This was my first experience with Darcy Coates, but I knew when I read the synopsis that I had to read it. Dead of Winter keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering who could be killing everyone off one by one. I can't wait to get my hands on more of Darcy's books.

Slasher thriller horror. Locked roomesque. It's a big locked room because a lot of action takes place in the big outdoor land of the wild remote west. It was a good read, a lot of gore and it wasn't too hard to figure out the who done its, but it was entertaining especially if you read it when it's snowing outside. Ms. Coates continues to be a good thriller storyteller.

I decided to start this book late at night and what a decision that was. This book was gory and kept me guessing until the very end. I wanted to keep reading it all night and it kept me scared. Such a good horror book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly read.

A decent locked room mystery. Unfortunately this book was very predictable. I figured out the killer and the twist before the half way point and found myself bored throughout the rest. of the book.

Overall the book was well written and maybe someone who hasn't read a lot of horror/thriller books or locked room mysteries may enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a great, fun, ride! Coates is a master at plotting and pacing. Her descriptions are vivid and evocative. Nice twists at the end!

This story had so much potential. But i lost interest. I think there needed to be more character development to keep me invested and to care about the characters. I also felt it was a bit repetitive.

Christa, a woman haunted by both her present and a traumatic past, heads into the snowy heart of the Rocky Mountains with her boyfriend Kiernan, hoping that their vacation will take their relationship to another level and help her heal. Unexpectedly though, a bad storm sweeps into the region, forcing the couple and the other travelers on their broken-down tour bus to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. But in the chaos of the blinding blizzard, Christa is separated from Kiernan. Heartbroken, she must wait until conditions are safer before they can launch a search party.

However, the discovery of their decapitated tour guide puts an end to any hope of rescue. His severed head, strategically displayed for the horrified group to see, serves as a grim warning: No one is getting out alive. In this frozen isolation, the winter landscape transforms into a grisly stage for a sadistic hunter to pick them off one by one. All communication with the outside world has been cut off, and Christa knows Kiernan is dead. Now she and her fellow survivors find themselves trapped in deadly game of terror against an elusive killer.

Darcy Coates showcases her flair for urgency and tension, offering thrills and chills in Dead of Winter, a novel that grips readers with its delectable premise. I love a good snowbound horror—and the more atmospheric the better. This being my first book by the author, and I was also impressed with the setting and how the isolated Rockies were brought to life, becoming a character in its own right. Coates turned the wide expanse of the wilderness into a claustrophobic blend of eeriness and suspense, brava.

Then we have the protagonist. The book’s main pulse is set by Christa’s journey, her worldview colored by a dark past and a guilt she cannot shake. With Kiernan, she thought she could start a new chapter in her life but losing him sends her off into a deeper spiral. Even though this novel features a large cast, we never lose sight of Christa’s main role in the story, which is to pull the whole mystery together, as the end eventually reveals. But everyone else—Simone, a stern practical woman; husband and wife team Steve and Miri; Denny and his son Grayson, traveling together in shared grief; Blake, who recently lost his job; Hutch, a young DJ; and Alexis, who become a close friend to Christa as they try to who the killer is and why they are doing this—all of them are puzzle pieces that fit into a whole. At first, I was impatient to know why all these strangers should matter, but as it turns out, every one of them holds a clue.

Yet, within this twisty narrative, Dead of Winter ultimately succumbs to the pitfalls of predictability and familiar horror tropes. From the way I looked at it as a “final girl” type slasher horror, it was rather easy to guess who the killer was, even though Coates tried to hide her tracks well, and it shouldn’t have been that easy to predict. Without revealing spoilers though, there was just enough left unsaid for me to suspect who did it, though admittedly, the whys and the hows still surprised me.

All told, Dead of Winter emerges as a promising offering for fans of horror—especially if you like your horror bloody. It successfully delivers a suspenseful and brutal escapade, the tensions heightened by the atmosphere. For me, though, the overall experience was a slightly diminished, simply because I happened to guess a big part of the ending, but even though the book may not shatter conventions or introduce anything groundbreaking, it’s a good old fun thrill ride if that’s the kind of entertainment you enjoy.

If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I am a Darcy Coates FAN. If she’s written it, I’ve read it. However, out of all of her titles, Dead of Winter has taken the number one spot in my heart. This book is captivating, thrilling, gut-wrenching, and downright scary. It’s the perfect seasonal read and isolation story that I will be recommending for many, many years to come!

It had the hairs on my head standing to attention! Very atmospheric and the plot is horror filled with murder that I found impossible to solve.

I went into this book with high expectations as I love a good locked room mystery. Unfortuantly this book just didn't work for me. I figured out the killer very early on, figured out the twist before the half way point and just didn't love it.

It was well written and the author definitely set the scene (I felt the cold weather in this book!) so perhaps for someone who hasn't read as many horror/thriller novels as I have this one may be a better fit.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

what a spooky winter thriller to start off my 2024 reads! this chilling whodunnit was super graphic and gory, and certainly not for the faint of heart.

eight strangers from a tour group are left stranded in the woods on their way to what they hoped to be a relaxing mountain getaway. trapped in the midst of a brutal snowstorm, the group fortunately finds a small, desolate cabin for shelter.

but the comfort they find is short-lived when members of the group are being killed off one by one in a manner that is beyond gruesome. tensions are high as the strangers fight to stay alive while trying to narrow down who the killer is among them. between struggling not to freeze or starve to death and avoiding a murderer among them, survival has never seemed more bleak.

i thought this book was super thrilling, & I found myself reading this one late into the night. at one point while reading this book, I fell asleep and proceeded to have a nightmare with a similar premise to this story, so I feel like that’s always a good indicator that a book is spooking you! 🫣 like I said, this book is definitely not for readers who don’t do well with graphic descriptions of violence. i also am just always baffled reading winter thrillers when the characters are out in such harsh conditions for hours upon hours—i truly could not see myself lasting that long in their positions. 🙈

I was engaged throughout the story, but I did catch onto most of the twists and turns— so while i wasn’t super shocked by a lot of what I read in terms of the climax, I still enjoyed the way it unfolded. I do really wish there was an epilogue, though! there were some aspects of the story that were left open-ended, and I think I would’ve liked to know how some of those details wrapped up. all in all though, I’d say this was a pretty solid thriller!

thank you to @netgalley, @darcybooks & @poisonedpenpress for my advanced copy of this book!

A very good book that kept me guessing! I loved the secluded location, the claustrophobic feeling of the snowy cabin and the atmosphere surrounding the characters. Speaking of, there were too many characters to my liking but it had to be that way I suppose to drag the story ultimately.

Fast paced eerie thriller that keeps the reader guessing throughout. decent character development too

I'm not quite sure how to review this book. On one hand, I kept flipping pages as fast as I could, staying up late into the night, heart-palpitating and terrified. On the other hand, I was frustrated with the lack of character development. I really didn't get to know or care about any of the characters. Also, it was far more horror and gory than I thought it would be. Definitely more horror than thriller.

This author never lest me down!

This is a thrilling story. I love stories set in harsh climates where you can get cozy on the couch and get scared! This was full of twists and turn and

Being locked in the cabin with a murder provided a story full of suspense. You won't see the end coming!

Overall, read this story if you love thrillers, locked room mysteries, and love a good twist! You'll stay up late turning the pages for sure!

Excellent suspense! A woman goes on a "unplugged" retreat with her boyfriend only to end up fighting for her life as the rest of her tour mates are killed off one by one. All with a blizzard backdrop--perfect for a winter read! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

I really want to love this author's books but I always feel just ok about them. "Trapped in the snow with a murderer on the loose" is one of my favorite horror tropes so I was super excited about this but the ending and the motives behind the murder didn't wow me. I guessed who the murderer was very early into the book, like as soon as the second murder happened and none of the red herrings fooled me. Just like the main character suspected after catching "the butcher" none of it felt right. The big reveal about 3/4 of the way through was interesting and something I didn't see coming and it saved the ending for me. I think my biggest problem was that all of the characters felt like the same person. They were supposed to be distinct and have different personality traits but unless I paid close attention to who was talking, all the dialogue felt like a single person talking. I wish we got to know the characters a bit better and learned more about who they were as people, not just "this is my job". The setting was nice and I was hoping for references to "The Shining" since this book takes place in a very similar setting. Overall, I had a fun time reading this, but I did find myself having to force myself to pick it up every time I went to read it. I'll probably give Darcy Coates a few more times to wow me because she's supposed to be one of the greatest horror authors of this generation.

I'm a sucker for a well done isolation book, and this one did not disappoint!
It was the perfect combo of suspense, plot twists, characters that I enjoyed. When the first chopped off head showed up, I was hooked!
To me, a good thriller leaves me guessing till the end, and the Dead of Winter did just that.
Thankful for the ARC!

Incredible read. I am hit or miss with Darcy Coates reads, but this one hit the mark for me. It was suspenseful and entertaining. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to finish each chapter. An easy and fast read for someone who is looking for a suspenseful thriller. Truly enjoyed this.

Christa is excited for a 2 week getaway in the woods with her boyfriend. After a traumatic situation 2 year prior, she finally is feeling a sense of happiness she didn't know she would ever feel again. When a tree falls in the road on their way to the lodge, their trip is paused while the guide and other people on the bus try to help get the tree out of the way. Christa and her boyfriend take a walk around and quickly become engulfed in a blizzard that pops up. When she gets lost from her boyfriend she is sure she will freeze to death. Turns out that may have been a better fate than what lies in wait in front of her.

I read a lot of thrillers and sometimes they become same ol', same ol'. That was not the case with this one! There was a serial killer aspect, as well as a lot of surprises I didn't see coming. It would have been easy for it to become boring in the same setting with all the characters being killed off one by one, but it was thrilling from beginning to end!