Dead of Winter had me from the very first page. I just knew I was going to love this one. From the title, to the cover, to the characters. Very well written!

Darcy Coates knows what she's doing. She's the queen of haunted, scary stories and Dead of Winter is no different.

A locked-room sort of mystery with a bunch of snow and people who keep dying, one by one.

This is a not to be missed thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Darcy Coates’ words have a way of creeping into your mind and channelling your imagination.

From the first page itself, her descriptions are so vivid that you can clearly visualise the scene. I loved reading about the setting regardless of how extreme the weather conditions were.

Once the murders begin, the writing becomes jarringly gory. If you are easily put off by such details, I wouldn’t recommend this book to you.

Even though I didn’t connect with Christa’s character, I could feel her angst, fear, and frustration. I chalked it up to the narrative being so well-framed that you can’t escape its impact.

One aspect of this book that worked superbly to heighten my apprehension is how the author uses human intuition in the storytelling.

Christa often has these powerful gut instincts that guide her. And the moment you read her thoughts, you know that something horrible is going to happen. Somehow this technique of foreshadowing was more thrilling than, say, if there had been paranormal elements in the plot.

There are so many plot points that work in tandem to tap into your survival mindset and elicit a reaction, such as:
- everyone is trapped in an uncomfortably small cabin
- the outdoors being unsafe
- but then the indoors aren’t safe either because there’s a serial killer among them
- they’re completely isolated from civilization, and there’s no help coming

The book is written from a third-person omniscient point of view. And you’re essentially following 10 characters as they struggle to deal with the circumstances.

This might seem a bit too much for some of you, but I felt that the author eased into the story without making the presence of all these characters too overwhelming.

Plus, there are certain aspects of their characterisation that distinguished all of them.

To make the narrative more layered, the author keeps hinting at some incident in Christa’s past that weighs on her conscience.

Unlike the wonderful ambience of the book itself, the build-up about her mysterious past wasn’t as atmospheric as I would’ve liked. Probably because of how much is revealed to us through short glimpses; the sense of mystery is lost.

One other thing that prevented this book from being a 5-star read for me is that I guessed who the killer is WAY TOO EARLY. That part of the puzzle stood out like a sore thumb throughout the novel.

All in all, Dead of Winter was certainly an engaging read. Moreover, I really like Darcy Coates’ writing style, so I have discovered a new author whose works I plan to binge-read.

I love Darcy Coates' books and this was just as enjoyable as the rest. Loved the winter vibes, the anxiety, it's a definite yes from me. Great book.

The synopsis is absolutely fantastic: You have eight strangers who are forced to take shelter in a brutally cold and snowy winter. But, unfortunately, them being there is no accident as someone starts killing them one by one. Horribly bad….. Like chopping off their heads bad and hanging them on a big ole tree right outside the cabin they are trapped in. Like a messed up Christmas Tree.


Darcy Coates is a gifted writer. This book is deeply atmospheric and creepy. When they are outside the cabin you feel just as lost as the characters do in the freezing snow. The chapters are short and the pace of the book is perfect. She is truly a great horror writer and this book is a entertaining read.

And the bad: While this is a fun book to read somewhere around the middle you realize you really don’t care who lives or dies in this one. There is really no character depth at all. Even with the main character you're kind of just going through the motions with this one. And holy predictable ending! I’m not going to even going to go there. Just be prepared to be let down. But at least I warned you……

This was my first read by Darcy Coates and I liked the story overall.
Trapped in a snow storm, a group of people start getting picked off.
It had all the creepy vibes and I loved it.

hanks NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC that will be released July 11, 2023!

1. So tense!
2. Perfectly paced.
3. Unguessable.
4. Beautifully crafted.
5. Immersive and atmospheric.

Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan join a tour group in the Rocky Mountains. When the group is on their way to the lodge, they are stopped by a fallen tree on the road and forced to stay in a small hunting cabin nearby until the snow storm passes and they can get the tree moved. The members are picked off one by one in a terribly gruesome way. Christa has to decide who to trust and fight to survive in this eerie, winter thriller.
I love a thriller that is set in a remote, snowy location where you have to figure out who the killer is among the group of people. I had an idea early on who I thought the killer was and their reasoning, but certain events kept making me change my mind. In the end, it turned I had it right all along. I really enjoyed it but wish there was a little more closure about a couple characters at the end. I took off one star for that reason.

This book was jaw clenching to say the least. The fear of being stranded in a secluded cabin in the mountains with no way out and being hunted one by one is downright frightening. Without spoilers I will say they eliminate their victims in a gruesome way. This book was tense every step of the way without any breathers. If you want to be chilled to the bone this book is for you! Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

Oh boy! This book was graphic! I am not a huge thriller/gore fan but I have to be honest.. this book got my attention.

Christy and her boyfriend take a trip to the Rocky Mountains wi try h a tour group. When a bad snowstorm leaves the group stranded in an old hunting cabin, they discover a killer is among them as they start being brutally murdered one by one.

My heart was in my throat the last half of this suspenseful thriller! Definitely did not expect that ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Do you like thrillers or are you a chicken like me? 🐔

Thank you #netgally and Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Look out for this one on 7/11/23 ❄️
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#deadofwinter #netgalley #darcycoates #thriller #bookreview #arc #ebook #suspensethriller

Dead of Winter is a closed circle slasher suspense set in the remote Rocky Mountains when a tour party gets stranded in a blizzard. People start dying left and right, beheaded gorily.

I'd rate this higher but I could not suspend my disbelief; the author seemed inconsistent about the setting - the device meant to keep them there. It would probably be just fine for people who don't live anywhere close to mountains.

Despite a description that sounded right up my alley, I just could not get into this book and it was a DNF for me.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley.

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she's hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they'll be safe as they wait out the storm. Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing...only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, 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 dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

First of all, I have to say that this book was a lot more gory than I thought it would be and this story just reaffirms the fact that I would much rather be on a hot, sandy beach than the article freezing temperatures of the Rocky Mountains. Just like in every horror story, the characters make some wildly dumb decisions. Christa was a strong character, I think I did end up liking her the best out of all of them. She had a way of critically thinking that put her (mostly) on the right path. Frankly, I guessed the whodunnit part basically at the beginning of the book and I was slightly disappointed by the very, very ending.

You absolutely will not catch me in the mountains after reading Dead of Winter. I absolutely love a locked room mystery and I could not put this book down until I got to the end. Darcy Coates has me thoroughly hooked. Pick this book up if you're looking for a mystery to suck you in and refuse to let go.

This book while a compelling read has a degree of gore that can be quite disturbing. Other than that aspect it is a very interesting book and keeps the reader guessing till the end.

I thought this was a fun thriller and I love the dreary setting. Darcy Coates did a great job with the imagery and I could feel myself being propelled into the freezing cold and all the anxiety and that the characters felt.

I will absolutely allow an author to gaslight me for a few hundred pages, IF they’re successful. Darcy Coates definitely succeeded. She had me questioning if I was the Butcher by the end if this book.

It feels like Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” & Stephen King’s “The Shining” had a one night stand. Which, I think I would pay money to see. DONT JUDGE ME 😬👀🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m not sure I can add anything else because the gaslighting is just so delicious, and I wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of that mind f*ck of an experience.

Thank you NetGalley & Poison Pen Press for reinforcing that my fear of getting stuck in a blizzard with no cell signal is NOT irrational.

4.5 stars

An engrossing thriller that will leave you guessing!

Christa accompanies her boyfriend to a remote mountain lodge with the belief that an engagement proposal is imminent. Before they can reach the lodge, their tour group is stranded in the wilderness. The group takes shelter in a nearby cabin, but are picked off one by one. Eventually, the group realizes they all share a horrifying connection and race to figure out who is responsible for their fate.

I didn't want to put this book down and would highly recommend to any thriller fans!

eARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Classic isolation, one by one murder, Christie style murder mystery. I called culprit and motive within the first quarter of the story BUT I did enjoy the journey to see if I was correct. All in all, not mind blowing but lots of fun.

A group of people are on their way to a secluded lodge in the mountains. But the weather and other circumstances leave them stranded in a small cabin before they can reach their destination. Christa (the protagonist) gets separated from Kiernan (boyfriend) and is later found by the other people in her group… but Kiernan is nowhere to be found.
That night the first murder happens… it all goes downhill for this people.
A very good premise with a good execution. I felt anxious and scared sometimes and I felt for Christa, her fears, insecurities and paranoia were my own.
Even though I guessed who was the killer halfway through the book, the reveal was satisfying.
Overall a very good book with a great insight of the human psyche and the process of grief and what it can do to people.