, and if you do you do not go alone! Who or what is the “Stitcher”? When the Stitcher is up to no good, things in town seem to go haywire. Cars won’t start, lights go out, TV and cell service get “the jitters”, people have nightmares and start acting strange. When a group of teenagers, who call themselves the Jackrabbits, has one of their own taken by the Stitcher, they will stop at nothing to get her back. Buckle up for an intense ride through the darkness in Doubtful, IL.
This book was quite disturbing and unsettling, yet I couldn’t stay away.

Darcy Coates does YA horror right! While this crew of teenagers seemed a tad too gullible in the beginning of the story, they definitely steal the show by midway and I found myself rooting hard for them by the end. Very Stranger Things-like. This creepy little town deserves a series. Well done!

Social posts to come.

I just finished Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates. I have read several of her books. This one was one of her creepiest by far, in a good horror book way! Its different and kept you guessing who or what the Stitcher was.. I really liked it.

Darcey Coates really never disappoints with her books ! I always recommend her for anyone looking for a spooky read. This story was packed full of twists and turns with the perfect amount of suspense. I didn’t see the ending coming but it was so perfect. 10/10 please queen Darcey Coates never stop writing books. 😂🙏🏻

Darcy Coates is one of my favorite authors. I was thrilled when I was gifted an advanced copy to honestly review! Thank you #netgalley and #sourcebooks!

This is a YA Horror, but don't let that fool you. The Stitcher is... terrifying. So much that I only wanted to read this during the daytime. All of Darcy's books are so chilling and well written. I really enjoyed this book. It will be available on November 7, 2023!

I can’t say enough good things about this book! It was scary, it was nerve wracking, it had me on the edge of my seat! This was the perfect book for spooky season. The town of Doubtful has a dark secret. Someone or something is taking people and they’re called “The Stitcher”. A group of kids is determined to figure out what is happening, and what a wild ride it is!

This book is perfect for spooky season. I really liked the flow of the story and was able to get through this quite quickly. I also enjoyed the different perspectives and how they were woven within the book that just made it so distinct and unique.
If you want a spooky YA thriller/horror with a town story and creature that takes children, this one is for you!

I recently just got into reading Darcy Coates books this year but she has quickly became one of my favorite authors. Her stories are so intriguing and her writing is flawless. This book was no different. I was intrigued from the beginning and I couldn’t go through the pages fast enough. Highly recommend this book.

Darcy Coates does it again with her YA debut!

Rule #1: Stay indoors after nightfall, or you'll be taken.
Rule #2: Red thread means a Stitcher victim is close by.
Rule #3: Stay as far away from Charles Vickers as you can.

Those were the rules the inhabitants of Doubtful, Illinois lived by to keep themselves safe from the murderous creature known as "The Stitcher." Abby and her friends had even more rules to keep themselves safe, and even then, her sister is stolen from her own house while she is sleeping. Abby and her friends then go on a rescue mission for her sister and along the way discover who The Stitcher really is, and why he has never been caught after all these years.

This was another stunning book by Darcy Coates, the only author who has ever managed to scare me. This book gave me nightmares that I, myself, was one of The Stitchers victims and trying to escape. I was shocked that a book was able to do that as I read many horror books and have never had that happen before. That speaks volumes to the horror that Coates is able to create, so immersive that one can find themselves becoming a part of the book itself. I also enjoyed her use of the "Not Deer" that troubles Appalachia, though the book does not take part in the region, it helps to bring in folklore that brings the story to life. Darcy Coates will be remembered as a master of horror one day among the likes of Stephen King.

Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own :) Quotes are from an uncorrected text and may not be accurate to the final publication.

The town of Doubtful lives in fear of "The Stitcher", a murderer thats signature red thread binds together a mismatch of bodies of the victims.

The town is filled with the posters of missing people, once taken they wont show up in one piece, the bodies will be connected to other victims which makes it hard to identify who's who.

A local group of teens dubbed The Jackrabbits are fully invested in the murders and suspect that the creepy resident Charles Vickers is to blame. The town leave offerings outside his home in the hopes that he won't choose them as a victim.

One of the teens is taken which leads The Jackrabbits to spring into action to save their own.

I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either, there's just something about it that I can't quite put my finger on that didn't fully engross me.

Perhaps more backstory of the towns history was needed to fully endorse the terror of The Stitcher.

I've read a few books by Darcy Coates and enjoy her works but this one has been my least favourite.

Another amazing book by Darcy Coates, definitely a favourite author. This book was dark and disturbing and at times felt like more an adult book than YA but i see that as a good thing. I loved the whole story of the towns history and the reveal about the stitcher. It had the perfect ending. The only small thing that bothered me was the formatting in some places but as an ARC thats to be expected, I’m sure this will be fixed in the published version.

Where He Can't Find You is under the YA category but it's graphic, gory and shocking! Definitely for more mature audiences but definitely really well written and creepy. Although the characters were teens, they were definitely more mature in the aspect that there was no usual teenage drama. This book and the creepy folklore behind the Stitcher definitely gave me It vibes and I loved it! The Stitcher and the backstory and folklore surrounding it were really fascinating! The author describes the way it kills and stitches people in an extremely gory manner that makes it feel like you're reading a very gory R rated movie. This is a really creepy and well written horror story and it will make you flinch and leave chills in your bones!