Thank you NetGalley for this arc and letting me read this one in exchange for an honest rewiev.

I just love this writer. Read alot from this author and never got disappointed.
I thought it was gonna be a horror story but it turned out to be a thriller.
And what amazing one it was.

I thought i got the idea of who was the killer at the start. But then the more i read and the more the plot thickens, i thought maybe i had it all wrong.

The never ending anguish of finding out who the killer is, was just nerv shattering.

This book was great. 🤩
You have to read. You won't be disappointed.

I can actually se this as a Netflix movie or series in the near future 👍

When I started this novel, I was hoping for a snowy thriller. While Coates certainly delivered on that, the novel was a little too gory for my taste. I was truly on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading, though. I could not put it down. That being said, the ending left unnecessary loose ends. Cliffhangers are fine, but this wasn't a cliffhanger. It just felt lazy to leave the details that were left out omitted.

Thank you Poisonedpenpress, and Darcy Coates for this ARC. This book was phenomenal!! The writing so clean, the plot perfect, and the characters you could really relate to. I was shaking, gritting my teeth, couldn’t put it down!! And I truly never saw this ending coming!! My favorite characters were Crissy, Alexis and even Simone as tough and harsh as she was. I’m predicting that any thriller/horror fan is going to read and recommend, and talk about this book as well to others. And Kiernan?? Let’s hope he lives and gets the justice he deserves for what he did.

Another great story by Darcy Coates. If you are expecting a haunted story, you will not find one here. This story takes you into a blizzard, a broken bus and a too small abandoned cabin. Stranded with no way out, one by one someone is murdered. Crista, who lost her boyfriend in the storm, watches and waits, hoping her boyfriend shows back up and tries not to be next. I thought I figured out the murderer a few times but I was wrong. It's a great murder mystery.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates is a fast-paced bloody thriller with a large cast of characters stranded in a remote area of The Rocky Mountains during a brutally cold snowstorm. This action packed whodunit induces panic starting on page one, and never lets up. This thriller will have readers in the edge of their seats as an ax murderer picks the group off one by one. Christa is an unrelenting protagonist that readers will root for until the grisly end.

For fans of Riley Sager’s Final Girls, The Final Girls Support Group by Grady Hendrix, and Ruth Ware’s One by One.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

you really can not go wrong with a Darcy Coates Novel. This story had me hooked from the beginning and I breezed through in just over 1 day. I actually felt cold while reading and the atmosphere of the settings were written very well.

Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan are on a private tour bus headed up to the Blackstone Alpine Lodge. It's a beautiful ski lodge the size of a large hotel, located deep in the Rocky Mountains. It is not open during the winter season because of the remoteness of the location. However, the lodge does allow private parties to "rent" out the lodge for a couple of weeks.
Christa is equal parts excited and trepidatious about the trip. She and Kiernan have only been dating for 6 months, but he has been essential in helping her to recover from a past trauma that severely disrupted her life. Kiernan is outgoing and happy, His upbeat personality has really worn down the walls that Christa has built up. He suggested this trip to help draw Christa out of her self imposed isolation and to show her the beauty of the mountains that he grew up in.
The bus is populated with 8 other strangers and the tour bus driver/coordinator, Brian. There is a Father and teenage son duo, an older-middle age couple, a stylish young man on his own, and three women that all seem to be on traveling separately. Two of the women appear to be in their mid-twenties and the third is older, probably closer to 60 than 50.
Some hours into the bus trip and a severe snow storm appears to be closing in fast. Then the bus is forced to stop because of a downed tree blocking the road. Brian assures everyone that with some help he can have it cleared in no time and they'll be on their way. Keirnan asks Christa if she wants to stretch her legs and take a short walk to get a better view of the mountain peaks. Plus he wants to show her something beautiful. Brian warns them not to go far and be back quickly. Unfortunately his warning goes unheeded by the couple.
Hours later Christa finds herself desperately fighting for her life. If she does not find shelter soon she will surely perish in the blizzard. Just as she is about to lose her battle, shapes come out the forest and Christa wakes to find herself in a tiny cabin surrounded by the other people from the bus. Everyone except Kiernan.

This story hits the ground running and keeps the pace up. Reading the synopsis you might be groaning and thinking "Oh no, not another 'The Shining' rip off." I can assure you it is nothing like "The Shining". Although it does share the same feeling of claustrophobia that the latter has. This story has 7 other people to share the horror and paranoia with. We follow Christa and only Christa's POV, which is a good thing in my opinion. How could it really be an effective "who dunnit" if we know what each character is thinking and feeling.
These are not really spoilers because the synopsis gives them away. When Christa wakes up in the cabin Kiernan is not there. He did not make it to shelter with her. Even though she has been unconscious for hours, Christa immediately wants to begin searching for him. It's nighttime and there is a blizzard raging outside. She just escaped death. At first I felt she was being stupid, but if it were my husband out there I would do the same thing no matter how mad it might seem. Love makes people do foolish things. Besides Christa knows Kiernan is a knowledgeable outdoorsman and has real hope that he has managed to survive. Brian and a few of the others eventually agree to accompany her for a short search. It is ultimately fruitless.
After returning to the cabin we find out how they all got there. The tree was moved, but when Christa and Kiernan did not return from their short walk, Brian thought it would be best to get the others to the Lodge first and go back for the couple. However the blizzard made traveling much further too dangerous. A small cabin was spotted high up in a valley and they decided to call for help and shelter there. They were out looking for Christa and Kiernan when they spotted her shambling towards them.
This is when we really meet the people sharing the tiny cabin. There is Brian, the tour guide. He is very similar to Keirnan in looks and personality, but like the synopsis says he is not around for long. Next is the married couple, Steve and Miri. They are on the trip to breathe life into their marriage. Then Hutch, an attractive young DJ with his own business. He was going to the Lodge to scout it out for a wedding. Simone, a beautiful but severe (in looks and personality) woman. She was going with a friend that dropped out at the last minute. It's not really clear why she decided to go ahead by herself. Denny and his teenage son Grayson. Denny is a huge and powerfully built man and appears to be strict with his son. Grayson is quiet and brooding, pretty much all teenage boys. Christa suspects they are there on a kind of bonding trip. Alexis is a tiny young woman who is quiet and stays to herself. It is not immediately apparent why she is on the trip either. Last is Blake. She was a 911 dispatcher and this trip is her retirement present of sorts.
Brian insists that he called for help and all they have to do is wait until they are rescued or the storm lets up enough so they can proceed to the Lodge. All Christa can think about is Kiernan. She is a woman determined to find her love. By the next morning though, Brian is missing. Most of the group go out looking for him immediately and are horrified to discover his decapitated head stuck through a tree branch on a massive old pine tree directly next to the cabin. There is no body and no clear suspect or motive for the brutal murder. From here the paranoia and horror set in. Slowly and unbelievably other members of the group begin to disappear and shortly after be found with their heads affixed to the tree. No one can be trusted. It's also quickly discovered that Brian was not able to put out a call for rescue. Nobody knows that these people are in trouble. They are on their own and one of them is quite possibly a demented serial killer.

Let me start off by saying I really enjoy Darcy Coates books. I've only read a few, but they are quick reads. She is really good at creating atmosphere, whether it be isolation, claustrophobia, or chaotic terror. I have not read anything of hers that has any moments of happiness or intimacy, but she's a horror writer, I don't really expect to. This story moves fast enough anything like that would feel forced.
I like the setting. "The Thing" (1982) is one of my all time favorite horror movies and brutal winter weather is a good way to keep a group isolated. I was a little hopeful that they might end up at the lodge but even the short blurb states that the story is going to take place in the tiny cabin.
The characters are pretty well fleshed out. Even the ones that aren't around all that long. You get a pretty good feeling for what kind of person they are. This helps with the constant ping ponging from one person to another as your main suspect. Some can be outright discounted, despite attempts to make it seem otherwise, but not all. Immediately I found myself liking Hutch and Denny. I don't suspect many people will like Denny's character, but he is always willing to help with whatever needs to be done and I like his stoicism. For me, weak men are an annoyance. Especially in a story that needs everyone to be strong to survive. Coates can also write a strong woman pretty well. Simone stands out immediately as a leader. I actually liked her much better than I did Christa.
I enjoyed the story, but like all things, it was not perfect. For one I did not much care for Christa. She makes a lot of really stupid decisions. Most of the others do too or no one would end up butchered, but she's the MC. Typically you want to like the MC. That way you can root for them and care about their fate. I didn't hate her and I'm also glad that she wasn't a Mary Sue. It was hard to connect with her though. I did feel for her about Kiernan and genuinely wanted to know his fate.
There were a lot of things that had to happen for the story to progress and I found some of them unbelievable. That can be an alright thing in a horror story, if it's paranormal. This book never states if it's paranormal or not. So there was always that question, is whatever is killing these people even human? That's fine, I like paranormal, but it's never brought up by anyone in the group. That brings me back to some of the events being unbelievable and without the paranormal then it's a mark against the story. I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
A few of the better established characters end up making really stupid decisions that are out of line with their personality. It was annoying. I think they were meant to be plot twists, but they did not come off that way. Plot twists are great, but only if they're expertly executed. In my opinion these were sloppy.
Then the end of story happens and it's over before you know it. The reader is also left with a few cliffhangers that will most likely not be answered because there is absolutely nothing to suggest or warrant a sequel. It's firmly a stand alone book. I don't like cliffhangers even in series. These are not however loose ends. The story is neatly wrapped up when it comes to who, what , where and why.
I knew from the very beginning who or what the killer was/is. Not to say there were no surprises, but I guessed it immediately. I don't count it as a mark against the story, because there was still the what, where, when and why to figure out..
Overall I liked this book. It was never scary for me, but there was a sense of dread. It moved at a quick and steady pace so I never found myself bored with the story. If you like horror and suspense and don't mind a little gore then I would definitely suggest it. Rating it is a little more difficult. It is very hard for me to give a book 5 stars. I have to either be blown away by story or the writing has to be superb. Sometimes I might be overly generous because I liked the characters so much and can ignore things that would knock it down to a 4 or even a 3. This book was solidly 4 stars until the end. The ending really was rushed and the twists were not good. That would land me at 3 stars, but that doesn't feel fair either. It was enjoyable enough to finish in two days. So, 3.5 stars is my final opinion. However, that's not possible so I will round back up to the original 4 stars.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review. All of the thoughts and opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for this book!

I'll be honest, I clicked request without reading the description, completely expecting a spooky ghost story. I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading and realized it was actually a whodunit on an isolated snowy mountain. I loved the gore and shock of the book. I must also admit that I solved the mystery of who the killer was fairly early on in the book, however I still enjoyed it. There were enough red herrings that I found myself questioning my theory a couple of times even though I felt fairly confident in my guess. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

"Dead of Winter" by Darcy Coates is exactly what I love about reading spooky stories during winter!! Creepy goodness.

Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan go on a vacation headed to Blackstone Alpine Lodge. On the way there they get stranded on the tour bus due to a snowstorm. Christa and Kiernan go out to see if they can sight the lodge. They get lost in the storm. Christa finds her way to an old cabin in the woods. The tour bus people have found the shelter. Kieran is still lost in the storm. The group of people begin getting bumped off one by one with their heads chopped off and put on a tree outside the cabin. Panic sets in and people do stupid things.
This was a really good creepy book that I hated putting down. Had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Thanks NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC that will be released July 11, 2023!

I’m disappointed to say this wasn’t my favorite. It had everything I normally love: a wintery, isolated setting, a whodunit mystery. But I kept finding myself struggling to get through it. It felt long and drawn out and I kept waiting for it to be over. Maybe it would work better for me as an audiobook.

Christa joins a tour group heading into the Rocky Mountains hoping to put her past behind her. But when a freak snowstorm forces the group to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin, things go from bad to worse. As the temperature drops, tensions run high, but Christa is optimistic they can wait out the storm. However, sometime during the night their tour guide disappears only to be found the following morning with his head impaled on a tree near the cabin. Christa is trapped with eight strangers and one of them is a killer.

Dead of Winter is available July 11, 2023.

Thank you netgalley and poisoned pen press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

What a fantastic book! This was my first read by Darcy Coates, but it certainly won't be my last. "Dead of Winter" is an exciting thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Christa, her boyfriend Kiernan, and their fellow travelers set out on a quaint getaway to the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains. When a snowstorm hits, they are forced to take cover in an isolated cabin. But the situation takes a deadly turn when people start dying one by one. An isolated cabin, a snowstorm, eight strangers, and one killer with an agenda makes for a gripping and thrilling read.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, a twist turned the whole story upside down. The writing is masterful, and the plot is well thought out. Additionally, the book pays homage to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," which was a delightful nod to a classic work of mystery fiction.

I highly recommend "Dead of Winter" to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read with a distinctive setting. It is an engaging and compelling read that you won't want to miss!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

Darcy Coats did it again! Dead of Winter is another jaw dropping, twist and turns, terrifying book. I could not put it down. Loved it!!
Crista joins a tour group with her boyfriend to a remote Rocky Mountain resort. There bus breaks down and they are lost. They find a cabin in the middle of nowhere and take shelter from the horrible snow storm. People in the group start coming up dead. Who is the killer, and will anyone survive.
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley and Darcy Coates for the ARC for my review.

This book had me from the get.

Christa and her boyfriend (Kiernan) are on a tour to a lonely and remote lodge in the Rocky Mountains. While travelling, the run into a small snafu. A downed tree is blocking the rode. While exploring the woods (and waiting to be able to leave) Christa hurts herself. Kiernan goes missing. And the group starts getting picked off. And if that wasn't enough already, you guessed it, there is a giant snow storm coming in. Is the killer among them? Was the killer there the whole time just waiting?

I really enjoyed this read. I thought the suspense didn't let up! Gory, thrillling, and fast paced. This book was a wild ride!

Dead of Winter
Darcy Coates

“A remote cabin in the snowy wilderness. Eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.”

This is what is meant by an “unputdownable thriller”. Well developed characters stuck in a gripping and eerie snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains and a vicious killer on the loose.

I was hooked from the first chapter and the tension just keeps building throughout. Whilst I expected the link that’s revealed, the twists did keep me guessing (and at some points almost hyperventilating).

Who doesn't love a remote location with a body count?

This was my first novel by author Darcy Coates and won’t be my last! This was a super atmospheric, creepy, fast paced thriller! This was actually more of a horror read for me compared to a thriller & I really enjoyed it!

The twists were unpredictable and there were ALOT of them! 100% reccomend!

This was a real pageturner, I just had to know who the 'butcher' was! The setting was perfect with a vibe of locked-room mystery, albeit very claustrophic and disturbing. The author dished out one plot twist after another, each more believable than the previous. Unfortunately, I figured out on who the real 'butcher' was early in the book, but more than once I was (almost) led astray from that path. Superbly written and full of non-stop nail-biting suspense, this story easily put Darcy Coates on my list of favorite authors and I will definitely check out her other work.

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND READ THIS NOW!

Five amazing, suspenseful, and murderous stars! The suspense does not let up for a single second, and the ending was shockingly brilliant. I seriously cannot say enough wonderful things about this book, and I am sitting here with my mouth still hanging open from how incredibly surprising the ending turned out to be. Darcy Coates is my favorite horror author. Period. But this is the first thriller I have read of hers, and it blew me away! This book is worth every minute spent reading and has definitely made it on my list of absolute favorite books.

The biggest, most sincere thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy Coates for providing me with this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

A winter holiday goes badly wrong for a group of strangers when they are caught in a snow storm and murdered one by one…

Despite the snow, there is nothing festive about this gory tale. Narrated in the first person by Christa, one of the holidaymakers, we follow the group as they risk their lives trapped out in the middle of nowhere. The story has plenty of twists and turns as Christa tries to figure out who is responsible and what connects the murders. I found the story gripping but perhaps overlong in the middle when clues were scarce and the murders became a little repetitive. It definitely kept me guessing though!

Thanks for the opportunity to read.

This was a violent, gory read but also a fun ride. It held my attention, I was just very disappointed that the killer was so predictable, I would have loved to have been wrong! Good title.
3.5 stars rounded up.