Horror Book Review: Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

 

Bestselling author Darcy Coates' thriller DEAD OF WINTER is this week's Horror Book Pick.

Published in July 2023, the book is on the bestsellers list of Suspense action fiction and crime action fiction.

Dead of Winter received positive reviews from critics who described the book as a fast-paced thriller and one of those novels that will leave you feeling deeply unsettled.

Readers had the same opinion and found the book enjoyable but a tad gruesome as well. They were also thrilled with all the twists and turns.

There were some who weren't too pleased with the book however and found that they were able to guess who the killer was within a few pages. Some even found the grammatical mistakes jarring.

Quick Book Review of DEAD OF WINTER

The story is about Christa who is in a group touring the Rocky Mountains. Along the way the group faces hurdles especially when the snowstorm hits.

The next morning when they tour guide is found dead, Christa realizes she may be trapped in the cabin with a killer.

When the book opens, Christa and Kiernan are stuck in a blizzard. Kiernan is calling for help and Christa must rely on him to help navigate back.

Along the way, Christa falls and hurts herself.

Six hours ago, Christa is in a tour bus when a tree blocks their path. While they wait for the road to clear, Kiernan and Christa get off the bus and go take a walk.

We are then brought back to the present where Christa has been found by a woman. She is badly injured but safe.

However, Kiernan is nowhere to be found.

The first few chapters set up an interesting and thrilling premise. The writing is good, however the story does feel like it is dragging.

While the first chapter holds your interest, it becomes tiresome to keep reading about the snow.

The story also lacks the ability to build suspense and infuse it in the sentences. Pages are dedicated to the snow and the character feeling cold rather than the terrifying moments that are supposed to make a reader sit up and want to keep turning the pages.

To Read or Not to Read?

While the author holds a lot of promise and the premise is intriguing, the story itself takes a long time to shape and lead towards the mystery.

Dead of Winter is not for me, but I will still keep a look out for the author's other books.

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