I didn't realize before reading that this was so heavily inspired by "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie--I'm not sure if it's technically a retelling, but if you've read both you will be able to predict exactly what happens in this by around 40% in. That being said, ATTWN is one of my favorite mysteries of all time, and the twist is a good one, so I wasn't mad about reading a riff on it.
"Dead of Winter" follows Christa, who is joining her boyfriend, Kiernan, for a vacation at a remote lodge in the snowy Rocky Mountains. Their tour group has 11 people in it, all from varying walks of life. On the way to the lodge, the bus has to stop while the guide removes a fallen tree from the road. Excited to get their romantic trip started, Christa and Kiernan take the opportunity to go for a hike in search of a scenic overlook.
A sudden winter storm leaves them lost and separated from the group and each other in dangerous conditions. Frostbitten and delirious, Christa stumbles upon a cabin, where she finds the rest of their tour group, having taken shelter after the roads became too hazardous for the bus. Christa is devastated that Kiernan has not found his way to shelter yet and is determined to spend the following day searching for him, despite the rest of the group's protests. When they wake to find their tour guide's severed head on a spike outside the cabin, though, they realize they have bigger problems. One by one, they are picked off and have to face the idea that they might be locked in a cabin with a killer.
If you have not read Agatha Christie, you will probably love this even more--it's a very well-done homage, and kept me up literally all night reading, even being 99% sure of the outcome, just to see if I was right. There were still a few twists I didn't see coming, which made things fun, and the atmosphere is very creepy. The author did a good job of mixing elements of murder mysteries, horror, and thrillers to create a fast-paced, tense story. I'd absolutely watch this as a movie.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
“Dead of Winter”
by Darcy Coates
Released July 11, 2023