[An aside: In the Afterword of this book, the author tells us that the story is very loosely based on a series of unsolved murders of women and girls along a strip of highway in British Columbia, Canada, a fact that made the story all the more chilling. She also tells us that the victims of those real-life crimes are predominantly First Nation women, a group that we know is exponentially more likely to become victims of crime that any other group in North America. If you've never done any reading on the subject of mortality and missing rates of this group of women, you should consider looking into it. A vastly under-addressed problem.]

This is the third novel by this author I've read and like Tana French, and Jane Harper, she manages to make 'place' as vivid a character as any of the people in her work. In this one, the wilds of the westernmost province in Canada features prominently, along with the rough, rugged and sometimes isolated lifestyle of the people who live in its small towns. It is against this backdrop that a young woman, Hailey, who has just lost her father and only parent has to contend with the unwelcome and uncomfortable attention of her aunt's husband. After becoming convinced that he may be the Cold Creek Highway killer, responsible for the murders of more than two dozen young women along a lonely stretch of road that runs through her town of Cold Creek, Hailey stages her disappearance, with the help of her best friend Jonny. While she is gone, yet another young woman is killed and this time it's someone Hailey had a close personal connection with.

This book was immersive and vivid, especially when the author was writing about the unforgiving terrain and the people who must live on it. I also appreciate the way she writes women. They are almost always troubled and "difficult" but also strong, independent and driven. And while they may be victimized, they are never victims. That pattern holds true in this book perhaps more so than in any of the others I've read. The romance at the center of the novel was also very unique as it was between Hailey and Jonny, best friends who have always been platonic, but whose love and loyalty give the reader as much or more satisfaction as any traditional romance trope could.

If I had one quibble with this book it would be that some of the, I guess one might call them "action scenes" were a little too detailed for my taste (which almost never happens to me, because I love detail) and sometimes read like choreographic detail for a movie rather than necessary texture for a novel. But in the final analysis, the story moved at a satisfying pace, the characters were well fleshed out, and there were a decent share of surprises, even when you might have thought you had the whole thing figured out. And the ending was surprisingly poignant, in a strange way paying meaningful tribute to women who have lost their lives through violence and to those they have left behind.

I recommend this read if you like thrillers that provide unflinching portrayals of the evil that people are capable of.

Audiobook note: I got the audiobook from Netgalley. It was pretty close to perfectly done. Never a false note. I almost felt like I was reading it myself, rather than listening to someone else do so. Excellent narrators.

I've been a big Chevy Stevens fan since reading Still Missing a few years ago. This latest book definitely did not disappoint. Like all of her books, it's dark and twisty, entertaining and thought-provoking. At the heart of it are two young women who have a third in common. Hailey is a native of the Cold Creek area. Beth's sister, Amber, was one of many young women murdered in the area in recent years, all murders that have gone unsolved. Beth moves there to get a sense of the area and what may have happened to her sister there. Hailey is a teen who had befriended and admired Amber, and has struggled since the murder of Amber and the death of her beloved father. Through it all we aren't quite sure who the actual villain(s) may be, and the tension is well-drawn-out, as it as been with all her books. All in all, well done. As usual.
The narration by the 3 narrators was excellent as well.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Dark Roads is inspired by the Highway of Tears in Canada which is discussed in the author’s note at the end of the novel. In the author’s note, Chevy Stevens brings in details of the true tragedies that have taken place on the Highway of Tears as it has been the location of many missing and murdered indigenous women. Her story, Dark Roads, is a fictionalized story inspired from the Highway of Tears.

Also, before you read this book, the author’s note references materials due to the sensitive nature of some of the content in this book.

This is my first Chevy Stevens novel. The first part of the book focuses on Hailey’s story. The beginning of her story was gripping as readers try to understand how she will navigate a traumatic situation. However, her story slows before transitioning into part two. I also felt myself beginning to detach from Hailey’s character at times after the beginning of the book.

The second part focuses on Beth’s story. Once again, the pace is a bit slower here and I would have liked to see a bit more character depth. Readers can obviously feel for her hardships, but her character fell flat for me. I wish I could explain why, as I understood her situation, but I think maybe because we only had her for part of the story and there was a lot going on.

The overall events are gripping, and the ending does become fast-paced again. One thing I appreciated was I truly did not guess everything. Some things you will pick up on from the beginning, but one of the bigger points I did not guess until it was happening. Also, Wolf was amazing.

Overall review: 3.5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio for the ALC in return for my honest review.

“ ‘You weren’t scared?’ ‘I guess I feel like the worst thing has already happened to me.’ ”

For decades, young women trevling the Cold Creek Highway in British Columbia have been abducted. Gone without a trace. Hailey McBride, a teenaged orphan, is finding it impossible to stay in Cold Creek after the death of her father. Her uncle is a crooked cop and has it in for her and her best friend, and she just can’t see a way out. Can she save herself and bring her Aunt’s husband down all on her own?

“You can’t let evil win.”

I had no idea that this story is loosely based on the highway of tears in northern British Columbia, an actual highway where women have been murdered or gone missing since the 1970’s. Indigenous women have a disproportionately higher rate of homicide and violence against them in Canada, and I applaud the author for doing her part, albeit in a fictional story, to bring awareness to this injustice. I loved touting for Hailey as she tried to do the right thing in this crazy town.

The narration was wonderful. I really enjoyed listening to this story!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought Dark Roads was just okay, it was a bit boring and drawn out for my taste. A touch predictable as well. Since The Cold Creek Highway is mentioned in the summary I thought there would be a bit more light shed on that but wasn't really focused on at all.

This is a story about a ghost road.

I felt so incredibly sad reading this- the author spun a chilling and well plotted web; however, given recent news the concept felt particularly poignant. Unfortunately, I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters- but I would definitely recommend it for fans of a slow burn thriller.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Macmillan audio for this Audio copy!

I don’t always love audiobooks, simply because the reader’s voice can make or break it for me. The reader did a fantastic job of keeping me interested and it was easy to follow along to.

I would recommend this book most definitely in audiobook form or hardback.

This book really surprised me. I felt this go into a completely different direction than what i had in my mine. I had this aufiobook playing while working. And some of the parts stopped me in my tracks. It was putting me on edge feeling like i was being watched. But love the narrator and actually felt like i was her.

Bestselling author Chevy Steven returns with a compelling suspense that unravels across a dark stretch of highway where for decades, young women have gone missing.

17-year-old Hailey McBride knows the stories firsthand, she’s lived in Cold Creek her entire life and her father taught her to never travel the highway alone, taught her how to survive in nature. But when her father tragically dies, she has no alternative than to live with her aunt and police officer uncle, Erick Vaughn—a man whose controlling ways and wandering eyes unnerve her to the core. When Hailey discovers Vaughn’s dark secrets, however, they send her running into the rugged wilderness of British Columbia—desperate to bide her time until she turns eighteen and is free of Vaughn for good.

Meanwhile, Hailey’s friend Amber remains at the diner where they both worked… until Amber’s dead body is discovered.

With Amber’s killer at large, and Hailey presumed dead by the same perpetrator, Amber’s sister Beth arrives at Cold Creek desperate to unearth the truth, not knowing that she’s now a target herself.

Stevens masterfully builds a dark and chilling atmosphere in small-town Cold Creek. The story drew me in from the beginning, with questions swirling around those who vanished, and guesses to who could be behind it all. The story lost some momentum midway, but tension ratcheted once more towards a nail-biting ending I didn’t see coming.

DARK ROADS is equal parts suspense and coming-of-age, brought to life by two strong, resilient female heroines. And while my favorite Chevy Stevens book remains NEVER LET YOU GO, Stevens’ writing prowess and taut storytelling are nevertheless evident.

A solid installment—looking forward to the next.

This book is inspired by the unsolved murders along a highway in British Columbia called the Highway of Tears. Chevy Stevens sets the story in the fictional town of Cold Creek. A serial killer is on the loose and no one is safe. The story is told from the point of view of Hailey and Beth. Both women face danger and potentially death as they struggle to find the terrifying truth. The beginning of the book pulled me in, but the middle was slow and at times disjointed. Parts of the story read like a young adult novel. The plot picks up towards the end with a conclusion I did not see coming. The epilogue was compelling and brought closure to this tragic tale. The narration added a layer of reality and suspense.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning.

I don’t know but this book felt pretty cold and eerie when describing the protagonist, Haile’s home town. It didn’t settle well with me. but with that being said it was definitely put me in a mood to actually feel something for this protagonist.

Hailey is being described as a carefree wild child. Everything she learned on how to survive on a forest, she learned it from her dad. Her uncle is definitely portrayed as a bad guy and how she describes it, you can easily feel it. I really liked all of Hailey’s characteristics. There’s also a dog! Omg I love reading about a dog who ventures with someone.

There are two POV and that is Hailey and Beth. They are not related but they do share something in common.

This was a quick pace audiobook but it was entertaining. The narrator did a good job capturing the protagonist’s feelings. This was a good book for me and I can recommend any format would be a great choice. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook and NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC.

This book was very underwhelming. I was intrigued at the start, but then it got real slow. It picked up in the last 10% or so, but just wasn’t exciting overall. I liked the multiple points of view telling the story, but just didn’t feel like there were many twists/turns to keep my interest. The relationships formed seemed super rushed and not authentic. It was atmospheric and there were some unlikeable/unreliable characters that I did appreciate but this one just didn’t do much for me overall.

I like the parts of this I listened to. I enjoy Brittany Pressley’s narration and was happy with the other narrators as well. I would recommend the audio version if you choose to read this one!

This is my first book to read by this author and I’m sorry I waited so long. I was hooked from page one on this book. I liked the characters. I did not even guess who the killer was until Beth learned herself. Never even suspected it. The only thing I would have liked is more of the victims after life perspective. I give this a 4.5 stars.

Great, pacey writing, and many twists I did not see coming. The setting is very atmospheric, and I loved the ending.

This book had the perfect setup for an engrossing thriller: highway where women keep going missing, unknown serial killer, controlling step father, crooked cop, small town. Set against the backdrop of the wilderness of British Columbia, this book had a strangely claustrophobic feel that almost reminded me of Twin Peaks.⁣
⁣
The story starts off following Hailey McBride and WHOA - there were moments of her story that completely creeped me out! After Hailey goes missing, the POV shifts to Beth, who comes to town looking for answers regarding her murdered sister. Unlike the resourceful and intelligent Hailey, Beth makes a LOT of poor decisions. I will admit, I did not enjoy her portion of the story as much, simply because I was internally yelling at her most of the time ("Do you WANT to get yourself murdered?!"). I have read a few reviews that state that this book starts off like a dark thriller and then shifts into more YA-action territory, and I would have to agree with that. The beginning was super strong, but I feel like the story got lost somewhere in the middle. However, the author did a nice job of wrapping up and delivering a twist (even though one of the final scenes seemed a bit over-the-top). ⁣
⁣
Special shout-out to Wolf, the stray dog who is the real MVP of this story! ⁣
⁣
Thank you to @Macmillan.audio for my complimentary audio copy in exchange for an honest review! Please note that this one contains some darker themes and topics - so do check out CW/TW before reading.

A mystery of a highway killer of young girls. It's the story from the perspective of two girls. One girl is the niece of the scary police Sargeant Vaughn. The other perspective is from the sister of the last girl. I enjoyed this book. I thought it was addictive and grabbed me early on. It was sort of predictable and took too long to get to the good parts. Otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars.

Thank you so much to #netgally and #chevystevens for this advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

I love this author! I have read all of her books. The narrator is spectacular! I finished the audiobook in two days. Story of a young girl forced to live in a secluded cabin in the woods with her trusty dog. A corrupt evil cop & cohorts. Just couldn’t wait to find out what happens next. I don’t want to give too much away. So I won’t. Thank you Netgalley for providing this audible sample to me.

There’s a serial killer on the loose in Cold Creek. If you’re a young woman, you’ll think twice about driving down long stretches of remote highways after reading this. It’s very character-driven which adds to the suspense.

This one was so phenomenal!! The narration was fantastic and the storyline kept me really intrigued!! I really appreciated the mention of the atrocity that is happening to missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. The twists in this one weren’t predictable for me and I really enjoyed them!! Very well done thriller!!

Chevy Stevens never disappoints! This book was a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. I will highly recommend to friends and at my upcoming book club meeting!