I'll be honest, I started this thinking I was going to predict it all from the start and it be just another "cabin in the woods" story. How wrong I was. This had me gripped from the outset and it was so much more than I could have predicted.

Dead of Winter was a fast paced, heart pounding, anxiety inducing read.I loved every single moment, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. OMG the twist will have your head spinning. How have I never read a book by this author? Definitely on my radar now. This book published on July 11, 2023 don't walk run and get this one you won't regret it. Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

A thriller/horror novel set in an isolated cabin in the Rocky Mountains. Traumatized, introverted Christa is invited on a magical trip by her soon-to-be fiance: two weeks in a mountain lodge, a chance to drop out from the worry and stress of the working world and focus on connecting to nature. Unfortunately, the trip to the lodge is derailed by a massive blizzard, her fiance disappears into the storm, and Christa and her fellow vacationers end up in a backwoods cabin with no electricity, no food, and no phone line. And, since no one was expecting to hear from them for two weeks, no rescue is coming. To make matters even worse, someone begins murdering the vacationers one by one, mutilating the bodies and leaving them as macabre surprises for the survivors. Is the killer someone hiding in the woods? The mysteriously missing owners of the cabin? Or one of the vacationers themselves?

Dead of Winter is, in every possible way, the novelistic equivalent of a shitty slasher movie. Now, I have a lot of love for shitty slasher movies. They are an excellent way to spend a few hours, in my opinion. If you also enjoy them, you will probably enjoy Dead of Winter. Christa is a satisfactory final girl, the gore scenes are nicely gruesome, and the cast of expendable bodies is just interesting enough that you're sad to see them die. My one big complaint is that the identity of the killer is pretty obvious and I wish we'd gotten the reveal earlier, because I had to wait 150 pages after figuring it out for Christa to catch up.

On the other hand, if you're not already a slasher fan, then I don't think Dead of Winter is going to change your mind. It's not doing anything new with the genre, and the writing style is perfectly adequate but not special.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6050163467

This was my first Darcy Coates novel and boy did I have fun!!

I have been told time and time again to read her books if I liked spooky horror, and people were not steering me in the wrong direction. This was spooky and scary and downright insane! I loved the writing and the pacing of this book. It kept me on my toes the whole way through and I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next.

I’ve since hand sold Coates’ books to customers because I need them to experience the magic that is her writing. So. Much. Fun.

Isolated setting? Cold? Snow? Freezing? Horror? A slasher? Sign me up! This was my favorite Coates book yet. I loved this! That is all I have to say, thank you. Oh, and go in blind. Blind as hell.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the plot was well thought out, and I loved how Darcy made it seem like this was a random group of people. But, it turns out it wasn’t quite as random as one would think. I really like how with the isolated setting combined with the active need to survive made the characters paranoid and unable to truly think rationally. The only downside was I did call the killer within the first two chapters. I think if the killer had a bit more to nuance to them, so they didn’t really stand out among the group I would have given this a 5 star.

This was my first Darcy Coates that I actually finished and wow, my jaw was in hell for a majority of this book. The cover is what initially drew me in since I don’t read the synopsis of books and I thought it would be a perfect book to read during the month of December. What I wasn’t expecting is how much this book would shock me and how much I’m still thinking about it even after it’s done.

The twists and shocks start very early in this book and they never seem to stop. Just when I was getting over the shock of one twist, here came another one that I didn’t see coming. The atmosphere added so much to this book for me, the way the snowy wind was described and how frigid the temperature was actually made me cold a couple of times.

The ending of this book was definitely the part that shocked me the most, it was twist after twist and even though I thought I knew who the killer was, I was completely wrong. I had to backtrack a couple of times to make sure I was really keeping up with the story and wow, it really blew me away. Not very many thrillers or horrors shock me as much anymore but this one had me cringing, shivering, and almost not believing what I was reading. I’m very excited to continue on with Darcy’s books now if the rest of them are as good as this one.

Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for the complimentary copy for my honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. The plot sounded intriguing, but the entire story was a complete bloodbath and I had the plot twist figured out early on. Don't waste your time!

🥶 Quotable:

"I'm struck again by the idea that this is some kind of purgatory, that the real world has ceased to exist, that reality has narrowed itself down to this little cabin and the shed behind it and the torments they contain."

🥶My Review:

It is not a secret that Darcy Coates is one of my absolute favorite Horror authors but in Dead of Winter she flexes to more of a Thriller and it is SO WELL DONE.

The sense of doom hits as soon as the tour group gets up into The Rocky Mountains, and the characters are immediately thrown into survival-mode.

My only criticism is that, twice, it is said "the lake is frozen over, so no fishing" "no fishing during the winter". I can assure you as a Minnesotan that ice fishing is very much a thing. 🤪

🥶Tropes:

❄️ Final Girl/Survivor Girl
❄️ Isolated places
❄️ Can't call for help
❄️ Safety in numbers
❄️ "I'll be right back."

5⭐

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel though @netgalley and the publisher @poisonedpenpress / @sourcebooks. I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.*

I think I've decided that the thrillers that Darcy writes aren't always my favorite. I definitely prefer the vibes of her horror books over the thrillers. I am not one that usually guesses who the murderer is, and this one felt like it was really easy to guess? The book felt really formulaic and there just weren't a lot of twists and unexpected things.

This was a great first read by this author! Although I guessed pretty early on who the killer was, I really enjoyed the journey to the reveal, and all the second guessing on my part as Coates threw out so many red herrings! Overall, this was such an enjoyable read, and I can't wait to pick up more of her books!

While this plot line has been used for many books and even television shows, Darcy Coates has given it a few twists and set the characters apart with attitude, while still being just a step in front of the killer. This killer seems to enjoy the horror and terror thay have brought to this small weather bound group. He's....she's......turning up the tension and making every person suspect the others while still managing to stay hidden. When the end comes......well, you'll just have to read the book.

It was a interesting read and enjoyed tge book. I loved the fact it was in a cold climate. I just wish it told more of the fates of the remaining character at the end.

This book was an insanely chilling read. It was extremely tense and very hard to put down. I've read a few other books like this. A group of people are stranded in a snow storm, and things take a deadly turn. They're trying desperately to survive, knowing one of them must be the killer.

Dead of Winter has all the right elements to make this a thrilling read. Suspense, untrustworthy characters, and brutal violence. Although I did guess the twist at the end, I still thoroughly enjoyed the outcome.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Christa wants to put the past behind her and joins a tour group going to the Rocky Mountains to get away for a bit. When a freak storm hits, though, the group is forced to abandon their plan and take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. That’s when the killings begin. After the first body is found, it’s clear they are being hunted by sport, and as the group members are picked off one by one, Christa tries to save who she can and figure out what they all have in common.

This book was fine. It’s a twisty turny thriller that keeps you guessing with a killer with a complicated motive that keeps you guessing. All in a giant snowstorm in the middle of nowhere. It’s a good popcorn read when you need to get cozy those solid winter vibes.

This was my first Darcy Coates book and it did not disappoint! I'm glad a saved it for a cold weather read also!

Trapped in a snow storm a group of strangers must figure out how to stay warm and get to help when they start dying one by one.

Excellent twists and turns in the story!

I could not put this one down. A thrilling read, perfect for horror fans and crime/mystery aficionados alike. Has all the gore, suspense, and twists and turns that make a great cabin in the woods story. The pace was pretty intense throughout. The characterisation was spot on. Christa carries the story on her shoulders and the author has done a fantastic job in keeping the twists alive till the end and keeps you guessing. My first Darcy Coates book has made me into a fan!

This was a really good book, I was completely hooked from the first page and stayed up way to maye reading because I couldn't put it down definitely recommend

Christa is headed out on a trip with her boyfriend, it’s expected to be a relaxing romantic getaway but Christa quickly realizes it’s going to be anything but that. The group becomes stranded on their way to the lodge and start being picked off one by one but Christa is determined to figure out who is the “butcher”.

It’s dark and fast paced and I loved this twisty, cold weather whodunit. Every time I thought I had the story figured out another unexpected twist threw me for a loop. I know I’m going to be thinking about the ending of this one for a while. Will definitely be recommending.

This was a fabulous creepy last night read! I didn't see the twist coming at all, which is my favorite type of thriller! Highly recommend!