This one definitely starts with a bang and holds onto that fast pace heart-racing feeling throughout the Whole. Entire. Book! If you liked “No Exit,” you’ll love this! I stayed up until 3 AM reading this one because I wanted to 1. Confirm if I was right about my suspicions and 2. Well…. I just couldn’t put it down! Although I did kind of guess early on “who-dunnit’ Darcy Coates kept making me rethink and question if I was right or not, throwing the reader off the trail constantly, which I love! So the predictability (if you can even call it that) wasn’t a negative for me.
There was only one thing I didn’t really like with this read: there were a few tiny holes in the story or very questionable things the MC did that could have changed the whole story. But all in all, I’d recommend!

Read if you love:
❄️ Fast paced, Gore-y thrillers
❄️ Short chapters
❄️ Being on the edge of your seat the whole book (anxiety inducing)
❄️ Snow storm and Cabin Horror
❄️ Revenge stories

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
WOW! This book has it all! Excellent writing, twists and turns and just enough creepiness to keep you wanting to know who is killing one by one the small group that was stranded. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this and leave my opinion!

Interesting characters and several twists along the way. A very good read

Thank you to Darcy Coates, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc of this book

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates is a chilling and suspenseful novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. From the very first page, the reader is drawn into the story of a group of people who find themselves trapped in a remote cabin in the middle of a brutal winter.

One of the things that makes this book so captivating is the way that Coates weaves in unexpected twists and turns throughout the narrative. Just when you think you have figured out what is going on, something new and shocking is revealed, leaving you gasping for breath.

But what really sets this book apart is the vivid and haunting descriptions of the winter landscape. The bitter cold and the snow that surrounds the cabin is not just a backdrop for the story, but a character in its own right. Coates does an excellent job of conveying the harshness of the environment and the sense of isolation and desperation that it creates.

The characters themselves are also well-drawn and believable. Each one has their own secrets and motivations, and as the tension ramps up, it becomes increasingly difficult to know who to trust. The sense of unease and suspicion that permeates the group is palpable, and Coates does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing until the very end.

Overall, I would highly recommend Dead of Winter to anyone who loves a good mystery or suspense novel. The combination of crazy twists and absolutely brutal winter cold scenes where people are isolated with a potential murderer makes for a thrilling and unforgettable read.

I love everything Darcy Coates writes, and am grateful for the opportunity to read this as an advanced readers copy. Thank you to Darcy Coates, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley. All opinions are voluntary and my own.

Holy crap this was incredible, so happy I got an arc because this premise sounded amazing and it didn't let me down. The writing was actually creepy and freaked me out. The suspense was so well done it kept me turning the pages all through the night.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates. The last few books I read weren’t really for me so I was glad that this really started out great and grabbed me from the beginning. I could have done without the icky descriptions of the bodies because while they weren't the worst I ever read, the great writing style made them really vivid. The tension really increases as the bodies continue to pile up and the suspect pool gets smaller. This is a heart-stopping book that you won't want to put down until you find out who the butcher is and their motive. While I’m not sure I loved the conclusion, it did make me say “wow!” 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This book is the definition of c h i l l i n g, gripping, unsettling and why not throw some claustrophobia in the mix? Holy wow. This book was not a slow burn at all, which for me personally, I appreciate. I freaking KNEW there was something off about the one character (if you know, you know). But of course, if you know Darcy Coates, you know that she is notorious for throwing in all kinds of twists and turns and that is exactly what she did with this book. I had 928482 thoughts going on in my head the entire time. I thought I knew what was going on - I really thought I had it all figured out about 93 different times, but nope! What a twist. Absolutely amazing. 100/10 highly recommend.

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC! 😊

A bunch of strangers snowed in at a remote cabin- what could go wrong?

Dead of Winter follows a tour group headed to a remote lodge in the Rocky Mountains for a relaxing two week vacation. When a snow storm hits unexpectedly, the group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned cabin. With one of their group already lost in the storm and presumed dead, tensions are high from the get go. When the tour guide’s head is found skewered on a tree the next morning, everyone is desperate to stay alive and find out who the killer is.

The previous books that I have read by Darcy Coates have all been firmly in the horror genre, but Dead of Winter is definitely more of a thriller. While overall I think the story is well-written, I have read a number of books with a similar premise and I guessed the twist about a third of the way into the book. Because of that, a lot of the book felt predictable.

I did enjoy the depth of the characters’ backstories, and the ending was a whirlwind! I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Lucy Foley, The Writer’s Retreat by Julia Bartz, Ruth Ware, and Riley Sager.

Dead of Winter will be available July 11, 2023. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.

Darcy is one of my fav authors and she did it again with this one. Snowy, isolated fear. A group sets out into the Rocky Mountains for 2 weeks of being off grid. Then a storm moves in and everyone is in danger. What is stalking the group? Man or monster?? I loved

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates is a chilling and suspenseful tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Christa, seeking solace from her past, joins a tour group in the snowy Rocky Mountains, but their trip takes a horrifying turn when they are forced to seek shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin during a snowstorm. As tensions rise and the temperature drops, the group realizes they are not alone.

Coates masterfully creates a sense of claustrophobia and impending doom as the group becomes trapped in the cabin with a killer among them. The suspense is palpable as the body count rises, and Christa must unravel the mystery and identify the killer before it's too late. The snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains serves as a chilling backdrop, adding to the sense of isolation and danger.

The characters are well-drawn, with their own secrets and motives, keeping readers guessing until the very end. Coates' writing is atmospheric and vivid, painting a vivid picture of the snowy wilderness and the growing sense of dread. Dead of Winter is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end, with its twists and turns, and spine-tingling suspense.

Such an intense book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. Four stars! Coates does an awesome job with describing the winter scene, the feeling of the cabin and characters. I was invested in the outcome!

This was a thoroughly engrossing thriller. While I was able to correctly guess the killer about a fourth of the way into it, there were many twists I did not anticipate. I read this late at night and I actually got a bit jumpy. With the isolated dangerous setting and the gruesome deaths, this was a really creepy read. I really enjoyed it.

The first two chapters were so descriptive, it was if I was there. You automatically want to know if Christa and Kiernan make it. The book was nicely paced. As you finish each chapter, Coates gives your a little cliff hanger or a twist to make you want to keep reading. The lamp that was broken on purpose, the blood in the snow, the open shed door, the noises from outside, the teeth on the window ledge, etc. Each chapter would leave you with this eerie/being stalled feeling. You feel as if you are a part of this story. Coates also does a good job making me change my mind constantly trying to figure out who is the killer. Also, short chapters. Who doesn't like short chapters? The story was like a really long game of Clue which was fun to read but there were so many things happening that I started to take notes after the first few chapters. When they realized they were all connected and were brought together on purpose 🤯. And then later on the killer was revealed and I knew it! But this did not take away from how good this book was. Definitely give this a read!

The synopsis on NetGalley said that there are no ghosts or slow burn with this horror/thriller. There weren’t any ghosts (I appreciate that; sometimes it seems like an easy-cheesy way to explain a story) but this was definitely a slow burn. Normally, I don’t care for those, but this is a page-turning slow burn!

We start with a small bus load of people who are headed for a two-week stay at the Blackstone Alpine Lodge in the Rocky Mountains. Our protagonist, Christa, and her newish boyfriend, Kiernan, are heading there for some clean air, beautiful scenery and a new adventure together as a couple. I will say, they got all those things they were hoping for!

The rest of the group includes:

Brian, the tour guide
Denny, a mechanic, and his teenage son, Grayson
Alexis, a quiet true crime fan who is always writing in her journal
Hutch, a DJ going to scout the lodge for a client’s wedding
Steve and Miri, a middle-aged couple hoping to work on their marriage
Simone, a former military ice queen whose friend bailed on their trip, and
Blake, who just retired from her job as an emergency dispatcher.

Eleven people are on this bus, but a downed pine tree leaves them stranded. Brian has a plan to saw the tree into small enough pieces to move, and the group takes five to all take in the scenery. The storm they’d been driving in is intensifying though, and soon Christa and Kiernan are lost from the group. As they keep blindly searching, Christa falls and loses track of Kiernan … but gains sight of a cottage. She gets there and finds the rest of the group there as well - but where is Kiernan?

You’ll find out soon enough what happens to him, and what starts happening to all of them. They are stranded in a random cottage without electricity, running water, or cell service. It’s freezing, they’re starving, and they are all realizing they’re in danger when one of their heads is found impaled on a tree. One of them is a killer, but they’re all stuck together. Will anyone be able to find out who is responsible for the killing before they are all dead?

This was written so beautifully! The scenery was vivid, the story was unbelievably suspenseful, the characters all had decent backstories and while it was slightly slow, I didn’t mind. This is a book you savor, and become one with the horror and backdrop of the story. I was going to give this 4.5 stars rounded up, but the ending I never once saw coming makes this a solid five stars.

(Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Darcy Coates and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be published on July 11, 2023.)

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of thrillers set in snowy landscapes, I couldn't wait to dive into Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates, and thankfully, it delivered.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked on the story's chilling premise - a group of strangers trapped in an abandoned cabin during a blizzard with a killer among them.

The scene is set with Christa joining a tour group in the Rocky Mountains with the hope of finding peace from her past. But things quickly go awry when the group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned cabin due to a bitter snowstorm. Here is where the real action begins, and I couldn't put the book down once I started reading.

The tension builds up steadily as the situation in the cabin becomes more and more dangerous. The discovery of the severed head of their tour guide outside the cabin throws everything into chaos, and Christa and the other strangers find themselves with a killer among them.

What I appreciated about this book was how well the author was able to create a claustrophobic and eerie atmosphere. The sense of isolation and being trapped was palpable, and I could feel Christa's rising panic as the number of survivors dwindled.

If you're a fan of thrillers or love a good trapped-in-a-blizzard story, this book is a must-read. Dead of Winter kept me entertained until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read rage and review this title which is available wide on July 11 2023.

All Hail the Queen of suspense and horror. In my humble opinion. Ms. Coates steps away from the haunted house slow burn books she normally writes for this insidious horror book. I was so engrossed in it that when my kid interrupted me I legit screamed. Oh this book is a keep the light on kinda horror.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC of Darcy Coates' upcoming Dead of Winter. This was a well done page-turner of a locked-room thriller. Christa, our narrator, and her boyfriend Kiernan, along with 8 strangers and a tour guide decide they are going to get away to the Blackstone Lodge, an isolated retreat in the Rocky Mountains during the worst possible time of year where there is nothing but snowstorms and no way for anyone to reach them. When the tour bus is forced to stop due to a fallen tree in the road, the group finds an empty cabin in which to shelter. Soon after, one by one, the members of this group are found gruesomely murdered and the remaining group fights to survive between lack of resources, mistrust of each other, and in the most inhospitable environment. 3.5 stars

Another awesome read from one of my favorite authors. Every book from Darcy Coates is within the horror genre but completely different. I love that the books are creepy and scary with gore but not so much that I feel uncomfortable with my teen reading them too. Loved it!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Dead of Winter is an exciting, easy read. Unfortunately I found the killer to be a bit too obvious but still enjoyed seeing how things would play out. I enjoyed the atmosphere and found the overall experience to be relaxing. I prefer the horror aspect of Darcy Coates others works a bit more but it is wonderful to see the author diversifying her work if thrillers are also something they want to dive into. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to receive this ARC.

I love Darcy Coates. I love her writing, her imagination and her ability to get my heart racing with fear.

Dead of Winter is a ‘who done it’ mystery and thriller. Even though there are no ghosts in this book, I was still frightened. I could feel the cold and fear as she wrote how her characters are freezing and trapped in a secluded cabin.

A group of people are traveling together on a bus up to a posh winter lodge. On their way to the lodge, they end up unable to complete the rest of the journey by bus. They go out in search of help. They find a remote and abandoned cabin for shelter. Then someone gets murdered and the body is found in a very gruesome way. Read on! You will not regret it.

I’d like to thank Darcy Coates, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc.

#DarcyCoates #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress #mysterythriller #whodoneit