Based off the blurb I was expecting something completely different. This story reads like a young adult novel. Don’t get me wrong I love young adult novels, but I was expecting this book to be different. I also figured out the plot fairly on and that was a bust. I did like the narration and would definitely listened to another audio book performed by them.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 4.5 Pretty good thriller, lots going on but i liked the time line and how much time and info this book covered without feeling like it was super long or dragging on, had a good pace, would recommend

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the review copies of this mystery thriller.

I was intrigued from page one since a ghost/spirit narrates the prologue. Set in rural British Columbia, Canada, the novel was written to draw attention to real unsolved disappearances/murders of First Nation women in the area.

The novel features two main characters, Hailey and Beth, young women who have experienced great loss in their lives. Given their ages, this felt a bit YA at times. I didn't anticipate the 'outdoorsy" lifestyles of the characters, although I should have, given the setting. It was great to have a dog as an important character in the story.

I always appreciate audiobooks with multiple narrators when done well and enjoyed the performances of Isabella Star LaBlanc, Angela Dawe, and Brittany Pressley.

This was my first Chevy Stevens novel but it won’t be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Hailey must move in with her Aunt Lana and her police officer husband, Vaughn when her father dies in a car accident. Vaughn is well known and widely disliked in the town of Cold Creek as he uses his position as a police officer to bully and control. Hailey had the barrier of her father before his death, but that protection goes away now that he’s gone. The problems between Hailey and Vaughn are immediate, and just like her I’d have been counting the days until I turned eighteen!

Vaughn infuriated me! I can’t stand it when men go into policing because they crave power over others, but Vaugh was worse. Every time Hailey thinks of a way around his rules, to grab some independence he’s there to screw things up. It soon becomes apparent that he’s not just a control freak, male chauvinist, but he’s a dangerous man. Anyone stepping in to help Hailey risks his rath as well, so she decides to disappear until she’s of legal age.

While this is playing out, the mystery of missing and murdered women on the Cold Creek Highway becomes the central focus when another local woman, Amber, is found murdered. It’s speculated that Hailey’s own disappearance might be at the hands of the Cold Creek murderer, as well.

The murder of her sister, Amber, hits Beth hard, derailing her life plans. She travels to Cold Creek to find some closure and ends up staying to find out what happened to Amber, putting Beth in danger. She’s overcome by grief and sort of directionless, and at this point isn’t super concerned about safety. I was more than a little worried for her. Thankfully, she’s got a couple of people looking out for her. I was happy there was a bit of romance for Beth even though this story is mainly a mystery/thriller.

I started Dark Roads on the way back from vacation, and I couldn’t stop the story when I got home! I was on the edge of my seat guessing about what would happen next and wondering how it’d all turn out. It was a nail biter at times! I wanted justice for all these poor women, and I wanted Hailey to prevail! I was pleased to be surprised at the identity of the killer, but also happy that it didn’t completely come out of left field.

I was excited to get an audio copy because I’m already a fan of the performers. I love both Angela Dawe and Brittany Pressley’s narration, and each performed a main role: Beth and Hailey respectively. Isabella Star LeBlanc is a new to me narrator, but she had a lovely voice. I think she performed the prologue and epilogue, each leaving a lasting impression. The audio version is a total recommend!

I think this is the first book by Chevy Stevens that I have listened to (I've read all but one of her books). I'm not sure if it was because I listened to it but I didn't feel like as intense of a read as her other books. I've often said of her previous books that the plots could have been ripped from newspaper headlines. Ironically, Dark Roads is loosely based on real events. While Cold Creek Highway is fictional, there is a highway in Canada that a number of women have been murdered.

It was still a book I didn't want to put down. And there is quite the curveball. I didn't see it coming at all (did I not listen carefully enough?) and my jaw literally dropped when it landed.

I liked characters. The story is told from the points of view of Hailey McBride and Beth Chevalier. I think I liked Beth a bit more than Hailey, but they are both strong characters. Johnny is a great secondary character. He's a wonderful friend to both girls and tries so hard to do the right thing.

The audiobook has multiple narrators. Even so, I did occasionally have trouble telling the difference between the girls when the story switched POVs. I actually didn't realize there were different narrators until Hailey and Beth are speaking to one another. It was a Beth chapter and Hailey sounded different than she did in her own chapters. It is a small thing and didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the story.

If you are looking for a good domestic thriller, then you can't go wrong with this book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday, August 5 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/08/2-audiobooks-to-kick-off-august.html

I love watching true crime shows and when I saw that this was loosely based on the Highway of Tears in Canada, I could not wait to read it. And boy it did not disappoint!

There's a serial killer on the loose in the small town of Cold Creek. Women have been going missing along this long stretch of highway for decades. The sheer thought of a killer in this small town has been scaring locals and baffling cops for years.

The story follows Hailey McBride who has become orphaned and sent to live with her aunt and very strict uncle. Her uncle is a cop that hates her best friend, dislikes what she wears, and does not trust her. Hailey grew up with a dad that loved the wilderness and enjoyed teaching his survival skills to his daughter. Once she moves in with her uncle, she starts to feel threathen and pushed in a corner so she decides to put her survival skills to the test and runs away to hide in the woods. We follow her point of view through part one of the book until the next murdered victim hits too close to home.

Part two follows Beth Chevalier who leaves law school to uncover what happened to her murdered sister. Desperate to find out what really happened, she leaves empty handed and lives in her car in Cold Creek. She follows her footsteps by getting the same job and seeking out her sister's inner circle of friends. Could you imagine what that would be like??

Chevy Stevens' writing puts you right in the wilderness along with Hailey. The story is gripping from start to end and it kept me guessing through out the book. Stevens writes a compelling story with great characters. I will be looking forward to reading more books by Stevens.

I have come to absolutely love Chevy Stevens and Dark Roads started out super exciting for me but I just felt like something was off or lacking or maybe it drug on a little bit more and I would have preferred...I'm not quite sure but that's why I gave it 4 stars. But I thoroughly enjoyed the book, nonetheless and would jump at getting her next new release! It feels like it's been quite some time since Stevens has released a book so it was nice seeing this one!

This book has several consistent characters, but you are reading through the perspective of two of the main characters, Hailey and Beth. Both ladies are extremely head-strong and powerful young women who will stop at nothing to find out the secrets of Cold Creek and move on past their sorrows. I was impressed with the differing characters and how they all fit together so nicely!

Cold Creek and it's residents are not what it seems and I think you will find the ending to be pretty shocking and not really see it coming! I know that you will come to expect what happens in the end, and who is responsible for all of the turmoil, but just when you think you've got it all figured out, Steven throws a kink into it and changes it all up, which I most certainly appreciate!

I listed to the audio version of Dark Roads, which was read by a series of excellent narrators: Angela Dawe, Brittany Pressley, and Isabella Star LeBlanc. Most of the time, if I see a book is narrated by either Dawe or Pressley, I will jump into it without much thought and they were all sure to deliver on this book just the same. I always LOVE when a book has differing perspectives and that is provided to the reader/listener with multiple narrators. I feel like it gives the book more depth and an even better level of understanding for which character is which! Overall, stellar narration performance from all!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading/listening to Dark Roads and and super stoked to see Chevy Stevens name on the list of new releases again! I hope to see it again soon because she really has a way with words and can really knock it out of the park with her books!

I would like to offer a HUGE THANK YOU to Chevy Stevens, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Dark Roads, which allowed me to provide you with this honest and unbiased review!!

This was such an atmospheric and chilling psychological thriller! It was such a page turner and I found it to be incredibly suspenseful and engrossing!

The premise of this one was just so unique and not quite like anything I’ve read before. Being a Canadian, I was completely intrigued by how Steven’s used her background and based this story loosely on “The Highway of Tears” murders. This definitely added a whole new layer to the book for me!

While this one might not be for everyone as it was slightly disturbing and truly dark at times, I flew through it and was absolutely captivated from start to finish! This is certainly one of those thrillers that will stick with you and leave you thinking far beyond the last page.

I am so late to the Chevy Stevens fan club guys! This book was great and I loved that it wasn't the typical young girl doing stupid stuff and getting preyed on by a murderer but actually had really strong, relatable and vulnerable teen leads. Set in Northern BC in a small town off the fictional Cold Creek Highway - a deserted stretch of road where many girls have gone missing or been murdered. I thought this fictional setting was a great way for the author to acknowledge the real Highway of Tears and the missing and murdered Indigenous women whose cases continue to go unsolved in Canada.

In this story there are three different narrators for each of the girls represented in the book:

Hailey is a teenage orphan who recently lost her dad and is staying with her older sister and her policeman boyfriend. When her home life becomes unsafe she feels she has no choice but to run and hideout in the woods, where she ends up finding the dead body of another girl, Amber.

Enter Beth, the sister of the dead girl, who travels to Cold Creek from Vancouver trying to find out what happened to her sister. There her story links up with Hailey's and we get alternating perspectives as they work together with Hailey's best friend Jonny to track down and bring the killer to justice.

I loved everything about this book, including the amazing dog sidekick, Wolf <3! Excellent on audio, with the voice talents of Angela Dawe, Brittany Pressley, Isabella Star LaBlanc. Much thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my advance listening copies. If you haven't yet been sucked into the Chevy Stevens fan club this is a great book to start! I will be going through her backlist ASAP!

What an absolutely transcendent thriller this was!

I enjoyed this book so much that I could not put it down. Chevy Stevens has created such a vivid story that pulls you in, making you feel like you are right there in Cold Creek. In this Canadian town, girls have gone missing for years on the long, long stretch of highway. It is a well known cautionary tale. Don't be on the dark roads at night because you are not safe, since no killer has ever been caught...

After the death of the survivalist father, Hailey McBride is broken with grief and living with her aunt. Under the thumb of her aunt's controlling police officer husband, Hailey is victimized by his creepy ways, leaving her no choice but to run away. Living off the land, with the help of her best friend, Hailey uses the knowledge she learned from her father to survive off the grid. People assume her missing and possibly dead... and then another girls falls victim to the highway killer. Amber Chevalier was someone very close to Hailey and she is devastated, only fueling her fear and need for survival.

It has been one year since Amber's death and the highway killer still has evaded capture. Amber's sister Beth arrives in Cold Creek seeking answers and a need to be close to where her sister was last. She takes the job that her sister had and tries to find closure. What she actually finds is more questions as she unwittingly gets closer and closer to what really happened to Beth and to Hailey.

Told in parts, we see from the perspective of both Hailey and Beth. We get inside narration of both of them at this time in their respective lives. The unraveling of this story and the piecing together of the clues was so intricate. This book was a puzzle that we are brought along for the ride of its assembly and completion. Dark Roads will leave you breathless and so brazenly rooting for strong women.

The narration of this audiobook was unbelievable! Told by multiple voices, the characters were each voiced to perfection. In a book like this we put so much trust in the narration; trust to tell us the story the right way, with the intensity it deserves. And the narration of Dark Roads did just that!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
Wow. It's not often that a twist completely catches me off guard, but I did not see that one until the beginning of the reveal. I thought overall it was really well done. I liked the addition of the second character narrator, but I think it stunted Hailey's character growth.
The audiobook version was well done and enhanced the book overall.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
This was just the thriller I needed. Firstly, the audiobook is fantastic. It has a full cast of narrators which brings this story richly to life. Secondly, I was truly invested in the characters. Vaughn was absolutely an awful person, and I liked how much I disliked him throughout this story. Thirdly, the cliffhangers were so well placed. I just didn't want to stop once I got going because I had to know how this story ended. And let's talk about that ending. I did not see that coming. Maybe I should've, but it was so well done and unexpected. It was definitely a satisfactory twist. This is a good one if you're needing something fast paced and twisty. It does have lots of heavy topics like drug/alcohol abuse, murder, assault, and sexual assault. I did appreciate the letter to the reader at the end to help give context and resources to the reader.

This story garners its inspiration from a true stretch of highway in British Columbia where there has been a rash of girls go missing.

The story itself is fictionalized and revolves around two main characters. Hailey is a high school student who lost her mom at a young age and her father recently died in a car accident. She has to move in with her aunt and her aunt's husband, Vaughn. Vaughn, or the ice man, as the kids call him is a creepy police officer who acts very strangely towards Hailey. She begins to fear for her safety so her only option is to flee despite the horror stories of all the missing girls and billboards reminding her of their fate.

Beth is trying to find her place in the world. After her sister becomes one of the highway victims she decides to attend a memorial service and ends up staying in town. She is determined to find answers for her sister and decides the best way to do so is to live as her sister had in her final weeks.

The story was dark and atmospheric. It was very character driven. It had its villians who you despised and the protagonists you cheered for. My favorite character may have been the dog named Wolf that instantly stole my heart.

The narration was well done and I definitely recommend this one on audio.

This is my third book by Chevy Stevens and I'm definitely down for trying another. Even though I absolutely have some issues and was annoyed more than a few times... Oh, and I managed to get both the ebook and audiobook from NetGalley and used them both throughout.

First, overall, I did enjoy the reading experience. The narrators were good and did a fine job of creating individual characters. The ebook was nice to switch to when I wanted to relax with the Kindle quietly. I would rate this one 3.5 but did round up. I might not have if it weren't for the epilogue. I'm going to bet that there will be plenty of readers who will find it cheesy or unnecessary but I liked it and it pulled me back to a more emotional space after feeling plenty of frustration over the way many of the crime solving and super-gross uncle bits were handled.

Ultimately, though, if you've already read the author and enjoyed her work, you'll very likely be fine with this one. If it's your first, give it a shot but, if you're like me and can't just let the BS moments slide on by, be aware that they are there and you will be irritated at some point.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for hooking me up!

Wow. This one is an emotional, heart-pumping roller coaster, in all ways that a great thriller should be. Dark Roads contains scenes so intense that I found myself frantically flipping pages, holding my breath, anxiously hoping that main characters Hailey and Beth would be okay, but, in all honesty, my favorite character is Wolf, who managed to steal my heart. 🐾 ❤️🐾

The audio is flawlessly narrated, and only adds to the excitement of the book!

Attached is a link to my bookstagram post. Thanks so much for the opportunity to review!

@girl_loves_dogs_books_wine

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSH3J7hLWdJ/

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3

The story of Dark Roads focuses on a small town in northern British Columbia, Canada. There have been a number of disappearances of women and girls along the highway that runs through the town over the years. This, apparently, is what the author based the book on, although this particular story is entirely fictional. She mentions that many of the victims were indigenous, First Nation women and girls, but the main characters of this book are not of indigenous heritage at all. I think there would have been a stronger connection with the decades-long disappearances if at least one character had, at minimum, partially indigenous heritage.

I seem to be in the minority, but I really didn’t enjoy this book that much. It wasn’t what I was expecting from the publisher’s blurb and perhaps that was part of the problem. In my opinion, this book would be enjoyed by the Young Adult reader, as it features a few very strong teenage girls and at least one very attractive and kind teenage boy. I loved the dog featured in the story, called Wolf by one of the main characters, Hailey. There’s a creepy villainous police officer who permeates the story, and the author wrote his character well - I found myself wincing while reading about his actions. But I also found the two main female characters, Hailey and Beth, to be a bit unbelievable in their capabilities, especially near the end of the book (no spoilers!).

I took the audiobook along with me on a long car trip, but after about 20%, my husband was completely bored and so I had to delay the rest of the book to read or listen on my own. I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook has three narrators who all do a good job: Angela Dawe, Brittany Pressley and Isabella Star LaBlanc.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Read my full review: https://bit.ly/37e3SGO

Review placed on: Blog, Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter

4 Stars

My opinion: Another excellent release from Chevy Stevens. While this book is very well written, it definitely isn't my favorite work by this talented author. Unlike a chunk of her books, I felt this one wrapped up with a nice little red ribbon, which simply left me unsatisfied at the end.

It did have a number of twists and "wow" moments, but not enough to boost my rating up to five stars for me.

I didn’t realize how much I needed a slow-burn dark thriller, until I spent a day listening to Dark Roads, the latest release by Canadian author Chevy Stevens. Focused on the small town of Cold Creek in northern BC, the story looks at the history of young women abducted and murdered along the Cold Creek Highway.

Girls have been warned for years not to walk or travel along the highway alone. Girls disappear, never to be seen again. Hailey can name several of them, knew them. But as she mourns her father’s death, and adjusts to living with her aunt Lana and her partner Vaughan, the local cop, Haley becomes suspicious and worried. Is Vaughan cheating on her aunt? Her anger and frustration lead her to take desperate measures to survive, disappearing into the forest, leaving her problems behind. Or did she?

Beth arrives in Cold Creek a year later, trying to put her life back together. Her sister Amber had died along the highway a year ago, and Beth just wants answers. She starts working at the same cafe where Amber waitressed, and starts to wonder exactly what is happening under the peaceful surface of the community.

This story is a slow burn, bringing the reader along at a darkly detailed pace. Stevens has written her primary characters well, but I found the secondary characters flat and one-dimensional. As the story reaches its climax, some of the action is a bit far-fetched, but kept me hooked. I thought I had the outcome figured out a few times, but was proven wrong each time. There are a few graphic moments of violence against women, and descriptions of assault, and may be disturbing to some readers. The author’s note provides perspective to the troubling realities of BC’s Highway of Tears where hundreds of Indigenous women and girls have gone missing, and been murdered, and is an important element of this story. The narrators for this audiobook added the perfect touch to this story, and increased my rating easily.

This story will have you questioning your decision to go camping in the forest, or hiking along those quiet routes. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advance copy of this audiobook, in exchange for my honest review.

Dark roads follows a small town with a history of women going missing or being murdered along the surrounding highway.
After the loss of her father 17 year old Hailey McBride is forced to live with her aunt and uncle. After growing suspicious of her uncle and being forbidden to go anywhere, Hailey comes up with a plan to disappear for awhile. Even with a killer still on the loose.

A year after her sister is murdered Beth Chevalier arrives to the town to get closure on her sisters death. However her arrival puts a target on her back and may cause some problems in Haileys disappearance.


Told in three parts and two different characters Dark roads is a new summer thriller. I loved how the twists seemed so obvious but in a way that throws you off when all is revealed. This is how a thriller should be. The way the story is split up worked perfectly since you get to fully experience two points of view without a lot of overlapping in characters. There was also a lot of things I didn't see coming throughout.

Overall this is a pretty enjoyable read and has a plot line that keeps you from wanting to put it down.


Audio narration

I feel like this was an audiobook done right. Having two narrators for two different characters made it easier to keep them separated. It also brought a different kind of flow to the story. These narrators were also well picked for the characters and made the listening experience into what it was. Overall this was a well done audiobook and I would highly recommend it.

4 1/2 Stars.....

Dark Roads felt different from anything else I've read recently. It was an atmospheric read that blended a murder mystery with a tinge of paranormal/ghost activity.

The story is told in different sections and from varied points of view. The setting is a rural location where young girls often go missing and are later found murdered. The connection seems to be Cold Creek Highway. Everything feels ominous. In addition, the character development was excellent with this book. Both the good guys and the bad were written with such vivid description that the reader could easily feel as if they knew the person first hand.

The main character, Hailey seems to be at the center of the most recent events. Hailey has recently lost her father, leaving her orphaned as her mother died years before. With no other family to turn to, she has to go to live with her aunt and her husband, Vaughn. He is a higher up in the local police department who appears to be on a power trip. He seems to like to intimidate others and is continually using his "influence" for his own benefit. Vaughn is hard on Hailey and makes her uncomfortable. Things just don't seem right about him. As she digs into things, Hailey finds items she can't explain that send her in a tailspin, afraid for her own safety and that of others she loves.

This book isn't for the faint of heart. There are some intense and descriptive scenes that may be triggering for some readers. The subject matter of kidnapping and murder should make it clear that this isn't a light read. That said, I highly recommend Dark Roads. Chevy Stevens definitely impressed me as an author and I look forward to reading more by her.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: In addition to reading this ebook version, I also listened to the audiobook. I absolutely loved the narration. It was perfect for this book and kept me engaged on the story from the very beginning. I often find that certain book topics lend themselves to audio more than others. I definitely feel like mysteries and thrillers are typically some of the most well-done audios that I listen to.

With the fact that this book is told from different points of view, it was even more helpful to have solid narration. It makes it easier for the reader/listener to follow the storyline if the narrator distinguishes between characters effectively.

Thank you to NetGalley for advanced copies of both the ebook and the audio. I voluntarily chose to review them and the opinions contained within are my own.