I have heard so many good things about Darcy Coates as a writer, but never read any of her books until this one. And now I wonder what took me so long??? This book was great! A classic who dunnit set in remote woods during a blizzard. Christa and her boyfriend take a trip for a little romantic getaway. There are other couples/guests also going. They get caught in a blizzard, and the bus cannot make it any further due to a downed tree in the road. They find an abandoned shack, and decide to hole up there to get out of the elements, but one by one, her companions start to die. I definitely went through each character at certain points, sure I knew who the killer was. There are so many twists and secrets in this book, it was never a dull moment. Fast paced, easy to read, keeps you guessing. Can't wait to check out more from Coates!

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
Genre: Thriller
Plotpoints: Strangers trapped in a wilderness cabin
Scary or Gory? There's some of both but it's only mildly descriptive
KU/Library or Buy-worthy? Library
Similar vibe: The Drift by CJ Tudor and No Exit by Taylor Adams

***Warning Mild Spoilers Follow***
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates is the milder, easier version of The Drift by CJ Tudor: A bus, a blizzard, a rural lodge, a secret,a mysterious killer. Even though the details of the plots differ, I couldn't help but note the similarities. I can never have too much of strangers trapped in the wilderness during a blizzard though.  <Start creepy music, Enter killer stage left>

In Dead of Winter we are seeing the events unfold through the eyes of Christa, who becomes lost after her tour bus has to stop for a downed tree. When she and her boyfriend went for a short hike while the others clear the road right (before the beginning of a snow storm) a "too stupid to live" refrain started running through my head. As we learn more about Christa's life her quirkiness and anxiety make more sense. Her character at least exhibits some sense of the danger around her. There are issues with realism here too but as slashers go, that's part of the fun. The twist and who the killer was seemed pretty obvious to me but I enjoyed the Hitchcockian style, dark panic that Darcy Coates built into particularly claustrophobic scenes. By the halfway point I was all the way into it. Overall this was a really enjoyable read. I had trouble putting it down. If you like Clue type murder mysteries check this one out.

What started as a snowy 2 week getaway for a bunch of strangers, quickly turns into being stranded in a small cabin during a blizzard while horrifying murders are occurring every day. This was an awesome 5 star read ! It was gripping and nail biting until the very end!! The end was a bit predictable but the ride was intense!! A must read. The best thriller I have read in a long time! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and poisoned pen press for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Although it was fairly easy to guess the outcome, I still read this every chance I got because it moved along at a good pace, was exciting, and, of course, I had to be sure the killer was who I thought it was. I’ll be checking my library to see if we have more by this author.

I have read this type of "plot" in a few other books, but this one by Darcy Coates is far and above the best. Without giving anything away, I will say that I couldn't wait to get back reading the book when I had to put it down. Another author I will definitely follow and read more of her books!

Suspected the ending but still shocking since the author kept planting seeds of doubt. Super suspenseful, cliff hangers kept me reading well past bed time. Very enjoyable.

Dead of Winter

When the bus taking Christa, her partner and eight others, to a luxury mountain lodge retreat is forced to stop by a fallen tree on the snow covered, winding mountain road in The Rocky Mountains. Before the tree can be cleared a blizzard hits and the group are able to find shelter in a small hunting cabin. It isn’t long before one of the group of strangers is brutally murdered, and put on display for everyone to find. With the snow storm still raging on, making it impossible to leave and seek help but staying out is just as dangerous with the group being picked off one by one. Which of their group can be trusted and which is a murderer, enjoying the terror and torment they are putting the others through?

This book was intensely atmospheric from the very first chapter and it continued throughout it the entire book. The isolation of the characters was palpable and I spent so much of the book trying to work out who the killer could be. I enjoyed the mix of different characters with different personality and watch them be thrust together with the crisis of being snowed in but also being hunted by one of their own.

This was my second book from Darcy Coates, and I enjoyed this one even more than Hunted. Both books were set in nature, with the environment being an added danger adding to the suspense and intensity. The murders were gruesome but not over the top, as someone who doesn’t read a lot of horror the description of the murdered bodies were not off putting but only added to the anxiety around finding the killer before someone else is murdered. I loved the cat and mouse game, not knowing which characters were trustworthy and also the secrets the characters were all hiding, which began to unravel throughout the story. Highly recommended for fans of locked room thrillers, atmospheric reads and psychological thrillers.

Thank you to NetGally and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC eBook copy.

For someone who loves isolated settings, I am very sad that I find this book to be the best. It was interesting in the beginning but it got kind of repetitive with everyone getting picked one by one in the middle of nowhere. The book would really have benefitted more if it was multiple POV since there were so many characters mentioned but we were told the story from only one woman Christa's POV.

Very tense with lots of twists and turns. Main character, Christa, is strong, deductive and loyal. With death all around her she keeps her head while trying to help solve the killings of her companions. The snow and brutal cold is just one more enemy to survive.

I DNF'd this book at 30%. Both the main character and the plot were not vibrant enough to keep me entertained. I often found myself reaching for and finishing other books while this sat off to the side and waited. I'm sure there is an audience for this book, but unfortunately I am not one of them despite loving the horror and thriller genres.

There is nothing I love more than a book that makes me go WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? If that is you, this is your book.

Meet Christa. She’s had a rough couple of years after being in a car crash where a young man went over the side and died. It was a tragic accident and multiple people stopped to help, but there was nothing they could do. It has stuck with Christa. She never leaves her house. She has huge guilt.

When she is invited to join a tour group headed to the Rocky Mountains and a lodge in the middle of nowhere with a lot of snow. Her boyfriend is going as well and she feels safe with him. She should not.

As they get closer to the lodge a storm has kicked up a lot of snow. With a downed tree on the road, they will have to find another way to the lodge.

Christa and the boyfriend set out on their own and that will be a mistake. Lost in a blinding storm, unfamiliar with the terrain, one false step could be their last.

When Christa returns to the group alone and in bad shape, the others have found a cabin to shelter in. With a storm raging outside, searching will have to wait. Things get real in the morning when they find their tour guide's head in a tree. Yes. Now Christa is trapped with a bunch of folks she does not know and fears one of them is a killer.

That’s all I’m sharing. This was a thrill ride all the way to the final page! And I read it twice. So many red herrings and sketchy characters. I loved every minute of it!

NetGalley/ Poisoned Pen Press July 11, 2023

Ehhh, this just wasn’t my thing.

I had thought this would be more horror/supernatural based, like the author’s other stories I’ve read.

This was a “whodunnit” survival thriller. The killer seemed kind of obvious to me despite the red herrings and misleading plot points. None of the characters really stood out to me. More information and description about the area would’ve benefited the book. It didn’t seem that much research had gone into the setting for the story.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy.

Wow! That was a wild ride! For some reason, any thriller set in the snow always goes at the top of my Want to Read list and this one perfectly scratched that itch.

It was pretty darn gruesome so be prepared for that. But I really loved how the story unfolded. The ending took me by surprise and was more open ended than I typically prefer but, you know what, I think wasn’t that mad at it.

Seriously well done on this book, it finally took me out of a several book reading slump and is exactly what I needed!

Thank you to net galley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to get my hands on an ARC, this one was a thrill!

As a mystery I'd give this 3.5 stars; as a horror thriller, I'd give it 4 stars

This is a non-stop action fest of an isolated closed circle thriller that throws you right into the fire (or snow in this case). While I found the "whodunnit" immediately obvious, I think the tense vibes and effective setting made this a really entertaining read, and there was some body horror in here that I think made things even more intense. Recommended!

A fresh twist on the closed door mystery trope. I really enjoyed this one. It started immediately with action and there was hardly any slow moving parts at all. I did guess the 'who' early on, but was absolutely surprised on the 'why'.

Once I started reading this, it was hard to stop. The action starts right away and the story kept me intrigued throughout.

This is definitely different from the other Darcy Coates books I've read (mostly her haunting books). This was a relatively fast paced thriller with a side of gore and plenty of suspense. As always, Coates does an excellent job of creating an atmosphere that sucks you into the story.

I loved the reveals and the little hints left throughout for the readers to figure out who the killer is. It was fun to piece everything together. I found that my theory about the killer was correct but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all.

I'd highly recommend this if: you enjoyed other books by Darcy Coates, enjoy books about survival, or loved thrillers like No Exit.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy Coates for providing me with an ARC for review.

I only recently started to get into mystery books, but Darcy Coates is going to become an automatic purchase for me as I add her entire collection to my collection. This book kept me on my toes, holding my breath as I turned the page quickly to find out what happened. This book is going to be released on my birthday and I can't wait to buy it for myself to celebrate.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

Publish date: July 11, 2023
Publisher: Poised Pen Press
Page count: 384

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thank you to @netgalley for providing me a E-ARC copy of this book!

Short summary: A group of strangers are on their way to a winter retreat when they get stranded in a snow storm in the middle of the mountains. One by one they are killed off by a mystery murderer until only one is left.

Very much a locked room horror if I ever read one. If you liked Shiver by Allie Reynolds’s or The Sanitorium by Sarah Pierce you will like this one. What makes this one different from others is Darcy’s ability to draw you in with the unknown. I’d say she is a very talented Horror writer and the twist in this book was on point!

Trigger Warning: Graphic/gory descriptions

I liked the setting, and there were a few unexpected, but in general, the book missed the mark for me. The characters were underdeveloped, and the story dragged in many parts, which pulled me out of the story. A tighter edit could have helped. The plot was far gorier than expected. That may appeal to some, however.

This one kept me on my toes guessing who the killer was until the very end. This is the second book I have read from Darcy and by far this one is the best.

The setting in the remote wilderness, surrounded by snow a bus load of tourists on their way to a retreat in the mountains. The bus breaks down and they are stranded, no cell signal and then one by one they are killed in gruesome detail (I loved it) you feel for the main character and try to work out with her who is picking them off one by one.

Its a good, between the eerie atmosphere, the cat n mouse games and gruesome kills I was sold. It's a solid 4 stars from me. Thats to netgalley for my copy of this book.