Dead of Winter

Keri Beevis is an internationally bestselling author who resides in Norfolk, England. She wrote her first novel at the age of twenty and won a publishing contest in 2012. In 2019, she signed with Bloodhound Books and later became a Boldwood Books author. She's authored numerous hits like The Sleepover, The Summer House, and Nowhere to Hide, making her a successful suspense writer with 14 popular novels that have sold over half a million copies. Her newest novel, Dead of Winter, was published in October 2025 by Boldwood Books. 

Like many modern thrillers, Dead of Winter is a non-linear presentation featuring chapters that weave back and forth between different years. These chapters have an emphasis on a handful of different characters that are experiencing penultimate moments that affect the book's present events and the novel's protagonist, a young woman named Lola.

In the unsettling premise, Lola recounts to readers her experience of losing her mother. After her death, Lola discovers she was adopted when she was a small child. Wanting to connect with her family, she learns that she has one biological family member remaining, a wealthy brother named Daniel living in Norfolk. She reaches out to him on Facebook Messenger and is met with a rather snobby response. He wants nothing to do with her. After several months, she reaches out again and receives a cold invite to meet him at his home. Lola connects her work schedule with a stop at his house a few days before Christmas. 

On the train ride to Norfolk, Lola runs into her former boyfriend, Quinn. Readers gain the backstory on both characters, why they broke up, and the events that have led to a chance meeting on a train. Eventually, Lola arrives at Midwinter Manor, a sprawling mansion, where she is introduced to Daniel (he's confined to a wheelchair) and his rude wife, Rose. After receiving a minimum amount of information on her dead biological parents, Daniel and Rose wish Lola goodbye. Only there's a heavy snowstorm, and Lola wrecks the car leaving the couple's long driveway. With no cell phone signal, she's forced to return to the couple who were so anxious to be rid of her. She'll need to spend the night with these cold-hearted strangers. 

As the evening and night unfold, the author introduces a complex tale that explains Rose's involvement with Daniel, Daniel's crippling injury, Lola's unique relationship with the family, and a myriad of other interesting tidbits. However, when the power goes out, things emerge from the dark that elevate the narrative from a character discovery plot to a psychological suspense novel. Daniel and Rose have secrets, including other people in the house that Lola is unaware of. 

Dead of Winter is a far better book than I expected. After experiencing a few of these modern thrillers from the likes of Darcy Coates and Freida McFadden (house name), I was anticipating a disposable airport paperback. These books typically end up as Lifetime movies or Netflix originals with a lifespan of a week. But Keri Beevis surprised me. The twist was so satisfying, and the buildup was brimming with a tension-laced atmosphere, and an invested interest in past events that paid wonderful dividends on present events directly impacting the protagonist. Beevis is a smart writer and made every detail matter. Lola is likable, Daniel is mysterious, Rose is heinous, and the other characters...well let's pretend they don't exist for now. I don't want to ruin the surprise. 

Like a great gothic paperback, Dead of Winter is the perfect escapism – a cavernous mansion, a vulnerable beauty, and scary happenings in the dark. What's not to love? Get Dead of Winter HERE.