Another great Darcy Coates book!

LOVED the premise and the setting, very atmospheric and enjoyably creepy. A solid read for gothic fans, with the winery angle being unique - it worked really well. The story also tied up nicely at the end. Would be a great movie!

One star deducted because I would’ve liked more family history exploration, I think Gallows Hill would’ve really been enriched by more background. Also, the focus was very heavy on the main character at points, there definitely was room for the others (and I did like all the characters).

This may be my favorite Darcy Coates book so far! The story is twisted and creepy (exactly what you want from a “ghost” story). All of the characters are beautifully written and so easy to love. And the witchy old woman with a beautiful doggo is exactly who I want to be when I grow up!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Firstly, please buy this book when it comes out on the 6th of October! I’m not affiliated with the author, publisher or anyone involved with the book but instead this is a personal recommendation. This is a pretty perfect Halloween read and it releases just in time for the season of scares!

Secondly, huge thank you to @poisonedpenpress for the early copy, I was so excited to read this!!

This was a pretty well-rounded and solid horror book. Again, Darcy’s attention to detail and ensuring the plot is thorough has paid dividends in the form of a book that feels really complete when you put it down.

The story follows a slightly different structure to what I’m used to from Darcy and I really enjoyed that. The spooks come quick, from the first paragraph you have a strong sense of unease and it tangles you into the story very well.

This was the first book from Darcy that I’ve read that really gives you a consistent buzz in the back of your mind that something is wrong, something bad is going to happen very soon.

We follow Margot through her journey of familial discovery whilst dealing with the inheritance of a family home, business… and something darker.

I found the characters really in-depth and well-written. My favourite by far was Kant who felt like a natural fit to the entire plot and really felt real. Margot, was not the most convincing of characters mostly down to her inability to not be clumsy when it really counts, make all of the wrong decisions, and the fact that she just never really questioned anything in her life until the plot of the story began. But, saying all of that she goes through a fairly big arc of self discovery and redemption throughout the book and it definitely clears the air.

It’s a deserving 4.5 stars!

Another insanely spooky atmospheric read from Coates! Lot's of creepy imagery that kept me up at night reading in the dark! I enjoyed the mystery and the reveal. Also, Gallows Hill as a location is one of the scariest in my Coates experience. I did think this one was a bit long, but that might be just me because I was in a time crunch to read this one! Overall, I enjoyed it and got a thrill out of it! 3.5

The Hull family has owned the Gallows Hill Winery for generations, living and working on the beautiful grounds where they grow their famous grapes. Until the night Mr. and Mrs. Hull settle down for the evening...and are dead by morning.

When their daughter, Margot, inherits the family business, she wants nothing to do with it. The winery is valued for its unparalleled produce, but it's built on a field where hundreds of convicts were once hanged, and the locals whisper morbid rumors. They say the ground is cursed.

It's been more than a decade since Margot last saw her childhood home. But now that she's alone in the sprawling, dilapidated building, she begins to believe the curse is more than real―and that she may be the next victim of the house that never rests...

Thanks NetGalley!

DNF at 33%.

When I'm in the mood for a creepy novel, I want something that will scare the absolute shit out of me. This book did not even come close. And if it gets better, slogging through the first third is still not worth it. Margot is the most boring main character I've ever met. There are multiple mysteries presented in the first few chapters and the readers don't need all of those solved immediately (obviously, or there would be no suspense), but we got NOTHING. Nada. Zilch.

Bottom line, I was just so incredibly bored.

This is a brilliant, highly atmospheric supernatural mystery story about a woman who inherits an old winery that was owned by her recently deceased parents. Gallows Hill has been in Margot's family for generations and now it is all hers. The good and the bad. And the very bad.

Every single page of this book drips with dread and suspense. It's fantastic! Darcy Coates has become a firm favourite author of mine over the last few years. Her books never disappoint and this is another amazing story that I cannot recommend highly enough.

This was everything I hoped and dreamed of when looking for a "scary story." Darcy has such a way of bringing you into the story, I truly felt as though I was watching this.

After the sudden death of her parents, Margo inherits the winery and house - Gallows Hill . Having been raised by her grandma, Margo never understood why her parents gave her up and why they cut her from their lives.

Welp, as the name suggests, there had been some sinister actions in the past on the hill and we'll...they're not exactly ready to let the Hull family forget.

I love Darcy Coates, but this was not my favorite book. It was very slow and if not for the fact I like the author, I would not have read it past 20% mark. However, thankfully, the book did pick up pace in the later half. The ending also seemed very weak and unsatisfactory.

This was a good book, but not my favorite Darcy Coates. It kept me interested and was scary enough that I had to stop reading it in the dark. It started a little slow but then picked up and I couldn't read fast enough. I really enjoyed the ending and the decision that Margot made. To be vague, on Margot's mission, as soon as she passes the final step and processes where she is, I was able to immediately guess where the story was going. I think I actually said "oh, no" out loud. But it was in a triumphant way, not in a ugh, this is predictable way. This is my second Darcy Coates book and I'm loving them so far, but definitely a read during the day type of book for me!

I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without reading a Coates novel! Excuse me while I now deep dive into her backlist.

I’m gonna keep this short and cute because all you really need to know is this is absolutely worth a read if you love this genre. Gallows Hill is such a great slow burn, claustrophobic, haunted house/land horror book! When I say slow burn, I mean sloooow but it did a fantastic job creating tension and nothing was without purpose. The last 25% was legit scary as hell, highly recommend reading this one in the dark on an e-reader if you have one. The winery setting was eerily atmospheric and was a great backdrop. I had absolutely no clue how the book was going to end but it had a very satisfying conclusion. If you love a good haunted house trope, don’t skip this one!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Poisoned Pen Press and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Darcy Coates, the master of horror and suspense, at least in my opinion has another hit.

I absolutely love everything Darcy Coates so boy was I excited for this book! A slow burn horror with a foreboding and tense atmosphere and it did deliver. The story about Margot, who comes back to her family home when her parents pass away. We soon learn that she doesn't know them, and our first mystery is presented. As she stays on and figures out what she is going to do next, keep the family business or sell it, it soon becomes apparent that there a rules about this house and more going on.

The book did not dissapoint me and definitely delivered spooky vibes. Would recommend to Darcy Coates books as well as anyone who's looking for a spooky read!

“The oak. The gallows. Hundreds of bodies breathed their last while suspended from this wood. It had been changed—sawed and whittled and reformed until it was unrecognizable. But it still remembered, she thought.”

it is with no pleasure at all that i bring you this mini-review. this was unfortunately my least favorite Coates book so far and i am feeling *very sad* about it.

Coates, always delivering her signature recipe, crafted another read in one sitting scary story. though this one was not a favorite, i still enjoyed the ride. every single one of her books, though most similar in plot, are entirely their own - honestly it’s just really damn impressive imo. and despite this disappointment i will continue to read everything she writes because her talent is undeniable. if you want books that read like scary movies, she’s the author for you.

unfortunately, this story suffered mostly due to its main character, Margot. now as the horror obsessed human i am, i know you need to learn to suspend your disbelief for a lot of this genre’s stories. but Margot made that simply impossible. never have i read a character who was so incredibly out of touch with reality, lacked seemingly all common sense, made decisions lacking any rhyme or reason and literally couldn’t stay on her feet for more than a few pages at a time. she was, to put it truthfully, insufferable.

i found myself torn out of the story constantly because of decisions she made and easily-avoidable foibles she fell into. but alas, i can not solely blame Margot for the downfall of this book. the “twist” felt….lazy. it was from its start entirely predictable and every step from its reveal to the end was a stream of “saw that coming” moments.

as i don’t include any spoilers, that’s about the most i can tell you without giving anything away.

if you’re new to Coates i’d recommend reading either The Haunting of Ashburn House or The Carrow Haunt to start you off. and if you can - read them in bed at night for the full effect.

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates is the first book I've read by this author. Unfortunately, it didn't catch my interest. The story was a very slow burn. The concept was okay, but the story just didn't deliver for me. I may check out other books to see if I do like the author's writing style in other stories.

#NetGalley @PPPress

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates really kept me turning the pages. I was having trouble sleeping, so I picked it up very late at night, meaning to just read a few chapters. You can guess what happened….before I knew it, it was morning and I hadn’t slept at all because I was too engrossed in the story!

Let me tell you what Gallows Hill got right. First of all, it was atmospheric as all get out. Secondly, the pacing was very much on point. There is something very wrong at Gallows Hill, and we the readers know that, The atmosphere of wrongness and dread is so well done. It’s unnerving for the reader but never veers into cheesy or over the top. It’s a very fine line to balance, and Darcy Coates does it with ease.

I’d like to talk about one thing that I as a woman and a reader particularly appreciated. Darcy Coates allowed our protagonist Margot the agency to recognize what was going on. Many times in a gothic suspense novel, the book spends a lot of time gaslighting the protagonist and buying into the crazy or hysterical woman trope. That didn’t happen here. Margot knew something was wrong almost immediately, and she spent very little time doubting herself. She knew she was being lied to by the people around her, and she had the confidence and courage to go searching for answers herself. It led to a very satisfying conclusion of the book.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended!

Gallows Hill is an absolute stunner! Darcy Coates has really outdone herself this time. I've read almost all of her work to date and I have to say this is the very best so far and my new favorite! The story was fantastic and I was just sucked into it.

I wish it was possible to rate this book at 3.5 stars.

I do not think this was one of the stronger books Darcy Coates has written. I have only rated one other book by her lower that 4 stars, so this was difficult. It started off very slow and I struggled to become invested in it like I had other books she's written.

About half way through, things picked up and it became much easier to read. The flow of the book was better and it felt like the story was moving forward. I struggled a bit with some of the things that went on with her relationship with her parents. It felt like they were there to add emotion and sentiment to the story, but I think it fell short and seemed forced and unrealistic.

The ending was a bit weak. Based off of the events that had happened previous nights, it just didn't really seem realistic that the issues could be solved that easily when they had been going on for 12 generations at that point.

The best word I can use to describe this book is “atmospheric.” This is my first experience with Darcy Coates, and I find her writing very impressive! Her style is exceptionally descriptive. While I prefer my books to be more dialogue heavy, I still enjoyed her descriptions of the house, the property, and all the spookiness. I think her style lends well to a story like this one. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loved the Haunting of Hill House!!

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. I've been meaning to read some of Darcy Coates books for a long time, so I was very excited to read this!

I absolutely loved this book! It was super creepy and I could not put it down. I am not easily spooked from books or movies, so the fact that this book had me creeped out to walk through my house in the dark at night and simply see my shadow says something. Something to note though is that anyone who is claustrophobic like I am, be warned. This book is very heavy on tight enclosed spaces.

The end of this book was fantastic. No spoilers here, but while I had an idea of what may be coming, it was horrifically amazing on multiple levels to me.

The house isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a trap. Don’t let it trick you into thinking otherwise.

After the passing of her estranged parents, Margot returns home for the first time since being sent away as a child. She’s inherited everything her parents own… including a curse.

You see, the Hill is a place that has seen great tragedy hundreds of times over. And pain like that leaves a mark on the earth.

This was a fun read! I’ll admit that the first 10% didn’t engage me much and I’m normally hooked on DC books from the very first page. However, it quickly turned itself around and proved to be a tense book full of moments made to make you gasp out-loud.

I can say that this haunted/not exactly haunted story has been done before by the author in The Haunting of Ashburn house. However, I think its a formula that she’s made work and one that doesn’t feel like an exact copy of a previous book.

This book gives me a lot of those classic haunted house tropes. You know- things that move or stop working. Blink and its gone moments. A protagonist who can’t seem to stop doing silly things. And while I think that could’ve been irritating, I found it fun and really enjoyable!

“The hill takes something from most of us eventually.”

There are so many layers to the plot of this book and sometimes I think they are too easily explained away, but that is my only real gripe.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy Coates for this eARC!