28 Chilling Winter Thriller Books
By: Angela & Melissa
Updated:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn a referral fee from qualifying purchases.Looking for crime books set in winter or mountain lodge mysteries? Our recommendations include a wide range of the best winter thriller novels, from snowed-in locked room mysteries to cold-case crime.
We’ve grouped the books by type so you can jump straight to locked-room, mountain survival, or police/FBI-led thrillers.
The recommendations include a mix of newer titles and highly rated backlist options. We hope those older titles are easier to get from your library without a long wait.
Domestic Winter Thriller Novels
Where He Left Me
Book Summary
Newlywed college professors Sadie & Felix are taking a sabbatical at a remote mountain homestead long owned by Felix’s family. When Felix leaves for a work trip and never returns, Sadie is stranded on the mountain alone.
With a winter storm on the way, Sadie confronts two trespassers and then has no choice but to ride out the storm with them. As the weather worsens, she learns things that make her question if she ever really knew Felix at all.
Book Summary
Adam and Amelia Wright have hit some bumps in their marriage. So when they win a weekend trip to Scotland, they hope it’s just what they need to get back on the right track.
On each anniversary, the couple exchanges traditional gifts like paper, cotton, pottery, etc. And each year, Amelia also writes a letter she doesn’t let Adam read…until now.
Ten years of secrets culminate into the biggest of all. They didn’t randomly win this trip to a snowy, isolated chapel turned B&B. One of them is lying.
The Wife and the Widow
Book Summary
This unsettling thriller is set on an isolated island in the midst of winter. The dual narrators are Kate, a widow who has discovered that her husband had a secret life before his death, and Abby, a local who must confront the truth about her own husband.
Can the women come together on this island of secrets to figure out what is really going on?
Mountain & Remote Location Thrillers
Dead of Winter
Book Summary
Brock, one of four Osprey brothers, has returned from service as a Navy SEAL, and now he is the unwilling protector of Knife’s Edge, a remote and secret-filled town in Alaska. An unsolved murder and other unexplained deaths have brought FBI agent Ophelia to town, and her arrival throws Brock’s world into chaos.
Knife’s Edge is Ophelia’s last chance to save her career. She’s confident that Brock knows more than he’s telling her. But the more time she spends with him, the harder it is to ignore the chemistry growing between them. When they’re trapped together in a winter storm, they must decide if they can trust each other and unite against both the wilderness and the powerful enemies lurking.
About the Series
This book was originally published in Kindle Vella as Knife’s Edge, Alaska, which is now the series name. Book 2 in the series, Thaw of Spring, is also available now.
Warning Signs
Book Summary
Bram’s business is in dire need of money, but he hopes a father-son ski weekend with his biggest investors will help woo them into additional funding. His twelve-year-old son, Zach, has been trained by his mother in outdoor survival skills, so he hopes that if he can prove himself to his father on this important trip, he’ll finally earn his love.
Unfortunately, Zach soon realizes that all the adults are testing the limits of safety. Additionally, something seems to be watching them and leaving behind strange tracks. Zach isn’t sure if he should be most concerned about the unforgiving weather, the seemingly violent men in his group, or the creature lurking in the dark.
Reader Thoughts on This Book
Reviewers note that the beginning of this book is on the slower side for a thriller, but it then becomes ominous, foreboding, and engrossing.
Steep and Deep
Book Summary
Greta is a ski patroller in Aspen, where women have been disappearing, including Greta’s best friend, Evie. During avalanche training, Greta is shocked to find Evie’s hand. When the sheriff launches a search for the rest of Evie, he tells Greta she is too close to the case to be included.
However, this is personal, and Greta won’t be sidelined. Soon, she’s involved in a sinister game of cat and mouse as someone tries to scare her away from the truth.
The Final Hunt
Book Summary
When Cameron’s husband, John, disappeared while hunting off-grid in the wilderness, the assumption was that he was killed in a bear attack. However, after discovering her husband was hiding his involvement in a string of serial murders in Seattle, Cameron worries that he’s not really dead.
With her reputation and finances destroyed by the media, Cameron sets off to Alaska to hunt for the truth.
More Alaska Books You May Enjoy
If you enjoy the Alaskan setting of this book, you may want to check out our full list of books set in Alaska.
The Stroke of Winter
Book Summary
Tess is busy renovating her old family home on the coast of Lake Superior into a bed-and-breakfast. The restoration is happening in the dead of winter before the busy tourist season.
As work continues, a shuttered art studio is revealed. Her late grandfather was a celebrated artist, but these paintings seem to be the work of a twisted mind. They don’t look anything like his other paintings.
Why were these evil canvases lingering in the home for so many years? As Tess investigates, she’s pulled further into nightmares and darkness.
Book Summary
Julie once trained for the Olympics in Banff, so when her life in California falls apart emotionally and financially after her husband’s suicide, she decides to head back to the charming ski town for a fresh start.
She finds work at a luxury resort, but just as she gets into the swing of her new life, an eccentric guest dies, and because Julie was the last person in the room, she becomes the prime suspect. Julie knows her way around the isolated mountain, but can she stay away from the police long enough to uncover the real killer?
Book Summary
Ten years ago, Milla was at the peak of her snowboarding career during a trip to the French Alps. When she’s invited back to Le Rocher by Curtis, she can’t resist returning, despite the disappearance of their beautiful friend Saskia during the last trip.
When Milla and the others from their friend group arrive, they quickly realize this won’t be the reunion they expected. The resort is deserted, the cable cars that dropped them off have stopped working, and an awkward icebreaker game was designed to reveal their secrets. The group is trapped, and Milla fears she may be the next to disappear.
Book Summary
Theodora (Theo) met her wealthy fiancé, Connor, only six months ago and instantly fell in love with him. Now, she’s headed to his family’s isolated lodge retreat, Idlewood, in hopes of winning over all his relatives after their whirlwind romance and engagement.
But there are some problems. First, she keeps getting text messages to stay away from Connor. Then, when they arrive at Idlewood, she has the strangest sensation that she’s been there before. This becomes impossible to ignore when she finds a photo of herself as a child, taken at Idlewood, in one of the cabins that isn’t normally used. Someone has a big secret, and Theo’s life is in danger as she tries to unravel a past that the family wants to keep hidden.
Locked Room & Snowed In Winter Thrillers
An Unwanted Guest
Book Summary
Mitchell’s Inn is nestled deep in the wooded Catskill Mountains. It’s the perfect place for relaxing on a romantic weekend with its spacious rooms, wood-burning fireplaces, and well-stocked wine cellar. But when a blizzard cuts off the electricity and all contact with the outside world, one guest turns up dead… and then another.
Murder on the Orient Express
Book Summary
A snowstorm stops the progress of the famous Orient Express train, trapping everyone on board overnight. In the morning, millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett is discovered dead in his suite, stabbed multiple times. However, his cabin door was locked from the inside, so how did this happen? And does this mean the murderer is still on the train?
About This Series
While this is actually book #10 in the popular Hercule Poirot series, it’s the most recognized train mystery and a great introduction to Agatha Christie. Be warned; we hear that once you read one, you’ll want to quickly read more!
Book Summary
College student Darby is driving to Utah to see her dying mother when she’s caught in a dangerous blizzard in the Colorado mountains. She pulls off the road to a remote rest stop and finds four other travelers have done the same.
There’s no phone signal inside, so Darby heads back into the cold, hoping she’ll be able to make a call. Instead, she’s horrified to see a little girl trapped in an animal crate in the van next to her car. With no telephone and no passable roads to drive on, she’s trapped at the rest stop.
Darby knows one of the strangers inside must be the kidnapper. How can she save the girl and herself?
The Book Girls Say…
Book Summary
Eight co-workers from a trendy London tech start-up are together for an impressive retreat in the French Alps. When they get snowed in, they’re okay with it. They have breathtaking views and a full-service chef, so they’re happy to stay in the chalet.
But when one of the shareholders begins pushing a contentious buyout offer, a storm starts brewing inside as well. However, there is no match for Mother Nature, and an avalanche cuts them even further off from the outside world. One employee hasn’t returned from the slopes after the avalanche, and one by one, the group dwindles even further.
Two Books, Same Title
Frieda McFadden also has a winter thriller titled One by One, so be sure to check the author if you’re interested in either of them.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
95% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Wylie is a true crime writer who retreated to an isolated farmhouse to write her new book. She doesn’t mind being snowed in because the cozy fire and silence feel perfect. However, she doesn’t realize a storm is also brewing inside the farmhouse.
Decades earlier, two people were murdered, and a girl disappeared from the same house. As the storm rages on, Wylie is haunted by the secrets of the house and the secrets of her past. When she discovers a small child outside in the snow, it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought.
About the Setting
While the cover of this book has strong winter vibes, the storyline alternates between a hot summer and a freezing winter. So if you’ve had enough of winter and are looking forward to books with warmer settings this month, this book could still fit the bill.
Hidden in Snow
Book Summary
As a treacherous blizzard sweeps toward the Swedish mountain town of Åre, a local teen girl vanishes. Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander is taking refuge from the storm at her sister’s ski lodge, and she can’t help but get involved in the investigation. She teams up with the local detective, but their only lead is a scarf in the snow. With temperatures dropping, time is running out to find the teen. They first suspect she might be lost, but each new clue is pointing to something far more sinister.
Book Summary
Tegan’s life is crumbling, which is especially distressing since she is 8 months pregnant. She hopes to stay with her brother until she can figure things out and sets off on the drive to his home. But she doesn’t realize she’s driving straight toward a blizzard.
Soon, Tegan is stranded in rural Maine with a broken ankle and a broken-down car. She thinks it’s a miracle when a couple offers her a warm place to stay in their cabin until the storm passes. Unfortunately, things feel off, and she realizes that instead of finding a place of safety, she may be in even more danger.
More Winter Thrillers By This Author
In addition to the 2025 release, The Crash, McFadden has several other titles that are perfect for winter, including One by One and Never Lie, which are also included with Kindle Unlimited.
Police & FBI Crime Thrillers
White Out
Book Summary
A car crash on an icy road in rural Hagen, North Dakota, leaves Lily Baker with no memory of who she is or why she’s there. Her mind is filled with haunting visions of scattered Bible verses and a man lying in a pool of blood, but she doesn’t know what the images mean.
On the same night as the accident, a young woman is murdered and disposed of in a dumpster. Hagen has only one detective, Kylie Milliard, and she doesn’t immediately recognize the woman who has been killed. But soon Kylie discovers that the dead woman shares a dark past with Lily… except Lily can’t remember anything about that past.
Both Lily and Kylie are desperate for answers, but the more Lily learns about her past, the more she fears for her future.
Thoughts About This Book
While some readers say there are some implausible scenarios and plot holes that they found distracting, many other readers describe this novel as a perfect blend of fast-paced suspense and small-town mystery.
This is the first of three books in Danielle Girard’s Badlands trilogy, all of which feature detective Kylie Milliard.
You Can Scream
Book Summary
Laurel is an FBI profiler with an equally brilliant half-sister named Abigail who lives on the other side of the law. When Abigail is accused of killing their father, she claims self-defense, but the trial uncovers long-buried family secrets.
As Laurel unsuccessfully tries to stay out of the headlines from Abigail’s trial, she’s also working on the murder of a prominent scientist and the poaching of a rare plant. Huck, a Washington Fish and Wildlife captain, and will have to help her dig into the mysterious case.
Important Series Note
Readers say this new release is best enjoyed by those who have read the first four books in the Laurel Snow series.
See Her Die
Book Summary
Sheriff Bree Taggert is called to a campground that has been closed for the winter. When she arrives, she’s perplexed. There is no shooter, no victim, and no blood. Instead, she finds a homeless teenager named Alyssa. Alyssa is certain she witnessed her friend being shot.
Bree calls in former deputy Matt and his K-9 to search for Alyssa’s friend. But instead of Alyssa’s friend, they find a different corpse under the ice in Grey Lake. Soon, two more students go missing, and more bodies turn up. Bree must figure out the link between the victims before they lose another university student.
The Snow Killer
Book Summary
This book is a twist on the standard detective novel because you know who the killer is from the beginning. The novel opens fifty years in the past with a family being gunned down in a snowstorm. Only one child, a teen, survives. Three years later, he takes revenge with his own snowy murders.
But then the case went cold when no other crimes were committed. Now, five decades later, new murders have begun. Detective Inspector Barton and his team race against time and frigid weather to untangle the puzzle while the killer hides in plain sight.
About This Book & Series
This book has been described as a gritty police procedural, so if that sounds up your alley, it could be a great winter read for you.
As of November 2025, 7 books have been published in this series, and they are all included in Kindle Unlimited.
The Girl in Cabin 13
Book Summary
A mystery has haunted FBI agent Emma since childhood. Her mother died, her father disappeared, and she still doesn’t know what happened.
When she is sent to the small town of Feathered Nest, Virginia, to investigate a string of disappearances, she finds herself in the middle of her most significant case yet. Her cabin has an uneasy feeling, and worlds collide when a new clue is revealed. Emma’s name is found written on the hand of a dead body left on her porch.
Reader Thoughts About the Main Character
While this book has high ratings overall, some readers are frustrated by Emma’s ineptness in investigations and her tendency to let her emotions get in the way of her job. If you’re also frustrated by weak female leads, skip this one!
The Man Burned by Winter
Book Summary
Investigative journalist Rooker Lindström is the son of one of Minnesota’s most notorious serial killers. After a personal tragedy, he finds the dilapidated cabin on Deer Lake that he inherited from his father.
Detective Tess Harlow needs Rooker’s help finding the copycat killer who seems to be imitating Rooker’s dad. After agreeing to help as a consultant, he makes a terrifying discovery. Something about each of the five victims seems to taunt him personally. Amidst the harsh Minnesota winter, Rooker must confront his past to help catch the killer before there is a 6th victim.
The Spy Coast
Book Summary
Maggie Bird is a former CIA operative who retired early after a mission went tragically wrong. Her quiet chicken farm in Maine seems like the perfect place to put the past behind her, until a body turns up on her driveway. Maggie knows right away that it’s a message from her former enemies.
With the help of a circle of friends who are all former CIA (the “Martini Club”), she’s determined to uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. Maggie’s hunt for answers forces her to revisit her clandestine career that spanned the globe from Bangkok to Istanbul and London to Malta.
Winter True Crime & Historical Thrillers
The Frozen River
Book Summary
In the late 1700s, women were expected to be seen and not heard. But midwife Martha puts what is right over society’s expectations. When the Kennebec River freezes, a man is entombed in the ice. Martha is called to determine the cause of death.
Months earlier, the man had been accused of rape, and Martha believes he has now been murdered. The local physician disagrees and declares the death an accident.
Over the winter, Martha continues to investigate every angle as the trial approaches. The diary she uses to log every birth and death becomes a key component and soon implicates those she loves, leaving Martha with an impossible decision.
Based on a True Story
This GMA Book Club Pick and NPR Book of the Year is based on the real diary of midwife Martha Ballard, who defied the legal system.
Freezing Order
Book Summary
This true crime non-fiction read digs into Russian finances for a different kind of chilling and freezing. The author’s young Russian lawyer, Magnitsky, was beaten to death in jail, and Browder is determined to get to the bottom of his murder.
As Browder investigated to see who would benefit from the $230 million tax refund scheme related to Magnitsky’s death, the trail led his team to the Baltics, Cyprus, Western Europe, and the Americas before circling all the way back to Putin.
More About This Book
This book is a financial caper and an international adventure you’ll wish were fiction. It’s a follow-up to Browder’s Red Notice.
YA Winter Mystery
Catch Your Death
Book Summary
Three girls – Lizzie, Devi, and Jayne – are stranded at a grand mansion in the middle of a snowstorm. Someone has poisoned wealthy Emily Vanforte in the middle of a family dinner, but who? There are knives under floorboards, vanishing guns, and secret passages in the walls. No one is safe in this house of liars.
You Might Like This If…
This book is perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus.
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Thanks as always for your fantastic lists! However I think there is a glaring omission, (IMO!) The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley.
A 2019 murder mystery novel by Lucy Foley about a group of old friends who gather for a New Year’s celebration at a remote hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands. A blizzard traps them inside, and when one of them is found dead, the others must figure out which of them is the killer. The story is told from multiple perspectives, jumping between the present and the days leading up to the murder, and is often compared to classic Agatha Christie mysteries.
I’m a ICYMI reader for the second year & loving it.
Hi Christine, We’re glad you enjoyed The Hunting Party! We previously included it on this list, but removed it last year to freshen list with higher rated books. However, you will still find it on our list of books set on New Years Eve here: https://bookgirlsguide.com/books-to-read-for-the-new-year/
Love your lists and, especially love the monthly summaries of what the readers log into the challenges.
I really liked Rock Paper Scissors
The overnight Guest was really good. Made you think who did what.