Wintry Mysteries & Thrillers for Your End-Of-Year TBR
Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with a crime book. For me personally, my holiday break from work is always my time to dig into some slow-burning and immersive detective novels—there’s nothing more blissful to me than a quiet morning cozied up under a blanket, sipping some coffee, and reading a murder mystery while the snow falls outside. If that sounds like your idea of a perfect winter morning too, today’s blog post is for you! In today’s blog post, I’ve rounded up a whole bunch of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels with wintertime vibes for your end-of-2020 reading list! Whether you’re in the mood for chilling psychological suspense, Nordic Noir, or a good old fashioned detective story, there’s a little something for everyone in this reading list. (I’m even sharing one of the books I bought for myself this year at the end of the list, too!) So grab your coziest blanket, put on a pot of coffee, and dig in to find your perfect winter read.
Looking for additional wintry, chilling thrillers? My personal favorite crime fiction subgenre, Nordic Noir, has tons of great crime books with a wintry atmosphere. Check out my blog’s dedicated Nordic Noir section for more recommendations!
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THE GIRL IN THE ICE by Robert Bryndza
Genre: Detective Novel
Why I Loved It:
Readers who love gripping serial killer novels, this chilling story is for you. Set in London, THE GIRL IN THE ICE begins with the discovery of a body frozen under a sheet of ice on a local pond. Readers follow a compelling and complex protagonist, Detective Erika Foster, as she leads the murder investigation and digs into the backstory of the victim—a woman with a seemingly perfect life, who, it turns out, harbors dark secrets. This book delivers a compelling blend of serial killer thriller and deep-dive into the personal demons of its protagonist, Erika.
About the Book:
Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice . . . she is not the only one.
When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park's pond, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation. The victim appeared to have the perfect life -- what dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?
When Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes. All were found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London. As she inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in. With her failing career hanging by a thread, Erika must now battle her own personal demons as well as a killer more deadly than any she's faced before. But will she get to him before he strikes again?
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Agatha Christie
Genre: Locked-Room Mystery
Why I Loved It:
This one needs no explanation! Agatha Christie is the Queen of Crime for a reason, and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS Is one of her best-known books. If you love locked room mysteries, this one is a must! In this wintry read, detective Hercule Poirot finds himself trapped on the famous Orient Express, the train tracks blocked off by a snowdrift. When a high-profile individual traveling on the train is found dead under suspicious circumstances, it’s up to Poirot to crack the case. Like everything Christie writes, this book is cleverly plotted and totally irresistible.
About the Book:
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.
Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.
THE BOY AT THE DOOR by Alex Dahl
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Why I Loved It:
THE BOY AT THE DOOR is a Norwegian psychological suspense novel that begins in the middle of winter, in a posh town where appearances are everything, and one woman has many secrets to hide. The fact that this suspense novel is set in Norway gives it an instant dose of chilling atmosphere, and readers who want Nordic sensibility with their psychological suspense will love Dahl’s subtle-yet-sharp writing.
About the Book:
Cecilia Wilborg has it all--a loving husband, two beautiful daughters and a gorgeous home in the affluent Norwegian town of Sandefjord. And she works hard to keep it all together. Too hard. Because one mistake from her past could bring it all crashing down around her.
Annika Lucasson lives a dark life with her abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend. She's lost everything one too many times and now she's got one last chance to save herself, thanks to Cecilia. Annika knows her secret--and just how much she's willing to do to make it all go away...
When someone forgets to pick up their little boy at the local pool, Cecilia agrees to take him home, only to find an abandoned, empty house. It's the first step in the unraveling of her meticulously crafted life, as her and Annika's worlds collide…
THE HUNTING PARTY by Lucy Foley
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Why I Loved It:
Foley’s deliciously chilling suspense novel takes readers to the Scottish highlands, where a group of friends have reunited for their annual New Year’s get together, this time at a luxurious hunting lodge. But a snowstorm is on the horizon, and sinister secrets from the friends’ pasts threaten to reemerge… before the trip ends, one of their own will be dead, and someone else among them will be to blame. This book delivers all the modern locked room mystery vibes I love in a winter read, plus plenty of interpersonal drama for a dash of additional entertainment.
About the Book:
During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.
The trip begins innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps, just as a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.
Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. . . and another of them did it.
Keep your friends close, the old adage says. But how close is too close?
THE ICE BENEATH HER by Camilla Grebe
Genre: Nordic Noir
Why I Loved It:
This is one of my favorite books to recommend! THE ICE BENEATH HER is a deliciously dark blend of police investigation and twisty psychological thriller. This Swedish crime book has all the atmosphere of the Nordic Noir genre, with a strong psychological thriller component running throughout as well. The story begins with a shocking crime: a woman is found beheaded in a suburban home. From there, this book twists and turns into a shocking tale of secrets, obsession, and revenge. If you love Scandinavian crime fiction but want something extra-twisty (or if you love psychological suspense and want something extra chilling!), this book will be right up your alley this winter.
About the Book:
Winter’s chill has descended on Stockholm as police arrive at the scene of a shocking murder. An unidentified woman lies beheaded in a posh suburban home—a brutal crime made all the more disturbing by its uncanny resemblance to an unsolved killing ten years earlier. But this time there’s a suspect: the charismatic and controversial chain-store CEO Jesper Orre, who owns the home but is nowhere to be found.
To homicide detectives Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson, nothing about the suave, high-profile businessman—including a playboy reputation and rumors of financial misdeeds—suggests he conceals the dark heart and twisted mind of a cold-blooded killer. In search of a motive, Lindgren and Olsson turn to the brilliant criminal profiler Hanne Lagerlind-Schön. Once a valued police asset, now marooned in unhappy retirement and a crumbling marriage, she’s eager to exercise her keen skills again—and offer the detectives a window into the secret soul of Jesper Orre.
But they’re not the only ones searching. Two months before, Emma Bohman, a young clerk at Orre’s company, chanced to meet the charming chief executive, and romance swiftly bloomed. Almost as quickly as the passionate affair ignited, it was over when Orre inexplicably disappeared. One staggering misfortune after another followed, leaving Emma certain that her runaway lover was to blame and transforming her confusion and heartbreak into anger.
Now, pursuing the same mysterious man for different reasons, Emma and the police are destined to cross paths in a chilling dance of obsession, vengeance, madness, and love gone hellishly wrong.
SNOWBLIND by Ragnar Jonasson
Genre: Nordic Noir
Why I Loved It:
Ragnar Jonasson’s SNOWBLIND is perhaps the ultimate winter read. This slow-burning, atmospheric mystery novel brings readers to the remote Icelandic town of Siglufjordur, an isolated community connected to the rest of the country by one road leading in and out. When a snowstorm blocks off the road, residents of the town are on edge… and then things get worse. When a woman is found in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, it sets in motion a series of events that indicate to local police officer Ari Thor that a killer is at large in the town. This Icelandic mystery puts a fresh spin on a “locked room” premise, delivering a Nordic mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Golden Age detective novels.
About the Book:
Where: An isolated fishing village in the fjords of northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors.
Who: Ari Thór is a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavík.
What: A young woman is found lying half naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed elderly writer falls to his death. Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life.
THE ICE PRINCESS by Camilla Lackberg
Genre: Nordic Noir
Why I Loved It:
THE ICE PRINCESS is a personal favorite of mine, and it will also be the perfect choice for anyone who wants to use this winter as an opportunity to dip into the Nordic Noir genre for the first time. In this chilling mystery, a woman returns to her hometown, the small fishing village of Fjallbacka, Sweden, only to discover that her childhood best friend has taken her own life. Protagonist Erica can’t believe that her friend would do this, and teams up with a local police detective to dig deeper into Alex’s life, and into the circumstances surrounding their death. This is the first installment in Lackberg’s wildly bestselling Fjallbacka series, and it’s a delicious blend of chilling, wintry atmosphere, endearing characters, and page-turning mystery. This book is also a bit lighter and less dense than other Nordic Noir reads, which is why I so often recommend it for genre newcomers.
About the Book:
In this electrifying tale of suspense from an international crime-writing sensation, a grisly death exposes the dark heart of a Scandinavian seaside village. Erica Falck returns to her tiny, remote hometown of Fjällbacka, Sweden, after her parents’ deaths only to encounter another tragedy: the suicide of her childhood best friend, Alex. It’s Erica herself who finds Alex’s body—suspended in a bathtub of frozen water, her wrists slashed. Erica is bewildered: Why would a beautiful woman who had it all take her own life? Teaming up with police detective Patrik Hedström, Erica begins to uncover shocking events from Alex’s childhood. As one horrifying fact after another comes to light, Erica and Patrik’s curiosity gives way to obsession—and their flirtation grows into uncontrollable attraction. But it’s not long before one thing becomes very clear: a deadly secret is at stake, and there’s someone out there who will do anything—even commit murder—to protect it.
THE SCENT OF ALMONDS & OTHER STORIES by Camilla Lackberg
Genre: Short Stories
Why I Loved It:
For fans of Camilla Lackberg, her short story collection THE SCENT OF ALMONDS & OTHER STORIES will make a delightful holiday read. This collection is comprised of 4 short stories that take place in the universe of Lackberg’s Fjallbacka series. While you don’t necessarily have to have read this series to enjoy THE SCENT OF ALMONDS & OTHER STORIES, I do think this collection will be best appreciated by those who fully understand the references to the series’ characters and locations. The title story in this collection, The Scent of Almonds, is a wintry take on a “locked room”-style mystery: Lackberg brings readers to an isolated hotel where a police officer has gone to celebrate the holidays with his girlfriend’s family. When a huge storm traps the family in the hotel, things take a turn for the worse. The family’s patriarch is found dead in the hotel’s library, and the police officer begins to suspect that he might have been poisoned. This collection also includes three additional short stories that delve into family secrets, and see the return of fan-favorite characters from the Fjallbacka books. If you’re a total newcomer to Lackberg’s work, I would strongly recommend beginning not with this collection, but rather with her book THE ICE PRINCESS (recommended above!)—however, for fans of Lackberg’s looking for a nostalgic return to her Fjallbacka series over the holidays, check out THE SCENT OF ALMONDS & OTHER STORIES.
About the Collection:
THE SCENT OF ALMONDS AND OTHER STORIES is a collection of short stories from the No.1 international bestseller Camilla Lackberg. Four unmissable stories set in the Swedish fishing village of Fjallbacka and told in Camilla Lackberg's distinctive voice.
THE SCENT OF ALMONDS
A snowstorm traps a family in a hotel on a tiny island off Fjallbacka and then a body is discovered in the library.
AN ELEGANT DEATH
Two sisters witness a murder in a fashion boutique.
DREAMING OF ELISABETH
Malin is trapped on a boat with a man she is beginning to fear
THE WIDOWS' CAFE
Marianne is serving up a dangerous concoction at the Widows' Cafe.
Showcasing Camilla's acclaimed talent for combining heart-stopping plots with heart-warming characters, this collection of tales will thrill and delight in equal measure.
THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbø
Genre: Nordic Noir
Why I Loved It:
This one needs no explanation! THE SNOWMAN is my favorite book. This terrifying Norwegian serial killer story begins with the first snowfall of the season, and yes, snowmen do factor significantly into this story! This is part of Nesbø’s bestselling Harry Hole series, but can easily be read on its own. In THE SNOWMAN, readers follow Inspector Harry Hole as he finds himself on the trail of a terrifying serial killer with a creepy (and seasonally-appropriate) modus operandi. This book is gritty, page-turning crime fiction with characters who leap off the page. If you’ve been interested in trying Nesbø’s work but weren’t quite sure where to start, you can’t go wrong by trying his book THE SNOWMAN—especially at this time of year! (And if you love the series, you can always go back and start from earlier on!)
About the Book:
One night, after the first snowfall of the year, a boy named Jonas wakes up and discovers that his mother has disappeared. Only one trace of her remains: a pink scarf, his Christmas gift to her, now worn by the snowman that inexplicably appeared in their yard earlier that day. Inspector Harry Hole suspects a link between the missing woman and a suspicious letter he’s received. The case deepens when a pattern emerges: over the past decade, eleven women have vanished—all on the day of the first snow. But this is a killer who makes his own rules . . . and he’ll break his pattern just to keep the game interesting, as he draws Harry ever closer into his twisted web. With brilliantly realized characters and hair-raising suspense, international bestselling author Jo Nesbø presents his most chilling case yet—one that will test Harry Hole to the very limits of his sanity.
WHY DID YOU LIE? by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Genre: Nordic Noir
Why I Loved It:
If you want your wintry read to have an extra-creepy edge to it, look no further than Icelandic Queen of Crime Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Pretty much any of Yrsa’s books could be chosen for your winter reading (her books all incorporate the chilling atmosphere of Iceland!), but I’ve chosen to highlight one of her fantastic standalone novels for this list. WHY DID YOU LIE? is an ultra-creepy Nordic suspense novel that moves between multiple plotlines to weave a story of long-buried secrets and their fallout. It follows a wide-ranging cast of characters who appear to be the targets of a terrifying revenge scheme. The Icelandic landscape and its changeable weather shroud this book in a chilling atmosphere, while the story’s intricate and mysterious plot drives the story forward. This book is spine-tingling, creepy, and totally chilling.
About the Book:
A journalist on the track of an old case attempts suicide.
An ordinary couple return from a house swap in the states to find their home in disarray and their guests seemingly missing.
Four strangers struggle to find shelter on a windswept spike of rock in the middle of a raging sea.
They have one thing in common: they all lied.
And someone is determined to punish them...
WHY DID YOU LIE is a terrifying tale of long-delayed retribution from Iceland's Queen of Suspense.
EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS by Peter Swanson
Genre: Mystery
Why I Loved It:
EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS is a crime book made for fans of crime fiction. It all begins on a wintry day in Boston, when a bookseller at a crime fiction-dedicated bookstore opens the door to his shop to discover an FBI agent on his doorstep. The agent has come to enlist his help: she is dealing with a series of crimes that appear to be inspired by classic crime novels, and she needs his expertise to figure out what the killer’s next move might be. This book is more about classic crime novels than it is about the winter season, but the chills and snowstorms of a Boston winter create a perfect backdrop for this mystery. I absolutely loved this book! Perfect for anyone who loves books about books (as I do!).
About the Book:
Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack—which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders”—chosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, Ira Levin’s Death Trap, A. A. Milne's Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Cox's Malice Aforethought, James M. Cain's Double Indemnity, John D. Macdonald's The Drowner, and Donna Tartt's A Secret History.
But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. The killer is out there, watching his every move—a diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mal’s personal history, especially the secrets he’s never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife.
To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects . . . and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead—and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape.
THE ICE TWINS by S.K. Tremayne
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Why I Loved It:
This one is an oldie but a goodie! I first read THE ICE TWINS in the early days of CBTB, and it’s remained one of my go-to recommendations for anyone looking for page-turning, lighter suspense with a chilling edge. In this psychological suspense novel, a family reeling from a terrible tragedy leaves behind their previous life to move to a small Scottish island. But as winter encroaches on the family and their little island, tensions rise, and when a terrible storm cuts off all access to the mainland, the family has to confront the tragedy that befell them once and for all.
About the Book:
One of Sarah's daughters died. But can she be sure which one?
A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcroft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.
But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity--that she, in fact, is Lydia--their world comes crashing down once again.
As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, they are forced to confront what really happened on that fateful day.
HUNTING GAME by Helene Tursten
Genre: Nordic Noir
Why I Loved It:
Prolific Swedish crime writer Helene Tursten introduces readers to her new series protagonist Embla Nystrom in this atmospheric, classic crime-inspired mystery. Embla Nystrom is a young woman working in the male-dominated police force in Gothenburg, Sweden. Every winter, Embla and her family go on their annual hunting trip—but this year, that trip takes a disastrous turn, and a hunter will soon wind up dead. This book is slow-burning and atmospheric, with shades of classic noir in its plot and a decidedly modern protagonist. Pick this one up if recent releases inspired by classic crime fiction is your cup of tea.
About the Book:
Twenty-eight-year-old Embla Nyström has been plagued by chronic nightmares and racing thoughts ever since she can remember. She has learned to channel most of her anxious energy into her position as Detective Inspector in the mobile unit in Gothenburg, Sweden, and into sports. A talented hunter and prizewinning Nordic welterweight, she is glad to be taking a vacation from her high-stress job to attend the annual moose hunt with her family and friends.
But when Embla arrives at her uncle’s cabin in rural Dalsland, she sees an unfamiliar face has joined the group: Peter, enigmatic, attractive, and newly divorced. And she isn’t the only one to notice. One longtime member of the hunt doesn’t welcome the presence of an outsider and is quick to point out that with Peter, the group’s number reaches thirteen, a bad omen for the week. Sure enough, a string of unsettling incidents follow, culminating in the disappearance of two hunters. Embla takes charge of the search, and they soon find one of the missing men floating facedown in the nearby lake. With the help of local reinforcements, Embla delves into the dark pasts of her fellow hunters in search of a killer.
ONE BY ONE by Ruth Ware
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Why I Loved It:
If you’re looking for the ultimate in wintry settings, look no further than the luxurious ski chalet in the French Alps in which Ruth Ware’s newest suspense novel takes place. In ONE BY ONE, the employees of a trendy tech company go on a corporate skiing retreat to a gorgeous (and quite remote) ski chalet. When a snowstorm cuts the group off from the nearby town, things take a sinister turn… and they get worse still when the group discovers that one of their own never made it back from their last ski run. This book is an atmospheric and modern twist on a “locked room mystery,” with plenty of chilling wintry appeal and Ware’s knack for page-turning storytelling.
About the Book:
Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world. Especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkers…each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide.
When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech startup, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper hadn’t made it back from the slopes when the avalanche hit.
As each hour passes without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further…one by one.
Plus: What I’ll be Reading this Holiday Season
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
Genre: Locked Room Mystery
I’ve got a bunch of books lined up on my to-be-read list this holiday break, but one that I particularly wanted to highlight for you guys here was actually a recommendation from the CBTB community! I asked for readers to submit their favorite holiday-themed mystery novel recently, and there was one book that was recommended repeatedly: HERCULE POIROT’S CHRISTMAS by Agatha Christie! I’ve never read this book, so I immediately ordered it after seeing how many of you spoke so highly of it. I can’t wait to share my thoughts on this one with you guys over the holiday break!
About the Book:
In Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, the holidays are anything but merry when a family reunion is marred by murder—and the notoriously fastidious investigator is quickly on the case.
Christmas Eve, and the Lee family’s reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture and a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed.
When Hercule Poirot offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man. . . .
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.