The Cold Creek Highway stretches close to five hundred miles through British Columbia’s rugged wilderness to the west coast. Isolated and vast, it has become a prime hunting ground for predators. For decades, young women traveling the road have gone missing. Motorists and hitchhikers, those passing through or living in one of the small towns scattered along the region, have fallen prey time and again. And no killer or abductor who has stalked the highway has ever been brought to justice.
Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home. Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. Overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date, Hailey vanishes into the mountainous terrain, hoping everyone will believe she’s left town. Rumors spread that she was taken by the highway killer—who’s claimed another victim over the summer.
One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek, where her sister Amber lived—and where she was murdered. Estranged from her parents and seeking closure, Beth takes a waitressing job at the local diner, just as Amber did, desperate to understand what happened to her and why. But Beth’s search for answers puts a target on her back—and threatens to reveal the truth behind Hailey’s disappearance… ~ taken from Goodreads
Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home. Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. Overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date, Hailey vanishes into the mountainous terrain, hoping everyone will believe she’s left town. Rumors spread that she was taken by the highway killer—who’s claimed another victim over the summer.
One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek, where her sister Amber lived—and where she was murdered. Estranged from her parents and seeking closure, Beth takes a waitressing job at the local diner, just as Amber did, desperate to understand what happened to her and why. But Beth’s search for answers puts a target on her back—and threatens to reveal the truth behind Hailey’s disappearance… ~ taken from Goodreads
Okay, there's no easing into this review- THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK!!!!!
I was so blown away by the writing! From the scenery, to the characters, to the plot itself- 100/100!
There are books you read and finish and they stay with you. Some days you have a sudden flashback of a scene you read and just smile and reminisce. This is one of those books. Every emotion one could feel are in the pages of this book.
Cold Creek is a small town with dark secrets. For decades girls have gone missing off the highway. No leads or suspects, just the memory of the girls who once were.
For nearly half the book we get to read as Hailey tells us her story. It's a sad and frustrating one, her father passed away and she is trying to adjust to her new life living with her aunt and her aunt's husband, Vaughn. Vaughn is a hard-ass police officer who every teen in the town fears and hates all at once. He is very strict with Hailey and seems to want to make life hard for her.
Johnny is her best friend. He races motorbikes and is a little rough around the edges, but she wants her friend to go pro and leave this small town for better things. There's also a new girl in town, Amber, who works at the diner. Amber is beautiful and full of life and Hailey falls hard for her. They start a relationship with each other, spilling their hopes and dreams for the future.
Her Uncle Vaughn has a secret shed and Hailey breaks in to discover a horrible secret. She is in danger and to save her own life she decides the only thing to do is leave town, live off the grid in the deep woods, and wait until she turns 18 so she can leave her Aunts house and get far away from Vaughn. Only Johnny will know where she is. If all goes right, she will be just another missing girl from Cold Creek.
But then Amber goes missing... and later turns up dead.
We are then introduced to Beth, Amber's sister. Beth was the sister who's life was heading in the right direction, but with Amber's murder she can't focus. She is failing law school and popping pills, and decides to pack up everything she can fit into her car and move to Cold Creek. She must find out what happened to her sister.
Beth's arrival and sleuthing sets into motion a series of events that start unravelling the town's secrets. She befriends Johnny (who knows Hailey is not missing) and the two of them try to right the wrongs and bring justice for Amber and the missing girls of Cold Creek.
This book is a slow burn. There were times I wanted more action and for the pace to pick up, but looking back I can see the author was simply setting the scene for bigger things to come. I had no problem imagining the events in the book, as the characters are so well written and the scenes vividly set. Stevens' writing is effective, provoking, and intense. I loved reading every single word.
"Dark Roads" is set to be released August 2, 2021 here in the U.S. so pre-order now! You don't want to miss this!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me a digital copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 5 star read for me!
Happy Reading!
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