Dead of Winter

This is my first novel by Darcy Coates and it will not be my last! She is a spectacular horror/thriller author!

Christa may not be a fan of the great outdoors, preferring the comforts of indoor living and steering clear of venturing out after dark. However, when her boyfriend suggests a retreat deep in the Rocky Mountains, she finds herself unable to resist.

As the trip takes an unexpected turn, with a massive snowstorm causing their bus to become stranded due to a fallen tree, things start to unravel for Christa. Her boyfriend is keen to explore the area, but they end up by a cliff edge and she ends up falling. To her horror, she soon finds herself trapped in a canyon, buried under a blanket of snow, with no clue as to whether her partner has suffered the same fate.

Managing to escape her icy tomb, she stumbles upon a cabin, which incredibly houses all of the passengers from the tour bus. While they wait for the storm to subside and signal for help, they awaken to a gruesome sight the next day - their tour guide's decapitated head mounted on a tree limb.

What follows is a gripping tale of mystery and suspense as members of the group begin to meet similar fates, their heads found on tree branches. Christa is forced to unravel the mystery of who the perpetrator is before she becomes the next unfortunate victim.

This book had me completely engrossed from the beginning, with its unexpected twists and turns leaving me on edge. I was unable to put it down until the very end and have struggled to find a book that compares since finishing it.