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A review by mikkareads
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The setting may sound familiar: Eight people are trapped in an isolated hunting cabin, trying to survive a snowstorm with life-threatening temperatures. But hey, there's a murderer who picks them off one-by-one, so that's soon the least of their problems… A classic locked-room whodunit, right? You might be thinking of Agatha Christie's «And Then There Were None»?
…well, think again.
This is isolation horror that doesn't pull punches. There's blood, there's gore, and you, dear reader, get to observe the chilling spectacle of the human psyche breaking under extreme pressure.
For me, this was a pageturner. The story draws on familiar thriller and horror tropes, but it's engaging, nevertheless. Was it always 100% believable? Well, no. In fact, I added notes like “She would be SO dead already!” or “Dragging herself through deep snow for hours, in this temperature? With no way of knowing which way she's really going? Why does the killer even bother?” And the author keeps upping the stakes! Higher and higher and higher, to the point where suspending my disbelief was a workout.
But it was fun, in the way that a slasher flick can be fun, just because it's fast-paced and ridiculous and full of over-the-top twists and turns. I got a bit tired of it towards the end, but I did think it was a fitting finale. I figured out the killer pretty early on, but the question of WHY they were going on a rampage kept me interested.
The characters are a mixed bag. Due to the B-movie vibe, there is really no need for true depth, so they're drawn with a light stroke. One-dimensional? Yeah, maybe. Sometimes. But they show enough personality to ground the story, so the reader actually cares what happens to them.
But really, for me, it's all about the atmosphere that Darcy Coates evokes with her writing. She captures the claustrophobic, menacing environment with compelling imagery and well-placed suspense.
Do you like thrillers, survival tropes, isolation horror, and/or locked room mysteries? Are you willing to suspend your disbelief for a fun ride that is not very realistic? Then «Dead of Winter» might be the book for you.
…well, think again.
This is isolation horror that doesn't pull punches. There's blood, there's gore, and you, dear reader, get to observe the chilling spectacle of the human psyche breaking under extreme pressure.
For me, this was a pageturner. The story draws on familiar thriller and horror tropes, but it's engaging, nevertheless. Was it always 100% believable? Well, no. In fact, I added notes like “She would be SO dead already!” or “Dragging herself through deep snow for hours, in this temperature? With no way of knowing which way she's really going? Why does the killer even bother?” And the author keeps upping the stakes! Higher and higher and higher, to the point where suspending my disbelief was a workout.
But it was fun, in the way that a slasher flick can be fun, just because it's fast-paced and ridiculous and full of over-the-top twists and turns. I got a bit tired of it towards the end, but I did think it was a fitting finale. I figured out the killer pretty early on, but the question of WHY they were going on a rampage kept me interested.
The characters are a mixed bag. Due to the B-movie vibe, there is really no need for true depth, so they're drawn with a light stroke. One-dimensional? Yeah, maybe. Sometimes. But they show enough personality to ground the story, so the reader actually cares what happens to them.
But really, for me, it's all about the atmosphere that Darcy Coates evokes with her writing. She captures the claustrophobic, menacing environment with compelling imagery and well-placed suspense.
Do you like thrillers, survival tropes, isolation horror, and/or locked room mysteries? Are you willing to suspend your disbelief for a fun ride that is not very realistic? Then «Dead of Winter» might be the book for you.