Gallows Hill

No.

Least favorite Darcy book so far. I had a lot more hope for this with it being named Gallows Hill but no. No.

Why was this 377 pages long?

Margot is the most insufferable FMC I've ever read. I guess I'll have to try Iron Flame to see if that holds true.

Way too long. Too many attempts at descriptors of the haunted house and creepy atmosphere to the point where almost nothing actually happened in the book until about 80%.

What a stupid ending. The wine barrels had dead bodies in it? And every single generation before KNEW THE BODIES WERE THERE AND DIDN'T DO ANYTHING? What the actual fuck. I thought she was going to die at the end which would have made sense but alas...

Still don't understand why Margot got sent away by her parents, if they knew that no matter what she would be brought back to Gallows and then have NO IDEA HOW TO MANAGE IT.

Not worth the time it took to read, honestly.

Really love the story, but it was super slow. Genuinely spooky, very very good read!

This was a slow creeping haunted house book. The ending was better than I expected and made up for some of my annoyances with Margot and Leafell. I am glad I finally got around to reading a Darci Coates book.

“Gallows Hill” by Darcy Coates had me spooked to my core! I couldn't read it while home alone! I enjoy the thrill of scary stories and this one was top-tier for atmosphere. The perfect book to read at the start of spooky season!

Margot, who hasn't seen her parents for most of her life, finds she inherited their home and the family business, a winery, after their suspicious deaths. When Margot arrives at Gallows Hill, she discovers a curse on the land and fights for her life to escape the same fate as her parents.

Despite the story feeling a tad long at times between the action, this was such a thrilling read. I LOVED the atmosphere of the old, creepy house and the history. The plot is good, but the atmosphere was the standout for me. Not to mention the ending had my jaw dropped to the floor! I would have loved the end to be expanded upon because it was so interesting, but it was still satisfying nonetheless.

I would recommend this book if you enjoy thrilling, spooky, haunted reads that will keep you up at night. It was so fun following Margot on her journey of discovering the life she may have lived if she grew up on Gallows Hill.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book is the second book from Darcy Coates I've had the pleasure of reading, and it won't be my last. The book follows Margot, a young woman estranged from her family, that returns to her ancestral home after the death of her family. Looking for closure and a potential purpose for her life she quickly discovers her inheritance may be more than she bargained for in a home. Deeply atmospheric this is the perfect gothic read for the fall spooky season. Thank you Poisoned Pen and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.

Darcy Coates does it again. Another book where every one of my nerves was on end for a majority of my read. Two of my favorite things about Darcy's book are the readability of them and the great story telling. Gallows Hill is set up where a lot of mystery surrounds most of the beginning of the book and this propelled me forward even though it felt a bit slow. The build up is worth it though as the last half of the book is filled with excitement that will leave your blood pumping. The supporting characters are well formed and really aid the story through along with a strong female MC. There are many things I want to say, but in doing so would give too much away. I think going into this book as blind as possible makes the experience of reading it so perfect.

Overall, this book will rattle your nerves and get your blood pumping while propelling you to the end. The mystery will keep you looking for clues. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC!