his isolation thriller follows Christa and a small group as they are forced to take shelter in an abandoned cabin during a snow storm. They all think as soon as the storm passes, they'll be able to make their way back to their tour bus and get help. But when they wake up the next day to find the tour guide missing, they become uneasy. And when they find his head impaled on a tree outside the cabin, it becomes clear that someone in the group has different plans.

This was the most gripping isolated closed circle mystery I've read in a long time and I loved every second of reading it. Coates is quickly solidifying as one of my insta-read authors. I was immediately drawn into the story and couldn't put it down until I was done. This is one of those expertly plotted thriller/mysteries where it didn't feel like there was any fluff or extra details. Every line felt integral to the plot and figuring out the mystery. Sprinkle in some great gore and horror elements and I cannot recommend this enough!

Most closed circle mysteries I've read have been multi-POV but in this, we only get Christa's POV. I found that this helped Christa become a stand-in of sorts for the reader trying to figure out what is going on in this cabin. This also expands the pool of suspects because if the other characters aren't where Christa can see them, we have no idea where they are or what they are doing. We don't get any other POVs to fill in any gaps or direct our attention to a particular person. As a consequence, we also don't know if these other characters are telling the truth or what they may be hiding. One downside was that it did take me a while to get a grasp on all the different characters

The mystery and horror aspects of this read went perfectly together and I think each heightened the other. Knowing that when someone was killed that they'd end up in such a gruesome scene really upped the stakes as well as the tension between the remaining survivors. We also get some great body horror to go along with the kills. I did figure out the 'who' of the mystery pretty early but I couldn't figure out the 'how' until it was actually revealed. But even though I ended up being correct in the end, watching the characters figure things out for themselves made me second guess myself constantly.

The setting and weather were immaculate and really enhanced the overall reading experience. The characters were always considering the weather and it was a constant struggle they had to deal with. We have a good variety of characters who all have different backgrounds and familiarity with this type of weather so some were much better equipped than others. The cover art really fits the story and is exactly how I pictured the cabin and forests. Coates does a fantastic job with the descriptions that really emphasized the cold and danger of the situation. We also see the weather interfering with the characters figuring out who the killer is because the snow keeps refilling any footprints or other clues. At times, it felt like the characters were equally threatened by the weather and the killer - the only question is which would kill them first.

Overall, this was a great read that I read from start to finish in one sitting. I do think the solution to the mystery is a little obvious, but finding out the bigger picture is well worth the journey. The setting and atmosphere are fantastic and the single POV really heightens the overall experience of figuring out who is responsible for these deaths.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. Expected publication date is July 11, 2023.

Crikey, this book is GRUESOME, but in the best possible way! A group of tourists on their way to stay at a luxury lodge in the snowy Rocky Mountains get off to a bad start when horrendous weather has them abandoning their coach to find shelter from the elements. But in this story the danger comes from more than the cold and heavy snow. It seems that there is a murderer in their midst and before long the group find themselves being picked off one by one in a most grisly fashion.

I am a huge fan of Darcy Coates, and this latest book is somewhat of a departure from other books of hers that I have read. There is none of her trademark ghost or paranormal shenanigans. This time the horror is purely human, though the weather is pretty terrifying too. A chillingly fantastic, knicker-gripping read with tons of atmosphere and tension. Highly recommended.

It's been a hot minute since I've read a Darcy Coates book ( I really like her Haunting of books.)..and this book reminded me of why I like her in the first place. My favorite thing about her writing is how she builds a scene. I may not always like the characters but it's her scenes that drag me back in. As someone who isn't a fan of snow (AT ALL) and the beginning starts with being trapped in a snow storm, outside, freezing, with zero visibility.....Yea I was freaking out a bit LOL. Overall a good thriller with And Then There Were None vibes.

*3-3.5 stars

This story is a modern-day retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, published in 1939. If you've read that book, then you already know the plot twist.

Coates' version is set in the Rocky Mountains. A private tour bus is taking passengers for a two-week retreat at the Blackstone Alpine Lodge when a fallen tree prevents them from reaching their destination. When a snowstorm descends on them, they take refuge in a deserted and rustic hunting cabin. Their tour guide assures them they will be rescued as soon as visibility returns. When he is found brutally murdered, Christa, one of the travelers, has a premonition: "None of us are getting out of here alive."

The story is told from Christa's first person point of view. Something tragic happened in her life two years before and once that backstory is revealed, the reader understands the motive behind the killings.

I labelled this a horror story because the murders are pretty gruesome. Surprisingly, the tense plot becomes rather tedious and repetitive after a while. Paranoia sets in--whom can you trust? The circumstances bring out the worst in these people.

The plot does pick up in the last quarter of the book and I would give the ending five stars--that was quite exciting. All-in-all, an entertaining enough read that is probably best read in the dead of summer so you won't mind being caught in a blizzard.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Wow! This book was insane and intense. I could not put it down. I had to know why this was happening and who was behind it. It was so well written. I fell for every mislead and didn’t see the end coming, but it fit perfectly into the storyline.

A claustrophobic but fun(?) thriller. Makes me not want to go on a winter trip in the middle of nowhere ever.

I read the first few chapters of this a few months ago and liked it but then when I picked it back up on my honeymoon last month I couldn’t put it down until I knew how it ended! I was fully invested in every twist and turn and was shocked by the ending. This story will not leave you disappointed. Rating this my fav thriller of 2023 so far!

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress for sending me a copy.

Fresh out the oven DEAD OF WINTER by Darcy Coates. This one comes out July 11.

If you’re looking for something to cool you off in this blazing summer heat, look no further than Darcy Coates’ newest release. This is actually my first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last. DEAD OF WINTER is the perfect thriller, it has well developed characters, an insane atmosphere, and super tense moments that keep you flipping pages.

Go get your preorders and library holds ready, my friends!

I was already a big fan of the author before reading this book. Other books I've read by her were great.

The author comes through again with Dead of Winter. It's a mix or horror, mystery, and suspense. It's an intriguing story with interesting characters. The author keeps you guessing as to who the murderer really is right up until the end of the story. Once you start reading this book, you won't want to put it down until you finish it. I highly recommend it!

Oh my goodness, get ready for a killer vacation - literally!

When Christa is asked by her boyfriend to join him on a fun vacation, she doesn't even blink. She is excited for the time that they are going to spend together, and looks forward to possibly take the next steps in their relationship.
But an accident on the road leaves them stranded in the dead of winter, far from civilization, and the snow is falling. Soon, people start turning up dead. No one can figure out who the killer is, and one by one, they start to dwindle - their numbers becoming fewer each day.

Oh my, this was such a great book! I could NOT put it down! I was hooked from the first page. This is one that will leave you guessing as to who the killer might be until the very end.

Special thanks to Poisoned Penn Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

What a great book. I've watched movies and read countless books on this plot but be in for a surprise. I'd be willing to bet this is the best book you will read about people stranded in a cabin in the dead of winter with a killer on the loose.

Unputdownable and that's a 5 star rating for me!

Christa embarks on an adventure to a remote resort in the snowy Rocky Mountains with her boyfriend. A snowstorm soon changes their plans, and they along with the rest of the tour group become stranded. When their tour guide goes missing and is found decapitated, the tour group all become suspects in an increasingly dangerous environment.

Dead of Winter is a locked room thriller in the style of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. The first half of this novel moved a little slowly for me, and I struggled to keep the many characters straight at times. This plot intensified about half way through and I enjoyed the second half of the book quite a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Fast paced, suspenseful - the epitome of a page turning thriller. I read this during the summer and it completely propelled me into another icy world.

This book had me hooked from page one, and it only kept better more intense, more nerve-racking with each page. I couldn’t do anything without thinking about what was going on in the book. Therefore, I really didn’t do much else until I was done reading it.

It reminded me of 𝑇𝑒𝑛 𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠by Agatha Christie, but—and I never thought I would say this—I think it is better.

A group of people who mostly don’t know each other all go on a tour in the winter. A blizzard hits while they are traveling by bus to a lodge deep in the Rocky Mountains when they must stop because of a huge tree that has fallen across the road. They manage to make their way to a cabin, and amazingly, the door is unlocked. But they are in the middle of nowhere, not close to civilization, alone with each other. And one by one, they are being murdered. Not the best situation to be in. And none of them are on this trip by mistake.

The book opens with Christa (the main character) and Kiernan (her boyfriend) lost in the blizzard. Things aren’t looking good. But the others find Christa, and when she come to, she is in a cabin and hears talk about her fingers being frostbitten. Kiernan is still lost out there, and now Christa is trapped in the cabin with eight total strangers. They decide to wait out the storm. After all, they’re safe in a cabin. What could go wrong?

Not long after, the head of their bus driver appears, speared onto the end of a branch. Then one by one, the surviving members of the group are taken out until only Christa is left alone with the killer.

The ending is very satisfying, but in the pages leading up to the ending, you could possibly bite your nails to the quick.

I received an advance copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Dead of Winter has become my favourite thriller so far this year, and Darcy Coates is quickly becoming one of my favourite thriller/horror authours.

To the other thriller books I've read and loved this year, I'm sorry, but Dead of Winter has my favourite thriller trope - the isolated-locale (especially in the middle of a snow storm). You just can't compete with that.

This book was extremely well written. It had me on the edge of my seat. I don't often find books give me that heart-pounding suspense or scare that a thriller movie does. You know where you are partially covering your eyes because you are afraid to look, but you also want to know what's going to happen. Darcy Coates has a way of writing that gives me this feeling.

The characters were well written, all fairly likeable but with some flaws that kept you guessing as to whether they were the killer or not. I thought I had it all figured out, and then Coates threw in a twist, and I realized I was all wrong. And then the ending threw in another twist I hadn't expected! I definitely enjoy a thriller that's unpredictable.

There aren't any really graphic scenes of actual murders, but as the victims start to fall, there is some graphic imagery of the bodies. Just a warning if you don't really like gorry details.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, unputdownable thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Wow! This book was incredible,

I will preface my review by saying I would have given this book a 5 stars but I knocked it down to 4 because I had this entire book figured out from the first death. After learning about August 8th, the rest became crystal clear.

However, I must state that even guessing how this book was going to turn out… I was blown away with Darcy Coates ability to tell a story. I was utterly captivated from start to finish. This book was bone chilling, blood curdling, grip your seat good.

This book was ominous and spooky in the best way. I read this in bed in the dark for a little while and found myself rushing to turn a light on. I felt chills up and down my spine. My goodness, this book is going to sit with me for a very long time. 10/10 would recommend! Can’t wait for this to hit the shelves.

Thank you so much Net Galley, Darcy Coates and the publishers at Poisoned Pen Press for the amazing opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A vacation that became a nightmare. Using a well worn movie device, Darcy Coates drops us right into the middle of the action, with Christina and her boyfriend Kiernan battling against the elements, struggling to find their way in the middle of a massive snow storm, and then getting separated in a dramatic fashion. We then jump back in time to see how they got there. They were part of a small tour group enroute to a lodge in the Rockies. It’s off season because of the rough weather, but they never expected it to come in so quickly. A downed tree halts their bus and while others work to clear the tree so they can be on their way, Christina and Kiernan go for a walk. That’s when the storm system came rushing in. Christina eventually ends up with the other passengers in a small cabin in the woods, but none of them have seen Kiernan. I was already hooked as Darcy does a wonderful job of pulling us in and making us feel the intensity of being lost in a whiteout. (And as someone who was once in a whiteout, though nothing as bad as what is described in the book, I’ll say she nailed it.) But then Ms Coates kicks it up several notches when their guide goes missing and his head is later found impaled in a tree! Is there someone else in the woods with them or is there a killer among them and one of the passengers is to blame? And what about being rescued? Is anyone looking for them? Does anyone know where they are or that they are even in need to help? In this eclectic group of characters who if anyone can be trusted? This is a seriously intense, fast paced thriller. I’d like to thank Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Dead of Winter.

Dead of Winter is a high speed thriller set in a cold, wintery, isolated setting. Think Agatha Christie's Then There Were None, but at a bit of blood, slasher vibes and an ending you will not see coming. This book is definitely a good time. Very fast paced, easy read that keeps you guessing till the end. Christa, the main lead of the story, is a strong female character, who finds herself wrapped up in a killers scheme and must try to figure out how to survive. If you like a fast paced novel, that hooks you right from the start, love isolated settings with locked room vibes, read this book!

Whoa! 👀

A group of people are on their way to stay in a mountain lodge for a couple weeks. However, along the way they run into a blizzard, then their tour guide goes missing, and then is found dead! A nice relaxing trip turns into a trip of survival! Someone is out to kill but who is it and why?

This one is intense! It is so dark and chilling you will not be able to put it down. Things are happening so quickly, you can’t stop until you find out who is behind these horrific events! You will feel like you are on top of that snow covered mountain with this group of strangers.

I wish there was an epilogue or a “one month later” chapter but I also was glad it ended the way it did. I didn’t think I could take anymore🤣

Oh Darcy Coates… your book was disgustingly amazing!!!! So much blood… body parts… not for the faint of heart.

This novel brings you action, adventure, gore, and an immense amount of suspense!!!

The terrifying story of strangers trapped together in a tiny cabin struggling to stay awake for fear one of them is the killer. What would you do to survive so your severed head doesn’t end up on a tree branch??

LOVED this book!!!