Cold Weather Mysteries
a book list by Leah Smith, librarian and avid reader
shelved under
Personal Favorites and
Mystery
Winter and autumn are my favorite times of the year. These tales transport me to cold weather even if it’s a sweltering day in July.
Smilla's Sense of Snow
by Peter Hoeg
Marlow Ockfen from Billings, MT says:
Hoeg creates cold and loneliness with his prose. This book makes one FEEL that they must follow Smilla through her obsessive search for a boy's killer through Denmark and Greenland. This is the most beautiful writing style I have ever seen applied to the thriller genre.
In the Bleak Midwinter
by Julia Spencer-Fleming
This well-written first in the series mystery features unorthodox, liberal Episcopal priest Claire Ferguson and chief of police of Miller's Kill, a small town in upstate New York, Russ Van Alstyne. The two team up to find out who left a baby on the doorstep of Claire's church. This book has it all: intrigue, a budding romance, and a great sense of place.
The Tenderness of Wolves
by Stef Penney
Jan McClintock from Texas says:
A murder mystery that centered in the 19th-century Canadian north, where weather and geography play a huge role, even now. The atmosphere is extremely well-drawn and you WILL feel the cold. The story is interesting but in my opinion... stretched too thin, with many characters and chronology jumps adding to the confusion.
The main protagonist makes unlikely choices and the stories of peripheral characters are too detailed. I continued to wish the story would even out, but the ending was somewhat disappointing as well. I hope the author continues to write these historical dramas because I really did love the descriptions and style.
Winter's Child
by Margaret Maron
This is the 12th book in the Judge Deborah Knott series. Somebody shot no-good J.D. Rouse in his pickup truck and Deborah and her new chief of police husband try and find out who murdered J.D. One of the best things about this series is the wonderful characters that are peppered throughout the novel. Deborah's very large family and her friends, and her lifelong friend (now her new husband's son) are all well-developed characters. I really like this series.
Blue Deer Thaw: A Mystery
by Jamie Harrison
Bodies have begun to pop up all over breathtakingly beautiful Blue Deer, Montana. Sheriff Jules Clement must investigate his small town where everyone knows everyone's secrets, but doesn't want to talk.
A Cold Day for Murder
by Dana Stabenow
Cary Branscum says:
Another of the Kate Shujak mysteries, and a darn good read. In fact, I tried to read it twice, sad it was over. The resolution at the end is not nearly as interesting the Alaskan journey of oil workers, native Alaskans, and how a detective stays sane and alive in the wilds that is still Alaska today. Everyone smokes, everyone is cold, everyone seems to come from elsewhere. Crime mixes it all well.
Degrees of Separation: A Jessie Arnold Mystery
by Sue Henry
Champion musher Jessie Arnold is trying to get in shape for the next Iditarod. While out training one day she stumbles across a bump in the snow... the bump turns out to be a dead body. Even if you aren't an Alaska nut or a cold weather nut like I am, you will still enjoy this fast-paced, well-written book.
The Music of What Happens
by John Straley
Cary Branscum says:
For a mystery that creates modern-day Alaska, complete with local color and character, this is the book. What a colorful ride! The detective has the usual hardboiled realities in life, somehow redeemed by hardscrabble characters in a vast, dramtic, unforgiving Alaskan landscape of cities, towns, land, water, and sky. Justice and redemption are found by listening "under" all life events to the primordial heart of you, me, our time and place, that's the music of what happens. Read it twice.
Icy Clutches
by Aaron J. Elkins
Anthropology professor Gideon Oliver has accompanied his wife to a forest rangers' conference in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Dr. Oliver is asked to use his skills as a forensic anthropologist when human bones are unearthed from a 30 year old avalanche site. Loved this book!!
Death of a Winter Shaker
by Deborah Woodworth
Shaker Sister Rose Callahan tries to "help out" the town sheriff when a drifter is found dead in the Shaker's herb house. This cozy mystery is sprinkled with lots of Shaker information and lore.
Nordic Nights
by Lise McClendon
Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the setting for this crisp, well-written story. Gallery owner Alix Thorssen is in it up to her neck when a famous Norwegian artist who has come to town for his show at her gallery gets stabbed. Great characters and wonderful sense of place.
The Alpine Pursuit: An Emma Lord Mystery
by Mary Daheim
Fun, quirky addition to a cozy mystery series.
Murder in a Cold Climate
by Scott Young
As an interesting aside, the author, Scott Young, was the father of musician Neil Young. I was so taken with his two "cold weather" mysteries that I sent him a fan letter and he wrote back.
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Leah Smith
Leah lives near Washington D.C. and is an obsessive list maker. She loves lists so much that she creates topical bibliographies -- for fun. She also collects volvelles, nutcrackers, unusual names and map hankies. She talks about books and many other things on her blog, Fig Newtons and Scotch.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
Cold Weather Mysteries
a book list by Leah Smith, librarian and avid reader
shelved under
Personal Favorites and
Mystery
Winter and autumn are my favorite times of the year. These tales transport me to cold weather even if it’s a sweltering day in July.
Smilla's Sense of Snow
by Peter Hoeg
Marlow Ockfen from Billings, MT says:
Hoeg creates cold and loneliness with his prose. This book makes one FEEL that they must follow Smilla through her obsessive search for a boy's killer through Denmark and Greenland. This is the most beautiful writing style I have ever seen applied to the thriller genre.
In the Bleak Midwinter
by Julia Spencer-Fleming
This well-written first in the series mystery features unorthodox, liberal Episcopal priest Claire Ferguson and chief of police of Miller's Kill, a small town in upstate New York, Russ Van Alstyne. The two team up to find out who left a baby on the doorstep of Claire's church. This book has it all: intrigue, a budding romance, and a great sense of place.
The Tenderness of Wolves
by Stef Penney
Jan McClintock from Texas says:
A murder mystery that centered in the 19th-century Canadian north, where weather and geography play a huge role, even now. The atmosphere is extremely well-drawn and you WILL feel the cold. The story is interesting but in my opinion... stretched too thin, with many characters and chronology jumps adding to the confusion.
The main protagonist makes unlikely choices and the stories of peripheral characters are too detailed. I continued to wish the story would even out, but the ending was somewhat disappointing as well. I hope the author continues to write these historical dramas because I really did love the descriptions and style.
Winter's Child
by Margaret Maron
This is the 12th book in the Judge Deborah Knott series. Somebody shot no-good J.D. Rouse in his pickup truck and Deborah and her new chief of police husband try and find out who murdered J.D. One of the best things about this series is the wonderful characters that are peppered throughout the novel. Deborah's very large family and her friends, and her lifelong friend (now her new husband's son) are all well-developed characters. I really like this series.
Blue Deer Thaw: A Mystery
by Jamie Harrison
Bodies have begun to pop up all over breathtakingly beautiful Blue Deer, Montana. Sheriff Jules Clement must investigate his small town where everyone knows everyone's secrets, but doesn't want to talk.
A Cold Day for Murder
by Dana Stabenow
Cary Branscum says:
Another of the Kate Shujak mysteries, and a darn good read. In fact, I tried to read it twice, sad it was over. The resolution at the end is not nearly as interesting the Alaskan journey of oil workers, native Alaskans, and how a detective stays sane and alive in the wilds that is still Alaska today. Everyone smokes, everyone is cold, everyone seems to come from elsewhere. Crime mixes it all well.
Degrees of Separation: A Jessie Arnold Mystery
by Sue Henry
Champion musher Jessie Arnold is trying to get in shape for the next Iditarod. While out training one day she stumbles across a bump in the snow... the bump turns out to be a dead body. Even if you aren't an Alaska nut or a cold weather nut like I am, you will still enjoy this fast-paced, well-written book.
The Music of What Happens
by John Straley
Cary Branscum says:
For a mystery that creates modern-day Alaska, complete with local color and character, this is the book. What a colorful ride! The detective has the usual hardboiled realities in life, somehow redeemed by hardscrabble characters in a vast, dramtic, unforgiving Alaskan landscape of cities, towns, land, water, and sky. Justice and redemption are found by listening "under" all life events to the primordial heart of you, me, our time and place, that's the music of what happens. Read it twice.
Icy Clutches
by Aaron J. Elkins
Anthropology professor Gideon Oliver has accompanied his wife to a forest rangers' conference in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Dr. Oliver is asked to use his skills as a forensic anthropologist when human bones are unearthed from a 30 year old avalanche site. Loved this book!!
Death of a Winter Shaker
by Deborah Woodworth
Shaker Sister Rose Callahan tries to "help out" the town sheriff when a drifter is found dead in the Shaker's herb house. This cozy mystery is sprinkled with lots of Shaker information and lore.
Nordic Nights
by Lise McClendon
Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the setting for this crisp, well-written story. Gallery owner Alix Thorssen is in it up to her neck when a famous Norwegian artist who has come to town for his show at her gallery gets stabbed. Great characters and wonderful sense of place.
The Alpine Pursuit: An Emma Lord Mystery
by Mary Daheim
Fun, quirky addition to a cozy mystery series.
Murder in a Cold Climate
by Scott Young
As an interesting aside, the author, Scott Young, was the father of musician Neil Young. I was so taken with his two "cold weather" mysteries that I sent him a fan letter and he wrote back.
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Leah Smith
Leah lives near Washington D.C. and is an obsessive list maker. She loves lists so much that she creates topical bibliographies -- for fun. She also collects volvelles, nutcrackers, unusual names and map hankies. She talks about books and many other things on her blog, Fig Newtons and Scotch.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
Cold Weather Mysteries
a book list by Leah Smith, librarian and avid reader
Winter and autumn are my favorite times of the year. These tales transport me to cold weather even if it’s a sweltering day in July.
Smilla's Sense of Snow
by Peter Hoeg
Marlow Ockfen from Billings, MT says:
Hoeg creates cold and loneliness with his prose. This book makes one FEEL that they must follow Smilla through her obsessive search for a boy's killer through Denmark and Greenland. This is the most beautiful writing style I have ever seen applied to the thriller genre.
In the Bleak Midwinter
by Julia Spencer-Fleming
This well-written first in the series mystery features unorthodox, liberal Episcopal priest Claire Ferguson and chief of police of Miller's Kill, a small town in upstate New York, Russ Van Alstyne. The two team up to find out who left a baby on the doorstep of Claire's church. This book has it all: intrigue, a budding romance, and a great sense of place.
The Tenderness of Wolves
by Stef Penney
Jan McClintock from Texas says:
A murder mystery that centered in the 19th-century Canadian north, where weather and geography play a huge role, even now. The atmosphere is extremely well-drawn and you WILL feel the cold. The story is interesting but in my opinion... stretched too thin, with many characters and chronology jumps adding to the confusion. The main protagonist makes unlikely choices and the stories of peripheral characters are too detailed. I continued to wish the story would even out, but the ending was somewhat disappointing as well. I hope the author continues to write these historical dramas because I really did love the descriptions and style.
Winter's Child
by Margaret Maron
This is the 12th book in the Judge Deborah Knott series. Somebody shot no-good J.D. Rouse in his pickup truck and Deborah and her new chief of police husband try and find out who murdered J.D. One of the best things about this series is the wonderful characters that are peppered throughout the novel. Deborah's very large family and her friends, and her lifelong friend (now her new husband's son) are all well-developed characters. I really like this series.
Blue Deer Thaw: A Mystery
by Jamie Harrison
Bodies have begun to pop up all over breathtakingly beautiful Blue Deer, Montana. Sheriff Jules Clement must investigate his small town where everyone knows everyone's secrets, but doesn't want to talk.
A Cold Day for Murder
by Dana Stabenow
Cary Branscum says:
Another of the Kate Shujak mysteries, and a darn good read. In fact, I tried to read it twice, sad it was over. The resolution at the end is not nearly as interesting the Alaskan journey of oil workers, native Alaskans, and how a detective stays sane and alive in the wilds that is still Alaska today. Everyone smokes, everyone is cold, everyone seems to come from elsewhere. Crime mixes it all well.
Degrees of Separation: A Jessie Arnold Mystery
by Sue Henry
Champion musher Jessie Arnold is trying to get in shape for the next Iditarod. While out training one day she stumbles across a bump in the snow... the bump turns out to be a dead body. Even if you aren't an Alaska nut or a cold weather nut like I am, you will still enjoy this fast-paced, well-written book.
The Music of What Happens
by John Straley
Cary Branscum says:
For a mystery that creates modern-day Alaska, complete with local color and character, this is the book. What a colorful ride! The detective has the usual hardboiled realities in life, somehow redeemed by hardscrabble characters in a vast, dramtic, unforgiving Alaskan landscape of cities, towns, land, water, and sky. Justice and redemption are found by listening "under" all life events to the primordial heart of you, me, our time and place, that's the music of what happens. Read it twice.
Icy Clutches
by Aaron J. Elkins
Anthropology professor Gideon Oliver has accompanied his wife to a forest rangers' conference in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Dr. Oliver is asked to use his skills as a forensic anthropologist when human bones are unearthed from a 30 year old avalanche site. Loved this book!!
Death of a Winter Shaker
by Deborah Woodworth
Shaker Sister Rose Callahan tries to "help out" the town sheriff when a drifter is found dead in the Shaker's herb house. This cozy mystery is sprinkled with lots of Shaker information and lore.
Nordic Nights
by Lise McClendon
Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the setting for this crisp, well-written story. Gallery owner Alix Thorssen is in it up to her neck when a famous Norwegian artist who has come to town for his show at her gallery gets stabbed. Great characters and wonderful sense of place.
The Alpine Pursuit: An Emma Lord Mystery
by Mary Daheim
Fun, quirky addition to a cozy mystery series.
Murder in a Cold Climate
by Scott Young
As an interesting aside, the author, Scott Young, was the father of musician Neil Young. I was so taken with his two "cold weather" mysteries that I sent him a fan letter and he wrote back.
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime. more...
About Leah Smith
Leah lives near Washington D.C. and is an obsessive list maker. She loves lists so much that she creates topical bibliographies -- for fun. She also collects volvelles, nutcrackers, unusual names and map hankies. She talks about books and many other things on her blog, Fig Newtons and Scotch.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life