5 out of 5 stars
Book by Darcy Coates
A good horror book to read with a glass of wine… or maybe not?
The successful Gallows Hill winery has been owned and operated by the Hull family for generations, until the morning Mr. and Mrs. Hull are found dead in their beds. Margot, their estranged daughter, inherits the family business, only to discover that the unparalleled and award winning produce comes at the price. Gallows Hill is built on the land where hundreds of convicts were once hanged, and the dead do not rest. Alone in the sprawling, rundown house, Margot realises the whispers the locals have told her are true. The undead haunt Gallows hill… and she may be the next victim of a curse that doesn’t rest.
Horror books rely on a foreboding and tense atmosphere, and Darcy Coates’s latest novel doesn’t disappoint. The tension builds throughout the story, keeping readers hooked to the last page. Margot is understandably confused by the unusual deaths of her parents. Uprooted from her life and now expected to run a business where employees depend on her, we empathise with the uncertainty that weighs on her young shoulders.
The spine-tingling descriptions and creepy imagery that Coates is known for work seamlessly between the slower-tension building scenes and the horror-packed action scenes. You really can imagine you are watching a horror movie. With Halloween just around the corner, this is one to add to your TBR list.