4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Darcy Coates for allowing me to read and review this book.

Darcy Coates has been an author whose books I have had my eye on for a few years now, and this was the first book of hers I was finally able to pick up. It did not disappoint.

This is a small setting thriller set in a remote cabin in the wilderness in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. We follow our main character as she and eight strangers get stranded in the Rocky Mountains on the way to a retreat and have to seek shelter in an abandoned one-room hunting lodge.

Things quickly take a dark turn as the tour guide goes missing on the first night, and his head turns up the next morning impaled on the tree outside the cabin. Quickly other members of the party start disappearing, only for their heads to turn up next to the tour guides soon after.

There is a killer among the group... or is someone from outside of the group picking them all off.

This is such a good thriller that I couldn't put down. I read this book in one sitting. The characters and plot are both so well written that I just wanted to find the answers as to who the killer is.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an isolated location thriller.

Actual rating of 3.5

When Christa agrees to go on a trip that will go deep into the Rocky Mountains during snow season, she thinks that this will be the chance that she's needed to finally put her past to rest. When the tour bus is hit by a huge snowstorm, the small group are forced to take shelter in a small hunting cabin in the middle of nowhere. Believing that all they have to do is wait out the storm, Christa is positive that they'll be back on their way in no time. Then the tour guide goes missing in the middle of the night, his severed head is found the next morning, impaled on a tree. Surviving the snowstorm is now the least of the group's worries. Christa is stuck in a claustrophobic cabin, with no power, and very little food, with eight strangers. The strong possibility that one of the party is a cold-blooded murderer is not lost on any of them. As the snowstorm gets worse, and the survivors numbers begin to dwindle. Christa must decide who she will trust, her life might depend on it...

I was so keen to pick this one up. I read my first Darcy Coates novel early last year. It was one of her horror stories, and I freaking loved it! I didn't pick the reveals or anything and was genuinely surprised at the end of the book. So, when I saw this one and read that blurb, I was sold. I'm a sucker for an isolated location where the group of characters are seemingly trapped for whatever reason. Throw a sick and twisted murderer into that mix, and I am there. Though, I didn't end up loving this one as much as I hoped that I would.

The story starts off with Christa and Co on the tour bus heading up to the lodge, and the first few chapters are alternating between Christa now, and Christa a few hours earlier before the snowstorm hit. The time jumping was fine, and I found it an enjoyable way to get the full picture of the story and what had happened to get us to the current situation. It gave us a chance to get to know Christa in a short span of time, without info dumping which I thought was fantastic. Coates also set the scene incredibly well from the get-go. The descriptions of the unforgiving landscape and the environment that Christa found herself in was absolutely flawless, and I felt like I was right there freezing my toes off alongside her. The pacing in the beginning was on point, I needed to know how Christa ended up in the situation that she did, and what happened once the first body dropped. For a few chapters after that, the pacing was still fine, with each new discovery my interest was still piqued, however, I did begin to find it incredibly repetitive. Not so much in the murders, but I guess just in the plot itself. It's almost like the story kinda ground to a standstill and the suspicion would be raised, then a body would drop, then everyone was paranoid and suspicious, then a storm blew in, then it was nighttime, then it was morning, then a body was discovered etc. etc. It just became a bit of a slog with the story moving incredibly slow. I feel like this was a conscious choice in order to build tension and suspicion for the reader, it just didn't translate this way for me, unfortunately. I actually considered DNFing but I was already halfway through and wanted to just tough it out.

It was probably at about 70% through the book that the pacing picked up again, and things took a turn for the interesting once more. The tension became higher, and the suspicions were raised. Though, I had my suspicions from the tour guides death, and Coates nearly threw me. My brain did go "Hmm...I guess it could be X" but I stayed firm on who I thought was really responsible, and I was right. So, the entire book it was more me rolling my eyes because I couldn't understand how no one could see the glaringly obvious like I could. There was one big flag that cemented my thinking, and I feel like it was too on the nose, thus giving the ending away incredibly soon. Way too soon, if you ask me. I've had a lot of books where I've guessed the reveal early on, and it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book too much, but this one, I felt like the entire story was just hinging on the big gasp moment being the thing in the story that carried the entire book. So, when you've worked it out in the very beginning, and you KNOW that you're right, it leaves the book feeling a bit lacklustre and not hitting as hard as it should...or at all really. If I hadn't also worked out the why behind it all at the same time, I worked out the who, things might have been different, but there was just zero surprise or shock factor because everything was given away right at the beginning for me. Even the characters didn't hit very high for me. I did really root for them, and I really wanted them to survive...well...most of them, but there was nothing really stand out about them for me. They were standard run of the mill thriller characters, and while I did care what happened to them, it didn't change the fact that the story itself just wasn't my favourite.

I've rated this book higher than I probably would, and that's purely for the adrenalin and tension filled final 30% of the book. One thing that Coates can do well is make you feel butterflies in your chest as anxiety takes hold, she is absolutely fantastic at writing a nail biting, skin of your teeth, is she gonna make it scene, and that was shown in the last part of this book. I absolutely loved Gallow's Hill, and that one had the same rich descriptions which really rounded out the world, and the tension and atmosphere was great in both of these books. However, Gallow's Hill still wins out for me because the pacing didn't drop at all through that one, and it kept me at the edge of my seat. I will definitely give Coates' thrillers another go because she is a phenomenal writer whose work I do enjoy. If you're up for a claustrophobic, trapped, whodunit where the price is steep, and the terrain is unforgiving. Give this one a go, just try and enjoy the story and ignore your brain when it tries to work it all out without you asking it to.

Christa Bailey and her boyfriend, Kiernan were supposed to be enjoying a romantic getaway in the Rocky Mountains. However, Christa finds herself alone and trapped in the woods after their private tour bus breaks down on the way to Blackstone Alpine Lodge. After being rescued by other guests in the group, Christa is determined to find Kiernan in the woods and bring him back to safety. The few members of the group who want to help Christa on her rescue mission know it will be impossible due to the rising snowdrifts. Brian, a tour guide convinces her to leave a lantern as a beacon for Kiernan while the rest of the group spends the night in a remote cabin they’ve found unlocked and vacant. That night, Christa has a premonition that they are all going to die there. By morning, it isn’t just a feeling anymore. Brian, their best hope for rescue, is still missing. When the group searches for him, they find his head impaled on a tree. Equally terrified and resigned, Christa is sure that whoever killed Brian is targeting the other survivors.

Darcy Coates masterfully crafts the wintry setting, immersing readers in the bitter cold and palpable tension throughout. Christa's singular perspective offers deep insight into her backstory, while the fully fleshed-out cast of travelers adds depth and significance to the plot. The mountain's treacherous winter weather serves as a formidable adversary and the unexpected ending delivers a satisfying twist, defying expectations and showcasing Coates' storytelling prowess. With nods to Agatha Christie, Coates skillfully makes the locked-room mystery genre her own, offering a dark and claustrophobic story with multifaceted characters and tantalizing red herrings. This standout novel is a testament to Coates' talent and her ability to captivate readers with each suspenseful turn of the page.

I have heard so much about Darcy Coates, so was excited to get Dead of Winter as an ARC. The atmosphere was so intense and descriptive it creeps you out. She writes the gory scenes well and tastefully. I am definitely looking forward to more by her.

Okay, this was fantastic. The right mix of suspenseful, dark and mysterious - one sit read.

The story begins as Christa joins a tour group venturing into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains to confront her past. However, a brutal snowstorm forces the group to seek refuge in an abandoned hunting cabin, where their safety is shattered when their tour guide is found gruesomely murdered the next morning. With the storm isolating them, Christa realizes one among the group is a killer, leading to a chilling battle for survival as the death toll rises and trust becomes a scarce commodity in their fight to outlast the storm and escape the frozen mountain alive.

I really liked the way Darcy Coates built tension. The characters were well developed, the stakes were high, and the twists were so good. I will always enjoy a book where people are stranded and need to survive, but Coates writing and atmospheric build on themes made this such a fast-paced read. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was...ok. I would call this "cozy" horror because it really tried to be scary and in actuality was not for me. Interesting story though. I might read more from this author.

The atmosphere was fantastic. The secluded and claustrophobic location were described really well. I enjoyed the unlikable characters being forced to interact and the paranoia that followed. However, I do feel like there were some pacing issues. Some parts dragged on a little too much and felt repetitive.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates was great! I love a wintery thriller the most. I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

I have read a few winter locked in type novels in the last year. This one was absolutely the best.

I was sucked into Christa's story from the first chapter. I enjoyed the location and the single POV. This book was easy to follow and there wasn't too many characters. The writing is lyrical and I could picture the descriptions of the area in my head. I thought I had the story figured out a few times, and then the last twist threw everything off.

10/10 would absolutely recommend this novel.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Darcy Coates delivers another five star read!

This one was hard to get through. It started out strong and then felt more unbelievable as the chapters ticked by. I was ready for it to be over and couldn’t care less about the characters after the first few deaths. Everyone felt flat and one dimensional.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

4.5 ⭐️

This was my first Darcy Coates book and I think I need to read more of their work! I loved the snowy, winter setting of this book. It was mysterious and had a lot of twists that I wasn’t expecting!
Overall I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

I’m not a person who DNF’s books. I promise I’m really not but I got 38% into this book and it just wasn’t cutting it. Was it weird? Yes. Was it creepy? Yes. But I can only take so much of the same thing happening again and again. Someone would die. They’d leave. They couldn’t find any help. They return. Someone dies. Someone is suspicious. Repeat. Maybe I’ll try again later but it’s just not cutting it for me at this time.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Adored this book, can see it being a great recommendation for getting out of a reading slump. 10/10.

A locked room mystery that keeps you guessing. You will be terrified right along with the characters. Best red in a cabi in the woods during winter. Darcy Coates doesn't disappoint. Her fans will love it, but it will still appeal to those who have never read her books.

This was only my second Coates novel and it was equally as terrifying as the first one I read. There is something so immersive about her writing and I love it so much but also it's terrifying when you're immersed in a thriller / horror book. Her writing is so approachable that it feels like your friend is just telling you a really good story, and it's so easy to just disappear into the action of the story. The pacing of this was so perfect!

Wow, what an exciting story. So much going on all the time. Very tense and I had no idea what was coming towards the end. Excellent. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

"Dead of Winter" by Darcy Coates is a chilling masterpiece that will leave you peeking over your shoulder long after you've turned the last page. Coates has crafted a spine-tingling tale that blends elements of horror, mystery, and suspense into a gripping narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Set in the desolate and snow-covered landscape of an abandoned asylum, the atmosphere is thick with dread from the very beginning. As the story unfolds, Coates expertly weaves together a cast of characters haunted by their own demons, both literal and metaphorical. From the enigmatic caretaker with a dark past to the group of strangers forced to confront their deepest fears, each character is meticulously developed, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

What truly sets "Dead of Winter" apart is Coates' ability to ratchet up the tension with every turn of the page. As the secrets of the asylum begin to unravel and the characters find themselves trapped in a nightmare of their own making, the sense of impending doom becomes palpable. The pacing is relentless, driving the story forward at breakneck speed and leaving readers breathless as they race to uncover the truth.

But it's not just the plot that makes "Dead of Winter" a standout read. Coates' prose is elegant yet haunting, painting vivid images of the desolate landscape and the horrors that lurk within. From the eerie creaking of floorboards to the bone-chilling whispers in the darkness, every detail is rendered with precision, immersing readers in a world that is as beautiful as it is terrifying.

In the end, "Dead of Winter" is more than just a ghost story—it's a meditation on the nature of fear and the lengths we'll go to in order to survive. With its unforgettable characters, atmospheric setting, and relentless suspense, this is a book that will haunt you long after you've finished reading. If you're a fan of horror or psychological thrillers, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "Dead of Winter" today. You won't be disappointed.

In "Dead of Winter" by Darcy Coates, a group of strangers embarks on a two-week vacation to a remote lodge in the Rocky Mountains, only to find themselves stranded in an abandoned hunting cabin by a sudden blizzard. As tensions rise and the storm worsens, tour guide Christa must navigate the growing paranoia and suspicion among the survivors. When the tour guide is found dead, Christa is forced to confront the chilling reality that a killer is among them.

Coates skillfully crafts well-rounded characters, gradually revealing their personalities, quirks, and past traumas through Christa's observations and interactions. The atmospheric world-building immerses readers in the isolated cabin and the terrifying circumstances faced by the group.

The gripping storyline captivates from the first chapter, with Coates masterfully building tension and suspense throughout. While the resolution of the mystery satisfies, some unanswered questions and moments of slower pacing in the middle detract slightly from the overall experience.

Nevertheless, "Dead of Winter" excels in balancing shocking events with the mystery of uncovering the killer's identity. Intense fight scenes, chilling weather conditions, and complex characters add depth to the narrative, creating a dark and horrifying atmosphere.

Overall, Coates delivers a riveting and intense tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Fans of horror, thrillers, and locked room mysteries will find "Dead of Winter" to be a captivating read, leaving them eagerly anticipating Coates' next chilling adventure.