Review: Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

 

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

Publication Date: July 11th 2023 by Poisoned Pen Press

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan are on a winter getaway to a remote lodge in the Rocky Mountains when a snowstorm strands the tour bus. Now they must take shelter, along with eight other travelers, in a small hunting cabin. Only instead of this just trying to survive the elements and worry about food, they must worry about a bloodthirsty killer. Their guide is murdered and displayed horrifically. Is the murderer among their small group? If so, why and who’s next?

Dead of Winter had a definite horror movie vibe. A small group cut off from civilization being picked off one by one, suspicious of everyone and trying to stay alive. I wanted to know why? There were some hints, and I had my suspicions but there were red herrings too. This felt sort of like a graphically gory Agatha Christie, a bit unbelievable in parts, but still horror movie fun! The stark winter setting was atmospheric, intensifying the feeling of danger.

Things got crazy and I didn’t want to put it down once everything started coming together! Tension built up page by page for a thrilling conclusion! Of course, I was rooting for Christa to figure things out, and survive! The killer and motivation are revealed in the end, but there were a couple of loose ends I wished had resolution. All in all, a sit-down-and-buckle-up kind of thrill ride!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

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.

She couldn't be more wrong.

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.