This book was given to be by Net Galley as an ARC. I am so grateful to have been chosen.

Are you looking for a thriller that will truly take you on a journey and have you questioning who you can trust? Well this is for you.

Christa and her boyfriend just want to get away and take a little vacation in the middle of winter. Christa finds herself hurt while her boyfriend is no where to be found. She wakes up surrounded by a ton of people with no idea who they are or who she can trust. More people start to come up missing and everything takes a turn that you didn't see coming. This is a very much "no way out, no one is safe" vibe thriller. The end of this book threw me for such a loop. I was wrong the whole entire time and to me that is what makes a thriller a top book or not. I don't want predictable...

This was my first Darcy Coates read, but it did not disappoint. I will be looking for more by this author at every book store I go to. Thank you again to Darcy and Net Galley for allowing me the chance to read and review this book! Run, don't walk to buy this book!

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

First of all I want to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher,  Poisoned Press Pen to give me the opportunity to read this book. I have read a few books by Coates and I loved all her books. I am giving this book 3 hearts because it was not fast  enough for my tastes.

This was also not one of the books I am used to read from Coates. I mean I think all the books that I have read from her was all to do about ghosts and hauntings and this one was not. I am not saying that I only love ghost/ hauntings from Coates because I do read other horror and Thrillers.

Christa (the main character) went with her boyfriend to a lodge in the Rocky Mountains for a getaway but it was not the fun and relaxing getaway she expected. It was dangerous and the snowstorm did not help matters either. The small tour group that she travelled with where slowly being murdered one by one and no one knew who the killer was. I liked that I could not guess who the killer was up until the end of the book. Coates kept me wondering who the murderer was. The only one who I did not suspect was Christa but all the others was fair game until they became a victim themselves. Christa kept thinking that none will get out alive and in away she is right. 

The ending felt to abrupt for me. I mean you don't actually know what happened after Christa found out who the killer and after she stopped them. I mean did the police find her?? Did she move on with what happened or did she even get down from the snowy mountain alive. It feels like the story isn't done for me. I enjoyed the twists and turn of this story and Coates did a wonderful job describing the dangers of a snowstorm. 

This was a nice read and I will always look for more books to read from Coates!! She is my go to author when I am in the mood for some horror.

Thank you Net Galley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC and Darcy Coates for the fantastic read!

Christa and Kiernan are excited about their trip to the Blackstone Lodge. Nestled away in the snowy, remote Rocky Mountains, it’s exactly what Christa needs. Or is it?

The passenger bus is suddenly stranded due to a downed tree and a blizzard rolling through. Everyone has no choice but to escape to a tiny cabin in the woods for better shelter. Along the way several passengers go missing and one-by one start turning up dead…

Fingers start pointing and everyone goes on guard! Is it someone among them? Possibly a crazed person stalking them like prey? Who can you trust?

Darcy Coates does such a great job of making you think you know exactly what is going on and who it is! Then, there’s a twist and completely leaves you clueless. She did it again! Great read!

*spoiler alert*



I ga e this book 3 stars instead of 4 stars because there was really a chapter missing. I don’t mind having some unanswered questions in a book, but when you are dealing with a murder mystery that involved delving so deeply into the specific limited number of characters, the reader DESERVES a decent wrap-up. It made me mad at the author and I’ve liked what I’ve read so far from Darcy Coates. With that said, Dead of Winter centers around Chrisa, a young woman who finds herself stuck in the Rocky Mountains during the heavy winter storms and snows with 10 other people, who one by one, are gruesomely murdered. I figured out the murderer fairly early on, but not necessarily the reason for the killings. Honestly, I would tell my earlier self to pass on this one.rather than feel the major disappointment in the too drawn out chases and the letdown at the end. Thanks, though, to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy I. Return for my honest opinion.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat till the end. I was surprised who the murderer was also. The reason why he was the murderer was understandable though. I really liked this book! Can't wait to read another one!

I tend to like reading winter books in the cold but I read it early to have my review for the release date. There’s definite Christie vibes, sort of an, And Then There We’re None set in the mountains during a blizzard. We’re following Christa, whose bf is the first to disappear. She is an emotionally wounded character & eventually we learn why. The others are then right amount of mix of useful characters & ones you know will cause trouble. The deaths are gruesome & paranoia quickly begins to heighten. I really enjoyed the atmosphere & the overall mystery, I had inklings to the killer but the puzzle pieces aligning was fun to read. My only complaints is that it does take a little while to pick up, I wish the last third of the book, the part that’s really exciting, had been longer or sooner.

Still I say take a break from the summer heat & read this chilling book!

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she's hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they'll be safe as they wait out the storm. She couldn't be more wrong. Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing...only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport...and they're far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.
This is a standalone book by Darcy Coates. It is a suspenseful thriller packed with surprises that made me want to read it in one sitting. The ending was a complete surprise and filled me with fear as I read it. The characters seemed very real to me and I had a hard time picking out the killer. I'm now looking forward to another read by this author. If you like suspense with your thrillers then you will love this book.

3.5 stars
This is one of those books that I had a difficult time rating. The premise of the story was very intriguing however for me it was lacking in the suspense and moved at a rather slow pace. Once the killings start, there are plenty of suspects in the group that is trapped in the cabin. But then, it could also be someone outside of their group. And I wish there would have a little more closure at the end of the story.

The Dead of Winter is set at a cabin in the middle of a mountain range during a snow storm. Each character is invited on a remote holiday to a beautiful lodge, but a series of events prevents them from getting to the lodge and they must seek shelter in a cabin on the road. Each character is slowly killed by an unnamed murder seeking revenge for a crime two years prior. The main character Christa tries to piece together the clues while also fighting for her own survival. Coates has woven a mystery that left me clueless as to whom the butcher was and why the group was assembled! This book was fantastic and fast paced!

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

I was going to wait until the colder months to read this book but since it comes out July 11th I decided to read it now and I'm so glad I did. This book was so good!

The twists and turns in this book had me guessing till the end which will blow your mind! Definitely did not see it coming! This book is a bit gorey so beware if that is bothersome to you. I would highly recommend this book if you like suspense/thriller novels and snowy lost cabin stories!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this jaw dropping book

a trip into the mountains with snow and a lodge.. who wouldnt want that dream holiday

but for the people on that trip it starts with a tree across their path and with volunteers to help cut it and move it...the nightmare begins....

and then there were none by agatha christie comes to mind with this one, i dont want to give to much away but there is enough blood and guts and mystery with this one to keep you reading till the bitter end....

and what an ending.... wow so many twists and turns and red herrings galore....

its well worth a read

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

This was BRILLIANT. Exactly what I look for in a thriller. I don’t read horror and some of the gory details were pushing the boundaries for me. I don’t read about brutal deaths and bloody scenes, but it was just the right amount for me to deal with.
The twists and turns didn’t stop, although a bit of a stretch nothing felt too far fetched that brought me out of the story (which is what usually happens for me with thrillers.) The last 30% I was hooked! I don’t think I breathed, I was on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend if you like eerie settings, multiple characters and a murder mystery that packs all the twists and turns.

My only tiny tiny criticism (which is why I think thrillers in general are never 5 stars for me) i would’ve loved the characters to have been fleshed out a little bit more. I don’t know if it’s because the story was told from Christa’s POV, however I felt there was a disconnect and I would’ve liked to have warmed to or understood the characters a bit more to really add to the drama and build up.
A really solid read and a great one to read in Winter/ around Halloween!

This book was intense and insane! I read this book in one sitting because I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I couldn’t predict the ending. Great read!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the arc of this book.

OK, so first off, I enjoyed this book. At times in this review it may sound like I didn’t. But I did.

I probably should not have read any book about snow after the winter I had. Giving too much away here, my town was one of the couple in my area that made the news with a once in a lifetime blizzard. We were snowed in behind 10 feet of snow for 3 weeks. My neighbor died. It was horrible. I may have read this with a tiny bit of PTSD. I do not say that flippantly. For me, though, it really heightened the tension of the snow and the murderer on the loose. I could REALLY feel it. Isn’t that the point of literature? It brings out feelings in us. I cam not hiding from those even when they are not pleasant.

On to the review. Christa takes off for a mountain adventure in a remote area of a snowy mountain with her boyfriend and a group of strangers. Things go horribly wrong and they end up hunted by a singularly minded killer.
Now, here is where it will sound like I didn’t like it. I was absolutely positive who-dunn-it for most of the book. I mean, the clues were all there. Every other character who seemed like a good subject would have resulted in a very flawed book. It had to be who it was. Otherwise, there would have been huge plot holes. One character makes a revelation and I wanted to scream, “Don’t you think everyone should know this?” “This is seriously important and could clear up some stuff, I think.” “Have you considered what everyone else has revealed and what it means to you?”

No more of that. I was enjoying the ride the entire time. I loved the final scenes. Reminiscent of classic King.

Read how: 📱
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Setting: USA
POV: 1
Theme: force proximity, cabin and murder

This was an okay read. I did figure out who the killer was from the beginning just didn't know the “why”. All the characters were very much one-dimensional and couldn't connect with any of them.
I know in stressful situations people make terrible decisions but be so for real. Going for a walk on their own because they want space while there's a killer on the loose. .

This book was non-stop action. The beginning and middle of the book kept me engaged and I couldn’t put it down. Towards the end it started to drag on and I did predict the end, but was still a good read.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: July 11, 2023

Dead of Winter is a psychological thriller told from Christa’s point of view. Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan are headed for an excluded getaway at a lodge among the Rocky Mountains.

The small tour group headed to the lodge finds themselves stuck in a storm and their bus cannot get through. They find an abandoned cabin and while not an ideal situation, the small group settles in until the storm passes.

One by one, members of the group are killed in most horrific ways. As the group learns more about each other they realize they may have something in common and someone in the group is out for revenge.

As the group dwindles and the storm rages on, the last ones alive get closer to the truth. Will they find the murderer before it’s too late? or will the murderer finish the job.

This book was good. I had pretty well figured it out by about the half way mark but there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested. This is a 3.5 star read for me and I would recommend for any psychological mystery/thriller fans out there.

#NetGalley #darcycoates #deadofwinter

I love Darcy Coates. Her books are riveting and this story kept me turning pages. Excellent suspense and terrifying twists and turns. I'll definitely read more of her books.

Wow. This book was so GOOD. The story was so well connected and the characters were flesh-outed masterfully. I was on the edge of my seat and found myself gasping out loud at times with the events that kept happening. This author constantly diverted my expectations and up until the very end I was still guessing who the murderer was, and let me tell you it was one heck of a reveal. I had so much fun reading this heart-pounding horror novel and will definitely be checking out more from this author!

I was SO CLOSE to DNFing this book down at the end of almost every chapter but the mystery was so compelling that I kept sighing and reading the next chapter. This is a fun, pulp-y read for a poolside/lakeside/beach summer.