Recs if you like Dead of Winter...

are you sick of being recommended stephen king when you ask for a horror novel? have you picked up a book expected to be scared, but the scariest thing about it was a woman being needlessly tormented and gaslit? have you read 4627473 books about a man in a haunted house and need something different?

if so, this list is for you :)

a masterlist of horror by anyone who isn't a straight cis white man, started in 2022 and brought to pb in 2026.

stuck on an island, snowed in, on a boat, aboard a moving train... this list is crime fiction -mostly murder mysteries- in which the characters are stuck in an isolated location and cut off from the outside.

disclaimer: i haven't read all of these so lmk if a book doesn't fit, and feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!

does it matter if you’re shivering from fear or the cold?

who do you become when you’re cut off from the rest of the world?

books in which a person or group of people are physically isolated and have to contend with who they really are.

survival stories, often but not always set in extreme locations or climates.

“Nothing bad has ever happened in the forest.” -Andrew from Don't Let the Forest In (and all of these MCs, probably)

... You're trapped here with me! The format: A group of people (could be strangers, or long-lost friends) are gathered or trapped in an isolated place together. Maybe it's a remote island. Maybe a cozy cabin during a blizzard. Someone is killed. The killer is obviously among them, but who?! Submissions welcome because this is my favourite mystery sub-genre at the moment, and I can't wait to discover more!

Horrors and thrillers set in winter (21st December to 20th March, but I will count earlier December as winter too to make things easier) or in a really cold place that reminds of wintertime.

The list will contain both more known books that you've probably already been recommended and some that I've seen have had less attention, at least over here. I have not read them all, but I want to complete this list myself too during the next Christmasses.

horror books that take place in winter or where winter is a big plot point.

what gab smolders read in 2025 as per her book talk video! horror + in tier order from most to least liked by her:

★ S TIER: from "night shoot" to "old country"

★ A TIER: from "what stalks the deep" to "listen to your sister"

★ B TIER: from "the long walk" to "the gathering"

★ C TIER: from "banquet for the damned" to "model home"

★ D TIER: from "3 streets" to "my darling dreadful thing"

★ F TIER: from "basilisk" to "survivor song"

Books featuring snowy weather as the backdrop for stories, mix of genre: thriller, mysteries, historical fiction, etc.

women who survive the greatest monster of all : men (and make them pay if we're lucky)

Reading list to read everything Darcy Coates has written.

Wintery Weather Thrillers! Suspense for a Snowy Day!

Slasher - a subgenre of horror involving a killer or a group of killers stalking and murdering a group of people, often by use of bladed or sharp tools.

This is a big list of (almost) all slasher books (only first books in a series). As long as there is a killer(s), victims and blood, it counts!

Books with winter, snowy, or frozen settings. Usually suspenseful, thriller, or horror. The weather or temperature as a secondary character.

Snowfall and Other Chilling Delights

Books to read when you're snowed in and want the vibes to match (and keep your blood pumping)

My favorite horror books 🖤