This was a great read. Tense and thrilling from the first page to the last. Noelle’s writing style elevates this survival story and the fact it is based on true events makes it all the more gripping.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

What a rollercoaster ride! This book was so intense in parts and heart wrenching. Miley takes a summer job at a lodge. She is an Olympian runner and quickly takes to the trails and beautiful area around the lodge. While on a run, she decides to take a dip in a beautiful alpine lake. She had been warned numerous times about bears and when she hears a commotion in the woods nearby she's terrified. What follows is absolutely suspenseful and I could not put this one down. Definitely one of my favorite reads lately and I will be reading everything by this author. She has such a way of building unease through her writing.

A psychological survival thriller that holds your interest till the end. I enjoyed this one, but it was quite predictable.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 4.5/5 stars

This is my second novel by this author Noelle and I wasn’t disappointed. You need to read this book for yourself to see what happens !!

Noelle's novels are fast paced gripping reads and when turning the pages your senses seem heightened and as each page goes by you can feel your heart clambering in your chest!

Miley Petrowski was a biathlon athlete that is mending an injury from several years ago and is determined to race again in the Olympics . While navigating her love for Brent her teammate , she decides to head to the acres of Frank Church alone , to sort her thoughts and to take a on summer job and retrain taking advantage of the hundreds of acres full of hiking trails to run through .

Miley is stubborn and despite her injury is still quit fit and does not give herself enough credit. One day she finds a trail that leads to a beautiful secluded little lake in the mountains and takes relief to take a cold swim to relieve her aches and pains. Noelle is abducted by a father and son living in the woods off the grid and what transpires next is a lot of anxiety and edge of your seat suspense.

It wasn't until I was finished the book that I learned that the story was inspired by real events that took place back in 1984 when Biathlete Kari Swenson was abducted. While the author stresses that the story is inspired by Kari's resilience and tenacity it is complete fiction, the book sent chills up and down my spine multiple times just imagining for a minute how terrifying it would have been!!

Thank you Netgalley, Dynamite Books and Noelle W Ilhi for this digital ARC!

This was a bit slow at first but it payed off in the end. Dark and twisty, this thriller pulled me in about half way through. Personally, the characters weren’t likable but that added to the mood of the book.

cool and dramatic. definitely one that you should read if you're into thrillers and have a spare moment. do read.

Miley, who is an Olympic training athlete takes a job at a secluded resort in the wilderness of Montana. She is recovering from a personal incident that left her with some trauma to her mind and her body. She is a very private person, but does manage to make a friend or two while she is working there. Brent is also training to be an athlete in the Olympics and they have known each other since high school. Miley goes on a run and doesn’t tell anybody where she is going. She wind up missing, abducted, but everyone thinks she was eaten by a bear. Other than some lengthy descriptions of nature and, believing that two younger men survived in the woods for four weeks while looking, I really enjoyed the story!

Does have trigger warnings of rape, kidnapping, personal abuse. I personally found this part was written very well, even though hard to read at times.

The authors note was excellent! Loosely based on true events in Montana in 1984. There is also a short story to follow called after the dark about another character in the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Gray After Dark is a riveting thriller of a ride through a very very dark forest. Miley is an Olympic athlete on the verge of Olympic gold when she sets off to help run an upscale exclusive camp in the middle of a vast forest in Frank Church. She has a teammate, Brent, who seems to be getting too close to her comfort zone about her undecided future, and so she tries to create some space, to train and zone out, between them. As she's learning the job requirements of her new role at camp, Miley is still training for her next Olympic event, and finds herself running the trails near her campsite, until one day, she doesn't return. What happens next is a story that you just have to read for yourself, but fair warning, it's a nailbiter! Dark, but highly recommended! Even surprised to find out it's partially based off of a true story...WHAT?!?!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

A absolutely brilliant read.. The beginning was a bit slow to me, but then it gripped me and I could not put it down. The story flows well and Miley's attempts to escape was written well and did not seem unbelievable and far-fetched. However I did not like the ending, but I do not want to give away anything. Three stars from me. An enjoyable read all in all.

This copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I just finished "Gray After Dark" by Noelle W. Ihli, and I must say it is a fast-paced thriller. The story follows Miley, who is abducted during a morning run and held captive in a desolate cabin. Will she be able to survive? This book is dark and deals with abuse. Some very questionable choices were made. This could very well be a lifetime movie for sure. I must warn that I did tear up a bit at times if you put yourself in the book as the main character then you know what I mean. The author provoked an uncomfortable and anxious roller coaster ride for sure. I would recommend this read if you want a break from the same ole read that you normally are used to then venture out of your comfort zone and pick up this book for sure.

4.5⭐️

Incredibly thrilling and quite disturbing. This book is the epitome of why women choose to be alone in the forest with a bear instead of a man. I almost laughed when that comparison was noted because its just insane what women have to fear in society. I'm not saying that this scenario is particularly likely, but its a perfect representation of the fears women have being alone and feeling vulnerable.

Anywho, the story itself was quite thrilling and fast paced. Definitely disturbing and incredibly gripping. This is Noelle's newest book and I have only read two of her earlier ones, but I would agree that this is her best one so far.

I didn't like Miley at the beginning because I was just seeing her as she dealt with trauma, some of it caused by her own actions. She's working in a remote location and wanting to use her free time training, but she doesn't want to take advice on how to protect herself when she's out running alone. She doesn't think she'll run into bears -- and she doesn't, she runs into something much worse. This is a story of desperation, survival, and redemption. So much bad happened, but the question is, do you let the bad times define who you are as a person?
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this incredible tale of survival

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Miley, an Olympic athlete that is kidnapped on a run in the wilderness of Idaho. She has to dig down deep with everything she has to survive and not lose herself. We all hope that we would have the inner strength to do whatever it takes to survive and to have friends that won't give up on you, not matter what everyone else thinks.

Gray After Dark is a thrilling story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, staying up late to finish it because you need to know what happens. I genuinely got anxiety while reading this book because I became so invested in the characters.

I really enjoyed this author’s writing, the characters were very well done, and it was interesting to learn that it was inspired by a true story.

Gray After Dark follows Miley, an Olympic athlete who is kidnapped during a run in the Frank Church wilderness in Idaho. You really feel connected to these characters and root for them and feel their pain.

The first 20% of this book felt really slow and hard to get into, but after that it was a roller coaster and I couldn’t stop. I stayed up well past when I needed to be going to sleep but it was worth it.

Gray After Dark is a gripping psychological thriller that takes readers on a harrowing journey of survival, resilience, and courage. The story follows Miley, an Olympic-level athlete recovering from a tragic accident, who finds herself in a nightmare when she's abducted while training in the remote Frank Church Wilderness. What starts as a slow burn quickly escalates into a tense, edge-of-your-seat experience that keeps you hooked until the very end.

The pacing of the book is well-done, with the initial chapters building up the suspense before plunging the reader into the terrifying ordeal Miley endures. Noelle W. Ihli's writing is vivid and immersive, effectively capturing the fear and desperation of being trapped in an unforgiving wilderness with dangerous captors. The alternating perspectives between Miley and her friend Brent add depth to the narrative, providing insights into the emotional turmoil faced by those searching for her.

One of the standout elements of this novel is how it intertwines the physical and psychological struggles of the characters. Miley's determination to survive is inspiring, and her evolving relationship with Brent adds an emotional layer to the story. The wilderness setting is both beautiful and terrifying, amplifying the tension and sense of isolation.

While the book is a solid read, there are moments where the plot feels a bit predictable, especially for a seasoned thriller reader. Additionally, the epilogue, though heartfelt, feels somewhat at odds with the intense emotional journey that precedes it. However, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise compelling story.

Overall, Gray After Dark is a chilling and well-crafted thriller that will leave you breathless. If you're a fan of survival stories with strong characters and intense suspense, this book is definitely worth your time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

GRAY AFTER DARK was a well written and paced thriller, with plenty of creepy and disturbing moments. It fits perfectly into the sub-genre of survival thriller, which unfortunately turns out to not be my favorite. This type of storyline typically doesn’t offer much in the way of twists, and the ending is usually not a surprise, since we know they survive.

This just isn’t my style of book, but I’m sure would appeal to many who do enjoy this type of story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the opportunity to read and review GRAY AFTER DARK.

This was a very enjoyable read! It had me hooked from the very first page & was very hard to put down as I had to know how it was going to end!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy!
I read this book, the entire time, with such a sense of dread. What Miley goes through as a character is unthinkable, and knowing this was based on a true case makes the hopeless/helpless feeling so much worse. In a summer where the question was “Would women pick the man or the bear?” this illustrates exactly why we’d always choose the bear, no questions asked.

Noelle Ihli does it again. As an Idaho native it is so fun to finally have books based in our area… it adds to the fun and suspense! This book was so amazing and left me excited to read her books to come! I actually read some of this while camping the the Frank Church Wilderness and let’s just say…. I was spooked 😂😂😂 don’t want to give too much away but this was such a thrill and will recommend to all of my friends!!!!