“Gray After Dark” by Noelle W. Ihli: *Spoiler-Free* Book Review

“I fought to keep my breaths steady and even, even as terror wrapped its hands tighter around my throat, turning the blood in my veins to ice water.

“Ruthie Sue,” Fred crooned, switching tactics. “You’ll die out here if you run,” he added, just as sweetly.

I gritted my teeth. I’d been their pet for months, but they didn’t know a thing about me.

I carefully leaned forward a few inches so I could get eyes on them. I had to know exactly where they were.

The quick glance showed familiar, unkempt beards. Heavy coats. Thick boots. Shotguns at their sides. They were maybe fifty yards away, moving fast in my direction.

If either of them looked directly at the Douglas fir, they’d see me, too.

The thinner shadow, Hamish, stopped near the water pump and whispered something I couldn’t hear.

I took a step out from behind the tree.

It was now or never.”

After taking a few weeks off from reviewing I’m back at it! Gray After Dark is one of the latest thrillers I ticked off of my TBR and when I tell you I was literally biting my fingernails during this read I’m not even kidding! Originally published in March of this year, this one quickly became a favorite of mine. It wasn’t until after I’d finished the book that I was horrified to learn this is based on a true story! The author does take liberties with the story which is not uncommon. I’ve been a big fan of Audible recently so I used a credit for this book and threw on the headphones. Ready for my Thriller Thoughts? Let’s dive right in!

When we meet Miley she is an Olympic biathlon hopeful whose plans are derailed when she experiences a tragic car accident, so she takes a summer job at a mountain guest lodge in order to rest and recuperate. The Frank Church Wilderness is a vast and mysterious place but it’s the only place Miley finds solace from the boring duties at the lodge, so she finds herself exploring at night. She’s been warned against exploring on her own, as a former lodge employee named Rayna went missing years before. It’s believed that Rayna was attacked by a bear, so everyone is taught to always carry bear spray. Miley doesn’t heed the warnings and continues to explore on her own—a decision she’ll soon regret.

Unbeknownst to her, hidden in the middle of the Frank Church Wilderness is a little cabin stocked full of supplies and food, inhabited by two men who enjoy hunting for both sport and thrill, along with a young woman named Mary. This is the place Miley is about to call home for over a month when she’s kidnapped and held captive. Frank and Hamish, the “preppers” who live in the cabin, are determined to “tame” Miley, but she has no intention of giving in. Meanwhile, her biathlon partner Brent and a friend from the lodge named Wes embark on their own rescue mission as they understand it’s a race against time to find Miley and bring her back alive. Told from multiple perspectives of different characters, what follows is a horrifying and captivating story of perseverance, determination, and resilience as Miley clings to the hope of survival and escape, while Brent and Wes cling to the hope of her rescue.

Impressions

• Slow first few chapters
• Captivating story based on true events
• Rooting for characters
• Satisfying ending

Slow first few chapters

I have to admit, I listened to this book on Audible and the first few chapters were a little slow. I’m not sure if reading the physical book would’ve made a difference, but I did find my thoughts wandering as I listened and I had to rewind a few times to catch the parts I missed. I prefer to be hooked from the first chapter, but that being said, it didn’t take long for me to become hooked! It picked up after a few chapters and I couldn’t stop listening to find out what happened!

Captivating story based on true events

To my horror, I found out after I finished the book that this story is loosely based on true events! The story itself was chilling already, but having discovered that it was inspired by the kidnapping of Olympian Keri Swenson in 1984 made it truly captivating. Miley spent a considerable amount of time with her captors, as opposed to Keri who thankfully spent less than 24 hours with hers, so the author took liberties with the story which is fairly typical for fiction based on true events. This made for an exciting and fast-paced plot that kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page!

Rooting for characters

As soon as I was hooked, I was rooting for Miley! I hurt when she hurt. I cried when she cried. I wanted SO desperately to rescue her myself! Her experience was so harrowing I couldn’t help but care for her. I also grew to care for Mary, the woman who lived in the cabin with Miley. Mary holds her own secrets and has endured so much trauma that I couldn’t help but feel compassion for her as well. She makes questionable decisions out of fear and terror, but given her circumstances she really has no choice so you can almost feel the internal struggle she wrestles with. I was also invested in the journey of Miley’s fiercely loyal friends, Wes and Bret. Every time I thought there was no hope for any of them, I was again and again shocked and impressed by the strength and perseverance in each character, all of whom were so endearing that by the end I was rooting for each one.

Satisfying ending

I’ve read other reviews on this book where the readers thought the ending was too easy considering the harrowing experience that the characters endured, so some readers may agree in that aspect. However, not everyone in this story makes it out alive, so it didn’t seem too easy for me. I actually really enjoyed the ending and thought it was very fitting for the characters I had grown to love and care for! I was overjoyed to see how well everyone was doing and what they were up to. Too easy? Perhaps, but I finished the book feeling as though there were no loose ends and I found how the story played out to be thoroughly satisfying.

Rating: ★★★★☆

All in all, I enjoyed this read! It was one of the most exciting reads of the summer, despite a slow beginning which is why I docked one star. The rest of the story makes up for it by keeping me on the edge of my seat, so much so that I was actually chewing my fingernails! RIP, pretty nails. Based on true events, Gray After Dark proved to be a literal nail-biter and I thoroughly enjoyed it (even the ending!). Hands together for the author, readers—this was a good one!

Buy Gray After Dark on Amazon here: