could have done without some flat moments but otherwise a great plot well executed with a very interesting main character! I liked how realistic her reactions were, not overly rebelling just for the sake of being an independent free spirit etc etc she wanted to survive and Mary was my favorite character for that reason. it's rare to find "accurate" survival portrayal in books, authors tend to go straight to stereotypical all or nothing mentality. recommend for anyone looking for a good "abduction" story 🥸


[review posted on goodreads and amazon, and maybe later on tiktok and instagram]

An off-season Olympian, Miley, is working a summer job when she's suddenly faced with a fight for her life. She is abducted to a homestead deep in off-grid woods. Can she strategically plan an escape before its too late?
An absolutely gripping thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat! Could not put this one down.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

Gray After Dark
By Noelle W. Ihli
Available to Purchase Now!!

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

📚THE SYNOPSIS:

When a tragic accident sidelines Miley's dreams of Olympic gold, she takes a summer job at a mountain guest lodge. The Frank Church Wilderness is remote, but it’s the perfect place to train and recover. Local lore about a staffer who died years ago doesn’t scare her.

But it should.

Miley’s plans take a terrifying detour when she’s abducted during a morning run. Held captive in a desolate off-grid cabin, she’ll have to use her athletic prowess, cunning mind, and courage to survive. But as the nightmare at the cabin escalates, Miley is forced to form an unlikely alliance and attempt a risky escape. Can she outwit her captors and survive the wilderness before it’s too late?

📚MY REVIEW:

This was my first 'Buddy Read' with one of my fellow Bookstagrammers, @kellysbooknook , and it was so much fun!! Big thanks to @netgalley and Dynamite Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was fantastic in so many ways! The story was so well-written, with heart-pounding suspense that ensured I turned the pages as quickly as possible. This was a fast read, primarily because it was such a gripping story! The main characters in the story were multi-faceted and their narratives kept me captivated. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs from chapter to chapter, some of which included flashbacks for deeper context. And I was grateful for the trigger warnings in the opening pages!

This book is for you if you like stories about kidnappings, cabins in the middle of nowhere, and truly diabolical abductors. This book is definitely NOT for you if you don't like stories with extreme violence, physical abuse, and sexual assault themes.

What I loved most about this book was that the author's note at the end revealed it was based on a true story about an Olympic athlete named Keri Swenson, abducted in the 1980s. A fictionalized story, but its basis was real. WHAT?! That gave me pause and made me think about everything I'd just read in a completely different way. A thriller highlighting the triumph of the human spirit - brilliant.

Miley and Brent are part of the American Biathlon Olympic team training to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics. When involved in an accident that kills her mother, Miley withdraws into her training and pushes personal relationships aside. She takes a job in a secluded high end summer resort up in the Idaho mountains where she can train on the trails in her off time. While running on a secluded trail, Miley is kidnapped by two men living isolated in the woods and her worst nightmares begin to unfold.

Right from page one, this book takes off and keeps you hooked. Its a super fast read that I was able to finish in two days. The POV toggles between Miley and Brent. While I felt Brent was a bit overbearing in his feelings toward Miley, I enjoyed reading his story as he searches for her because it was a break from the horrors of Miley's point of view. There is some off-page rape and sexual assualt, so if you are sensitive to that subject you might want to skip this book. I will say though, the author handled the events well. It was glossed over and did not go into any details. Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was made even more horrifying in that the author took inspiration from real life events.

The second book by @noelleihliauthor I've read and it won't be the last! I received a copy from Xpresso Book Tours via Netgalley and it came out yesterday!

Miley's has a summer job at a mountain guest lodge after having had a terrible accident. It is the perfect place to train for the Olympics and to recover. While on a morning run she was abducted and held captive in an off-grid cabin. As this nightmare continues she needs to rely on her own to get through this. Can she survive the wilderness before it’s too late?

As I've read another book by this author I couldn't wait to start with this one. It started out slowly, but then it was a rollercoaster of events leading up to a perfect climax. Loved the storyline and the characters. The characters are worked out quite well and you get to know them more and more while reading this amazing thriller. The reasoning behind the different decisions was explained and logical although you were hoping for something else. The storyline is a scary one, one you'll hopefully never experience - I just wondered, wasn't it easier quicker to use dogs? All in all, a great thriller which I've read in only a day and a half as I just couldn't put it down.

5/5 ⭐

I wasn’t able to put this book down! So much action and all the feels. I can’t believe that some aspects of the story are true. Noelle is such a great author and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Miley’s dreams of competing in the Olympics are drawn to a halt when she is in a tragic accident. So she takes a summer job in a mountain lodge, to earn some extra money while she gets back into her training. The Frank Church Wilderness is remote, and as long as she completes her duties with work, she is free to train in the expansive woods that surround the property. One day, when out for her usual run, Miley is abducted. Held captive in an off-the-grid cabin miles from civilization, Miley will have to be stronger than she has ever been to not only escape but to survive.

Noelle Ilhi is a master at writing dark, atmospheric, abnxiety-inducing stories! And I mean that in the best way possible as a triller lover. As with all her books, I knew this book was going to be a wild ride. The rich wilderness the camp was set in was so vividly described, I felt like I could see the miles upon miles of forest. Something about the woods - not being able to see your way out - is so frightening to me. Add in the element of two crazy “survivalist” men and I was definitely up way too late reading, then double checking the locks on my doors! Miley was strong; her determination to live leapt off the pages as much as the creepiness did. I was shocked to see Miley’s story was based on a real-life events!

Thank you to Noelle Ilhi, Netgalley and Dynamite Books for the ARC! “Gray After Dark” released March 22, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I was intrigued by the blurb and once I got into the story, I felt a bit bored. The story dragged and I considered putting it down and coming back to it, but ended up skimming towards the end. It did pick up towards the end, however wrapped up and jumped to the epilogue pretty quickly.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of “Gray After Dark.”

This book is inspired by true events of an athlete abducted by a father and son in the woods.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved it more than I thought I would. I didn’t feel like there was any pages that were ‘fluff’. Every word had its spot in the story, and it kept me hooked. I couldn’t wait to keep coming back to this book. To top it all off, the author is a Murderino for any of you familiar with the podcast My Favorite Murder. This is my first book of Ihli’s, but I will definitely be reading more from this author.

This was a true page-turner, and I read it in a day. I was riveted by this story. Miley’s determination to survive and her willingness to do whatever it took to escape her captors. was admirable, as was Brent’s devotion to her. I don’t want to say more about the characters and plot because I think a reader should just jump in and go for this thrilling ride. I recommend heeding the content warnings the author includes at the front of the book, especially about the violence.

I finished the book on a day... I work full time too but still got it done because I simply could not stop reading it. Noelle Ihil sure knows how to write!! I was HOOKED in the first few pages.. And the prologue had me even moreso like 😵‍💫🤯 this book was incredible. The characters. The storyline. The details. I felt like I was there (sometimes scarily enough). Thank you for being an incredible author and creating works of art like this!! 10 out of 5 stars!! And Thanks to Dynamite Books and Noelle W. Ihli, Author for providing the ARC!! The pleasure was all mine to read this incredible book!

This thriller grabbed my attention within the first several chapters. It got its hooks in and wouldn’t let go! I became even more interested in the story as I learned it was inspired by true events.

Miley “Miles” is an Olympic biathlon racer (cross country skiing/target shooting) and she takes a summer job in the Idaho wilderness at a bougie lodge resort. During her off hours she runs & trains. Local stories about a former lodge employee who went missing and bears do not stop her from her runs in the remote wilderness. Her work and training is put to an end when she is taken by a father/son pair who live off grid in the forest.

The story is told from alternating points of view, that of Miley and that of her teammate, Brent. The alternating points of view give the reader a great 360 degree view about what is going on. Both Miley and Brent are smart, determined and strong. Their tenacity and drive make them super likable characters. The strength and determination of Miley in particular is very excellent to read about and I found myself rooting for her from page 1.

This book certainly delivered an adrenaline rush and left me always hungry to know what the next move was. This novel is definitely for those who enjoy thrillers, especially with a strong female main character. Furthermore, I think this book will appeal to lovers of general fiction!

Thanks to Netgalley, Noelle W. Ihli and Dynamite Books for the opportunity to read the e-version of this book before release for an honest review in return!

What a gripping, nail biting terrifying ride! Thoroughly enjoyed that and struggled to put it down. The fact it was loosely based on a true story just added to the thrill of the read. Well done to Noelle Ihli for writing another cracking thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley for my Arc copy.

What a ride! This book is amazing!
So tense, nail bitting, that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

It’s the type of book that will keep your anxiety in check, I can tell you that.

Fast paced, so intense, very well written and with characters that will keep you so engaged the entire time.

This book was inspired in a true story, which makes it even better.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Out today! Highly recommended!

Wow what a great story. Miley is an Olympic biathlete who, after a traumatic event, has taken a Summer job in the forests of Idaho.

What happens from there is a flurry of action, horror, fear and anxiety. This book had me ‘just reading one more chapter’ well into the night!

I loved the way Noelle wrote and the fear and hope you felt for the main character. I can’t wait to read more of her books. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this advance copy.

Five glowing stars here! Wow wow wow.
What an engaging plot!! I generally enjoy these darker themes so it’s no wonder I picked it up, but wow!
I was there for every second of the story!
The main character was really relatable even with her being an athlete. Everything she went through was rough and real. Kudos to the author for going there!

If I was looking at this story critically, I only wish the ending wasn’t so rushed. I wanted some more of those delirious thoughts during that walk back.

Run run rabbit run…

SUCH A GREAT BOOK!
Easily one of my top 10 for the year!

Get your hands on it NOW! Based on real events, this book is a major page turner that you won’t want to put down! This might be my new favorite from this author!

Thank you #NetGalley and #XpressoTours for the ARC.

Gray After Dark by Noelle Ihli — 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Happy release day to this one!! It was gripping, it was nail biting, it was… enraging. The storyline for this one starts off a little slow as we are meeting the characters and familiarizing ourselves with the setting. Don’t let that deter you at all because once the scary stuff starts happening, you’ll sweat the rest of the way though. The way the author creates such deep feelings of fear and dread as we follow the main character is masterful. You never know what is going to happen on the next page because these characters are so unpredictable, and that’s what kept me hooked the entire time. The topics in this book are dark and heavy, but the main character is such a badass that you’ll be cheering for her the entire time. Abduction stories can be hard to pull off sometimes, but the author did an amazing job at allowing you to feel hopeful for the main character while still keeping that dreadful underlying tone of fear and intensity. It also has pretty good character development in certain areas that I enjoyed watching unfold. I didn’t realize that this story is based on the true story of Kari Swenson’s abduction, so I did shed a few tears at the end of the book. A heartbreaking story with a beautiful hero at the end.

“By then, I’d be gone. Either tearing through the forest at a dead run-or just plain dead.”

“Bang, bang, bang goes the farmer’s gun…run, rabbit. Run, rabbit! Run, run, run.”

Screw you, Hamish and Fred. And any other guy that thinks women are “men’s property” and should be “tamed.” The suspense this book had me in was amazing. The fact that this story is based on true events is mind blowing. So freaking glad Miley and RAYNA got their happy endings! Would def recommend to go read this book, now.

Gray After Dark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I might be a little traumatized, but it was SO worth it!

This book follows Miley, an Olympic biathlon competitor, who deals with a lot of emotional trauma after losing her mom. During her off-season she goes to work at a resort near the Frank Church Mountains. While on a morning run, she gets kidnapped by some Mountain Men who consider themselves as the last real men left and are looking for a wife before doomsday happens. While she is there she has to be “tamed” before they trust her. She’ll act “tamed” while she’s plotting her escape. As days go on, Miley begins to wonder if she will ever get to make it out alive.

I liked this book a lot. While it was hard to read at times, the resilience and determination that Miley had was remarkable. The writing style was good and I loved the dual point of view and short fast- paced chapters. Even though this book dealt with hard topics, I think it was written in the way that was handled with care and the desperations were handled with caution. This book based off the story of the Olympian Kari Swenson who is kidnapped in Montana in 1984.

If you like thriller/mystery, then you’ll like this. It’s out now (happy pub day!) so go check it out! Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for my advance readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.