Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong Published by Self-Published on October 6, 2026
Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Thriller
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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A forested road at night, slick from the pounding rain and eerily illuminated by flashes of lightning. Just before midnight, a car swerves to avoid something—or someone—mysteriously standing in the road, only to slam into a fallen tree instead. In the pitch black, four more cars follow in a pileup no one can seem to avoid.
Stumbling out of the wreckage, soaked from the rain and nursing various injuries, five strangers find themselves in a backwoods dive bar, waiting for daybreak and hoping for cell service. But as tensions rise and the storm rages on outside, the occupants of the dive bar start to notice that not everything is as it seems. Time is moving differently, and they quickly learn that going outside—whether to assist another accident victim or to hike for help—is a very bad idea.
There’s something in the woods, something that isn't natural. Could the figure in the road have been a warning? Or something more sinister? None of this is normal, and they'll need to work together to figure out what’s happening if they have any hope of surviving the night.
I don’t really read in the horror genre but Kelley Armstrong is a favorite author. The description for Dive Bar at the End of the Road sounded more like a mystery. So I decided to give it a try.
I found it easy to read, and really a bit campy. The various horror aspects didn’t feel real and so they weren’t scary to me. I was still focused on the mystery parts of understanding what was happening and how they would survive it. The characters were victims of car crashes on a stormy night. The first two: Ellie and Henry were the best defined with the ones following less well developed.
The best parts to me were the character growth as some victims handled their regrets and fears in life, and confirmed their personal values. I don’t want to give too many details or spoil how things happen. The ending was clear and mostly satisfying.
About Kelley Armstrong
Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could
write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a
story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls
and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. Today, she continues to
spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked
away in her basement writing dungeon. She lives in southwestern
Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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- Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong @kelleyarmstrong.bsky.social @KelleyArmstrong #SpeccyFicChal - October 3, 2026
- 🎧 The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas @[email protected] @penguinaudio.bsky.social @berkleypub.bsky.social @sherrythomas @BerkleyPub @KateReadingVO @PRHAudio #LoveAudiobooks - October 1, 2026
- 🎧 The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves @anncleeves.bsky.social #JackHolden @macmillanaudio.bsky.social @minotaurbooks.bsky.social @AnnCleeves @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress - September 29, 2026
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 26-COYER
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