Dead of Winter is an isolated horror reminiscent of And Then There Were None. While I guessed who the killer was early one, I was thrilled while reading. I got so wrapped into this story. I woke up in the middle of the night scared I would be murdered. I looked over my shoulder when I was outside.

Christa and her boyfriend join a tour group to stay at a remote vacation spot in the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately, a severe winter storm hinders their journey, and leaves the group stranded in the freezing weather.

I will definitely be reading more from Darcy Coates.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have to start by saying that I LOVE Darcy Coates. She is an incredible horror writer, she is fantastic at setting up a scene, but most of all, fantastic at creating a creepy atmosphere.

Which is why it pains me to say that Dead of Winter was not it for me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked it, but I felt like it dragged. A LOT.

Let's start with the beginning: the official description seems a bit different than what the book feels like when starting. There is no information about her boyfriend, Kiernan, in the official synopsis, which left me a bit puzzled.

However, it has a very strong start. I LOVED it, until about 15%, when I feel like it started dragging and dragging. The chapters are short and to the point, but I couldn't really get into it about 60%.

As for the grand finale... I would love to say that I was surprised, but I actually thought it might be that way about halfway through.

Now that this book is out, I look forward to the next book in the Gravekeeper series.

True rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Darcy Coates book and it won't be my last! Reading this in the dead of summer sent a chill down my spine (in more than one way) and I highly recommend this one!

Darcy Coates brings readers a chilling new mystery in her latest book Dead of Winter. I love how Coates effortlessly jumps genres— typically between thriller and horror—but in this one readers get a full on mystery novel. We can’t expect Coates to totally abandon her flair for horror though, and Dead of Winter can definitely be categorized as horror for its gore and (on occasion) The Shining like feels—something about an axe wielding dude chopping though a door in an abandon mountain resort. What readers will recognize most though, is the locked-room mystery to solve and the subtle nod to And Then There Were None.

Coates kicks off this mystery with a group of strangers forced to seek refuge in the middle of the mountains after a fallen tree and massive snowstorm sidelines their trip to a remote hotel. The party is slowly picked off (beheaded to be exact) and our main protagonist Christa is doing everything she can to figure out who in their group can or cannot be trusted.

With short chapters, red herrings, cliffhangers and tense moments of suspense, Dead of Winter has the elements of a great mystery covered but also the addictive and pulse-pounding feel of a thriller. There were parts where the story dragged and while I was committed to see it through, my interest did wane at times. An avid mystery or thriller reader may also find this one on the predictable side.

All in all, Dead of Winter is another solid book from Coates and she has cemented herself for me as an auto-read author. Fans of locked-room mysteries who aren’t afraid of a little gore will especially enjoy this one and there’s no doubt that even if you read it in the middle of summer there will be moments that chill you to the bone.

This was my first Darcy Coates book! I’ve heard wonderful things about Coates’s books so I was definitely excited to read her latest horror novel. Dead of Winter follows a group of people on a snowy getaway who soon become stranded in an abandoned cabin in the wilderness. What could go wrong?? Apparently, a heck of a lot! There’s some psycho going around killing people. Is it one of the group or some deranged outsider?

Mystery/thriller fans will likely enjoy this one. I found I guessed certain things early on, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. I loved Coates’s writing. She created such a creepy and chilling atmosphere in this story. I look forward to reading her other books soon!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ok, so I really did like this one. It was well written. Interesting, creative, and just when I thought I had something figured out, there was a curveball! Once people started getting killed off, things seemed to move in a pattern, and then you could tell when time got short or someone else was being framed. But while it was happening, it wasn't as clear, and it was like, woah. Looking back, it was very well designed to lead you in a specific direction and sort of taking your attention away from the real killer. I did, however, figure out who it was about halfway through. I wasn't 100% sure, but sure enough to question the other characters being pointed at, even though I didn't know for sure until the end.

Dead of Winter is a perfect book to read on a dark, wintry night, but I also enjoyed the frigid, snowy setting while reading it in humid, ninety plus degree weather. At least I could pretend it was cooler outside.

The story begins with a danger-filled, thrilling prologue, then the first chapter jumps back to six hours earlier. I’m a fan of this approach – it makes me even more curious to know what happened to put the characters in this situation.

The Rocky Mountain setting is truly a character in this novel. It prevents the stranded group from venturing out for help, injures them when they’re out too long (frostbite is scary), and cuts off cell service. When eight strangers are crowded together in a small hunting cabin being picked off one by one in brutal ways, who do you trust? Is one of them the murderer? Is there an outsider in this scenario? With a lack of trust, very limited supplies, and no way to contact help, these characters alternate between supporting each other and biting each other’s heads off. Suspicion, tension, anger – their reactions are realistic and understandable. No one is safe.

Talk about your red herrings – I’d suspect someone and then they’d be the next victim. I love a challenging mystery. After a stunning revelation around the 70% mark, the pieces fell into place for me. And what a brilliant, gasp-worthy twist it is. The hints are definitely there, but it’s easy to gloss over them while reading.

If you’re a fan of wintry settings, challenging locked room mysteries, and a long list of suspects, Dead of Winter will certainly keep you guessing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It was supposed to be a romantic getaway in the Rocky Mountains for Christa Bailey and her boyfriend, Kiernan. But when their private tour bus breaks down on the way to the Blackstone Alpine Lodge, Christa finds herself trapped in the woods and separated from Kiernan. How did that happen? Christa is rescued by members of the group, who had been strangers to her until that day. Christa is determined to go back out into the woods to find Kiernan. Tour guide Brian convinces Christa to leave a lantern as a beacon for Kiernan, and the group prepares to go to sleep for the night in a little cabin they’ve found unlocked. Christa has a premonition—“We’re all going to die here.” When they wake in the morning, they search for Brian as he isn’t in the cabin. Their search for Brian ends when they find his head impaled on a tree branch. Christa is scared when she realizes that this killer is killing those in the group. Will Christa survive?

The author has written a fast paced thriller. Novel. The story is told from Christa’s point of view. I connected with her when she wasn’t sure who to trust if anyone. It’s a story reminds me of other stories that are dark, claustrophobic locked room type mysteries which I always like to read.

Like always, Darcy Coates delivers on the suspense and the atmosphere! This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first sentence. This was the best locked room mystery I have read in quite a while, and I could not guess any of those twists or turns. I thought it was a little drug out towards the end, but overall, I was super interested.

The atmosphere was phenomenal. I felt like I was on the snowy, cold Rocky Mountains even though I am in hot, humid southern Indiana. Might need to read this one again during a snow storm!

I'm currently in my 'thriller era' but this read hands down take the prize for 2023! Fair warning, do NOT pick this up unless you have cleared your calendar because you will NOT be able to stop reading. I love locked room mysteries and psychological thrillers, so this was the perfect combination. Add in the isolated, weather-trapped, suffocating setting and you've got a fantastic combination. Coates does a masterful job of creating a unique cast of characters and I was on the edge of my seat to identify the killer and see who might be the next to fall. So many twists and turns, excellent pacing, and propulsive prose made this a five star read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Soucebook's Poisoned Pen Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and all of its twists and turns. I was constantly wondering who the killer was and how they were managing the kills. This book was a bit graphic, but very entertaining and detailed enough that I felt like I was watching a movie.

Dead of Winter is intense from start to finish. A group of travelers on a bus end up stranded in a snow storm. One goes missing and another loses his head. For days while seeking cover in a tiny cabin, they start getting picked off, one by one. With no way of knowing if the killer is amongst them or an outsider, tensions and fear reach max capacity.
Throughout the entirety of this book you’ll be suspicious of every character. A thrilling, wintery, whodunnit.

the way I totally guessed the plot twist but was STILL SHOCKED when it was revealed…

solid isolated thriller. the snowy vibes were immaculate. the gore was pretty good. I will say that it was hard at times for me to keep all the characters - or “suspects” rather - straight, but that could totally be a me problem. also that ENDINGGGGGG!!! I was actively angry after reading the last page. Well done Darcy.

This is the second Darcy Coates book I've read and it will most definitely not be my last!

I couldn't help but think about the other books/movies that this reminded me of while reading it, so I shall list them here :
- The Drift (without the whole sickness aspect) by CJ Tudor
- One By One by Ruth Ware
- The Shining
- The Menu (I said what I said 👀)

This one is a quick read and a real page turner! Set in an isolated mountain top cabin, with a killer on the loose, picking off people! Lots of surprises you won't see coming.

This was such a page turner. The murders kept happening and the suspense kept building. What a surprise last few chapters This would be a good TV movie. 4.5 stars and I look forward to more from this author,

This was so intense. I was captivated the entire time. I had an idea of who had done it but kept second guessing myself because Darcy did so good at making me believe everything. It’s a little gory and gruesome, very detailed, so keep that in mind if you don’t like that kind of thing. But, I didn’t want to put this down. I did give it a 4.5 star because there are so many characters in this, it was a little hard to remember exactly who each person was. But otherwise, fantastic thriller!

Christa has joined a tour to the Rockie Mountains in the hopes that she can figure things out in her life, a getaway that starts out pretty benign but gets heavier as the story goes on.

The group has, because of the weather, settle into an abandoned cabin. Christa's boyfriend Kiernan goes missing even before they enter the cabin. There are nine people on this tour. A few of them were not very likable or nice, the others seemed ok. Until another of the group goes missing and they find a head hanging from a tree.

Something sinister is going on and even if they could they have no way to communicate with the outside world due to the inclement weather that has left them stranded. As time goes on everyone is suspicious of the other and then more people go missing, with their heads to be found hanging in the trees.

Reading a Darcy Coates novel is always one of the best there is in the suspense/horror genre. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, this was not my first Darcy Coates and it won't be the last. This was a book that if I was so inclined, would have bitten my nails to the nubs. Creepy, suspenseful, and downright scary!

I give the book 5 stars.

The biggest Darcy Fan here! I love her work, and especially enjoy her short stories. So, as I was all caught up on Darcy Reads, when this one became available for advanced read I was BEYOND HONORED. And, let me tell you this didn't disappoint!

Looking for a nice, spooky, chilling read that leaves you feeling a certain emptiness when it ends? Well, look no further. I could not wait to get time in my day to steal away and find a quiet, dark corner to read this book!

Nutshell version: Couple takes a vacation, and of course the bus breaks down en route. Blizzard conditions, can't see in front of you, and danger around every corner, although technically not a corner, but more of like an ice bank? Either way, danger catches up with the group, folks die, nobody knows who did it and well there you have it!

Lovely whodunnit mystery in my mind and in her amazingly true DC writing style. LOVED it and recommend you pick up you copy of not only this one, but ALL of her books!

Winter thriller/horror that surpasses everything! 11 people are on a bus headed to a remote destination when they are forced to stop and find shelter. One by one they are being picked off so it's a race to figure out who is doing the killing.

Some of the reviewers said they figured it out early on, and I dismissed it as nonsense. However, I had a theory early on too which I regarded as too implausible, only for it to be correct. All the bases were covered detail-wise, all explanations forthcoming, so really I couldn't complain that I was actually right. The tension and suspense was extremely consistent throughout the novel, everyone equally could have been the killer. The characters have been kept deliberately one dimensional with the reader having to believe everything that comes out of their mouths and making interpretations based on actions. In reality, this is also true having just met strangers, you have no choice but to go off the visuals and their words.

4.5⭐ rounded up. The complaints are extremely minimal, the fun and nervous excitement were most definitely there, this novel packed a huge entertainment punch. This is my first Darcy Coates book that I have read, but it won't be the last. Great job! Hope to see this on Netflix soon😂

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan join a tour group heading deep into the Rocky Mountains for a two week retreat. The bus breaks down which forces the group to take shelter in an abandoned cabin. One by one, people slowly get killed.

I really enjoyed this winter wilderness thriller. I had a strong hunch regarding who was the killer and it was a joy to read how all the pieces tie together. The action was well paced and Christa's thoughts added a nice layer to the overall story.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and this is my honest review.