3.75/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I do so love a good thriller and this was absolutely a good thriller!! Dead of Winter follows an eclectic group of holiday makers destined for a winter mountain retreat. But when events take a turn for the worse, they seek shelter and a cabin in the woods amidst a winter storm. Sounds pretty bad right? It would be such a shame if it got worse…

I had a great time with this book! I had a little trouble getting into it as you really start out with an immediate bang (plus I was trying to read it on my lunch break and that was not the right time). This immediate “oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck” start was really indicative of how this book would continue - there wasn’t more than a moments reprieve from the anxiety and tension of dimly trying to stay alive.

I loved the way Coates wrote such shitty people - the conflicts and personality clashes all felt so authentic and realistic, as did their motives and behaviours. I confess I did guess the ending more or less from chapter 1 BUT that is once again more about me and my love of the genre than it is reflective of any sort of had writing.

I have very few criticisms of this book. One would be that because the tension was kept so high throughout, it felt kind of less by the end. That may have been intentionally reflective of the way the characters would have felt but I think it did influence the reaction I had to the final twist. I also wish there was a greater use of isolation in this story. The focus was very much on the group bd the individual to the group but I think there was a whole unexplored area of potential for Chrissy to be on her own in the cold and dark (truly my nightmare situation).

I’m really excited to read more from this author - in fact I’ve had one of her books on my Wishlist for ages and didn’t even realise when I requested this ARC so I think I’m going to move that up the buying schedule. Also love that she’s from the Central Coast!! Highly recommend this to any who appreciate a nice tense little winter thriller!

Christa thought she was going on a romantic week in a secluded resort with the love of her life. What she got was a fight for survival as the tour group are taken out one by one in the middle of a storm that takes away all hopes of escape.

Dead of Winter is a fast-paced locked-room mystery slasher. It is a bloody, twisty, death-filled ride. How will the group fare against an ax murderer and the harsh winter conditions of the Rocky Mountains? This was a very effective mystery that keeps the reader guessing and the tension does not let up until the end. Darcy Coates is great at building atmosphere and a sense of dread. That is what makes Dead of Winter such a fast and enjoyable read.

I would highly recommend this novel for fans of locked-door mysteries and slasher novels. This one was full of twists and reveals that will keep you on your toes.

Awesome story! Been hearing about this book for awhile. I'm glad I gave it a read. Great characters, great story and plot. Thank you for the chance to read.

This is my first time reading this author and will likely be my last. There was some attempt at character development and to incorporate the snowy elements of the setting into the plot, but the story was just so predictable. I didn’t really find this to be a true “horror” novel either. Not scary in the least. Big yawn on this one.

I was so disappointed I didn't enjoy this book. I really love stories that take place in cold, remote places. I love the atmosphere and the setting of such books and just want to snuggle up with some hot tea and see what happens. Only this book was not great. It started off okay, that first chapter was so good in setting the scene and the storm and how awful it would be to be lost in the mountains like that. Unfortunately the book went downhill from there. The setting seemed to be disregarded a bit in terms of really making you feel like you were there. The characters kept wandering around outside and I kept asking myself if it was still storming, still snowing or not as it wasn't obvious. It felt like the setting took a backseat to the story after the start and that is a shame.

The other major issue was that the characters were not developed (I could not keep everyone straight as they all were so flat and blank they could have been the same person). Also right from the beginning I thought oh, it is x what is going on, but then I was like no....that can't be it right? That would just be really lame...but yeah. That was what was going on so...all around not a great read. No characters to connect with, no setting to really make you invested, nothing really.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀
• mysterious past
• small group trapped together in a small space/wilderness
•remote wilderness and extreme weather survival
• medium gore descriptions
• short chapters
• you think you know, but you don’t

Christa doesn’t trust anyone except her new boyfriend of six months, Kiernan, and they’re bound for a two weeks. No field trip to the Rocky Mountains to what she suspects is going to be an and they’re bound for a two weeks. No field trip to the Rocky Mountains to what she suspects is going to be an engagement proposal. On the bus ride up with 11 other people, they are stopped by a downed tree in the road. While a few of the others work together to clear the tree, Christa and Kiernan wander a bit to see the sights when a severe storm rolls in; they’re lost. Separated by a fall down a ravine, Christa finds an abandoned cabin that miraculously contains the other bus occupants, and later a killer as the tour guide goes missing, his head found impaled on a tree.

You find yourself unable to trust anyone in this story and the short chapters keep you reading. You think you know who the killer is but then you’re wrong or you second-guess yourself. This book starts off quickly and the pace continues going, the tension building, and the mistrust consumes you too even though you’re not actually there.

My first book by Darcy Coates, and wow, I am blown away! I loved the writing style; I felt like I was watching a mystery horror movie.

The pacing was terrific! The chapters were short and kept you wanting more.

Read if you like:
• short chapters
•atmospheric, wintery vibes
• whodunit - and then there was one
• plot twists and lots of red herrings
• a killer is among us, isolated in a cabin in the middle of nowhere
• gore, lots of it

Will be sharing a full review on my Instagram closer to pub date.

The book shifted between too predictable to a little slow at times, but it was still an enjoyable read. The main character ends up stranded in the wintery mountains with a bus full of strangers and her boyfriend. One terrifying event after another dwindles their numbers down as they figure out why. Honestly if you like Coates, isolation, and death, than this book will hit the spot. Coates excels at writing a character on their own without it dragging, but interactions between multiple characters were a little clunky.

This is a twisted murder mystery where the killer will thoroughly surprise the reader. A group gets stranded in a snow storm in the mountains with a killer on the loose. The author does a great job with the plot and connecting all the pieces. The plot moves at a pace that steadily builds the readers anticipation. The characters are each unique and are all integral to the plot.

Wow! This thriller hooked me from the beginning and I could it put it down. Even though it’s summer right now, this snowy setting was so captivating and transported me right to the mountains. The creepy, stranded in the middle of nowhere vibes were top-notch and everything I was hoping for.

I love a thriller where I don’t know who to trust, and I can confidently say I trusted no one in this book😂 Every time I thought I knew what was going on, something would shift and my theory would be completely off. Up until the very end I didn’t know exactly what was going on, and the final twist really surprised me. I loved our MC Christa, and appreciated how strong and determined she was. There was also some gore throughout the book, which didn’t bother me at all, but might be an issue for some.

There were only a couple of downsides for me. The first was that the middle of the book felt a little repetitive and slowed down a bit more than my liking. The second was that the ending felt kind of abrupt, and I wanted just one more chapter to tie things up a little more. However, I’d say those were small issues for me, and I overall really enjoyed this.

If you’re looking for a chilling (😏) thriller, look no further!

Can you imagine being stranded in a tiny isolated cabin with 8 other people. Strangers. A heavy blizzard. You can't leave. No way to escape. And then someone begins killing people. One by one. Gruesomely. And, you have no idea who the murderer is, or why they are doing it.

Yikes!

This book kept my full attention from start to finish. Great suspense and several twists definitely kept me at the edge of my seat.

I love scary stories that involve stranded travelers hunkering down during a blizzard or bad storm. This book was just perfect! I kept trying to imagine what I would do in the same situation. Death if you try to run through the snow to safety somewhere else -- too cold, too far. And, death if you stay where you are. Not good odds! I decided in the end that I would barricade myself into a separate room (if there was one!) with whatever heavy furniture I could move against the door and just wait it out. LOL And, yep, I know in every horror movie the "hide'' defense ploy never works.

Very enjoyable book. This would make a great movie!!

I'm definitely in line for whatever Darcy Coates writes next!!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This felt different than other Darcy Coates novels, and I loved it. Trapped in a small cottage during a snow storm, picked off one by one by one of your group, but who and how? This book kept me guessing and yet I always felt rather sure of myself until the next page!

Darcy Coates does it again!

Coates is certainly putting her stamp on the horror genre, and I hope with this book she will get more notice because it is certainly deserved. The base of this story is not something new. People trapped together and someone is a killer. But wow she brought it to life in a new way, I think. The suspense was high, and I really just find her writing to be so readable. 10 out of 10 I would recommend!

Kieran and his girlfriend Christa set out on a trip to the Rocky Mountains with a few other people. They knew this wasn’t the best of weather but a peaceful time and lots of beauty to be seen. Brian is the driver of the bus and as they are heading to Blackstone Alpine Lodge there is a fallen tree in the road. Kieran and Christa decide to go looking around while some of the other passengers cut up the tree. In the blinding snow they get separated. Christa walks and walks trying to get back to Kieran she stumbles and falls. Next thing Christa knows is she is in a small cabin with the rest of the passengers except Brian the bus driver and Kieran.

One by one someone is butchering their heads off and displaying them on a tree. There is a father and son, a truck driver and his wife, a DJ, three other women and Christa that have to try to get out of this terrifying situation!

This was one of the most absolutely suspenseful book I have read for awhile. You didn’t know who to trust. Throughout the book you start to believe everyone has a reason to be the butcher.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Christa and her boyfriend of 4 months, Keirnan, are in the Rocky Mountains on a trip. It’s winter, so the lodge they are heading to is closed except for the small group they are with. A blizzard has started, and when the bus is stopped due to a downed tree in the road, Keirnan (who grew up nearby and knows the mountains) brings Christa for a short walk. Unfortunately, due to the blizzard, they get turned around and can’t find their way back. When they get separated, Christa manages (frostbite and all) to find a cabin where the others from their tour have holed up, but Kiernan is still missing. It’s not long after that their tour guide also goes missing… and one by one, not only do people disappear, they reappear later, decapitated...

I love wintery, blizzardy atmospheres in books, and this one did it really well. Initially, I thought this was a mystery/thriller, but there is definitely horror mixed in, as well. Be warned that there are gruesome parts. But I loved it! So suspenseful and everyone suspects everyone else. You think each of them is the killer at some point and the twists keep coming to the end!

This book was a fast-paced, locked-room thriller. From the very beginning, it grabbed my attention and would not let go until I finished it. The book can get a bit gory, so be warned but that did not take away from my enjoyment of it.

If you love books that give you that isolated feeling, cut off from the rest of the world, with a hint of slasher vibes... this book is for you.

Christa is stuck in a major winter storm in the mountains with a bunch of strangers. People are slowly being murdered and no one is to be trusted. She's scared, alone, and it's only a matter of time until she's next.

The plot is great and definitely enough to keep your interest, but there are times the book feels sluggish and repetitive. However, it will definitely scratch your isolation thriller itch.

Thank you to Poised Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with this book to honestly review.

Christa is on a tour bus heading to a retreat in the Rocky Mountains when a fallen tree and a snowstorm force the group of 8 to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin.

Things soon turn dark though. The tour guide is murdered, with his decapitated head on display in a nearby tree. The group is now in crisis, trapped by a fierce snowstorm, dwindling supplies and no way to contact the outside world. There is also the question of who the murderer is. Is it one of the group, or a malevolent stranger?

I found this an entertaining read, if somewhat draggy in the middle. The characters were decent, but could have been more developed. Multiple POVs might have been good here. You also have to suspend belief a bit, as the murderer seems to be a bit superhuman at times.

Thank you to Poisioned Pen Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this locked-room mystery set in a remote cabin during a snowstorm! There was suspense and tension as we tried to figure out if there was some random person hiding out in the storm picking our survivors off one by one, or if the killer was someone they are stuck inside with.

There were twists and turns around every corner, and the claustrophobic feeling of the cabin was spot on. I had a great time trying to figure out who the killer was, and while I did figure it out before it was revealed it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story at all.

I love Darcy Coates writing and can't wait to see what she's going to come out with next!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates from Net Galley & Poisoned Pen Press in order to read and give an honest review.

… Dead of Winter feels more like a hybrid…Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” meets Friday the 13th movie franchise in this chilling horror suspense that is tension filled right to the last page …

When Christa’s boyfriend Kiernan whisks her away on a winter getaway after she has endured a rough couple of years she is thrilled. The lovebirds join a small tour group heading to the remote Blackstone Alpine lodge in the snowcapped Rocky Mountains for an “unplugged” getaway. The ten guests and their guide are driving through the Rockies when their journey is brought to a halt due to a downed tree blocking the road. Seizing the moment, Kiernan takes the opportunity to give Christa a surprise and they head out for a private walk while the tree is being moved. A brutally strong storm suddenly moves in causing them to lose their way back to the bus and when Christa falls down a rock face the last thing, she sees is Kiernan trying to hold on to her hand as her glove slips off and she plummets to the ground below. When she wakes up, she is in a strange cabin, the rest of the tour group staring down at her as one, Simone, is bandaging her hand. As Christa looks at everyone in the cabin her one fear appears to be true, Kiernan is nowhere to be found and is still out in the storm. With severe frostbite and the storm still at full force Christa and the others are cabin bound, forced to seek shelter in a tiny, rustic, claustrophobic hunting cabin without power and no means of communicating with the outside world. Stranded with the rest of the tour group and a guide she is left to grieve while waiting for the storm to pass. When their guide decides to step out for a few minutes and does not return, he is discovered in the morning, his severed head impaled on a tree just outside the cabin. When paranoia, fear and hunger run rampant in the cabin it becomes clear that there is a killer among them, and everyone is suspect. When Kiernan’s body is found, it takes Christa everything in her power to keep it together and battle a killer determined to kill them off one by one. Just when Christa is sure she knows who the killer is she is thrown for a loop, and she realizes her life has been leading up to this moment. To survive she must brave more than just the storm…injured and alone she must navigate through mountains, flee a killer, and make it to the lodge to call for help for herself and those who are injured.

Although not a usual fan of horror, this very atmospheric tale with a cast of multifaceted characters, a twisted plot, and the setting acting as a character in itself, I found this book an enjoyable read. Dead of Winter feels more like a hybrid…Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” meets Friday the 13th movie franchise in this chilling horror suspense that is tension filled right to the last page. I highly recommend it.