When I learned this book was about a young woman inheriting a winery from her deceased parents, I expected my usual “heart-thumping-yet-still-cozy” Darcy Coates book. Imagine a Hallmark movie but for horror fans. Sadly, this book did not click with me.
I’ll start with the things I liked. I liked the setting and the premise. I also liked the ending. I’ve read a few reviews from people who didn’t like it and I get that, but I didn’t mind it. Did it make sense? No. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fun ending to the story.
What I really didn’t like was about the first 3/4s of the book. Up until the 75% mark, this book felt extremely repetitive. The reader follows the main character, Margot, as she roams the house. But of course, her phone is almost always dead, and the flashlight doesn’t quite reach the darkest corners of the room. I cannot tell you how many times I read about the flashlight not being bright enough in this book.
I hate to post a bad review for a book by Darcy Coates because I’ve enjoyed quite a few of her other books, but this one was far too repetitive for me personally. Ultimately, this lead to me not even being remotely spooked, but instead bored. However, this won’t stop me from reading any of her other books. Coates will still be an author I reach for when looking for a spooky read and I definitely still recommend some of her other books (The Carrow Haunt is my favorite if you’re looking for somewhere to start).
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars--I liked the book. It actually scared me, which books rarely do. There's a scene in an attic and another in a bedroom that both had me uneasily glancing around while I was reading at night.

I thought some of the plot details were a bit muddled (is it raining? Dry? Hot out? Cold out? These things changed all the time), and the narrator made some puzzling decisions. However, I was thoroughly satisfied by the ending, and recommend this to horror readers looking for supernatural scares. My first Darcy Coates, but it won't be my last.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Darcy Coates immediately pulled me into a strange, terrifying and engrossing tale of a young woman returning home. But home is a place she can barely remember, a deteriorating mansion on a hill with an attached winery, and vast tunnels beneath. I was immediately hooked by the questions, why did her parents send her away to live with her grandmother? Worse, why did they wash their hands of her? I had to know why her parents essentially disowned her. The answer to that -- and the resolution -- is what makes this a memorable and very creepy mystery.

Darcy Coates has won my admiration with this one. About two years ago I read The Haunting of Ashburn House and I wasn’t quite crazy about it. Having said that, I am picky with my haunted houses so don’t let that sway your opinion. Gallows Hill was the complete opposite for me.

Margot inherits her estranged parents’ home and winery and it comes as quite the shock. While their death was unexpected, she hasn’t seen them since she was 6, having grown up with her grandmother all her life. The winery and home are on Gallows Hill, which has a haunted past - Gallows alone should give it away. When things are start getting crazy at night, Margot comes to realize the ghosts that haunt Gallows Hill are dangerous and mean business.

I loved Margot’s character. She’s a bit shy, she isn’t super brave at first but not quite a coward either and she’s just so likable. I loved the ending and thought it tied it up nicely. Gallows Hill is expected to be published in September. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my review copy!

I've loved all the Darcy Coates books I've read, but Gallows Hill jumps right to the top of my favorites list.

The first night Margot spends back in her childhood home, the creepiness begins. Out of the corner of her eye, there is movement, and shadows that look like looming figures. Then the bells begin to ring, Night after night, the tension builds as things grow worse for Margot and the others that call Gallows Hill their home. The land is cursed and it knows what it wants. YOU.

I could perfectly picture everything that was happening, this book was the perfect amount of spooky and creepy it had me double checking the shadows, and every stray sound had me listening for something more. It kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what could possibly happen next.

I will absolutely be reading this again, and buying a copy for my collection.

Darcy Coates is a go-to author for me. I'll read anything she writes and this was no exception. This may not be for everyone as it is a slow burn but I felt that allowed the reader to become emotionally investeted in the characters and the story arc. Another great read by a very prolific writer

🍷 B O O K • R E V I E W 🍷

“For the first time in her life, she’d seen a corpse, and it had been her own.”
•
•
🍷 Spoiler Free Review: Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates
•
•
🍷 Synopsis:

“The Hull family has owned the Gallows Hill Winery for generations. The sprawling old house has long been perched on top of a hill overlooking the nearby town, jealously guarding the estate's secrets. Their wine wins awards. Their business prospers. Their family thrives: until Hugh and Maria Hull enter the dark halls of Gallows Hill one last time…and are found dead the next morning.

People whisper that the curse has awakened once more.

It’s been more than a decade since Margot Hull last saw her childhood home. She was young enough when she was sent away that she barely remembers its dark passageways and secret corners. But now she's returned to bury her parents and reconnect with the winery that is her family's legacy—and the bloody truth of exactly what lies buried beneath the crumbling estate. Alone in the sprawling, dilapidated building, Margot is forced to come face to face with the horrors of the past—and realize that she may be the next victim of a house that never rests...”
•
•
🍷 Spoiler Free Review:

This was my first Darcy Coates book and it was absolutely fanatic! Haunting, lyrical prose set in a foreboding and atmospheric environment.

I love a good slow burn.. I really enjoyed reading this in bed with the lights off. Providing the perfect atmosphere to become fully immersed in this novel. It was chilling, creepy and complex.

The ending of this though… I loved it! I had a ton of theories blooming in my mind and this twist… was one I did not see coming.

If you are looking for a great haunted house story- look no further! Make this your next read.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press & Darcy Coates for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publication Date: 9/6/2022

Holy crap this is the perfect haunted house novel! A good blend of the tragic, grotesque, mystery, and atmospheric dread. I liked the lack of romance, having a bunch of people thrown together trying to deal with an intergenerational mess was realistic and a nice departure from general fiction formulae.

The first part of the book was a bit boring and the main character did not act in a logical way at times. Who moves into a rambling new home, and doesn't even bother to at least take a quick tour...or even look for the bathroom. Not to mention she inherits this home, and immediately feels the creepiness. I like a slower set up before the horror begins. It was a slow burn, but not in good way, and I guessed the "big mystery" right away. The second half picked up the pace a bit , but I found myself skimming through a lot of repetitive parts. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. Not really a scary story.

Thanks to net galley for an ARC in exchange to an honest review.

Haunted house with a huge twist!
This is only my third book that I've read by Darcy Coates, and I am certain that I am a fan for life!
Horror stories with a basis of a haunted location are my favorite and this one did not disappoint me even in the slightest. With each passing moment while the main character was in the house or even around the house, there was another mystery being unfolded and terror that would make you catch your breath. I rarely get spooked or scared but this book kept me rigid and on my toes.

There was nothing I did not like about this book. The strange characters, the ominous tone from the beginning, and the author's descriptive uses lent for a truly scary read. Darcy Coates wrote so perfectly that my mind was transformed, and I became part of the story, like I was living and breathing alongside the characters.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantastically written, intriguing and scary haunted house stories. Shoot, even if you don't like those kinds of books, try it anyways! You just might become a fan!

Another book I love by Darcey Coates. I am so grateful for the chance to read an ARC of hers. Its insane how I can read her bools and be both uncomfy and entertained. She never disappoints..

A young lady inherits a house and winery from parents she barely knew who gave her up to her grandmother to raise. She knows nothing of the family business she must now attend to.
There’s a lot of mystery, but not enough answers or even clues at the beginning to keep a reader interested.
There’s a lot of description of the house and things that go bump, but I don’t find myself interested.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisened Pen Press for this book to review.

"Does that mean my mind, too stressed to cope, is conjuring these images? Or does the house only come alive once I turn my attention to it?"

My first Darcy Coates horror novel and it was a intense ride and a page turner for me. Love the atmosphere and all the moody and creepy vibes you recieve as a reader. I don't think this is a slow burn horror at all.
But the ending was not what I expected, cause it could be a 5 star, but the ending put my rating down slightly as I felt the ending was kind of "simple". I expected it to be more as it was so intense before the ending. But I truly enjoyed it because of the atmosphere and I couldn't put it down.

As someone who loves a good haunted house story I absolutely loved this book.
Gallows Hill sees Margot returning to the family home that she was sent away from when she was a child now that her parents have died. What comes next is a heart pounding story about family, legacy and all the things that get left behind. The atmosphere was fantastic, a truly scary read.
This was the first book I've read written by Darcy Coates but I definitely look forward to going back and checking out other books she has written.
Please find attached my spoiler free youtube review.

This is yet another creepy read from the great Darcy Coates! From the storyline, the build of the characters, right down to the descriptive writing…Gallows Hill is a page turner that has you invested from the first chapter! Our main character, Margot, returns to a home she hadn’t been to since she was a younger child, once her parents die and have left her the place. We find out she had been given up by her parents under mysterious circumstances. We’re on as much of this creepy and scary journey to find out what caused their deaths, what caused them to give her up and never have any contact, as well as why the townspeople are so fearful of this home and the property itself. Everything unfolds in a wonderfully scary way that Darcy Coates always does!

Gallows Hill finds Margot returning home for the first time since she was a child after her parent’s sudden death, both from heart attacks. She also inherits the family winery business. Margot struggles with her feelings about everything that’s happened and her sense of abandonment as there was no explanation as to why she wasn’t raised by her parents but her grandmother instead.
Margot soon finds herself drawn into something unworldly and she becomes terrified of the home she’s in and now owns. She starts to believe that the rumors are true, her family’s property is cursed. It is now up to Margot to break the curse, but can she?
This was a 3.5 slow burn read rounded up to 4.. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the EArc and the chance to review it!

Margot Hull returns to Gallows Hill House to attend the funeral of her parents. As a very young child she was sent to live with her grandmother and all contact with her parents ceased. She has little or no recollection of her family, nor of the house and it’s surrounding area.

Margot is desperate to find out why they didn’t want her, and why she has now become their sole beneficiary.

This is the first Darcy Coates I have read, and I look forward reading more. The plot was good, full of suspense, and it was exciting to read a proper horror story. I loved Kant, a real hero, and the descriptive narrative was a treat to read. What I didn’t like was Margot, a real washout character who didn’t appeal to me at all. Also, the ending was a little lame. After all the good work put into the first three quarters of the book, the finale really let it down. It was long winded and, I felt, the easy option.

All in all a good read which I would recommend, but the ending needed to be better, hence 4*.

Thank you NetGalley.

My first Darcy Coates book! What a treat! Just what I want from a Horror book... extremely atmospheric to the point that last night when I was reading in the dark (for spooky purposes) I swear I saw a big spider crawling down the window, talk about the power of suggestion!!!!! I loved the story and although I guessed the big reveal pretty early in the book.. I truly enjoyed it all the way through.

Darcy Coates has become my go-to when I want a good ol' ghost / haunt story. Gallows Hill is yet another fabulous Coates book that has left me waiting for the next one! When asked for a spooky / ghosty book recommendation, I almost always recommend "anything by Darcy Coates," and I will continue to do so! Although I anxiously await the next book, I am just as anxious to read all of the ones I missed / were written before I (very happily) discovered this author.

This is my 3rd book I have read by Coates that I finally ended up actually really liking. My friends would keep telling me, come on, try another one of her books- she’s so good! I’m glad I listened.

The synopsis: Margot is inherited a large and successful winery named Gallows Hill by her parents after their death (no spoiler, already in description). She hasn’t seen her parents or house in years and was reluctant. There are many secrets hidden within the family past- secrets that almost made me claustrophobic with anticipation of what the answers are.

It is safe for me to say that Coates is a great writer. I had many questions entering this book, that were eventually solved, then led to even more questions. That’s what makes a writer so good (in my eyes). Unfortunately, one thing that I didn’t like was her repetition of certain words. I counted over 11 times that Margot (the main character) licked her teeth with her tongue. I am not kidding. I actually thought about having a drinking game with myself to take a drink every time Coates wrote that particular sentence. Also, the ending was very quick, and wrapped in a pretty little bow- and some readers might not like that.

Overall, I thought that this book was a great read! Thank you NetGalley for giving me a free ARC for an honest review of this book. It comes out September 6, 2022!