'We're all going to die here'

Christa is part of a tour group into the mountains. She's a little nervous, as its not something she would usually do, but is excited to spend some time with her partner.

But a snow storm traps the tour group in an isolated cabin, & once the first body drops everybody realises theres more to fear than the increasing storm. They may not have time to wait out for rescue with a killer lurking.

Right from the beginning you're thrown into the middle of the snow storm & the suspense of finding shelter. From there the story is steeped in the sense of dread & growing fear they wont be rescued in time.

As Randy said in Scream - "Everybody's a suspect". You slowly get to know the characters due to the forced proximity. My sense of who the killer was changed so many times through out the twist & turns as more information was revealed & the numbers started dwindling.

I haven't really experienced snow or a snow storm, but I loved how Darcy Coates was able to make me feel like I was there, experiencing the cold & dropping temperatures.

It did feel it slowed a little in the middle, but I think this was to help flush out the characters a little more & increase sense of alarm of their situation.

This had me hooked right from the first chapter right up until the last sentence. Darcy Coates has done it again. Perfect winter read.

Thank you to Netgalley & Poison Press for the chance to receive an ARC to read & review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I started off thinking this was going to be a great story because it didn’t take long for the first horrifying event to occur. The suspense stayed steady for a while but then the story started dragging and I started to put the pieces together and they formed a predictable story. I like her overall style of writing, but after a while I just struggled to stay interested in this one.

Loved this fast paced thriller, would’ve read in one sitting if I haven’t had to go to work. I did correctly guess who the killer was about half way through the book but it did not take away from the enjoyment of the book at all and it kept me second guessing myself. I also feel like this Book could’ve done with a short epilogue to wrap things up at the end but overall I really did enjoy this book. I’ve yet to read a book by Darcy Coates that I haven’t enjoyed.

I may be Darcy Coates biggest fan.

Dead of Winter does what Darcy does best, gives you all the chills and gore while flawlessly drawing you into Christa’s world of regret, guilt and forgiveness.

Basically, 9 people all go on what they believe to be a vacation to a snowy mountain retreat. When their bus breaks down, and the storm rages on, people start losing their heads! (For real)

They’re trapped. With a killer. With no food, little warmth, and dwindling trust. This books is gruesome. Heads mounted on trees, frozen bodies, pulled teeth… this book may not be for the faint at heart.

Darcy is known for her ghost/supernatural horror, but she does some of her best work when she features real world monsters. Humans. This book reminded me of Hunted- another book that ghosts or ghouls are not the antagonists.

This book keeps you guessing until the final chapter! As always, I highly recommend reading Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates. Queen of horror.

5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy for the ARC!!

Standard mystery that will appeal to that genre lovers but not many surprises here. Characters and plot predictable.

Breakneck speed, full blown terror. As a Canadian I could feel the atmosphere. It was so well written I was cold just thinking about the landscape. The desolate frozen landscape made this all the more chilling, pun intended.
This book was no holds barred jaw dropping horror. The kind of book that gives you nightmares.
Also Trigger warning for anyone with a phobia of teeth like myself…. There is a GRAPHIC teeth scene that traumatized me.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

Darcy is becoming one of my favorite authors! I really enjoyed the atmosphere, characters, the mystery. The pacing was definitely slower than I preferred but it was written so well that I can overlook it. It was a page turner for sure.

Stuck in a snowstorm with no way out and a killer on the loose, my favorite kind of winter read!
This was a good book and although I found it a little slow I still enjoyed reading it.

Many thanks to net galley for the chance to read and review this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for early copy of this book.
What an action packed, scary, atmospheric,whodunnit story. Great read but I must admit I figured the killer out at about the early second half. I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and each character, would definitely recommend

This was not my favourite Darcy Coates but I did enjoy it. Darcy is a damn good writer and I could almost feel the cold as I read this book. I enjoyed the grisly deaths and the dire atmosphere but it fell a bit flat for me when I figured out who the villain was. I like when I figure out the mystery but I was disappointed that I was right with this one because it was a bit predictable. All in all, would definitely recommend this book

This is my second Darcy Coates book and I am a fan for life now.

This was an exceptionally fun thriller and had me enthralled from the first few chapters.

It is well written, fast paced, and I truly didn't know the ending until I got there.

I really enjoyed this and will definitely be giving away a copy on my booktok around release date to help promote it.

TYSM for the opportunity to be an ARC Reader for this book!

This book hooked me from page one-- that's something I NEVER say. It always takes me a few pages/chapters to really get into a book but I was so hooked on this one. It was so atmospheric from the very beginning. I love the way this author made me suspicious of every single character throughout the entirety as well. Just as I was beginning to not trust someone, I was totally wrong and trusted them again. This is a great book and I recommend it to everyone! Thank you NetGalley and Darcy Coates for letting me read this early!

4.5 overall!

This is my second Darcy Coates book and it certainly won’t be my last. To say this book was a WILD ride is an understatement. It had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. All the twists and turns that happened throughout were crazy and had me gasping. I was guessing everyone as a suspect at some point, and just when you thought you had it figured out, another twist gets thrown in. I do think it could’ve been a little shorter but the short chapters helped keep me turning the page. Also I know I’m a person who just loves a good epilogue to wrap up some loose questions, and I do wish I had one in this book.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and if you’re in the mood for a locked room, winter horror this is definitely for you. Darcy Coates does not disappoint.

I love how this was terrifying and also a solid connected thriller. I’m kind of proud in that I guessed this evil head chopping villain from the get go but it also crushed my heart for our heroine all at the same time. A great read for when it is -11 wind chill in Chicago and also never accept mystery vacation tickets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC! Darcy is an auto buy author for me and I haven’t read a book by her yet that I haven’t enjoyed. Dead Of Winter is not an exception to that! If it wouldn’t have been for sleep or work, I would have read this in one sitting.

This was a twisty, gorey and heart racing horror book! Definitely wasn’t able to guess the killer and I was content with the ending.

3.75/5 stars! This wintertime thriller had all the makings of a good book. Being trapped in the desolate wilderness with a killer during a snowstorm upped the anty. Christa was a likable character and I found myself shivering along with her fear. Overall, it was an enjoyable mystery. However, the pacing was kind of flat. It took a long time to get to the final twist, and it was one you could figure out by about halfway into the story. But a good read.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This was so so so good! The start was a bit slow, but I quickly became engaged in the story. The way it is written transported me right into the story, environment og feelings of the characters. It is not the scariest story, but one where I always switched between who I thought it was. Some of the clues I got, some I didn’t. It was the perfect amount of shock in the end, and also through the story it was so many twists and turns and new details, I can’t even count the number of HOLY SHIT moments I had. I enjoyed reading this story so so much, and the plot was just amazing. The author does an amazing job at showing how you can’t trust anyone when people get desperate enough. If you like thrillers, mystery or horror (or all three) read this book! It made me engaged, paranoid, scared, excited and gave me a nightmare (I am easily scared). 10/10 would recommend.

A murder mystery from my favorite author? Count me in. I was not let down. One of the best "who done it"/slasher books I've read. I thought I knew who the butcher was...then I didn't...then I did and my jaw literally dropped when the identity was revealed. No Way!! I didn't understand Christa's background story then it all came together. This was very well written. Highly recommend!!

Quote of the book ‘The butchers tree would gain one more head, most likely’ The quote says it all.

What a fantastic book to read. It’s exciting right from the beginning. It had me hooked. I literally couldn’t put it down. My heart was racing. It was chilling. Deep mystery. Leaves you guessing.

It was very well written. I was gob smacked at the twists and turns at the end. The author had me fooled.

Good mix of characters all thrown together in a cunning psychological thriller. Unlike any I’ve ever read before. I will definitely be looking out for this author again

Take And Then There Were None, add a pinch of severe winter weather, and a rather large dash of horror, and you’ll have some idea of what reading Dead of Winter is like.

From the opening paragraphs that make the reader feel as if they’re making their way through the blizzard of the century, to the pulse pounding and white knuckled reading experience, Dead of Winter is one of the most unputdownable books I’ve read in ages. Literally, just when you think you have it all figured out, another bloody monkey wrench is thrown at you. What a wild ride. No wonder Darcy Coates remains one of my favorite authors.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this amazing novel.