I have loved Chevy Stevens books in the past but this was a "do not finish" for me . I read about 67% on my kindle and had to put it down. The story started out fairly strong but once the sister came into the picture it just sort of fell apart for me. I kept getting Hailey and Amber confused. This was not a good book in my opinion.

No one writes dark and real characters better than Chevy Stevens. Her absence was a void in this genre snd she had done better with her comeback than I thought.

Compulsively readable

For decades, people have been warned about the Cold Creek Highway. Hitchhikers have vanished along it over the years, and women have been known to have their cars break down... and never be seen again. When Hailey McBride decides to run away from an unbearable living situation, she thinks that her outdoor skills will help her disappear into the Cold Creek wilderness, and she counts on people thinking that she was the victim of the killer.

One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek to attend a memorial for the victims of the highway, but it might as well be one week for the amount of pain that Beth is still dealing with after her sister, Amber, was murdered the previous summer. Beth has quit university, is lying to her parents, and popping pills like Tic Tacs. Maybe this will finally bring her peace.

When she gets a job at a local diner where Amber once worked, she connects with people who knew her sister. Beth wants to find who killed her sister and put her own life back together, but as she gets closer to the truth, she learns that there is more than one person lying in Cold Creek.

This was the first book I have ever read by this author. I am so glad that I read it. The writing was fantastic. I was sucked right in from the very beginning of the story. The characters were very relatable. Descriptions were amazing. A truly great read. I’m heading over to Amazon right now to find more from this author. Loved it!

Don’t be on Cold Creek Highway alone, many girls have vanished from this road without a trace for years!
Hailey is convinced her uncle has something to do with these disappearances, but when she opens his computer, she gets more than she expected!
A dark highway, teenagers, missing girls and more in this book that you can’t turn the pages fast enough.
My first book by this author and definitely not my last!

Dark Roads

What could have been better?
I felt like the story lacked character development, especially with the two main characters Hailey and Beth. I struggled to feel like I knew either characters well by the end of the book, and the lack of development made it hard to feel connected to them or any other character (except for the dog Wolf, he was great), they all felt a little one dimensional. The story also fell flat during some sections in the middle as it strayed to create a romance element between characters. I also felt like it lacked a sense of mystery when it came to the antagonist and plot, which is what I really look for in a thriller.

What I liked?
Overall, the story is written well. The descriptions immersed me in the setting and I could clearly see the connections between characters. Going on, I felt like the beginning really drew me in with the action. I think from the prologue, I was pulled in, and found the story to be fast paced with a lot of suspense, action, and a strong end.

If you liked No Exit, I feel like some of the suspenseful elements were really similar so I would give it a try!

Dark Roads is exactly what the title denotes, and I loved it! What a wonderful, suspenseful, and compelling page turner this was, and one I could not put down. Chevy Stevens’ incredible writing will immerse you into the narrative as if you were right there observing the characters’ journey unfold.
The story unfolds in a small town, Cold Creek where for many years, women have been found murdered along the highway and the cases remain unsolved. Hailey has been orphaned and lives with her aunt and husband who is one of the town’s law enforcers. She finds living with her aunt and uncle unbearable and when her close friend Amber disappears, she runs away and makes her home in the wilderness alone. Hailey wants the town to believe she has become the killer’s latest victim, and the ruse works. Beth, Amber’s distraught sister arrives in Cold Creek to find out what happened to her. Hailey and Beth’s quest are intertwined as they are trying to uncover the killer, the lies and deceit. You will be on the edge of your seat until the shocking truth comes out.
This thriller stuck with me long after I read the last page and will not be easily forgotten. I will be reading more novels by Chevy Stevens. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Whew. WHAT A BOOK!

I spent the past day devouring this book and I'm still loving everything about it. If you are looking for a book to sweep you up and be impossible to put down, this one is for you.

A small town in Canada has a highway with a dark history. Hailey and Beth are the main storytellers and you'll see how this city's mysteries affect both women in different ways.

There's twists, turns and everything you think you've figured out may not be how you think it is.

SO SO SO good.

Also, there is the Good Boy in the form of the lovely dog Wolf and I want more stories just about Wolf, thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

KEYWORDS: Thriller, missing women, small town, cautionary tales, multiple perspectives (2)



SYNOPSIS: Highway of Tears in Northern British Columbia inspired the author to write Dark Roads. It follows a small town (Cold Creek) and the disappearance/murders that happen along the Cold Creek highway. Many women are cautioned not to be on the highway alone or at night. Hailey suspects Vaughn (her aunt’s husband) is having an affair and tries to get to the bottom of it. Instead she ends up stumbling upon something much more sinister.



CHARACTERS:

Hailey – Main Character

Jonny – Hailey’s best friend

Lana – Hailey’s Aunt

Cash – Lana’s son

Vaughn – Lana’s Husband / Police Officer

Mason – Owner of Mason’s Diner

Amber – Waitress at Mason’s Diner

Beth – Amber’s sister



REVIEW: This was a great thriller and my first time picking up a novel by Chevy Stephens. This book didn’t disappoint and kept me on my toes for sure. Some of the scenes were straight up creepy and made me a little uneasy while reading. I flew through Part One because it had me on the edge of my seat following Hailey’s POV. Part Two starts out a little slower but then it picks up again and I couldn’t put it down until I finished LOL. I highly recommend reading it with the lights on and not while camping (unless you want the full creepy experience). I really enjoyed this thriller novel and hope to check out more by Chevy Stevens.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the advanced readers copy of Dark Roads!

Wow, just, wow. Riveting, un-putdownable book! Chevy Stevens never fails to amaze. I loved the characters, mostly. Loved that the story did not go the way I saw it going.

Thanks to netgalley and the author for the ARC.

Wow, this thriller was so well written that I literally couldn't keep reading - it was far too realistic and unsettling for me. I nearly had an anxiety attack when I got to the section about the creepy uncle filming the niece with hidden cameras. Geeze. That's kind of abuse is very hard for young girls to fight, much less get anyone else to believe. Sorry Mr. Stevens but I couldn't keep reading - I was too creeped out.

3.5\5 As a Canadian who grew up in a rural area, the setting of this story spoke to me. The landscapes, the small-town people, the characters... these points all aligned with my hometown and other towns I have visited throughout my life in Alberta and British Columbia. When I began reading this, I was pretty sure it was about The Highway Of Tears, a stretch of highway in Canada that is known for women disappearing and being murdered from, especially First Nations women and Two Spirit people, who are murdered at a horrifying ten times higher rate. It is heart-breaking, infuriating, and often times still overlooked. Many people don’t know about this. I liked that the author wrote a blurb at the end of the book to include websites and links to find more information on this topic as it is very important to be aware of what is happening in our country to First Nations peoples. I encourage you to research MMIW if you haven’t yet. In this story, the author changed the Highway of Tears to a fiction highway, Cold Creek Highway, and to a fictional town and with fictional people.

I enjoyed this story for the unpredictable ending, but also for the characters. I liked Hailey, I liked Beth, I liked Jonny. All of the main characters had a tenacity about them, and a willpower to move forward despite their circumstances. I did find them all frustrating at different times, mostly Hailey and Beth. I found Hailey living in the woods alone for a year unbelievable as she was so young, but due to the remote area, what do I know, this might be possible. The story moves pretty fast, and I liked how the bonds between them all grew, although Jonny was definitely the most steady character. The people we aren’t supposed to like are written in a way you can’t do anything but dislike them. Vaughn was so creepy, and his overbearing narcissism shone through clearly. He was a great villain and I felt true anger as I read from Hailey’s perspective especially. There are many moments of tension that I found written well throughout.

While I enjoyed the characters and in general the writing, I found the plot lost some of the tension I enjoyed at the beginning towards the end. The conclusion was a bit anti-climactic for me, but I’m glad certain characters received justice, although in some aspects it doesn’t feel enough. Due to the topic and setting I wish there had been more First Nations characters or discussion within the story on MMIW like in the very beginning of the book. All in all this was a fun book to read, easy to sit down with in one sitting, and I’d definitely read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I love Chevey Stevens and this latest book by her was everything I wanted it to be. Cold Creek Highway has been well known for decades. There have been countless warnings: Don’t hitchhike, don’t drive on the highway at night, and do your absolute best to avoid it altogether. Why? Because hitchhikers have disappeared and cars have broken down, and there are many women whose dead bodies were found near the highway...or never found at all.

Hailey McBride is well aware of the dangers of Cold Creek Highway, having been a resident of Cold Creek for all of her life. After her father dies, she ends up in a dreadful living situation. One thing leads to another, and she feels that her only way out is to disappear and use her outdoor skills to survive. She doesn’t predict that the town will think she is a victim of the serial killer hunting the highway. She also doesn’t predict the dangers she will land in.

Beth Chevalier visits Cold Creek to attend the annual memorial for the highway victims. She has a personal investment, as her sister was murdered a year ago. With her mind held captive with grief, she stays in town and gets to know the citizens, hoping to find out who killed her sister. Through the dark roads of the highway and the woods, she soon finds that nothing is as it seems, and not everybody should be trusted at first glance.

I have to say that this book didn’t go in the direction I thought it would. I was expecting a scary story with lots of creepy moments involving a serial killer. My brief disappointment didn’t last for long. Although not scary in the literal sense, this is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that rarely gave me time to relax and breathe. It’s almost a survivalist story where tons of woodsy, outdoor elements come into play with the characters. It’s certainly never boring.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens. Boy, this one was just what i needed for a book slump.
Stevens introduces characters that are rich with background and solid plot lines. She has a way to make this scary but provide a bit of adventure as well.
A young girl who has lost her father is lost in so many ways - she's grown up in a small town and is well aware of the stories of missing women on the dark roads in this town. But she disappears on purpose and soon she realizes that there are alot of scary things in the world and most of them are people.
Another young woman who lost a sibling somes to this town searching for answers in her anguish.
Worlds collide and what you think is true is not - this is a great mystery, thriller, and adventure wrapped in one novel.
Very good!!!! - 5 stars.

Visitors to Cold Creek are warned to stay clear of Cold Creek Highway, which has been the scene of dozens of disappearances and murders over the years. 17 year old Hailey runs away to escape an abusive home, and hides in the woods near the highway, and eventually teams up with a victim’s sister to try and solve the disappearances. This book definitely didn’t go in the direction I was expecting, which worked out okay! The book combines several different themes including missing people, child abuse and murder, but it’s a little more subtle and doesn’t rely on shock value to hook the reader. The plot can get a little muddled at times, over concentrating on Hailey’s time hiding in the woods, but overall it’s a good thriller and entertaining. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cold Creek highway has a dark history of missing and murdered young women and Hailey McBride as a resident of Cold Creek is very aware of this history. She has lost both parents, her mother to illness and her father to what she believes is an accident. Living now in a very unhappy place with a very controlling law enforcement officer who sends her mixed messages about safety she befriends Beth Chevalier. Beth has come to town to find out what happened to her murdered sister. Hailey decides to run away and live in the woods where she feels safer thanks to her father's wildlife and hunting lessons. She takes a puppy with her and it ends of saving her life and giving her someone to trust as the people turn out not to be what they seem. This is a fast paced and well written suspense story with a great dog.

Whoa. I mean, really – whoa. The action does not stop in this book.

There was a point where I wanted to quit. It’s very apparent that Hailey’s uncle Vaughn is a baddie and his mistreatment of Hailey was so egregious that I wanted to just stop reading. I didn’t want to ingest an entire novel full of the underdog getting outsmarted and beaten by the bully, but I’m so glad I didn’t stop!

The book starts out with Hailey’s point of view. Teenager Hailey is living with her aunt Lana, uncle Vaughn, and cousin Cash because her father has recently died in a car accident. She is grieving the loss of her Dad while trying to navigate school and her new living situation, and it seems like her uncle Vaughn, a high-ranking local police officer, wants to box her in at every turn. Everyone in town is terrified of Vaughn and he appears to hold all the power. Vaughn tells her to avoid her friend Jonny, stops her from getting a part-time job at the local diner, and interferes in her budding relationship with Amber, and supposedly does all of this in the name of keeping her safe. There has been a history of girls disappearing on a certain road in their small town, and Vaughn says he wants to make sure Hailey is not the next victim. Aunt Lana is oblivious to all of this and before Hailey can decide how to handle it, she discovers that Vaughn has secret cameras and is collecting digital photos of naked girls. Hailey decides to run away and live in the woods (her Dad was a naturalist and trail guide) to get away from Vaughn and find a way to prove his guilt with the photos and possibly even the murders.

Meanwhile, after her sister Amber is found murdered, Beth comes to town to try to find out what happened to her. She gets tangled up with Jonny and intimidated by Vaughn, and finds a job at the diner just like Amber did.

The red herrings in this one are few but very obvious. Is it Vaughn, who is clearly a bad guy even if he’s not connected to the murders? Is it his partner Thompson, who seems to be more trustworthy, but his mere trustworthiness makes him a suspect? No one else seems to be considered a suspect so I kept reading and hoping for Vaughn to get what’s coming to him. The writing style is crisp and yet it still evokes the heaviness of a small town that has labored under the burden of so many missing and murdered young women. The tension is thick and even I, a cynical reader of quite a few psychological thrillers, wasn’t able to anticipate what was coming.

Dark Roads is a fantastic psychological thriller from Chevy Stevens. It really pulls you in and keeps you turning pages to find out what happens next, keeping you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5
I spent the first 2/3 of this book annoyed because I thought I’d already figured it out. Something kept me engaged though so I continued. I’m glad I did because my prediction was wrong and the ending was better than I expected. I think there are better suspense/thrillers out there, but overall this was a good read. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's press for this eARC.

Dark Roads is the story of a the Cold Creek Highway where women have vanished along it over the years and have never been seen again. Hats off to Chevy Stevens for basing this book off of the Highway of Tears where indigenous women were murdered and missing beginning in 1970. This story overall starts extremely face paced, at times it skipped several months with no real solid back story. It just started and started fast... Fast forward to part 2 and 3 of the book where things start to slow WAY down and almost seemed repetitive to a certain degree. I think the characters in the second half of the book were better developed.

I ended up guessing/knowing the big 'plot twist' and it honestly wasn't that fulfilling or exciting. Almost a let down. Spoilers ahed: it was bizarre to me that Hailey survives in the woods for over a year but Beth is just able to find her and happen upon her. If Thompson was truly investigating Vaughn like he told Hailey in the end then why didn't he take these calls more seriously and do constant surveillance on him? Certain holes in the story didn't sit right with me overall.

I think this wasn't a big page turner of a thriller that I had hoped for. And it almost felt like the first and second & third parts of the book were written by different authors. But overall, it was a decent read.

OMG

Completely gripping
So many twists and turns
From the beginning you are part of this story
Groupthink you have it figured out - but you don't

Have missed your writing Chevy Stevens please don't leave it so long for the next one

Thank you netgalley, Chevy Stevens and St Martin's press for allowing me to read and review this book