Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I absolutely LOVED this book. As a new fan of Darcy Coates, I had high hopes when I read the description. An isolated cabin, eight strangers, and a heroine with a something bad in her past spelled out the perfect slasher book.

Darcy Coates does amazing work with her thriller books, but this one really takes the cake. The harsh landscape sets the tone for the book. There isn’t a moment reprieve in the book from the start — when our FMC Christa loses her boyfriend Kiernan in horrible snowstorm. She’s then separated from him when she’s rescued and he isn’t. From there, it only goes downhill as bodies pile up and no one can manage to figure out who’s behind it.

The author does an amazing job with foreshadowing and twisting the story in a way that has you suspicious of every single person. The big reveal happens at the end of the book, and it’s enough to have you wanting to throw your kindle/book across the room. Amazing work by Darcy Coates and a highly anticipated released for me!

I love Darcy Coates, and Dead of Winter did not disappoint. I found myself guessing the whole time, and could not put down until I finished. You will not be disappointed with thus book!

Dead of winter by Darcy Coates is due to be published July 11th 2023 by poisoned pen Press.
This book was so tense and chilling I was so invested to finish it as quickly as possible. Christa and her boyfriend and a group of travelers are headed into the deep snow covered mountains of the Rocky Mountains for two weeks of mountain life and two weeks of relaxation. Who would’ve thought a mini vacay to the mountains could turn so deadly. One by one the group members are picked off and their heads are impaled on the big oak tree. Will they make it out alive? Why is someone killing them? Who is doing it?
This book was phenomenal I had no idea who the killer was at all. I swore I had it all figured out and then boom the ending ! I was in total shock definitely did not see that coming at all. Highly recommend this thriller to anyone who likes a fast paced mind boggling story that has you guessing till the very end.
Thank you NetGalley, Darcy Coates and poisoned pen press for allowing me to read an ARC of “Dead of Winter” and I’m leaving this review for free.

I didn't expect to have as much fun with this book as I did. I'm kind of over the "blizzard, locked in a cabin" setting in thrillers. However, while this book definitely sticks to that trope, the journey was a wild ride. I had a theory at the beginning about who did it (and I was right), but I didn't even care that I'd figured it out because getting there was so fun. All the characters were fleshed out and multi-dimensional. The twists (and there were several) kept me guessing until the very end. I definitely recommend this and will look for more books by this author in the future.

I could not put this down. Darcy Coates knocks it out of the park with Dead of Winter. I loved it. 5 Stars if I could I would give more!

This was an absolute wild ride! Think “And Then There Were None” but more gruesome and survivalist.

Christa is going on a getaway to a winter resort with her boyfriend when a tree falls into the road, stopping their bus in the middle of a snow storm. When people start turning up ritualistically murdered, the group of strangers heading to the resort have to depend on each other and figure out who the killer is.

Dead of Winter was a totally different kind of Darcy Coates book. I’ve been really enjoying her new ventures into different kinds of horror and she can truly do it all! I couldn’t put it down!

Out July 11, 2023!!

This eerie, frozen horror story will entertain readers from start to finish. Coates embraces blood and gore in this story, which is a new element added to her tool belt. Another great thriller from Darcy Coates!

First off, thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for my ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my review!

Alrighty, I’m giving this one 4 stars. I enjoyed the very creepy setting of this book in an isolated location during a snowstorm along with the who did it murder mystery. Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers all trying to ride out the storm. Their tour guide goes missing that night and the next day they find him murdered outside the cabin. There’s a killer amongst the group and Christa needs to figure out who can she can trust to escape this scenario. This was a fast paced thriller with a pretty surprising twist at the end. I would definitely recommend adding this to your TBR for when this is released this summer!

blizzards, isolation, murder, horror, violence, gory, suspense, suspicion, dread, psychological-thriller, atmospheric, mystery*****

A little too much claustrophobic horror for my taste, but I've got some friends who are salivating and eagerly awaiting the release of this book.
I requested and received an EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Review: OMG! What a great book!! One thing that Darcy Coates is known for is the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. They make you want to keep reading! That is what happened tonight! I kept reading until I finished the book. And I am so happy to share that I was right about who the serial killer was! I am so proud that I was able to figure it out. The last 80 pages had my heart racing so fast and I needed to know what happened!! Definitely one of my favorite standalones from Darcy Coates for sure!! Thank you @poinsenedpress @netgalley and @darcybooks for letting me read this early release of her new book!! This one comes out in July, so make sure you preorder it today!!

When a winter storm hits, a group of strangers on their way to a luxury lodge vacation become trapped in a small cabin in the middle of the wilderness with no rescue in sight. As if that isn't bad enough, one of them is found brutally murdered. And whoever did it just getting started.

This book is a fast-paced, twisting locked-room mystery-thriller that keeps you guessing. A locked-room can be hard to do purely because of the number of characters they tend to require, and "Dead of Winter" pulls it off exceptionally. We follow the POV of Christa, a young woman struggling with a dark moment from her past, as she uncovers clues as she tries to figure out who the killer is. It was an entertaining read that kept me sucked in and ended with a neat resolution to tie off a tight, well-framed plot.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and went right to my library website to pick up more books by Coates!

You might like this book if you like a locked-room style mystery and winter/wilderness/isolation thrillers.

This book was an entertaining read. The twist was pretty predictable if you've read a lot of similar thrillers. Lots of characters that were a little hard to keep track of at the beginning, but then brought all together nicely at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Dead of Winter.

The premise was intriguing so I was excited my request was approved.

First, the location is the real winner of the story. The isolation, the storm, being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers while a killer stalks the innocent is very scary.

The author describes the cold, the frigidity, and the fear well, setting the somber mood and tone as the murders escalate and tensions and fears rise between the remaining survivors.

Second, being trapped in an isolated location with a bunch of strangers is nothing new.

That's why I guessed the reason behind why this group of people were gathered together from the start.

I also guessed the final twist at the end, but only because I read so many books in this genre. It takes a lot to stump me.

Third, the violence and bloodshed is pretty gruesome and gory. It doesn't bother me but it may bother sensitive readers so beware if that's you.

My biggest caveat was how I didn't like anyone; not Christa or Blake. No one.

There's a lack of character development and obviously, the environment and present circumstances aren't conducive for the characters to chat and get to know one another better.

We know what they do and how they came to be there, but we don't know them.

Some of the narrative could get repetitive, as Christa wonders who is behind all the murders and people keep dropping off like flies,

There are a few red herrings, but nothing earth shattering; it just gets the reader to go, "Oh, could it be this person or that person.'

Yes, the story takes a certain amount of disbelief suspension but that's the point.

If you're able to suspend disbelief and go along for the ride, you'll enjoy this locked-in-a-cabin-with-strangers-Agatha-Christie-has-done-this-many-decades-ago-and-the-copycats-won't-ever-stop type of story.

This is my first book by this author and though Dead of Winter didn't capture my interest the way I hoped it would, I'll check out her next book.

Christa and Kiernan join a tour group with eight strangers going into the Rocky Mountains. But unfortunately they happened to stay in a secluded cabin due to an avalanche. The quarters are claustrophobic and the temperature outside is rapidly dropping but Christa believes they will be safe as they wait out the storm. Later we come to know that them being there is no accident as someone starts killing them one by one.

Next day in the night the tour guide goes missing along with Christa’s boyfriend Kiernan. Only to be discovered the next morning his head severed and impaled on a tree outside the cabin like damn trophy case! Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport and they’re far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dying one by one, Christa must decide whom she can trust.
Again, Darcy didn’t disappoint me at all!. Darcy Coates is a gifted author. This book is so creepy and it gave nightmares. It feels so lively that you can feel the cold, snow, the wind, the gory scenes. The chapters are short which is for my delight and the pace is fast which is great.

The plot twist……….Well I had a hunch that the butcher must be this person but….ahem!
But through the ending of the book, I have few questions like,
Where was the butcher all this time?
Was he/she hiding in the hut or in the cabin?
What happened to Christa and the survivors?

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advance copy!

I think this is one of the better Darcy Coates books I have read to date. It is full of suspense and nonstop dread. The back and forth of figuring out who is the butcher in the group. You think you get it figured out and then you don’t.

Christa is on a trip to the Rocky Mountains in the middle of winter. She gets separated from the group and seeks to find shelter as soon as possible or she will die. Finally, she finds shelter and the rest of the tour group. She then spends a week with strangers in a tiny cabin while a killer is amongst them. 

I know this story is listed as a horror, but I find it more of a psychological thriller and a bit of a mystery. I suppose the horror would be that there is a killer and their methods are horrific. True to Coate’s style of writing, the story moves fast; you get attached to the main character, and the world building is superb. A fantastic winter story that will give you the chills.

Thank you #NetGalley and #PoisonedPen Press for a copy of #DeadofWinter by Darcy Coates

NEW FAVORITE @darcybooks ALERT!

From the very first page this book had my anxiety off the charts! And I mean that in the best way possible. This book was so intense, I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. This was an amazing atmospheric thriller/horror/mystery.

I’ve read about 4 other Darcy books before this one, and they all had to do with hauntings. So going into this one blind, I was expecting the same ghost/gore I have come to know and love. But, I was pleasantly surprised with it being more of a whodunnit, it had me guessing until the very last chapter. I loved this book and will be buying a physical copy when it is released in July.

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've only read one other book of Darcy Coates but I really enjoyed it. And when I saw the description for this book, with one of my favorite horror/thriller tropes (snowed in),I knew I really needed to read this one. And, I wasn't disappointed.

I was hooked from the beginning. A group of strangers (although almost each of them had a loved one with them) on their way to a ski resort in a snow storm. They have to take a detour when a fallen tree is in their path and end up lost. They stick together to help each other stay warm and safe. But their safety is cut short because someone wants them all dead.

Fun to read, very suspenseful, a great whodunit with a side of gore! There were really only a couple parts that, to me, were unbelievable enough to take me out of the story for a minute or two. But it didn't take long to suck me back in!

This is a thriller that should definitely be on your tbr this summer!4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book!

This creepy and atmospheric story will have you looking over your shoulder. Darcy Coates knows how to drop you into a setting and make it feel so real. A tour bus gets stranded in the Rocky Mountains when a brutal snowstorm hits. With nothing around them and people starting to go missing, the tension ramps up. Gruesome killings and a claustrophobic atmosphere will have you flipping the pages and questioning everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this title!

Holy hell, this was so intense! I've always heard Darcy Coates mentioned when I see people talk about horror but this is actually the first book of hers I've read. I'll definitely be seeking out her back catalog now, though, because this is easily one of the most batshit and stressful books I've read in a long time.

I love horror (especially graphic, gruesome horror), and I love a locked-room mystery, and this book combined BOTH of those things in a way that was super fun to read. The characters didn't have a TON to them, but they really didn't need to in my opinion, so it didn't feel like anything was really lost. The cast still managed to be easily distinguishable, though, which I find tends to be something that stories struggle with when there's a large cast of characters!

This made me gasp out loud and go fully hand over mouth in shock at least twice, and the writing is engaging, the descriptions of the gore are graphic, and overall I just had a TON of fun reading this!

📚 Book Review 📚
Title: Dead of Winter
Author: Darcy Coates
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Horror
Date published: July 2023
Primary Setting: USA 🇺🇸

A huge thanks to @netgalley and @Poisonedpenpress for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

📚Synopsis:
A small tour group headed for a remote lodge in the rockies gets sidetracked by an impassable road and winter conditions. When the group discovers a small cabin they can take shelter in, they are convinced help will be on it’s way if only they can survive the night. When the first of them goes missing, they begin to realize there may be a hunter among them who is killing for sport, and in this group of total stranger, no one can be trusted.

✍️ My review:
A secluded “and-then-there-were-none” meets “The Shining” read. A fast paced who-done-it with just the right amount of hints and twists to have you suspicious of everyone and guessing up until the end. Not my regular reading genre, but I do enjoy a good horror every once in awhile and this one with its desolate wintery vibes and characters who were running away from their own traumas worked for me.

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 You enjoy locked-room mystery / horrors
🔹 You are ok with a cast of characters that begin to disappear and die-off (yes, there are some horror-worthy details)
🔹you like trying to figure out which characters to trust and if there is any motivation for the madness