April 2023 Group Read with Guest Author: Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates Darcy Coates

[Alexis ₍ᐢ._.ᐢ₎♡ ༘]

I'm on page 200, so 60% through and I'm loving this! its currently 10:30 pm and I can't stop reading!!!! I need to know what's happ-e-nin-g!!! asap!!

[Alexis ₍ᐢ._.ᐢ₎♡ ༘]

also, Margot just found out some spicy details about the winery's history and let me tell you, every experience Margot has had so far was an unpleasant one. I would get out of there while you still can, my girlie :((((

[Alexis ₍ᐢ._.ᐢ₎♡ ༘]

Damini wrote: "started this today, seems really interesting so far! can't wait to get off of work and read more. it's also raining here, so the weather is complementing the reading perfectly hehe"

rain is also my favorite weather to read scary books, makes everything more spooky :)

[Catalina]

Still snowing here in Colorado and diving in. What a great way to read this creepy read!

[Jeff]

Raining in upstate NY..to continue into tomorrow....

[Stacey]

I'm nearing the end. Such a creepy, awful backstory! I'm super interested to figure out more. I can see this going a few ways, but I really hope I'm a bit surprised.

[Michael]

Damn I need to catch up xD only read a few chapters lol sometimes I'm a slow reader.

[Deb]

Gallows Hill was my first Darcy book. I will now read the rest! Gallows Hill was the scariest book I’ve ever read. If you put yourself in the main character’s shoes, oh the dread! The inevitable terror she faces! I loved it Darcy!

[Jeff]

Book is turning out to be more unexpected than I thought....some years ago (and perhaps still today)...there was a trend among publishers for paperback originals - where a woman would come to a castle or other structure...and find that she was being threatened by a series of supernatural events - or events that were made to look like supernatural events - covers of these books often had the main character fleeing in the night...I thought "Gallows" was going to be a similar book.....no spoilers..but I was WRONG....

[Darcy]

Deb wrote: "Gallows Hill was my first Darcy book. I will now read the rest! Gallows Hill was the scariest book I’ve ever read. If you put yourself in the main character’s shoes, oh the dread! The inevitable te..."

That's such huge praise! Thank you! I love books that make you question what you would do in that situation. Especially with the dilemma Gallows Hill offered Margot--(view spoiler)[with no chance to simply run away, she'd have to either confront it, or learn to live with it like her parents had. Gallows Hill could have been a comfortable life for her if she chose it... and, well, if she managed to survive the curse. (hide spoiler)]

[Darcy]

Jeff McIntosh wrote: "Book is turning out to be more unexpected than I thought....some years ago (and perhaps still today)...there was a trend among publishers for paperback originals - where a woman would come to a cas..."

The gothic romances! I love those. We had a really excellent modern version recently with Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic. You're right, Gallows Hill is a very different kind of story, though!

[Darcy]

I've got to add--I'm so impressed at how quickly some of you read. I feel like I blinked and the first week of April has already vanished.

[Stacey]

I listen, it was great as an audiobook as well. It took me a bit longer as I usually listen to audiobooks in the car, but I didn't want to miss anything which can happen while driving. There are lots of very fast readers around here though.

[Jeff]

HA!

Finished it.

Very nice. I wonder if there are more adventures for Kant and Margot......


Jeff Mc

[Damini]

I was up late last night reading this, terrified of leaving the safety of my blanket, but also unable to tear myself away. Made it to the 60% mark before my eyes gave up on me and wouldn't stay open. I think I'll be finishing this today. It's really spooky! The horrors are relentless, just coming in one after the other, without respite. Absolutely love it.

[Darcy]

Thank you to everyone posting their updates--it's a really lovely experience to sit with you all as you read through the book.

[Darcy]

Now feels like a good chance to talk about some spoilers!

(view spoiler)[When I was still working out the story, a few scenes stood out to me clearly: the double funeral in the first chapter (closed lids, an unintentional mirror for opening the "caskets" of the original Hull family in the final chapters), and the scene where one of the dead creeps into the house through the dog door. My cat has a little cat flap to visit the veranda and I was lying in bed one night as I heard him come through. It makes a distinct flap-flap sound, and I'm very used to it, but there's something about late nights that plays with your imagination. I started to think, what if this thing coming into my house isn't my cat? What if it's a person crawling through? And I decided right then that the awful flap-flap noise was going to be in Gallows Hill. (hide spoiler)]

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

I finished this off yesterday morning, and I have been thinking about it ever since. I should mention that I have read quite a few of the "Haunting" books, Craven Manor, the House Next Door, and even Parasite - this book is by far the creepiest one of yours I have read to date! I loved it!!

(view spoiler)[.. Yes, the doggie door was another thing I didn't think about before but now wonder if I would ever want one! lol

I also found the underground tunnel scenes to be frightening - It gave me claustrophobic vibes and goosebumps a couple of times. Bravo, Darcy! . (hide spoiler)]

[Deb]

Darcy wrote: "Deb wrote: "Gallows Hill was my first Darcy book. I will now read the rest! Gallows Hill was the scariest book I’ve ever read. If you put yourself in the main character’s shoes, oh the dread! The i..."

And that curse! I have lived in a house over 100 years old before, one with two sets of stairs. The idea that I could have kept someone from finding me in the creaky house…you can hear EVERYTHING when you move around in those kinds of places. I loved putting myself in your main character’s shoes. I can’t wait to read another, Craven Manor is my next read.

[L. Smashing]

I've read a couple of Darcy's books, but have always felt kinda meh about them (no offense), but this one ---- whoooooo boy! There's a particular scene where I was feeling the creeping dread, something I feel so rarely when reading books.

I have to say that this was the first DC book that really creeped me out and the first book in a long time to do so as well.

I was trying to picture the house, and I just kept thinking of the (view spoiler)[ Winchester Mystery House. How every generation kept adding on more rooms to try to hide from the spirits. Also, I would have loved to see Andrew's face when he realized what he just drank. If I was a wine drinker, I wouldn't be now (hide spoiler)].

Outside of spoilers, one thing that annoyed me was that there was no mention of a bathroom until late day two or three? I guess I have to pee so often that the character not knowing where the bathroom was until she actually needed to shower boggled me. XD

[Evie]

Like so many others, this is also my first Darcy Coates book, and it really was fantastic. I'm a big fan of storylines where the supernatural take on some sort of physical embodiment, and it's not just just ghosts or implied ghosts. And I absolutely love a fulfilling horror book that actually gives my an origin story for the "villian", in the book, so THANK for a really well-done and fleshed-out one! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Damini]

Finished this yesterday, and let me tell you, I was scared of my own, relatively new, crime-free (...as far as I know), rented apartment! I think the build-up was well crafted, and (view spoiler)[every time the bells would ring, I'd get goosebumps and huddle a little bit more inside my blanket. Especially the scene where the cursed corpse dragged itself in using the doggy door, it was such a tension filled scene, terrifyingly detailed, very well done. (hide spoiler)]

Also, can I just give a shout out to the curly hair representation here? Us curlies struggle so much trying to get our manes to behave, all the products and efforts that go in, everything was acknowledged and talked about and presented as a genuine obstacle to time-sensitive actions. I laughed when (view spoiler)[ Margot decided to not do any of the regular hair-wash routine because it takes so long, that she didn't want to use up the daytime hours (hide spoiler)]. Thanks Darcy, it was a fun thing to read, irrespective of its relevance to the story!

[Damini]

Deb wrote: "Darcy wrote: "Deb wrote: "Gallows Hill was my first Darcy book. I will now read the rest! Gallows Hill was the scariest book I’ve ever read. If you put yourself in the main character’s shoes, oh th..."

I agree! I loved the (view spoiler)[ subversion of the regular hide-in-a-closet trope. So much more thrilling and worrisome to read about the protagonist exposing themselves completely to the cursed corpses (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

I just finished Gallows Hill and I really enjoyed it. I have read a lot of Darcy's books and this is one of my favorites. This one seems scarier than most of her other books and I loved it!

[Evie]

came back to say that I changed my rating from a 4 star to a 5 star because I had nightmares about the dead ones and wine casks last night. Books don't give me nightmares. Well done Darcy Coates!!!!!

[Veronica]

I just started Gallows Hill. I'm about 50 pages in and I'm already hooked! I'm not reading too many comments for fear of spoilers. But I can't wait to get caught up!

[Jennifer]

I've just finished my last read so I'll be starting this one today. I've heard lots of good things about it so I'm excited to get started.

[Alexis ₍ᐢ._.ᐢ₎♡ ༘]

I loved this book. It had really good tension, relatable characters and a fair share of suspense. At some points, I got genuinely scared, and since im doing most of my reading in the night-time, I sometimes had to put the book down. Definitely will check out more of Darcy's work :)) !! congrats on such a creepy horror novel.

[Brenna]

Finally getting started today! From the comments here, I have a feeling I'll devour it. Excited to discuss :)

[Wyrd]

I might purchase this one soon if just to join the discussion. The problem is I've been reading so much horror lately for both the blog and my job. But I want to try to squeeze one more in this month.

[Darcy]

Evie wrote: "Like so many others, this is also my first Darcy Coates book, and it really was fantastic. I'm a big fan of storylines where the supernatural take on some sort of physical embodiment, and it's not ..."

Thank you! I'm someone who both loves and can't stand an unresolved mystery (what actually happened in the last months of the Erebus expedition? Who killed the Bordens?) and so books can turn into a very cathartic way to make sure at least some answers exist, ha.

[Darcy]

Damini wrote: "Also, can I just give a shout out to the curly hair representation here? Us curlies struggle so much trying to get our manes to behave, all the products and efforts that go in, everything was acknowledged and talked about and presented as a genuine obstacle to time-sensitive actions."

Curly club represent! You would not believe the number of times I say, "I can make it last another day, surely?" Curly hair doesn't seem to pop up in fiction very much (or if it does, it's part of a character description and not mentioned again) so I very much wanted it to feel realistic in Margot's case.

[Darcy]

L. Smashing wrote: "I've read a couple of Darcy's books, but have always felt kinda meh about them (no offense), but this one ---- whoooooo boy! There's a particular scene where I was feeling the creeping dread, somet..."

This is something my editor caught, too, and I spent too much time arguing with her. "No, she found a half bath already, she just hasn't found the shower!" But I obviously didn't convey that very well in the actual book, so my editor was right to flag it after all. :B

[Darcy]

Tina wrote: "I'm about halfway through and - wow - the tension and terror... putting myself in Margo's shoes is terrifying and I find myself with constant chills and shivers while I listen. The audio version is..."

I'm really glad! The narrator, Lauren Ezzo, is so fantastically skilled. She's narrated some of my favourite books (Dead Silence! When She Returned! The Butterfly Garden, and so many more!) so I was beyond thrilled to have her narrate Gallows Hill as well.

[Darcy]

I'm going to stop myself here before I leave a wall of messages in my wake, but a huge thank you to everyone I haven't replied to--I'm loving reading your comments, and I'm only sorry I can't thank each of you personally!

[Kevin G]

Just finished this, which was my first Darcy Coates novel and won’t be the last (I already have The Haunting of Blackwood House and The Haunting of Ashburn House on my shelf). For the first time in a long time, a book found its way into my dreams and freaked me out. Well done.

[Monika]

I've just finished. I feel sorry for Matgot. One young lady and so many she met. Book was great I had goose bumps and that doesn't happen to me.

[Catalina]

Holy smokes was that a scary and delicious read. Mrs. Darcy Coates, I tip my literary hat to you. This book had me in knots of fear. I think I’ve held my breathe for the last few chapters. Chapter 43 I was listening to Tainted Love by Soft Cell and the melody plus the fear coasting through my blood was so choice! Thank you for freaking me out these past few days! Lol.

[Hayley]

So excited you are here with us this month, Darcy! I'm on Chapter 7 and LOVING this so far!

[Kenneth]

On Chapter 11 and the old-time gothic feel of this one is strong. Well done, Darcy!

[Tom]

I'm usually in the middle of two books at once, reading one book and listen to another while driving or walking my dog. To keep them straight, I usually try to make sure that both books are of very different genres or settings. This month, however, I find myself listening to Gallows Hill and reading How to Sell a Haunted House, by Grady Hendrix. In each book both parents die suddenly leaving haunted houses to their children. In both cases there are creepy puppets, spooky attics and televisions that turn themselves on. The stories are actually quite different but with these similarities I suspect that it won't be long before I'll be asking myself, "Which book had the (fill in the blank)?"

[Alan]

Hi Darcy,
This is unrelated to Gallows HIll, but I wanted to pop in and say I just finished a NetGalley ARC of your upcoming Dead of Winter, and wow oh wow, I'm still sitting here with bated breath and a racing heartbeat. Anyone enjoying Gallows Hill has a sensational novel to look forward to in a few months.
I also tagged you on my Twitter post, but I only tag authors when I give them give them good reviews, so if you read it, hope you like.
Thanks for such an intense book!

[Leigh]

I finished yesterday. I really loved the creep factor of this book. I kept thinking how it would make a great movie

[Lindsay]

Tom wrote: "I'm usually in the middle of two books at once, reading one book and listen to another while driving or walking my dog. To keep them straight, I usually try to make sure that both books are of very..."

I did the exact same thing last month! I didn't realize they had the same overarching plot, and I ended up reading them both. Honestly, and not just cause this is a particular thread- I enjoyed Gallow's Hill much better. I had to stop reading it at night.

Also made me very happy I don't drink wine.

[Hayley]

I'm a little more than halfway through and am loving every minute of this. I love how capable Margot is! She is not letting the bastards get her down! And she is holding together way better than I would.

[Brenna]

I’m not too far in but hooked! And definitely spooked! All the descriptions are so vivid you really feel like you’re right in the middle of it all. I would not be able to stay in that house LOL

[Catalina]

.@Hayle I thought the same thing about Margot’s resilience. She did keep going besides the warnings. And I respected her for that tremendously. Scary story and engaging read. I hope everyone is enjoying the end!

[jamako]

Took me a while to finally start my read-along, lots of work this month, but today is the day I'll dive into Gallows Hill :)

[Darcy]

Tom wrote: "I'm usually in the middle of two books at once, reading one book and listen to another while driving or walking my dog. To keep them straight, I usually try to make sure that both books are of very..."

Ah, I read How to Sell a Haunted House last month! It was fantastic. (view spoiler)[Grady Hendrix creates amazingly real characters, and my heart broke for just about everyone by the book's end. Plus at no point did he hold back any of the horror elements. Pupkin is going to live in my head for a very long time. (hide spoiler)]

[Darcy]

Alan wrote: "Hi Darcy,
This is unrelated to Gallows HIll, but I wanted to pop in and say I just finished a NetGalley ARC of your upcoming Dead of Winter, and wow oh wow, I'm still sitting here with bated breath..."

Thank you so much--you're one of the first to give me feedback on Dead of Winter! It's still a few months from coming out but it was an enormous passion project and something I'm so, so proud of. Snowbound survival horror and a locked-room mystery are two elements I can't get enough of.