Winter weather thrillers

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For much of the Northeastern part of the country, it’s been the snowiest February on record – and we’ve still got over a week left in the month. The novelty of “snow days” and sledding in the backyard has long since given way to cabin fever and frustration at the never-ending deluge. It’s no wonder that winter weather makes such a great backdrop for crime fiction. These winter weather thrillers all take place during snow storms – when tensions are high and there’s no chance for escape.

Chilling in more ways than one, Christopher Golden’s Snowblind is a terrifying winter weather thriller that will send tingles down your spine. The town of Coventry still tells tales about the brutal blizzard 12 years ago that changes the lives of everyone who managed to live through it. With another storm approaching, the residents are forced to confront ghosts – literally – as they struggle to make it through the long and snowy night.

Peter Hoag’s classic Scandicrime thriller Smilla’s Sense of Snow uses the winter whiteness almost as a character itself. What looks like a tragic accident soon becomes a murder mystery when Smilla Jasperson tries to determine how her six-year-old neighbor really fell off the roof in the Copenhagen snow. Following the clues, her investigation leads her to Greenland – where she tracks a cold blooded killer across the tundra.

If you’re feeling stir crazy, Ken Follett’s Whiteout may have you feeling relieved you’re tucked away safely indoors. This medical thriller takes place right in the middle of a blizzard – and about the worst possible time for a canister of a deadly virus to go missing. Now, the hunt for the container is on – and everyone from the security director to the research company to a group of robbers for hire will stop at nothing to find it…and use it for their own deadly purposes.

Jenny Michelman’s Cover of Snow will easily help you while away the hours during your next big blizzard. The winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award, this debut suspense novel starts out with a shocking suicide by a New York police officer. When his wife begins to suspect their might be more to the story, she’ll have to brave more than winter weather to uncover a dangerous conspiracy.

You can’t stop the winter weather, but when life hands you lemons, make lemonade…or hot cocoa and curl up with a great winter weather thriller. Whether you’re rereading the Lou Masons series or diving in to one of these chilling suspense novels, enjoy the cozy quiet time – and happy reading!