I loved this book! I have no idea how Darcy managed to create such a nail-biter out of literal thin air but she did it! Dead of Winter was a wild ride but sadly I can't say too much for fear of spoiling things. I was sucked right into the story and at every little twist, I felt even more off-balance. Let's just say I'll be adding a few items to my travel pack the next time I travel anywhere in the winter!

Gripping and tense read. Didn't want to put down. Moved at a great pace and held my attention. Large group of characters with great backstories. Great read

“𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏. 𝑻𝒐 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒖𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅.”

When I first heard of this book, I KNEW it would be up my alley: a locked room mystery in the middle of a storm with someone picking off a group of strangers one by one.

Darcy Coates grips you right away with an intense opening chapter, as Kiernan and Christa fight for their lives in a giant snowstorm. There is so much tension that only builds throughout the story. When I realized most of the story wasn’t going to be about Kiernan and Christa’s fight for survival in the storm, but rather the fight for survival in a remote cabin, I was most definitely hooked. The never ending storm and remote location increase the feeling of claustrophobia and as the murders start happening, that only intensifies. The cabin and surrounding landscape make for the perfect unforgiving tomb. The murderer is referred to as “the butcher” and there are some grisly descriptions in places - it reads like a horror novel. Everyone is suspicious and no one is immune to having a motive for being the butcher. I loved the reveal of how these seemingly unrelated characters are connected, and Christa throughout the novel feels like a classic final girl that you want to root for. Although I guessed “whodunnit” partway through, there were so many red herrings that I began to doubt myself many times. The final reveal was satisfying and my only complaint is the ending felt rushed and a bit unfinished - I needed one final chapter to wrap a few more things up.

Dead of Winter is a story of survival, grief, vulnerability, and fear. Whether it be in the middle of summer or winter, fans of horror vibes and locked room mysteries should pick it up. It would make an incredible movie too. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love Darcy Coates. I've read most of her books, and to be honest, she's amazing for putting her work on Kindle Unlimited and Netgalley. The last book I read by her, Where he can't find you, was technically a YA but WOW was it brutal. But this book just wasn't it. I was let down by the ending. I think that I'm in the minority there because it's getting great reviews, but I saw the ending coming from a mile away, and I don't usually. I don't even try to guess because I WANT to be surprised. Also, it was so difficult to keep 8 people separate and remember who was who, and it felt very repetitive at times, with red herrings that didn't make a lot of sense. Everything did end up wrapped up, though, which is always nice, but I was let down by this one.

Dead of Night by Darcey Coates was awesome. I loved the switch from horror to thriller in this newest book. She handles thrillers just as well and this was heart stopping at times. Great flow.

DEAD OF WINTER is my first read by Darcy Coates and I will certainly be checking out more of her books!

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
-atmospheric winter setting
-not for the feint of heart. if you don’t like gory this book isn’t for you
-a lot of characters to keep track of
-too long. end became very suspenseful but middle dragged
-left me with some unanswered questions

While DEAD OF WINTER was suspenseful (more so towards the end) I didn’t find myself dying to pick it up, but I was intrigued enough to want to finish it. Although I was stumped on who the killer could be the ending left me unsatisfied 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank you Poised Pen Press and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Members of a retreat gone wrong are targeted one by one. By who? Unlikely to be one of my 2023 faves, but points for being fast paced, and for the blizzard setting which I loved. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Christa joins a tour group in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. A freak snow storm cuts them off from civilization and leaves them stranded. Things are bad enough until members of the tour group are being murdered one by one.

This one was definitely a disappointment for me. There was very little character development and the story went in circles before an unsatisfying conclusion.

My thanks to NetGalley amd Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. Many thanks to Darcy Coates for the this book. It was my pleasure to read and review...as usual.
My reviews can also be found on horrorcorner.wordpress.com
Title: Dead of Winter
Author: Darcy Coates
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 11, 2023

A cold winter storn and a group of strangers stuck in a small hunting cabin in the Rocky Mountains? What could go wrong? Well, when said stranger start to be killed one by one, Christa wonders how, or if, she will get out alive.
Ms. Coates can always be counted on for cozy horror. Her stories are always chillling and tense. This book was no exception. I would usually place her comfortably in the horror section, but this one would be more at home in with the thrillers. This is the frist time I've read a book like this from this author. From the very first page, this story grabs the reader by the throat and starts dragging him through a frozen landscape with little shelter or food, and a violent murder per night. Of course, there's no cell phone service either. That's a given. Despite the many thriller/horror tropes, I was riveted. Sometimes, tropes are tropes for a reason. Darcy Coates presents them in her own skillful way and provides plenty of clever twists. Despite the many hours, I've spent reading and watching horror and thrillers, I wasn't able to guess each one. Is the killer among the stranded? Is it someone else out in the storm? Or is it not human at all? It's undeniable fun to find out which. The tension and gore that the reader finds along the way is nothing but fun and delightful.
While this book was delightful, it was longer than it needed to be. I enjoyed how each character was introduced and given a back story, but I felt that a little less detail would benefit the story.
All in all, this book is a twisty and fun ride. This is a great way to spend an intesely hot summer day.

This book was cold, tense, eerie, atmospheric, and CREEPY!! The setting being in a snowy, remote wilderness where people are stranded really added to the suspense of the plot. I love a good locked room thriller!

The way Darcy described the landscape really made me feel like I was there. I’m really glad I’m not by the way. 🙄🙄🙄 Terrifying!

One by one people die as there is a killer on the loose, and it’s one of the 8 people stranded in the cabin.

There were so many red herrings thrown in that I really had no idea who the killer was. Everyone looked suspicious at one point or another. None of them were great people, so it could’ve been anyone.

The slow reveal was WORTH IT though because the ending was absolutely explosive and mind blowing! It was such a jaw dropping twist I didn’t see coming at all. 😱 This 100% would make an awesome movie!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. 💕

It's hot and humid where I am right now, so what better time to read a book set in a major snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains? Dead of Winter is an extraordinary suspense story that had me on the edge of my seat until the final pages.

Christa decides to go on a trip with her boyfriend Kiernan, thinking in the back of her mind that he might be the one. Their bus gets stuck on the way to the lodge and a storm is blowing in, and so begins the action in this very entertaining story.

The bus occupants are all stuck in a cabin in the woods when bad things start happening. And when I say bad, I mean brutally bad. Everyone is on edge. There is a lot they don't know, besides the fact that someone is killing them off, one by one. The story is told from Christa's point of view and she's a terrific character in this story. I was rooting for her all the way.

I'm not going to say anymore about plot details because I don't want to spoil anything in this story. I was riveted to the pages from start to finish. The author manages to make multiple trips out into the blinding snowstorm unique and interesting and I just had to keep reading to find out just who the killer was.

And was I surprised? I didn't see the ending coming, even though there were plenty of clues that are easy to see afterward. The story is intricately designed to show those clues to the reader in a way that kept me guessing for the entire book and I loved that.

I haven't read this author in the past, but I will definitely be looking for more titles from Darcy Coates. I really enjoyed this suspenseful story and my only complaint is that I wanted a few more pages at the end to wrap up a few items left hanging. But that is a small complaint next to a big recommendation for this title if you like a suspenseful whodunit. The stakes are very high and I thought Christa was awesome.

I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it, especially if you like suspenseful serial killer stories.

I love suspenseful winter thrillers that give me goosebumps as my eyes quickly scan the sentences to see what happens next. This book did not disappoint!

Dead of Winter follows eight strangers as they head to a remote luxury ski resort vacation in the wilderness. When an unexpected storm sends them scrambling to a nearby cabin to survive, the trip only gets worse as a killer among them begins to pick them off one by one. With temperatures low and tensions high, our protagonist Christa struggles to stay alive and figure out who the killer is within the group. I love a locked door mystery, especially one that takes place in a snowy/winter atmosphere. And this actually exceeded my expectations! This is a total snow-filled slasher with pretty gnarly gore and an interesting cast of characters that did keep me guessing until the end. This book is super atmospheric and I was really craving a winter themed slasher, so this was a perfect mood read.

I'll be posting my review on my instagram @boozehoundbookclub

While this one started slow for me, the latter half was all gas no brakes! My heart was actually pumping in the last few chapters as the story came together. I would definitely recommend this one to any suspense or horror fan!

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thrilling. Terrifying. Essentially my worst nightmare. What they group goes through is the stuff of nightmares and Coates does a great job of putting us front and center, making us feel their terror as they are picked off, one by one. My one issue is that, despite spending time with all of these characters, I don’t feel like I really know them; they are all somewhat flat except for Christa. Other than that, it was a great book with a good story and tons of suspense to keep you guessing.

engrossing, chilly, suspenseful, and spooky. I was unable to put it down! All that's left is a bus that must halt, people looking for refuge, a frozen landscape, and a lot of danger.

Who doesn't enjoy a good finger-pointing novel that keeps them on the tip of their seats, turning the pages, and alert?

Read it now.

This was a fun wintery thriller about a group of people snowed in at a tiny hunting cabin, never having made it to their mountain resort destination. They start being gruesomely murdered one by one, and each death ratchets up the distrust and paranoia between surviving group members. Don't get too attached to any characters! Overall, I found this story to be fast-paced and exciting, but not particularly memorable, and with a little too much body horror for me at a few moments. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for something a little scary that will have you glued to the page, especially if you love that snowed-in-with-a-killer-on-the-loose scenario.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

Description:

Christa and eight strangers find themselves stranded in the Rocky Mountains after their bus gets trapped in a snowstorm. Finding an abandoned cabin provides them shelter from the bitter cold, but someone or something is lurking, waiting for each member to wonder off by themselves so they can attack.

Review:

Picking up a book with a winter setting while I currently sweat through every pore in the dog days of summer was a little weird at first, but Darcy Coates does an amazing job with making you shiver while you read. With a mystery that pulls you in every direction and suspense that makes you clinch your jaw, Dead of Winter is a must read. Add it to your TBR now because this one will be talked about for a very long time!

The only thing better than a locked-room mystery set in a wintry cabin is reading it while it snows outside! It’s currently the middle of summer, but I still really enjoyed reading this gory horror/thriller.

This was my first Darcy Coates and it didn’t disappoint. If you like some descriptive (if a little shocking) gore in a page-turning thriller, look no further. This book really had it all. A group of total strangers who find themselves stranded in a secluded cabin, totally isolated from everything with a horrific killer in their midst. One by one, each character is brutally taken out while the reader is left to piece together the reason why it’s happening and who the killer is.

I went back and forth over who I thought the killer was and every time I thought I had it figure out, that person was dead. Dead of Winter was fast paced with great cliff hangers that had me turning pages, eager to find out WTF was going on.

My only criticism would be that the writing was a little bare bones and the author could flesh out her characters just a bit more to make them more easily differentiated from each other. Overall though, a really fun thriller that I would definitely recommend to read beside a crackling fire as the snow flies outside.

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Darcy Coates for giving me this free eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own.

This was a bit hard for me to get into in the beginning. Started off a little slow. I am glad I finished. Excellent writing with a good plot. My only complaint is I wish I would have read it in the winter, to really feel the atmosphere of the story but Coates did a good job bringing that setting to life.