Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I haven't read a thriller like this in a while! It was quick paced, had me on the edge of my seat, and made me gasp out loud a number of times. This book was so incredibly well done that I don't have anything to nitpick on. I went into this book blind, and thought it was a better read due to that, so I'd recommend others go into this book blind. This is a 5-star thriller read for me!

This book was not for me. I found it so drawn out and there were too many characters to keep track of. However, I thought the ending/reveal was really good. Coates is a good writer but this book just didn't appeal to me.

If you're a fan of snowy wilderness settings and locked in 'whodunit' mysteries, this is the book for you.

What's meant to be a relaxing two week tour to a lodge deep in the Rockies turns into a fight for survival that leaves the tour group sheltering in a lil cabin in the woods when they are unable to reach the lodge in a snowstorm.

As if that doesn't sound bad enough, someone is already missing, and THEN our characters wake up to find a head impaled on a tree outside the cabin.. and it's only the first night. Tensions are high, everyone's a suspect and no one can be ruled out.

Okay so I'd like to start off by saying I finished this in one day! Is that out of the norm when I'm reading Darcy Coates books?? Well.. no. But every time I read one I'm like maybe this'll be the time I don't absolutely love one of her books. But thankfully it was not! I was reading before work, on my breaks and after work because I didn't want to put it down. It started you off right in the deep end, no slow build up and easing into anything which I love.

Darcy Coates has always been one of my favorite authors but this book with its snowed in, locked room mystery really gave me 'And Then There Were None' vibes which is another one of my favorite books!

I DID guess the killer around the halfway mark just based on a feeling but there were moments I doubted myself. Either way I still felt satisfied with the ending!

My final thoughts: chilling, well paced and creepy af. Darcy Coates has done it again.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Whoa! What did I just read?! One night I read a few chapters before bed and realized that I shouldn’t have done that when I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat! That’s what I like in my horror, mysteries, and thrillers! You get a reaction from me like that; you’ve sold me on your story. This was a well-written book. The author did excellent with everything from character development to the plot to the ending was so well done! The main female point of view was just so engaging! She was such a strong, badass character that it made me think I probably wouldn’t have done half the stuff she did. Kudos Christa!! The twisty nature of the plot kept my mind reeling. When I thought I knew whodunit, I didn’t. I love that it kept me on my toes and guessing every step of the way. And it didn’t hurt that the story occurred during a snowy winter, my favorite season! If I were you, dear readers, run and get this book! You will not be disappointed! Preorder now! It will be released on July 11, 2023.
*Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley, and Darcy Coates for the advanced copy of the book!

Wow. This was absolutely an incredible book. For MUCH of it I was equal parts absolutely horrified, completely terrified, and 100% hating snow.

The setup was a perfect thriller/horror. A remote lodge, a bus filled with people who don’t know each other, and a snowstorm for the ages. And then the bus gets stuck. And the road is blocked. And there’s concern about frostbite. And then someone goes missing, and someone else is found dead. And all of that is just the beginning.

There were a ton of characters to keep track of, but they all had their own personalities and flowed well. Was I completely surprised by the big reveal? Not 100%, but I read entirely too many thrillers and I imagine the vast majority of readers will be absolutely shocked at the twists.

Will I now be starting at the beginning of Darcy Coates’ backlist to read my way through it? Absolutely.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Poisoned Pen Press for this review copy!

Holy smokes this book was INCREDIBLE. Gripping from the first chapter, non stop action, full of tension and suspense! Absolutely everything I love in a thriller. Phew. I can honestly say I did not expect the twist AT ALL. I was shook. Amazing book!

Darcy Coates wrote a beautifully terrifying suspense novel that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This isn't one of her supernatural novels, but still gave the reader a heavy dose of chills and excitement. I loved this book!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I absolutely LOVED this book. As a new fan of Darcy Coates, I had high hopes when I read the description. An isolated cabin, eight strangers, and a heroine with a something bad in her past spelled out the perfect slasher book.

Darcy Coates does amazing work with her thriller books, but this one really takes the cake. The harsh landscape sets the tone for the book. There isn’t a moment reprieve in the book from the start — when our FMC Christa loses her boyfriend Kiernan in horrible snowstorm. She’s then separated from him when she’s rescued and he isn’t. From there, it only goes downhill as bodies pile up and no one can manage to figure out who’s behind it.

The author does an amazing job with foreshadowing and twisting the story in a way that has you suspicious of every single person. The big reveal happens at the end of the book, and it’s enough to have you wanting to throw your kindle/book across the room. Amazing work by Darcy Coates and a highly anticipated released for me!

I love Darcy Coates, and Dead of Winter did not disappoint. I found myself guessing the whole time, and could not put down until I finished. You will not be disappointed with thus book!

Dead of winter by Darcy Coates is due to be published July 11th 2023 by poisoned pen Press.
This book was so tense and chilling I was so invested to finish it as quickly as possible. Christa and her boyfriend and a group of travelers are headed into the deep snow covered mountains of the Rocky Mountains for two weeks of mountain life and two weeks of relaxation. Who would’ve thought a mini vacay to the mountains could turn so deadly. One by one the group members are picked off and their heads are impaled on the big oak tree. Will they make it out alive? Why is someone killing them? Who is doing it?
This book was phenomenal I had no idea who the killer was at all. I swore I had it all figured out and then boom the ending ! I was in total shock definitely did not see that coming at all. Highly recommend this thriller to anyone who likes a fast paced mind boggling story that has you guessing till the very end.
Thank you NetGalley, Darcy Coates and poisoned pen press for allowing me to read an ARC of “Dead of Winter” and I’m leaving this review for free.

I didn't expect to have as much fun with this book as I did. I'm kind of over the "blizzard, locked in a cabin" setting in thrillers. However, while this book definitely sticks to that trope, the journey was a wild ride. I had a theory at the beginning about who did it (and I was right), but I didn't even care that I'd figured it out because getting there was so fun. All the characters were fleshed out and multi-dimensional. The twists (and there were several) kept me guessing until the very end. I definitely recommend this and will look for more books by this author in the future.

I could not put this down. Darcy Coates knocks it out of the park with Dead of Winter. I loved it. 5 Stars if I could I would give more!

This was an absolute wild ride! Think “And Then There Were None” but more gruesome and survivalist.

Christa is going on a getaway to a winter resort with her boyfriend when a tree falls into the road, stopping their bus in the middle of a snow storm. When people start turning up ritualistically murdered, the group of strangers heading to the resort have to depend on each other and figure out who the killer is.

Dead of Winter was a totally different kind of Darcy Coates book. I’ve been really enjoying her new ventures into different kinds of horror and she can truly do it all! I couldn’t put it down!

Out July 11, 2023!!

This eerie, frozen horror story will entertain readers from start to finish. Coates embraces blood and gore in this story, which is a new element added to her tool belt. Another great thriller from Darcy Coates!

First off, thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for my ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my review!

Alrighty, I’m giving this one 4 stars. I enjoyed the very creepy setting of this book in an isolated location during a snowstorm along with the who did it murder mystery. Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers all trying to ride out the storm. Their tour guide goes missing that night and the next day they find him murdered outside the cabin. There’s a killer amongst the group and Christa needs to figure out who can she can trust to escape this scenario. This was a fast paced thriller with a pretty surprising twist at the end. I would definitely recommend adding this to your TBR for when this is released this summer!

blizzards, isolation, murder, horror, violence, gory, suspense, suspicion, dread, psychological-thriller, atmospheric, mystery*****

A little too much claustrophobic horror for my taste, but I've got some friends who are salivating and eagerly awaiting the release of this book.
I requested and received an EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Review: OMG! What a great book!! One thing that Darcy Coates is known for is the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. They make you want to keep reading! That is what happened tonight! I kept reading until I finished the book. And I am so happy to share that I was right about who the serial killer was! I am so proud that I was able to figure it out. The last 80 pages had my heart racing so fast and I needed to know what happened!! Definitely one of my favorite standalones from Darcy Coates for sure!! Thank you @poinsenedpress @netgalley and @darcybooks for letting me read this early release of her new book!! This one comes out in July, so make sure you preorder it today!!

When a winter storm hits, a group of strangers on their way to a luxury lodge vacation become trapped in a small cabin in the middle of the wilderness with no rescue in sight. As if that isn't bad enough, one of them is found brutally murdered. And whoever did it just getting started.

This book is a fast-paced, twisting locked-room mystery-thriller that keeps you guessing. A locked-room can be hard to do purely because of the number of characters they tend to require, and "Dead of Winter" pulls it off exceptionally. We follow the POV of Christa, a young woman struggling with a dark moment from her past, as she uncovers clues as she tries to figure out who the killer is. It was an entertaining read that kept me sucked in and ended with a neat resolution to tie off a tight, well-framed plot.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and went right to my library website to pick up more books by Coates!

You might like this book if you like a locked-room style mystery and winter/wilderness/isolation thrillers.

This book was an entertaining read. The twist was pretty predictable if you've read a lot of similar thrillers. Lots of characters that were a little hard to keep track of at the beginning, but then brought all together nicely at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Dead of Winter.

The premise was intriguing so I was excited my request was approved.

First, the location is the real winner of the story. The isolation, the storm, being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers while a killer stalks the innocent is very scary.

The author describes the cold, the frigidity, and the fear well, setting the somber mood and tone as the murders escalate and tensions and fears rise between the remaining survivors.

Second, being trapped in an isolated location with a bunch of strangers is nothing new.

That's why I guessed the reason behind why this group of people were gathered together from the start.

I also guessed the final twist at the end, but only because I read so many books in this genre. It takes a lot to stump me.

Third, the violence and bloodshed is pretty gruesome and gory. It doesn't bother me but it may bother sensitive readers so beware if that's you.

My biggest caveat was how I didn't like anyone; not Christa or Blake. No one.

There's a lack of character development and obviously, the environment and present circumstances aren't conducive for the characters to chat and get to know one another better.

We know what they do and how they came to be there, but we don't know them.

Some of the narrative could get repetitive, as Christa wonders who is behind all the murders and people keep dropping off like flies,

There are a few red herrings, but nothing earth shattering; it just gets the reader to go, "Oh, could it be this person or that person.'

Yes, the story takes a certain amount of disbelief suspension but that's the point.

If you're able to suspend disbelief and go along for the ride, you'll enjoy this locked-in-a-cabin-with-strangers-Agatha-Christie-has-done-this-many-decades-ago-and-the-copycats-won't-ever-stop type of story.

This is my first book by this author and though Dead of Winter didn't capture my interest the way I hoped it would, I'll check out her next book.