Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates

I rated Gallows Hill 4 out of 5 pages. Gallows Hill was exactly what I was looking for to round up the spooky season. It was full of mystery, darkness, and bone-chilling descriptions leading the reader on an unpredictable journey into the secrets and past of the Hull family.

Coates introduces us to Margot, the new owner of Gallows Hill Winery, after her parents passed away unexpectedly. Little does Margot know but the land that generations of Hulls have lived and worked on has a lot more in its depths than meets the eye. Margot is in for a battle she never expected in a house that never rests.

Gallows Hill left goosebumps at the turn of every page for me. Very few authors can pull of a vivid, descript horror novel and, in my opinion, Coates is one of those talented writers. I found myself deep in the trenches with Margot, experiencing her fears and uncertainty, holding my breath with every turn of the page. At times, I felt Coates may have dragged on certain aspects especially as Margot tried to acquaint herself with the house, but Coates makes up for it with the eerie scenes she sets and the creepiness of the house. Coates took great care in developing a back story as to the winery and the land it sits on, however, the backstory in terms of Margot and her relationship with her parents was a little unbelievable; needed for the sake of the story albeit a little dense. However, this story was not at all what I was expecting, and I devoured it all the same.

I would highly recommend this read for anyone looking to add some thrilling paranormal horror to your reading repertoire.