Review: Death Valley by Karina Halle

Take Yellowstone and add in the White Walkers from Game of Thrones and you have Death Valley. Morally grey cowboys, menacing wilderness, and deadly zombies await in this dark western horror romance from NYT bestselling author Karina Halle.

Three years ago Aubrey Wells’ sister disappeared in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Since then, Aubrey’s life has crumbled around her. Desperate for answers, she hires rancher and wilderness guide Jensen McGraw to help discover what happened to her sister.

Jensen doesn’t frighten easily. Hell, the finances of his family’s ranch are mixed up with one of the world’s most dangerous crime bosses, but he knows exactly what kind of unnatural creatures wait up in those mountains. He tries to convince Aubrey to give up, but he needs the money she offers if he wants to retake control of his ranch.

Business isn’t the only thing brewing between Aubrey and Jensen—secrets, lies, and an intense attraction threaten to derail their journey up the mountain. When a fierce snowstorm hits, and members of the crew start disappearing, Aubrey and Jensen will have to use all their wits to survive.

Because what dies in this wilderness doesn’t stay dead… it devours.

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

Death Valley is a tense, chilling mix of horror, suspense, and romance set in the unforgiving Sierra Nevada Mountains. Aubrey Wells is desperate to uncover the truth about her sister’s disappearance, and rancher Jensen McGraw—burdened by his own troubles—reluctantly agrees to guide her. But what they encounter in the mountains is far worse than they ever imagined. Here, the dead don’t stay dead.

This book had me on edge the entire time. The atmosphere is eerie, the twists are brutal, and the zombies? Absolutely terrifying. Halle’s descriptions make the setting feel alive—cold, isolated, and full of danger. And while the horror is relentless, the emotional moments hit just as hard—I wasn’t expecting to tear up, but I did.

Aubrey and Jensen’s chemistry is fantastic. Their relationship builds naturally, with tension that feels raw and real. And yes, there are a couple of spicy scenes that were chef’s kiss—perfectly placed and adding just the right amount of heat to balance the fear.

Honestly, this would make an incredible horror movie. If you like dark, atmospheric thrillers with great characters, unexpected twists, and a touch of steam, Death Valley is a must-read.

Meet Karina:

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

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