Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates definitely reminded me a little bit of "Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. Not the same but similar as to the whodunit aspect with a tinge of gore which I appreciated very much.

A group of strangers are traveling together on a 12 day get away when they get stranded in a winter gale. They find a log cabin to lodge in until rescue comes. Until they slowly start getting murdered one by one. Someone is the murderer amongst them. Are they really strangers?

The start was a bit slow for my liking. The middle was alright, and the last ¾ was where all the action was. I'm not sure if it's because I truly didn't connect with the MC. I found Christa annoying, and lacked common sense/better judgement. Being in her brain for 300+ pages wasn't great. She was that girl in horror films that did EVERYTHING wrong.

I felt the murders were a little repetitive and not creative. Getting murdered in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter... there's other ways than getting ____________ on repeat. The characters were hard to connect with. It may have been the authors intention to keep the reader in the shadows regarding the characters but... still. Another downfall: I figured out immediately who the murderer was and how they were connected. For a thriller junkie as myself it wasn't difficult to figure out.

It's not a story that stands out amongst all of the thrillers I read, but it wasn't awful and was a good read.

Thank you Darcy Coates, Poisoned Pen Press, & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


For starters, I will say that I very much so enjoyed this book. It was a very unique and fun take on a classic, stuck in the middle of no where horror.

I have read a ton of Darcy Coates horrors and have enjoyed them all. This particular one, while I think was very predictable in the "who" the butcher was, was fun and entertaining. She did a great job of building tension and fear in the survivors and made it so it was interesting to see what they would do and who they would point to as the murderer next.

The only issue I had with it is that it was easy to see who it was going to be in the end, despite there being an obvious attempt at a "twist." It didnt spoil the fun for me though.

As for the author and her work in general, I find them fun, light horror reads that are always entertaining and enjoyable. I think that the character development needs more work but outside of that, great.

A group of people stuck in a blizzard while on route to a skiing vacation; they try to find refuge in a local cabin but then the bodies start turning up. In the tradition of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", this book is a thriller/horror novel about a woman named Christa who has to find her strength to survive frostbite, very little food or heat and most of all a murderer on the loose. Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan are on a bus headed for the Blackstone Lodge in the Rocky Mountains. The couple haven't been together for all that long but are very much in love. They are traveling with 6 other people when a blizzard hits and a big tree across the road prevents them from going any further. With no cell phone service and little in the way of provisions, Christa and Kiernan decide to go for a walk to see if they can find any help when Christa falls down a hill and Kiernan disappears.

I wish we would have got to know the other people on the bus before they were stranded because it took me quite awhile to tell the characters apart. I know the author wanted to conceal some of the twists but a few sentences about the various characters would have been helpful. Christa cannot find Kiernan and the group walk until they find an abandoned cabin which provides a little food and shelter from the storm. Then people start to go outsides for fresh air or a bathroom break and they are found dead in a very gruesome fashion. Is one of the remaining 7 a murderer or is someone else stalking the group? And Why?

The author does a good job in describing the storm and the difficulties in braving the weather even resulting in frostbite, I thought the killer's identify was obvious but it did not prevent my enjoyment of the book. The book stalls a bit in the middle when the story keeps repeating itself but then it gets very exciting towards the end as Christa and the others left are trying to gather their wits and their strength to survive, There were some twists I didn't see coming and I enjoyed the scary elements and the feelings of claustrophobia while they were trapped in the cabin. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

My first read by author Darcy Coates. This novel was well written! Coates had this reader feeling claustrophobic,
wanting to yell Don't Go Out There, and in general totally engrossed in the read. The only thing , I had figured out who the culprit was before the end. If I hadn't have done that, it would have rated a 5 star.

I am a big fan of Darcy Coates and Dead of Winter continues her streak of awesome horror novels. This book was full of suspense and a wonderful sense of dread. I love isolation horror and this really scratched that itch.

Christa joined the tour group for their journey deep into the Rocky Mountains. She had hoped that this would be the trip that would finally allow her to put her past behind her. But as fate would have it, she was about to be thrown into a terrifying situation that would leave her fighting for her life.
The group found themselves trapped in an abandoned hunting cabin after a bitter cold snowstorm hit the region. Christa tried to remain calm, believing they would be safe as they waited out the storm. But when their tour guide disappeared in the middle of the night, only to be found the next morning with his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin, Christa knew they were not alone.
As the storm grew more dangerous and the group dwindled in numbers, Christa found herself trapped with eight strangers, one of whom was a cold-blooded killer. She couldn't trust anyone and the fear of not knowing who the killer was made her uneasy. The eerie silence of the cabin was only disturbed by the sound of the wind howling and the sound of footsteps in the night.
The killer was toying with them, picking them off one by one. Christa knew that she had to stay alive, but with every passing moment, she felt her chances slipping away. The paranoia was getting to her and she was unsure who to turn to. Was it the friendly old man, or the quiet couple in the corner? As the tension grew, she knew that she had to make a decision before it was too late.
This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Darcy Coates has done an excellent job of creating a suspenseful and eerie atmosphere that leaves the reader wanting more. The twists and turns in the plot kept me guessing until the very end. If you're looking for a heart-pounding thriller that will leave you breathless, then look no further than this book. It will have you hooked from the first page to the last, leaving you wanting more.

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!