Dead of Winter

USA TODAY BESTSELLER * JULY 2023 LIBRARYREADS SELECTION

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.

Don't have enough scary books on your shelves?

More bestselling horror from Darcy Coates:

  • From Below
  • Gallows Hill
  • The Haunting of Ashburn House
  • The Haunting of Blackwood House
  • The Haunting of Rookward House
  • The House Next Door
  • The Folcroft Ghosts
  • Hunted
  • The Haunting of Gillespie House
  • Parasite

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Published Jul 11, 2023

352 pages

Average rating: 6.9

136 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Anonymous
Jun 25, 2025
8/10 stars
This is my first book by Darcy Coates. She is a horror writer and most of her books are titled “The haunting of _______” From what I understand she is primarily a YA author but this one is definitely a adult 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.

Sold!

There is much to love about this book. First of all you have to give credit where it’s due……. 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……

So in short: Very entertaining read. Lacking in......."something"

I really appreciate Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book for free for a honest review and it has a publication date of July 11, 2023.
AG_lover
Jun 23, 2025
2/10 stars
DNF - First book I ever read that I DNF. SUPER SLOW BURN. I will try it again when I have nothing else on my TBR list.
Amanda Lynne
Apr 20, 2025
8/10 stars
I enjoyed this book but I figured out Kieran was the killer as soon as his head didn’t show up on the tree.. I also assumed he was somehow related to Liam too
Alier
Feb 20, 2025
3/10 stars
I was not a fan of this book. I felt it dragged on and the ending was unfinished. I gave 2 stars because I did like that it kept me guessing and I did not find it predictable.
Anonymous
Jan 13, 2025
10/10 stars
I loved this book from start to finish.
The absolute suspense of not knowing who was the killer. Every single time you feel like you know who was the killer another fact was thrown in the mix.
The single event that tied everyone together and the killers identity was a perfect reveal.
I loved every second of it.

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