Darcy Coates' "Dead of Winter" had me turning the pages to find out more, helped along by the short chapters that almost always ended on some kind of cliffhanger or hook. This is a fast-paced survival thriller with a decidedly horror bent to it. I was not expecting the violence to be so gruesome!

The cast of characters were distinct and definitely gave off an Agatha Christie, locked-room style vibe as they congregated and became trapped. One of the strengths of this book is how the reader AND the characters all become a bit paranoid and suspicious as they try to figure out the identity of the killer.

One of the things I look for in books is a sense of place, and this book delivered a blizzard-bound hellscape throughout. The descriptions of the brutal weather, vertiginous mountains, eerie darkness, and freezing temperatures were vivid and made me shiver.

Prose-wise, this book is straightforward and rather surface-level. While there are many mysteries in the plot, all of which are explained by book's end, I can't call Coates a prose stylist by any means. However, she demonstrates skill in pacing and invoking thrills. During the last quarter of the book, especially, I felt like I was watching an especially scary slasher film!

Recommended for thriller/horror lovers in search of a fast-paced, brutal good time.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novella in exchange for my honest review!

A story I found thrilling and absolutely perfect for a winter night reading session...or maybe daytime since this might keep you up at night. Full of tension and intrigue throughout I couldn't put this down.

Christa along with her boyfriend decides to go on a mountain retreat vacation but things start to go to hell pretty quickly. A storm arrives and the tour group has to find shelter in a secluded cabin, then the dying starts. This wound up filled with gory murders and a struggle to survive the elements along with a taunting sadistic killer. The weather and environment make for another character with it's gloomy desolation. You feel the cold and despair.

I found the pacing perfect for a thriller and although a couple of predictable elements popped up this was a great read. I wanted an epilogue desperately but would definitely rec for other horror/thriller lovers. Definitely looking for another from this author.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for access to the Netgalley edition of this.

I couldn't stop reading this one! It was a bit predictable but very entertaining and highly readable. It was a great snow day read. I could see it being made into a great movie!

I absolute loved this book and could not put it down. i loved the characters and the twists and the level this book went to into the horror. a 5 star i rated it on my channel.

This was definitely my favorite Darcy Coates book, hands down. It was so good (even though I called who the Butcher was pretty early on). It was really fast paced and exciting and most of all, my favorite trope, strangers forced to work together in isolating circumstances. Amazing, I’m so glad I could review this for her!
Don't let the 4 stars fool you, I only give 5 stars to re-reads or life-changing books. ❤️

Dead of Winter pulls you in from the moment you open and read the first page.

A group of strangers all headed for a vacation in a remote location for some much needed rest and relaxation, quickly turns deadly.

The first half of the novel is spent setting the pace of the murders and creating knowledge of each individual/couple. As you get to the middle of the book, events and moments begin to unfold and you feel just as trapped in the remote cabin as the rest of the people.

Twists and turns will keep you reading, well beyond light hours and the ending was well worth the hours spent up late with the lights on!

Another fantastic book by Darcy Coates! I love the unreliability a d the constant second guessing as we try to figure out who the killer is. The clues built up on one another and provided intricate layers to this thriller!

I cannot wait to gift this to some friends who love thrillers!

Gripping story with many jump scares and twists . It was slow in some places I felt it dragging but for the most part I really enjoyed this book. The author painted such a good picture you could imagine yourself in Christa’s shoes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Dead of Winter" by Darcy Coates delivers an adrenaline-pumping experience right from the outset. With a solid 3.5-star rating, this book is a thrilling ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

If you're a fan of Taylor Adams' "No Exit" and C.J. Tudor's "The Drift" will absolutely devour "Dead of Winter." The author seamlessly blends elements of horror and mystery, creating a locked door scenario that adds an extra layer of tension to the story.

While I did enjoy the book for what it was, there's room for some improvement. The plot could benefit from further character development or deeper exploration of the underlying themes. Despite this, the book was able to deliver a riveting and atmospheric horror story that kept me glued to the pages.

Ps. You can’t be afraid of a little gore and blood if you plan to pick this one up.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

This is a fun wintery thriller that takes place in the Rocky mountains when a snowstorm hits, and a group of strangers who were planning a 2 week getaway in a cabin have their trip derailed. Luckily, they find an abandoned cabin where they can stay warm and wait out the storm. It doesn't take long for people to start dying brutal deaths when they separate from the group. It is obvious that the killer is someone within the group....but who?

This was a fun, fast-paced isolation thriller to read in the winter. I wouldn't say gave anything particularly new to the genre, but it was by far the most gory I've seen from Coates. Once you see the pattern of what is happening, it does tend to drag a tiny bit towards the 60% mark as I was anxious just to get to the final showdown.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, fun read that isn't too heavy.

Step into a frigid nightmare! Dead of Winter, a heart-pounding thriller, had me spellbound from the first page. The icy wilderness setting created a unique and cozy atmosphere, even amidst the horror and suspense. Who can resist the allure of a bus stranded in a snowstorm, where danger and suspicion run rampant among the travelers?

Darcy Coates masterfully weaves a tale of survival and terror, leaving readers constantly guessing. As Christa and her companions seek shelter in an abandoned cabin, the snow keeps piling up, trapping them with an unknown killer. The tension escalates with each page, as the body count rises and trust crumbles.

One of the most impressive aspects of Dead of Winter is how the chilling landscape becomes a character in its own right - unrelenting, merciless, and hauntingly beautiful. Coates' writing paints a vivid picture, making you feel the freezing winds and claustrophobic isolation alongside the characters.

I was enthralled by the complexities of the characters, each one harboring their secrets, leaving me pointing fingers at different suspects as the story progressed. The guessing game had me hooked until the breathtaking finale.

The novel's pace is perfectly calibrated, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout. I couldn't help but imagine this gripping tale brought to life on the big screen - it would undoubtedly be a cinematic masterpiece.

Dead of Winter is a spine-tingling page-turner, with a well-crafted plot and skillful storytelling that will leave you wanting more. It's a chilling journey into darkness, and I thoroughly enjoyed every step of it! 🌨️❄️ #DeadofWinter #DarcyCoates

3.5 stars rounded up

I did guess the ending almost immediately, however, I still enjoyed Dead of Winter. This was my first by Darcy Coates, and I will definitely be reading more of her work.

A locked room mystery set in the depths of the rocky mountains with an unexpected amount of grisly deaths, I was left frantically flipping through the pages of this (especially the last 30%) to find out how the killer achieved what they did. I admit I did guess who the culprit was quite early on, but it didn't effect my enjoyment. Tightly plotted and a racing tension throughout, this is a great slump buster of a book.

Perfect winter read. I went into it with low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. I haven’t read anything else by this author, but now need to! Fun and fast paced read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

The good- the setting, I love isolated winter horror. But that’s about it. The story starts out improbable and just gets more convoluted from there. All of the characters make constant dumb decisions that cost them their lives. They all witness gruesome deaths but show almost zero trauma associated with that. They all are being hunted down by a killer yet no one panics and tries to leave. The whole story we are stuck in the MCs head as she makes assumption after assumption and apparently has the mind of a seasoned detective? I was so disconnected from this story that has no character development and relies on shock value. The author seems to have no real knowledge of living in snowy conditions and there is constant terminology from a UK/Australian point of view that instantly takes me out of the story along with numerous grammatical and spelling errors. Overall I really wanted to like this book since I’ve enjoyed others by Darcy Coates but this one just wasn’t it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

This is a grisly, exciting version of And Then There Were None. The action was pretty non-stop, and it was certainly a page turner. Christa and her tour group get stranded in the snow covered mountains during a terrible storm, and although they find shelter, the snow isn't the worst problem. There are lots of deaths, dismemberment, suspicious actions, and scares before the book reaches its conclusion.

Thanks to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Darcey Coates for this ARC. Wow! Another one hit out of the park ! The first clue was early on, no body found? But why didn’t I pick up on that ? Why ? Because this author writes so fantastically you just keep reading till you can’t stop, never believing this could happen, and what coincidences , and what consequences ?! Another 5 star addition to my book clubs list of great conversations ..

Perfect horror read for the dead of winter - I could not put it down and my heart was racing through the ending. Will be highly recommending it.

"Dead of Winter" by Darcy Coates plunges readers into an atmospheric and bone-chilling tale that seamlessly blends supernatural horror with psychological suspense. As a prolific author in the horror genre, Coates once again demonstrates her ability to craft a narrative that sends shivers down the spine and keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The story unfolds in a desolate and isolated setting, a haunted mansion nestled in the heart of winter. The protagonist, with a troubled past and an air of mystery, becomes the caretaker of this eerie estate. Coates skillfully sets the stage, creating an environment that is as much a character as the people within it. The bone-chilling cold, the creaking of floorboards, and the relentless darkness contribute to a sense of impending dread.

The pacing is expertly executed, gradually building tension and suspense with each turn of the page. Coates employs a blend of psychological horror and supernatural elements, keeping readers guessing about what is real and what is a product of the characters' unraveling minds. The narrative is haunting, evoking a sense of unease that persists long after the final page is turned.

The characters in "Dead of Winter" are intricately developed, each harboring secrets and traumas that add layers to the unfolding mystery. The protagonist's internal struggles and the interactions with the spectral entities in the mansion contribute to a rich character-driven narrative.

What sets Coates apart is her ability to create an immersive and palpable atmosphere. The stark, wintry landscape becomes a character in itself, enhancing the sense of isolation and intensifying the fear that permeates the story. The author expertly plays on primal fears, exploiting the vulnerability of the characters and the unknown that lurks in the shadows.

"Dead of Winter" is a chilling and captivating read for fans of psychological horror and haunted house tales. Darcy Coates showcases her mastery of the genre, delivering a narrative that is both spine-tingling and thought-provoking. As the mysteries unfold and the supernatural elements come to the forefront, readers are taken on a gripping journey through the darkest corners of the human psyche. "Dead of Winter" is a must-read for those who relish in the art of being scared, an atmospheric and haunting addition to the author's repertoire.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Publishers for an advance copy for my honest review.