In the middle of Oregon, County Road 951 has been closed down for years after numerous fatal accidents developing a reputation for something ominous or possibly supernatural being associated with it. When it draws the attention of three amateur ghost hunters, they attempt to shoot footage for their YouTube channel. But tragedy strikes them when they try.
Meanwhile, Livia makes a shocking discovery about her controlling husband, causing her to speed away in her car and get in a wreck. In an effort to get her away from her troubles, her three best friends since childhood rent a car intending to take her on a much needed getaway. When they have a run in with a threatening looking tow truck, their GPS directs them towards a shortcut - County Road 951. As the women traverse what should be just a 15 mile stretch of road, they find themselves traveling for much longer, on a seemingly unending highway. As they experience near accidents and missing time, specters of the past threaten them over and over as they try to escape the shortcut.
An endless road filled with ghosts and demons is by no means a new concept, but Jones does an incredible job keeping you guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout the journey. Tied in with the women's days as teens and the traumatic childhood Livia hid from them, the emotional scars that give life to the malice of the road are utterly tangible and infuriating at how horrible people can be. This book is sure to make the grade as one of the best horror novels of 2025.

KC Jones' "White Line Fever" is a heart-pumping, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This high-octane novel is a must-read for fans of fast-paced action, suspense, and drama.

White Line Fever by KC Jones was an incredible read that I could not put down. Dramatic twists. Developed characters. Unique premise that takes you down t he best sort of rabbit holes. And the ending...a MUST read! Will be purchasing for all library locations! Also highly recommend for book group reading.

I thought this started strong. Four friends go on a weekend getaway. Their childhoods were all difficult, which bonded them together. As adults, they haven’t necessarily escaped their pasts. As kids they had very few choices; as adults, they’re conditioned to make bad ones.

They decide to take a shortcut to their destination on a route known as Devil’s Driveway. On this road, all sorts of mayhem ensue. Unfortunately, at around maybe the halfway point, I was bored out of mind. I wasn’t scared, and I no longer cared what happened to anyone.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 18, 2025.

This was a good book! There was a lot of the thrilling and suspenseful elements here, which kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to keep reading to find out more. There were also supernatural elements which helped add some creepiness and horror to the mix. I do think the characters were a bit annoying so it made it hard to read for that reason

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I am neutral towards this book because I don’t think it’s for me. Books with supernatural elements are not my thing. If they are for you, then you might like this book. The suspense and thriller part of it is what really peaked my interest. I hope to read other titles by this author.

KC Jones’s White Line Fever is a gripping and surreal story that blends horror with psychological depth. It’s a narrative that expertly weaves friendship, abuse, grief, loss & more uniquely, making it an unforgettable read for anyone who gives it a shot.

The story takes place on an eerie and decrepit highway known to some as “The Devil’s Driveway” but to most just as “Route 951”, a little detour around the highway. Those from the area know it is the most dangerous road in Oregon with almost all accidents ending fatally and freak incidents occurring more often than usual. The road’s influence creeps into the lives of truck drivers, commuters, and unsuspecting travelers, forcing the local authorities to shut it down for good. That’s how it was to remain, if not for some ghost hunters cutting the gate and leaving it open for the next victims by mistake. The book masterfully blends elements of paranoia and wonder. Most who end up on that road, don’t come off and its many ghosts are still there today just waiting for their next haunts. Jones creates an immersive world where the line between reality and illusion blurs, leaving the reader constantly questioning what is real.

The characters are a standout feature of the novel and are really what makes it what it is. Livia is a deeply flawed yet relatable woman whose journey mirrors the thematic exploration of control and free will. She grew up with an extremely abusive father on his junkyard and while she thought she escaped his grasp, this road makes her realize she never did and probably never will. Livia ended up in a controlling marriage, one her friends always saw right through but never spoke up about until the pieces fell apart. That’s how they end up on this nightmare road.

Livia’s group of friends, known to one another as “The Scoundrels” since they were young girls, want to take Livia on a weekend getaway. When they hit bumper-to-bumper traffic and a hostile tow truck driver, they see this detour on the GPS listed as “Route 951” and decide it’s worth a shot, the quicker to the hot springs and Bloody Mary's, the better! None of the women know that the road is about to show them their deep-rooted childhood trauma and force them to face it all over again tenfold.

Becka and her overly religious parents, her wife Ash and Ash’s sister Morgan, still struggling with the loss of their mother that they had to watch wither away day to day. Each character has a role to play in unraveling the mystery of the highway, and their development is both compelling and poignant.

“She couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder, searching the wall for a leering, devilish shadow. But the only devil around here was snoring away in the house on the hill.”

At its core, White Line Fever examines themes of connectivity, abuse, and the cost of progress. The highway serves as a metaphor for trauma as well as growth—its allure, and its dangers. Jones uses this setting to explore the human desire for freedom and the sacrifices we make in its pursuit. The novel’s tone is atmospheric and haunting, with moments of sharp tension interspersed with unexpected flashes of humor. Their friendships while tainted, are still going strong and this road will show them they need to keep their bond tight, or risk losing themselves to the road like hundreds before them.

While the pace was there, I can say for the first 50% of the book, my face was skewed and my mouth wide open in a “what the hell is happening” manner, and the confusion didn’t resolve itself until the very end. But, that’s where it got amazing & I felt what the characters were feeling, my racing heart as if I was experiencing these mental breaks just like they were, the terror was real, and I found myself questioning where the end was and how I could get through this.

There were times in the beginning half that I felt there could have been just a bit more (this could have been more action-packed, more terrifying, more thought out, or more emotional) but by the end, I was in awe. I think the resolution was expertly crafted and that’s what took my initial 3.5 stars for the slower pacing to four stars.

If you’re looking for a unique, thought-provoking, horror-inducing read, White Line Fever is well worth the journey…if you dare.

“This new road would be rougher than perhaps any we’d traveled before, but we were on it together, and that was at least a good start.”

This novel is due to be released on March, 18th 2025. Special thanks to NetGalley, KC Jones, and the publisher Tor Nightfire for providing this digital ARC to me in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really wanted to love The Devil’s Driveway. The premise hooked me right away—a creepy, dangerous road with a nickname like that? Yes, please.

But as much as I tried to get into it, I just couldn’t stay fully engaged. The characters were a mixed bag. They felt real, sure—messy, flawed, and full of complicated baggage—but some of their choices frustrated me to no end. The dialogue was spot-on, though, which helped balance things out.

The descriptions were vivid but leaned too heavily into “movie script” territory for me. It’s like I could see the big-budget horror movie this could be, but on the page, it didn’t quite hit the mark. And as the story pushed further into the unbelievable, I found myself pulling back. I wanted a more grounded ending, something that tied everything together, but it just didn’t deliver.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the flashback scenes. Easily my favorite part of the book. They were genuinely unsettling and so much better developed than the main timeline.

Still, the author clearly has talent. I didn’t love this one, but I’d happily give their next book a shot—there’s definite potential here for something amazing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this one. Past trauma meets fresh trauma that leads down a long haunted road. The characters are great. The writing is superb. And the scare factor is strong with this one. Highly recommend for an emotional haunt that will scratch any scary itch.

White Line Fever bounces between timelines from when the main character was young to the present. The book started off good and there are definitely creepy parts that make you not want to read it after dark. About halfway through the book, it started to lose my attention and I just couldn't get invested. It took me most of a week reading a chapter here and there to finish it. It sounded good and I had high hopes, but it just fell a little flat for me.

White Line Fever by KC Jones is a gritty, fast-paced thriller with a compelling premise and moments of gripping intensity. The story explores themes of desperation and survival, creating a tense atmosphere that keeps readers engaged. However, the character development feels uneven, and some plot twists are predictable, which detracts from the overall impact. While the writing style is sharp and evocative, it occasionally prioritizes style over substance. Despite its flaws, the book delivers enough suspense and action to entertain fans of high-stakes thrillers. A solid read, though not without its rough edges.

My initial take on White Line Fever is that it is too long for what it is, but my second take is that I actually ended up enjoying the level of depth that Jones achieved with all of that extra length. The story here is both familiar and unexpected. The Devil's Driveway is a 15 mile strip of abandoned road that is notorious for claiming the lives of those who happen upon it. Livy and her friends don't know this when they end up on the road as a shortcut, but they figure it out pretty quickly when strange things start happening.

This reminded me some of Grady Hendrix (friendship vibe) and Nightmare on Elm Street. I enjoyed the resolution and just how many issues the travelers had thrown in their way. My only real complaint is that this book was drug out just a little too long. When I read that this was only a 15 mile stretch of road after seeing the length of the book, my jaw dropped. How in the world could you eke that many pages out of 15 miles. I would say that Jones very nearly pulls it off.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing the ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5/5. This book has great Vivid descriptions serving as fodder for nightmare fuel, but I was disappointed in the cliched ending.

Major creep factor with this book! I LOVED reading this book at night in the dark and it just added to the scary factor.

Four friends go on a girls weekend and end up living one of the biggest nightmares of their lives. The menacing shortcut that should only be 15 miles seems to go on forever and has something new in store for them at every bend. The author weaves such a scary tale with things that will give you all the chills and nightmares. He is able to mesh the past with the present in such a menacing way that is masterful.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an ARC in return for an honest review. This will not be the last book by KC Jones that I read.

White Line Fever, is a very interesting book that caught my attention for the spooky haunted road. I started reading and would lose interest because some of it does not read well. It bored me when the author would go on and on about a subject. I probably should of wrote down the parts I did like and did not like. I almost stopped reading half way through because the road kept getting weirder and weirder and the writing of it bored me. The woman traveling the road should of stopped sooner and not go on, it felt weirder the more they went on. I really liked the idea of a haunted road and the way it played with their mindset. The road would get to you personally and then effect the group as a whole. It just didn't seem realistic of the abuse from her husband it was awkward the way the character talked about him. I love the idea of a girls weekend and their friendship. I like the friendship they created from childhood to adult hood. The father was definitely scary and they way his character was written was really good. I think the book could be better. I liked it but would not want to read it again and I am not sure I would tell someone else to read it. I would try another book by the author because I feel like they have the potential to create a really good book. Keep trying!

Thank you for a free ARC. Four friends with horrifying childhoods have to fight through their trauma, which comes alive via a haunted stretch of deserted highway. I liked the flashback scenes, which were honestly more unsettling and well developed than the current ones.

White Line Fever follows Livia and her close-knit group of friends as they embark on a weekend getaway, hoping to escape the fallout of Livia’s crumbling life. On their drive to the destination, they take an unexpected detour down a desolate road known as the Devil's Driveway, unknowingly stepping into a nightmare. As they journey deeper into this eerie stretch of road, they must confront terrifying forces. Will Livia and her friends make it to safety, or will the horrors of the Devil’s Driveway leave them running for their lives?

This novel is a classic psychological suspense/thriller, with alternating timelines that reveal both the present-day tension and the haunting pasts of the characters. The dual narrative gives readers a deeper understanding of who they are and what drives them. While I appreciated the concept of the book, I found it to be a bit drawn out. The initial hallucinations were particularly jarring and effective, but as the story progressed, the supernatural elements began to feel repetitive, and I lost a sense of urgency or stakes. Some of the flashback sequences were more unsettling than the present-day scenes, which I didn’t expect.

That said, the book’s setting was wonderfully atmospheric. I could easily imagine the creepy backroads of Oregon where the characters find themselves, and the descriptions were vivid enough to immerse me in the environment. While this novel didn’t fully hit the mark for me personally, I can see why it would resonate with fans of psychological suspense and horror. If you enjoy a gripping psychological thriller with a dash of supernatural tension, this book is worth checking out.

A special thank you to NetGalley and publisher Tor Nightfire for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

I was so intrigued by this book, the idea of it and where the story would go. Unfortunately it truly bored me.. there was nothing that was compelling me or making me excited to read it. I tried really hard I wanted to love it, but the characters also didn't work for me. I wasn't able to push through. I had to DNF.

I received a free copy from Net Galley agreeing to review. Boos Run a couple of college kids, Julian and Brees who drive around investigating and filming haunted places. They’ve come to investigate Old Winding Highway renamed Devil’s Driveway because it’s believed to be haunted by all who have died driving it. They bring a willing Drew Scott and his dirt bike to check it out. Later Boss Run will meet up with the Scondrels a group of childhood friends, Ash her sister Morgan, and wife Becka are off on a week end to help their friend Levia deal with her cheating husband Brian. They decide to take the closed highway where weird and strange things begin to happen to them. Besides seeing the ghosts (love the imaginative creations), we have flashbacks in time to see where our Scondrels experienced these unresolved fears, the negative fears that the ghosts feed on. I wish I could give this book more stars it was a terrific read on multiple levels, suspense, unique and imaginative sightings and the highlight for me was connecting our unresolved negative energy, the fears we’ve never faced in the past which now feeds the ghosts that inhabit the road. I do have a question for the author, what is the meaning of the title.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Tor for a copy of this book.

This is the first book by KC Jones I've read and I don't think it will be the last. I really enjoyed the characters and the story itself kept me swiping pages until the end. I can't say it scared me as it takes A LOT to scare me when I'm reading, but there were definite parts where i was creeped out.