I am an avid Chevy Stevens fan, devouring her books often until I can no longer keep my eyes open. Still Missing and Those Girls haunted me long after reading. I settled in to read Dark Roads with great expectations. Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations. At times I felt I was reading a YA novel which is fine by not what I want from Ms. Stevens.
Following the deaths of her parents, Hailey McBride is living with her aunt and uncle, her uncle is a police officer, giving him great credibility. Many young women have disappeared from the area and it's believed a serial killer is on the loose. Hailey feels intimidated by her uncle and runs away after discovering pictures on his laptop that make her very threatened.

I found the book slow and not much was happening, a very different experience from other Chevy Stevens novel I have read. Perhaps if this book were written by another author and my expectation were not set so high, I might have enjoyed it.

At first I wasn't real sure what to think of "Dark Roads". It was slow to get into, and not a whole lot of action happened at first. I feel like we didn't really get to dive into the characters' stories enough for me to care about them. I didn't see the twist in the end coming though, so points for that!

Very strange story about a position at a diner.. and every girl who works there goes missing. Yet no one in the town finds it weird? I felt this to be a little unrealistic

This book was interesting! I really enjoyed reading it, but also felt frustrated at times. I would absolutely recommend this, but just with the knowledge that you may leave the book feeling a little like it wasn't enough. I think the elements to the true story come into play. I would definitely say this book is worth reading. I liked it a lot, but just didn't love it. Still well written and interesting!!

Hailey McBride has lived her whole life in the shadows of Cold Creek Highway. The highway has been the source of so much death and pain over the years. Her father taught Hailey to love the land that surrounds them, including Cold Creek Highway. When her father died, it forced Hailey to go live with her aunt and uncle. Hailey doesn't get along with her Uncle Vaughn. He is controlling and creepy and also a police officer. When the next victim to Cold Creek Highway turns out to be somebody, Hailey is dating, she can't take anymore and retreats to the safety of the woods, monitoring Vaughn from afar. But then the sister of her deceased friend shows up in town and Hailey knows that she has to take drastic steps to keep her safe and find an end to the pain. Will she be able to prove that Vaughn is behind all of the trouble on Cold Creek Road before it is too late?

We live fairly close to a rural road known as "Cole Creek Road" and I kept thinking about that road as I read this book. Hailey McBride is a sympathetic main character. Her heart has been repeatedly broken and now she doesn't feel safe with the people who are tasked with taking care of her. I don't blame her for running into the woods until her eighteenth birthday. Vaughn gave me the creeps, too. I also really liked how the author made a key character LGBTQ. I won't tell you who, but that kind of diversity is welcomed. The end wasn't anything shocking or spectacular, but it wrapped the story up nicely. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.


Bottom Line - Dark Roads is Chevy Stevens's first step attempt in several years. As a devoted fan, I was glad to see that she hasn't lost her mojo. Dark Roads is a fast-paced thriller that you won't be able to put down.

Details:
Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens
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Pages: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: August 3rd, 2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

A truly suspenseful read, with twists and turns and incredible storytelling. I loved this creepy small-town read about a bridge and a dark road. A great read when it's a cold night inside. While some of the plot was a little predictable I still loved the build-up towards the end of the story. A great read.

I love this author. This was one of my favorite books of hers to date. The ending was great and unexpected.

DNF @ 11%, so no rating.

This book started off with a really good prologue highlighting an important issue, and it felt authentic. With chapter 1, it felt like things slowed down, and when you mash in the fact that it started ticking off social justice boxes in a way that didn't feel meaningful or authentic, I lost interest.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THIS BOOK!! sooo good and filled with so many great twists! from page one i was hooked and sucked right into this novel.. The way Chevy Stevens just naturally crafts and binds these crazy twists together is commendable!

This book was good! A little predictable and has somewhat of YA twist to it but I enjoyed it. I read it in one sitting, I like Chevy Stevens writing style a lot. Looking forward to more of her books.

A story about the many girls who've gone missing along the Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia. The story alternates between 17 year old Hailey and later Beth. Hailey lives in a dysfunctional family situation with her aunt and her husband after her father dies. she doesn't get along with her aunt's husband who's a cop. I found Hailey to be pretty annoying and that's a problem because we're supposed to care about her as there's a point she goes missing. The story then switches to Beth's perspective which I found kind of confusing because it was a the halfway point and up until then we hadn't heard about Beth. The story lost momentum for me here and also by then had a very YA feel to the writing which I didn't really like. I found myself bored by the end and didn't care about the resolution

I’m pretty sure this is my favorite book of 2021, hands down. As I’ve read all of Chevy Steven’s other books, I can confidently say this is also my favorite book of hers.

This was a dark, depressing, disturbing story told by two traumatized young girls that will leave your heart wrenched and possibly make you cry.

The story is based about Cold Creek Highway where young girls turn into prey for serial killers. More and more girls end up missing and are eventually forgotten. Hailey McBride recently lost her dad in a car accident and her mom passed away a few years before that. She is trying to start a new life at her Aunt Lara’s house with her husband Vaughn and her niece. Vaughn is a police officer who is super strict so Hailey almost feels like a prisoner in her own home. Then Hailey discovers something about Vaughn that shocks her and makes her realize she’s in grave danger.

Ya’ll, this book is gripping. The suspense and twists never stop and I was legitimately gasping at points in this book. After Hailey flees her Aunt’s house she ends up living in the wilderness and befriending a wolf and that’s where more of the intensity builds up.

Then Hailey finds a body and that’s where we’re introduced to our other narrator Beth who is looking for her sister Amber who’s path eventually crosses with Haileys.

I cannot recommend this book enough, the characters are so well crafted and you feel every emotion that these girls are going through.

*Many thanks to St. Martins Press for the gifted copy for my honest review!*

All I can say is wow, this book had me from the beginning. There was never a moment where I felt lost or it was to slow. This was my first ever Chevy Stevens book but I’m sure it will not be my last. I know some said it read like a YA novel an I can see how. I’ve been into YA a little lately so it didn’t bother me at all. This book is definitely one to read.

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honesty.

It's a well known fact that girls either die or disappear on the Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia but no murderer has ever been found. This book follows the stories of missing/murdered girls - Amber and Hailey - told from the perspective of Beth, Amber's sister. But Beth's investigations put a target on her back. Will the murderer be brought to justice?

I have been hooked on Chevy Steven's books since I picked up a bargain copy of Still Missing years ago. I still recommend that book as a must read. I loved Dark Roads! I have since provided my book club with two copies to circulate amongst the members. A great read! 4.5 Stars

Once I got into this story, I ended up enjoying it. It took me until about 30% in to really connect with the characters and care about what was happening. It moved to slow at the onset, but does pick up. I enjoyed Hailey's POV the most, but did enjoy the multiple POV of the story.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a very dark thriller that made me want to keep turning the page throughout to find out what happens next while still cringing that I didn’t really want to know what was coming because it was so dark. The opening of the book with the narration from the voices of the dead, the lost, and the forgotten really set the scene for the whole book and made sure that the reader didn’t forget who this book is really about.

Over the decades, young women have disappeared along the Cold Creek Highway, and girls in Cold Creek are repeatedly warned not to be out on it after dark. Hailey McBride knows the history and understands the warning, but she’s an orphan after her father’s sudden death, and she is forced to move in with her aunt and uncle (who is a local police officer who takes advantage of his power over her and the community.) Hailey suddenly disappears and everyone fears that the Cold Creek Killer has struck again. A year later, Beth Chevalier comes to town, searching for answers to her sister Amber’s murder, and finds that she might be the next target. This is an especially haunting book knowing that while these specific murders aren’t based on any true person, the Cold Creek Highway and the decades of missing women, most of them Indigenous women, is sadly true.

I thought the characters were well developed and especially how realistically flawed (and frustrating) they were. I also thought the author did a great job making the reader uncomfortable with what was happening to the characters, which was (unfortunately) appropriate for this story. I don’t necessarily enjoy the creepiness of some of the male characters, nor do I enjoy the anticipation of bad things happening, but for this genre, the author masterfully and appropriately set the scenes and developed the plot to move the story forward.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading a dark, twisted thriller that will stay with you for a while after you’re finished.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

I was very behind on reviews this year and I promise I will not say that next year but that is not important. I decided that since I was not going to make it by the deadline for this review that I would buy the audiobook and I am so glad I did. A story that tugs at the depths of your soul. I think I only paused this book long enough to eat and use the restroom it is that good. Characters that become so alive you cry with them, get angry for them, and want them to prevail. Twist and turns you never see coming, inhaling the book so fast, but wanting it to last much longer than it ever does because you can’t put it down. A Prologue and Epilogue that sent chills through my body I loved this very much and will be picking up more books by this author very soon.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens was quite the ride on a dirt bike through the woods with only the moon light to guide you. A rapidly moving, harrowing, thrill ride full of twists and turns that are hard to see with only the moon as a guide. I really enjoyed reading this novel. So why the 3-stars? I always get asked that question when I really enjoy a novel and I always try to answer the question. (It's not because I'm stingy with my stars).

Let's get into it...

Dark Roads alters between Hailey McBride's narrative and Beth Chevalier's 3rd person account of surviving in a fairly small, isolated West Coast town where young women are disappearing along a stretch of highway called Cold Creek. Hailey was raised in this rugged landscape, where she was taught at an early age by her father how to survive in the woods alone if necessary. Ultimately, it becomes necessary.

Hailey's fear of her stepfather and the crimes she thinks he may be responsible for, forces her to hide in the woods only to discover that she may not be as safe or prepared as she thought she might be. This all comes to a head when a close friend disappears along this stretch of highway.

Enter Beth. Beth is the disappeared woman's sister who's not sure what to do with her life or the sudden weight of loss, grief. Deciding to escape her life and the burden of perfection, she takes up residence in this small town that stole her sister from her. The two separate paths these young women take lead them to one another.

With the background having been laid, let's get into the stars that assist the guiding moonlight.

I enjoyed reading Chevy Stevens' Dark Roads generally because it was exactly what I was looking for. Although I always intended to read and review this work, I wasn't sure when I'd get around to it. If my Kindle's "to-read" list were physical books, staring at me with those judgmental intact spines, I may be more inclined to read and review more. I've found that filler, or in-between books, offer the satisfaction of knocking things off the list while enjoying a good read.

Suffice it to say, I started Dark Roads because I needed something to read in the moment, and was hooked. How I knew this was a thrilling read for me was when I threw in another in-between book but could not pull away from this story too long.

I just had to know whodunnit!!!

Much of the novel has an established bad guy. He's there in plain sight and impossible to ignore. The danger that Hailey and Beth placed themselves into didn't hold my interest in one bit. I'm not one who ever says someone (especially a lone woman) is "asking" for it, but I kinda had that feeling we all get when watching scary movies. Why'd they go back in the house? Why didn't they run when they had the chance? Who really goes to find out the creepy ass sounds coming from the dark woods? Someone who wants to die, that's who.

So why did I enjoy this read? It was because I knew something, or someone, was missing. There's gotta be more to this story. Stevens can't make it that easy on the reader by offering up an obviously shady bad guy, who's a sheriff no less, and expect that reader to ever want to read anything written by her again. I stayed to find out whodunnit... for real.

And to see which one of these morons was going to be on the list of disappeared/murdered young women on this highway. That leads me to my gripes... and why the 3-star review.

Hailey was a young, intelligent, badass that drew me into Dark Roads. A dirt bike riding, forest traipsing, barely legal badass who decides to escape the nightmare that is her home life, is an interesting read. Until it's not. I found myself annoyed with Hailey and Beth after awhile. They didn't make wise choices and that was too hard to ignore. It's not necessary to love the protagonist, but that protagonist needs some sort of redemptive measure.

The characters are a little too flat and action scenes a tad bit too hurried ultimately couldn't push Dark Roads into 4-star territory for me. Sure, the read is fast paced, thrilling, and a true shocker once everything's revealed, it was just ok for me. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to get into a quick, easy read that draws you into seeing the mystery to the end.

ah, Chevy Stevens. the queen of unbelievably messed up books. this was on the tamer side for her but still suuuper messed up. it gripped me quickly and was easy to tear through. once it got to the twist about 75% through I was disappointed and more or less lost interest. this wasn’t the best or most exciting thriller I’ve ever read but was entertaining enough if you want a quick fast-paced read.