I was so stoked to get this ARC. Darcy Coates is one of my auto-read authors. I love her haunted house stories, and Dead of Winter is an intriguing departure from the stories I'm used to seeing from her. Without losing her unique voice, Coates managed to create a completely different vibe for this book. The setting is just as atmospheric, but the stakes feel even higher and the remote, frozen setting hit all of the best scary buttons for me.

The story follows Christa, a young woman with some past trauma who is learning to trust herself and others again through her relationship with boyfriend Kiernan.

Kiernan persuades her to go with him on a small-group tour to a remote lodge in the Rockies. Their romantic getaway goes immediately awry when the bus is stopped by a treefall and a blizzard rolls in. Christa and Kiernan go for a walk while the tour guide and some of the other tourists work to clear the road, but they get lost in the storm, and when the group ultimately finds and rescues Christa, Kiernan is nowhere to be found.

Unfortunately, this marks only the beginning of Christa's troubles.

Stranded in a cabin with few supplies, the group hunkers down until people start disappearing...and turning up dead.

This book blends thriller with slasher, survival horror with locked door mystery.

If you liked the isolated settings in Lucy Foley's the Guest List or the Hunting Party, this book could be right up your alley.

I'm excited to see this new direction in Coates' writing, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

This book was the perfect combination of horror and thriller. We jumped right in as Christa is stranded in the Rocky Mountains during a nasty winter storm with her tour group. Being stuck is not the biggest of their worries though, because something more sinister is lurking within their midst's. Darcy Coates takes you on an exciting ride with this story, and is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

I am always excited to read a locked in mystery with a twist! This book started out with drama and it never stopped! I was very invested in trying to figure out who the killer was but I could not figure it out. Well done!

A thrill ride! Cant beat an isolated location, a murder victim, and lots of twists and turns. Keeps you guessing! Thank you to net galley and the author for allowing me to read and review. Can t wait to continue to read more by this author.

Christa and several strangers are on a bus to Blackstone Alpine Lodge in winter when they are stopped by a fallen tree across the road. Christa and Kiernan are on the trip so he can share with her the memories he made with his family at Blackstone Alpine Lodge in years past. The two wander off while the other bus passengers work on moving the tree. A storm hits and Christa falls out of Kiernan’s reach. She’s found later by the rest of the group but Kiernan is lost. The group soon discovers that a killer is in their midst when they’re taken out one by one and their heads are displayed on the large tree next to their cabin shelter. Creepy and surrounded in mystery to the very end! 5 stars!

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the double layer mystery, the creepiness factor and suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists.
Mature content: gentle kisses
Violence: R for several bloody deaths by decapitation and heads being displayed on tree branches.
Language: PG-13 for 16 swears and no f-bombs.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This book creeped me out! I loved it! I was suspicious of everyone. Really good book that I couldn't put down. I rate it a 3.9

I know Darcy Coates for her horror books and this thriller didn’t disappoint. Addictive and intense, it was impossible to stop reading.

A tour group is heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains. Christa is looking for a chance to put old ghosts to rest, but things don’t exactly go has planned. A snowstorm leaves the group stranded halfway to the resort, and they are forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Things go from bad to worse when their guide goes missing and they find their head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. There’s a killer on the loose, and they seem to be just in the beginning of a killing spree. One by one, the number of survivors dwindles, and Christa must decide who she can trust and identify the killer before they come for her.

Darcy Coates is a great writer and an expert in creating atmospheric and creepy settings. The claustrophobia, the mounting psychological pressure, and the horror of not knowing if the killer is part of the group or not, it created the perfect winter horror story.

The chapters are short, and the pace of the story is great.

We see it all through Christa’s POV, the protagonist. She’s a great main character and very believable. She has her own demons but decided to face her fears and take this trip, only for it to be a complete nightmare. Even so, despite her moments of pure fear and panic (I mean, who wouldn’t?), she remains rational and doesn’t stop trying to think of ways to keep them alive and find out who is killing them and why.

I had my suspicions about who the killer was, but in the end, it was surprise and so was the motive.
Creepy, atmospheric, and addictive, I recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller.

DANG! I had never read from Darcy Coates before, so I didn't know what to expect from her horror/thrillers. This was gorey and unsettling, but never quite scared the shit out of me, I did NOT see the end coming (although I never do) and I would 100% pick up more from her.

I will say at the beginning I got names/characters mixed up because they're introduced quickly, but I'm also just dumb.

4.5 stars

This is one of the best thriller/who done it books I've ever read, exceptionally well written, and there is enough to the story that even if you guessed who the killer was, there is always that doubt in the back of your mind, asking yourself is there more to the story, (which there is)

There is a little bit of gore, but for the most part the horror comes from not knowing who to trust, as the numbers dwindle down.

I will be defiantly be checking out more Darcy Coates books.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

I was given an advanced copy of this book from net galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are truthful and my own.

I liked this book. Its not very long, because there is something happening all the time. The plot is stretched over a few days but moves quickly. The atmosphere feels isolated and smothering all at once. Admittedly the "twist" is predictable but fun to get to. A lot of characters but unique enough to tell apart. I'd read more by this author.

It was a weird experience to read this in 30 degree heat because the setting was so immersive. This book feels incredibly claustrophobic for being set in such an expansive natural setting. The atmosphere is really the star of the show in this novel. I predicted the ending twist but it was still interesting enough to keep me engaged!

Gosh, this was such a disappointment. This book started out so promising but then it kept going and going and going. This book was way too long and had way too many chapters. I never had that on the edge of my seat feeling with this book. I did enjoy the first 30% but then it got extremely repetitive and it became way too obvious who the actual killer was. I wish the author did a better job at keeping this a thrilling whodunit story. Keeping this review short because I don’t want to be too negative. I will say, I did love the setting of the story and the survival aspect but that was about it. Overall, I would not recommend this one because it’s too long and not worth the ending that I was given. There are much better books in this genre that I would recommend before this one.

Thank you so much for my gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Stuck. In a small cabin. In the dead of winter. The scenario is a nightmare, but the reality quickly became hell. A group of tourists on a tour bus, from various backgrounds and countries, hoping for a relaxing vacation at a resort. The bus has to stop for a fallen tree, the main character and narrator Christa leaves the bus with her boyfriend Kiernan to hike to a scenic viewpoint, and then a blinding snowstorm leaves them disoriented, with only Christa catching back up with the group. The events following this incident are nothing short of horrific and kept me turning pages well into the night. Well written; Christa is a bit shallow, selfish and naive at times, dragging others into her frantic search for Kiernan, but overall this book is a winner. Highly recommended! But be prepared for some unexpected twists and blood.

My ARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley; the opinions expressed herein are my own.

Krista and Kiernan joined a tour group, heading to the Blackstone Alpine Lodge so deep in the Rocky Mountains, only mother, nature has plans of her own a snowstorm that affects all of the tour group. After their tour bus. Is stuck behind a fallen tree. The snow begins to fall with no signs of it letting up anytime soon.

Now the group of strangers find shelter in a small cabin in the valley, exhausted cold, and hungry. Can the group survive the weather and each other.. one by one, the members of the group are being targeted, and a very dark and macabre way. Is there a serial killer among them? It would be a mistake to believe too much in anyone’s innocence.

WoW this is my first read by Darcy Coates, and she doesn’t disappoint. As the tension slowly builds, I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The intensity is so palpable at times my heart was beating so fast. The author did an excellent job at keeping the plot twist coming without giving anything away which keep me interested right up to the satisfying ending..

A special thanks to Poisoned, Pen Press, and Netgalley for a copy of the arc, and exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Darcy Coates book and it will not be my last! It was gripping from literally the first page. The story truly hit the ground running and any time I thought I had a handle of it, it took a turn. The main character was so good. Well developed and instantly likable, she was not the typical dumb main of a horror story. The visuals were really unsettling and you never knew what terrible thing was next. Not being able to trust anyone or predict what's next kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this one. Horror done really well and I can't wait to dive into another book by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

Imagine yourself stranded with a group of strangers in the dead of winter in a cabin in the woods, in the middle of a massive snowstorm. Imagine that someone among you is single handedly picking you each off in a gruesome and terrible manner. You have to figure out who and you have to do it quick before you are the next victim. The Dead of Winter keeps you guessing right up until the end. Definitely a little more gruesome of a mystery than I am used to reading, but a page turner for sure!
Thank you for an ARC of Dead of Winter in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this story the premise was great and I was looking forward to reading a scary thriller set in an isolated place. On the positive side, the setting was great, an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere in a snowstorm! Stuck in said cabin with a group of strangers and a possible killer! Unfortunately though this just wasn’t for me, it just didn’t hook me, I found the side characters to be poorly fleshed out and I didn’t really care about them. I found the main character very frustrating and quite contrary. This is certainly grisly and gory but I didn’t find myself scared or even apprehensive. However I think that this book would hit the right note for many readers so if it sounds like your cup of tea- go for it!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy

Oh. My. God. This propulsive, claustrophobic thriller had me up until 1am because I could NOT stop reading.

The writing was extremely faced paced but descriptive and wonderful. I was overwhelmed by all the characters at once, but they quickly became real to me and differentiating them was no longer an issue. When I say this book was propulsive, I mean I actually feel like I had been shot out of a cannon and was free falling through the air, breathless and filled with dread. It was incredible. The scenes in the lodge at the end reminded me of The Shining on a visceral level, but in a paying-homage way, not copy cat at all.

I did predict who the butcher was maybe 75-80% of the way through? But it didn’t bother me at all, I actually loved how the twists went down. I wish there was slightly more of a conclusion as far as how things fared at the cabin at the end ( staying vague so no spoilers) but it was ok leaving it up in the air.

It must be mentioned that this is gruesome. There are some gory descriptions, some of which I had to gloss over a bit or I never would’ve fallen asleep haha.

5/5 massive stars. WILD ride. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this read. It is fast paced and I loved the setting. However, I did find some details hard to believe/a little too convenient to the plot. I would definitely read from this author again.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my free-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I recently read Dead of Winter, a gripping novel that takes place during a snowstorm. It has a horror element that makes it both disturbing and tragic. The two main characters are lost, and I felt just as disoriented as they did. However, once I became immersed in the story, I found it to be an intense and suspenseful read.

Christa, the protagonist, is not necessarily likable, but I appreciate her resilience in challenging situations. The other characters have their own stories, and the author does a great job revealing their backgrounds as the plot unfolds. This adds depth to the supporting characters.

The book's isolated setting, combined with the harsh winter weather and the presence of a killer on the loose, makes for a thrilling challenge for the characters. The descriptions of the deaths are graphic and hard to shake from your mind.

While I was able to predict who the killer was early on, the mystery of the motive kept me engaged. It was enjoyable to piece together the clues and solve the puzzle.

The story revolves around revenge, and the characters are not necessarily likable due to their past actions that led them to be hunted down.

The book's ending felt rushed, which was disappointing after a long cat-and-mouse chase. However, this did not take the enjoyment out of reading this book. Ultimately, Dead of Winter still rendered the chills and thrills on every page.