Dead of Winter
Dead of Winter
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023
Book Brief
Beta352
Novel • Fiction
•
Mystery & Crime Fiction•
Action & AdventureRocky Mountains, North America; contemporary winter.
2023
Poisoned Pen Press
Paperback • 2023
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Haunted by her past, Christa joins a tour group traveling into the snowy Rocky Mountains. When a vicious storm traps the travelers in an abandoned hunting cabin, their supposed refuge becomes claustrophobic and dangerously cold. Then the guide disappears, leaving Christa isolated with eight strangers and the terrifying realization that one of them is a killer. Survival means deciding whom she can trust.
Suspenseful
Unnerving
Exciting
Mysterious
Dark
Reviews & Readership
62,737 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Reviewers consistently praise the novel’s fast pace, escalating tension, effective red herrings, and well-developed ensemble. Several found its familiar locked-room setup engaging and enjoyed the visceral, slasher-movie energy. Criticism centers on predictability: one reviewer solved the mystery halfway through, while another thought some misdirection slowed the momentum. A harsher assessment found the protagonist difficult to sympathize with, the middle overlong, and the ending too abrupt, with too little closure after the ordeal.
Who Should Read Dead of Winter?
Dead of Winter is ideal for readers who want a fast-paced blend of slasher horror, locked-room mystery, and thriller suspense. Its opening strands a tour group in a remote mountain cabin during a snowstorm, creating an isolated, claustrophobic setting where suspicion can flourish. Expect red herrings, mounting tension, jump scares, and graphic violence. This is a strong pick for anyone who enjoys guessing the killer’s identity and prefers bloody, cinematic horror over ghostly or supernatural scares.
62,737 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Christa’s boyfriend, an English literature student who invites her to visit the region where he grew up.
A mysterious former military member traveling with the tour group who later emerges as its leader during the crisis.
The small group’s bus driver and tour guide, responsible for leading its journey toward Blackstone Alpine Lodge.
A disc jockey joining the trip to determine whether the lodge could serve as a friend’s wedding venue.
A quiet, withdrawn traveler in her twenties and one of the strangers accompanying Christa on the mountain tour.
A recently retired 911 dispatcher traveling as part of the small tour group bound for the mountain lodge.
A trucker traveling with his wife, Miri, after the couple were told that the trip was a raffle prize.
352
Novel • Fiction
•
Mystery & Crime Fiction•
Action & AdventureRocky Mountains, North America; contemporary winter.
2023
Poisoned Pen Press
Paperback • 2023
Adult
18+ years
We’re just getting started
Add this title to our list of requested Study Guides!