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mhugie2 's review for:

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates
4.0

Gallows Hill was my first Darcy Coates book, and her poetically creepy writing style won me over. As a rule, I can read horror books, but am unable to watch horror movies because the music gets to me. This book was written in such a way that it felt like there was a full orchestral score associated with it-you could feel a jump out of your seat moment coming but could do nothing to stop the terror from taking hold. The descriptions were captivating, lyrical and slightly long-winded. It only took a couple of chapters for me to be completely terrified and that terror carried throughout the book.

Readers who love a beautifully written slow burn novel will love this book. Most of the action happens in the first 10% and final 30% of the book, with all the in-betweens being a slow build up. The last bit of this book went very quickly, and every sentence was action-packed. The mystery and big reveal itself were very satisfying.

This book is long and may be difficult for some to get through because there is so much build up to the final action. There are moments in the middle where there are a lot of pages, but not much is happening. I ultimately really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well-written, enjoyed the authors style and ended up being surprised and content with the ending. Anyone that enjoys a creepy ghost story, rich in drama and a scandalous family history, will enjoy this book. Plus, who doesn’t like ghost zombies?