Another hit from Darcy! I enjoyed this take on the locked-room mystery and I was surprised by the twists! So far I've really liked everything Darcy has written. Can't wait for the next one!

4.5 very chilling stars

Kiernan and Christa are headed to the luxurious Blackstone Lodge, nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains. She really needs this escape.

The tour group encounters rough winter weather, and the bus comes to a stop when a tree is covering the road. Kiernan invites Christa on a short walk to a scenic outlook while the tree is tackled. They got lost and disoriented in the snow. Christa finally finds a remote cabin where the group has found shelter. Kiernan is still missing.

Even though the group has safety from the elements, a sinister force is at work and a killer is picking them off, one by one. Is there a deranged mountain person on the loose or is it one of them? Can Christa trust any of them? And is it too late to find Kiernan?

The cold and snow were swirling in this one and some of the scenes were grisly. I kept turning the pages though to find out if Christa would make it out alive. This would make a perfect snowstorm read, nestled in front of the fire.

The second half of the book really redeemed it for me. At first I couldn’t see where this was going and the disjointed narration of the main character, I know this was the point given the situation but it was too choppy.

Once the book picked up it shot for the stars and I read it in one sitting. We just took a hot minute to get there.

The only thing that left me wanting more was the lack of an epilogue. Normally we get a better conclusion with Darcy’s books, this one didn’t give me that satisfaction.

Prepare for a gripping, chilling, and engrossing read with "Dead of Winter." Darcy Coates expertly crafts a frozen landscape, a stranded bus, and a cast of characters entangled in danger and suspicion. This homage to classic whodunits will keep you guessing, with red herrings scattered throughout the narrative. With flawlessly portrayed characters and a web of intrigue, Coates delivers her best work yet. Get ready for a suspenseful, accessible read that guarantees thrills.

Dead of Winter
by Darcy Coates
Pub Date: 11 Jul 2023

Dead of Winter is a heart pounding thriller that kept me up at night! If you like thrillers, horror, suspense, mystery or anything in between you must read this book.

Synopsis:

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.

My Thanks to #Netgalley & #PoisonedPenPress for giving me an ARC of this book.

This book has zero chill. Well a lot of chill, oh you know what I mean! It jumps right in. It’s tense, eerie, gripping, so hard to put down. Travelers seeking shelter, horrid winter storms in a frozen mountain landscape, no where to run. Eight strangers, one killer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller to help cool you off this summer.

Dead of Winer is a phenomenal locked room mystery from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Dead of Winter asap.

I am a sucker for remote settings, a group of strangers cut off from civilization, and a high body count as they are picked off one by one. Dead of Winter does not disappoint. Think Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None set in the Rocky Mountains in white-out blizzard conditions, and a remote resort only open to small, private tours. Predictable? God, yes. Entertaining? Absolutely. I loved it.

Dead of Winter is a fast paced story that will keep readers on the edge of their seat wondering who can you trust? This was an easy read. I thought I had figured out what was going on, but I was wrong and I loved being wrong! It is rare for a book to really surprise me. I would recommend this book to mystery/thriller fans.

Wow! Darcy Coates Dead of Winter is fabulous and so great to read no matter what the season! Take a busload of strangers and strand them in the Rocky Mountains during a blizzard in a tiny cabin and then slowly kill them one by one. It’s “And Then There Were None” set in the middle of the wilderness and no hope of rescue. Who is the killer? Who will die next? Why is the killer killing these people? You will never guess!! I almost threw my phone across the room when I found out! I was so surprised! I never even saw that one coming! Loved this book! Darcy Coates rocks the scary story in this one!

Title: Dead of Winter
Author: Darcy Coates
Pace: 4/5 ★
Characters: 5/5 ★
Genre: 5/5★
Plot: 5/5★
Readability: 5/5★
Content Warnings: graphic violence
Narrator: N/A

A group of travelers become the prey to a hunter whose motives are unclear but whose modus operandi is terror. Christa is a woman troubled by a past tragedy who joins her boyfriend and eight other tourists on a journey to stay at an out-of-season ski resort deep in the Rocky Mountains. When a blizzard halts their journey and their tour guide turns up dead, these strangers are faced with the challenge of surviving the weather and surviving the monster slowly decorating a tree with their heads.

The tension is palpable, and Darcy Coates’s use of imagery and tone create a book that reads like a horror film. As a horror lover, this book is admittedly gorier than I would seek in a movie. On the page, however, it’s brilliantly done and almost more terrifying than a screen adaptation could be. I’ve never read a book quite like this, and it’s such a change from the thrillers I typically consume. I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience—and had to turn all the lights on after.

This is a tricky review to write because there’s nothing wrong with this book. The pace is the only category that didn’t get five stars, because it does start a bit slowly. At about the 25% mark things picked up, though, and by the 33% mark I couldn’t put it down. The rest of the categories are straight fives.

The characters are incredibly compelling, especially as you realize they are each carrying some weight with them that makes this hunt feel less random and more like a game. The book nestles into the horror genre beautifully, down to the twists and turns that keeps the reader on edge—especially in the final act. The plot fits into the genre well, and while it’s a slow burn, the final third of the story is electric and again is just so complimentary of the horror genre. Finally, the readability is superb— I actually read the last few chapters on my phone in a waiting room because I forgot my Kindle and I had to finish it.

Unrelated to the book review: I’ve never read a Darcy Coates book, even though she’s been on my radar as a suggested author a number of times. I’m about to pick through her catalogue for my next for-pleasure read, because I’ve got to know if this is a one-time thing or if Coates is about to join Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley on my “I must read everything by this person” roster.

This was one of the wildest rides I’ve ever encountered from any book. This was a new to me author and she can certainly spin some tales that stayed with me and had me wondering if I was having a nightmare or really reading this.
Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan join nine others on a two week trip to a lodge in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. On the bus ride there they speak to some of the guests and each one has different expectations for their stay. An unexpected heavy blizzard and a fallen tree in the road curtails their journey. The bus is stranded and in spite of the severe cold they all have to begin walking. They come across a tiny log cabin, so they seek shelter inside. That’s when all the “fun” begins. Tight quarters, very little food, and differing personalities cause tempers to flare and fights to ensue. And the most frightening thing is the bodies begin dropping like flys! Who can they trust? One of the most surprising endings I’ve ever read!
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley but I was not required to write a review.

Wonderful! Passionately written and just felt like someone laid their heart on the page. Wonderful! Passionately written and just felt like someone laid their heart on the page. Wonderful! Passionately written and just felt like someone laid their heart on the page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy Coates for providing me with copy in exchange for my honest review.

Stop everything, and go get this book! Yes, it was that good. The characters are well developed, and I kept turning pages to the very end. Oh what twists, this would be perfect to read on a cold snowy or rainy night. It is gory and graphic but still would recommend.
4.5 stars

Eight Strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to RUN.

This book has left me SPEECHLESS. By far the best book I have read this year! This is my first book by Darcy Coates. I have heard such good things about her books and I couldn’t wait to dive into this AVALANCHE of a book. This is the master of “Who dunnit” books. Every time I thought I had it figured out…nope! Darcy had me scared out of my mind! Watch your back….and your head.
Who will make it in the “Dead of Winter”? Bundle up and find out!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! Much appreciation!

Classic whodunnit thriller set in the middle of nowhere trapped in a snowstorm? I’m in. This one had me guessing until the end and when I thought I knew how it was going to end, NOPE!! What a twist! I really did not see that coming!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in return for my review!

This novel is an exciting, hard to put down thriller. The plot is propulsive and the pacing is exacting. Although the main “twist” is obvious about halfway through the book, that doesn’t detract from the story. A definite edge of your seat book!

Another amazing book from the amazing Darcy Coates!

Eight strangers are on their way through the Rocky Mountains when disaster strikes in the form of both a snowstorm and a tree in the road.
At least there's a small cabin nearby that they can stay at until help comes.
But it turns out that's only the beginning. One by one, someone is picking them off and it's only a matter of time until there's no one left.

Excellent and gripping, I couldn't put it down!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Darcy Coates and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Christa went through something traumatic and became closed in, until she met her partner Kieran who started to give her some hope. He invites her on a trip to the Rocky Mountains with a tour group, but then everything starts to go south really quick.

This was an excellent read from Darcy Coates. I previously read Craven Manor and enjoyed it and I am glad she keeps surprising me with unique stories with fun twists and turns. This is the perfect book to read either during the summer when it's hot and you need to not think about the sun, or during fall and wintertime.

The setting is an abandoned and remote cabin and the cast for this story is a bunch of unique characters. The weather plays an important part in the story as well, making everyone's struggle much worse. As more people die off, the survivors become paranoid and distrustful and have to be quick to not become the next victim. Everything was so descriptive and I could easily picture what was happening in the story. It was eerie and captivating.

My only issue is like with a lot of thriller books, it did drag a bit in the middle and I wonder if maybe some editing down would have helped. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book and I had fun until the end trying to figure out who the butcher was. I would recommend this to others.

Ebook/Horror: I guessed the murderer! From the jump, I had three theories. After about 100 pages, I knocked two of them out. I kept my suspect until the end even when events started turning to someone else. Stuck with my theory and bam, I finally got one in the win column; which I rarely get right with who-done-its.
I picked this one off my Netgalley shelf because of the cover. It's nothing but a heat advisory every day so I sat under a fan and read this page turner in two sittings.
I definitely recommend it. There is a gorey body count. Eleven people travel to a remote cabin in the Rockies with a serial killer among them. Good stuff.