Looking for some snowy winter thrillers that will make your blood run cold? Check out my list of Chilling NEW Winter Mysteries to Read, updated with spine tingling new 2026 Winter Thrillers!
Chilling New Winter Mysteries to Read
Winter makes a cozy time to read, and a great time to pick up a mystery that takes place in the cold weather. A wintry setting offers so many opportunities for creating a chilling, claustrophobic mood, putting characters in icy peril, and sending a chill up the reader’s spine!
Jen’s Picks for TOP Chilling Winter Mysteries
Brand new Chilling Winter Mysteries for 2026:
- NEW in 2026: The Alpine Retreat by Sarah Goodwin
- NEW in 2025: A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall, White Out by A. S. Burnett. The Lost House by Melissa Larson, Coram House by Bailey Seybolt, Crash by Freida McFadden, Where He Left Me by Nicole Baart
Best of the Chilling Winter Mysteries:
- Best Twist: The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
- Most Unique Location: tie between Girl in Ice (Iceland) and Midnight (Antarctica)
- Scariest: Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates, which leans toward horror!
- Perfect for Fans of Domestic Suspense: A Killing Cold
- Most Festive: check out my list of Christmas Thrillers
- Books Like True Detective Season 4: The Gathering by C.J Tudor, Cold to the Touch by Carrie Hakoda
The Alpine Retreat by Sarah Goodwin
- Publication date: January 13, 2025 by Avon UK Books
- Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy!
Why is The Alpine Retreat a Chilling Winter Mystery ?
It’s set in a wellness retreat in Switzerland. Guests include famous politicians, musicians, and actors. Plus Chloe, a PR fixer. When a huge avalanche hits the property, it is cut off from all communication and access. And a killer is on the loose!
Stay tuned for my review. This is perfect for fans of The Sanatorium!
A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
- Publication date: February 4, 2025 by Flatiron Books
- Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy
Why is A Killing Cold a Chilling Winter Mystery?
It’s set over the holidays in a snowy, remote enclave of a rich family. A new bride comes to meet her husband’s family, and just as she begins to feel very unsafe, she’s trapped by a storm. Chilling!
Coram House by Bailey Seybolt
- A journalist is hired for a writing project connected to crimes at an orphanage in Vermont
- But digging up secrets from the past leads to danger for her
- Publication date: April 15, 2025 by Atria Books. Thanks to them for the advance copy.
Why is Coram House a Chilling Winter Mystery?
Set in snowy Vermont, Coram House has a chilling setting that matches its chilling plot!
White Out by A.S. Burnett
- Publication date: February 11, 2025
- Crooked Lane Books
- Check White Out here on Amazon!
Why is White Out a Chilling Winter Mystery?
It takes place in Antarctica, where a female researcher gets stranded at a remote research station and then learns there has been a nuclear attack and that she might be a sole survivor.
Unique and very chilling!
The Lost House by Melissa Larson (2025)
- Published on January 14, 2025
- I read this book in December 2024
Why is the Lost House a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- It’s set in a small town in Iceland in February
- A woman has arrived there to be interviewed about a crime in her family decades ago. Does she know the real story? Who can she trust?
My take: a chilling tale with a podcast/true crime element!
Running Cold by Susan Walter (2024)
- Published on October 8, 2024. I read this book in October 2024.
- Check Running Cold out here on Amazon! It’s free with Kindle Unlimited!
Why is Running Cold a Chilling Winter Mystery?
Two reasons:
- It’s mainly set in Banff, Canada during winter.
- The main character is a former Olympic biathlete. I’d forgotten that cool winter Olympic sport that includes cross country skiing and shooting.
But having this background worked great when this female athlete’s husband turns up dead, so she goes on the run in snowy Canada!
My take? Fast paced and truly chilly!
Midnight by Amy McCulloch (2024)
- Published on January 2, 2024 in the US.
- I read this book in December 2023.
Why is Midnight by Amy McCulloch a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- It takes place on an ocean liner headed to Antarctica, which is pretty cool and also chilling.
- The setting was amazing! Antarctica isn’t really on my travel bucket list, but I love a good travel thriller.
I felt the suspense in McCulloch’s prior book, Breathless, was higher, and it also had an icy, wintry setting, so you might want to try that too!
Cold to the Touch by Karri Hakoda (2024)
Published on April 9, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books.
Why is Cold to the Touch a Chilling Winter Thriller?
- It takes place in Anchorage, Alaska
- After two bodies are discovered, a serial killer is suspected and the FBI joins local police in trying to stop a killer
I’m looking forward to reading this one and reporting back to you! Keep warm and stay tuned!
The Gathering by C. J. Tudor (2024)
- Published on April 9, 2024
- Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy; read in April 2024
Why is The Gathering by C. J. Tudor a Chilling Winter Mystery?
If you’re looking for books like True Detective Season 4, look no further!
- Creepy paranormal premise: When a boy is found with all the blood drained from his body, the inhabitants of Deadhart, Alaska blame a community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.
- Strong female characters: Detective Barbara Atkins needs the help of the former Deadhart sheriff whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life.
- Is the person responsible a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath?
Well, I got chills just reading that. Yes, this is an alt-history, folk horror vampire book. Which isn’t exactly MY reading lane, but I really enjoyed it.
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
- Published on July 11, 2023 by Poisoned Pen Press
- I read this book in February 2024.
- You should also check out Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates!
Why is Dead of Winter a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- Dead of Winter is like And Then There Were None set the freezing winter.
- A sudden blizzard forces a group of strangers to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin in the Rocky Mountains.
- In the middle of the night, their tour guide goes missing, only to be discovered dead. Then another…
The chill factor was high! A tour bus filled with strangers, a fallen tree blocking the road, a huge storm… Then one by one, these tourists start to turn up dead.
Like many of these books, being trapped creates a locked room mystery sort of vibe, and the severe weather and isolation make things that much more stressful.
The Drift by C. J. Tudor
- Published on January 31, 2023 by Ballentine Books.
- I read this book in January 2023!
Why is The Drift by C. J. Tudor a Chilling Winter Mystery
- A bus careens off the edge of the road during a heavy snowstorm, trapping its passengers inside with no way to call for help.
- At the same time, a cable car heads to a mysterious place known to as “The Retreat.”
- Finally, in an abandoned ski chalet, a group manufactures vaccines against a deadly virus. But as their generator begins to falter, the have to face the fact that one of their own is up to no good.
How Chilling Was The Drift by C.J. Tudor? Well, pretty darn chilling.
First off, the book features not one, not two but THREE snowy locations: a crashed bus, a dangling cable car, and a remote lab facility in a storm with a failing generator.
In each location, people are being murdered, Then There Were None Style.
Then, this book is about a creepy, fatal virus. It has a bit of a Walking Dead feel.
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita
- January 3, 2023 by Berkley
- I read City Under One Roof in August 2023
- The book also has a sequel: Village in the Dark!
Why was City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- It takes place in the small town of Point Mettier Alaska when a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shoreline.
- As a blizzard cuts off all access to the town, the investigating detective is stranded a high-rise building where the residents are as icy as the weather.
I really loved the setting of City Under One Roof, which was very unique: a huge apartment complex in a small Alaska town where everyone lives.
I thought this one might be a locked room mystery, but not really, as even with the storm there are people who can come and go.
The book had three narrators, each with a fair amount of backstory, which slowed down the suspense for me.
For me, the middle of the book got a bit draggy, but the end had a lot of action. Recommend for the setting alone!
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
- January 25, 2022, Park Row Books
- I read this book in December 2022.
Why is The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf a chilling winter thriller?
- True crime author Wylie Lark gets snowed in at an isolated farmhouse
- Then Wylie discovers a small child in the snow just outside.
- Soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought…
I found The Overnight Guest to be a bit of a slow burn that did turn chilling.
Yes, Wylie is trapped in a storm, and weird things happen, but there’s also a storyline in the past, which decreased the tension for me a bit.
BUT, if you are a patient reader, the set up for this one really paid off in the end! There’s SUCH a great twist!
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
- Published on August 19, 2021 by Flatiron Books
- I read this book in 2021 and my full Review of Rock Paper Scissors is here
Why is Rock Paper Scissors a Chilling Winter Thriller?
- A married couple wins a weekend trip to stay at an old church in Scotland
- But a blizzard is coming AND they are not alone
- Someone has many surprises in store for them, none of them good!
I love Alice Feeney. Her books are intricate, surprising and really creepy.
I have a lively spoiler discussion post for Rock Paper Scissors – come join us!
The Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
- Published on August 17, 2018 by Pamela Dorman
- Check out my post on What is the Best Book by Shari Lapena!
Why is An Unwanted Guest A Chilling Winter Thriller?
- Takes place in a remote inn located in New York’s Catskill mountains
- Has a locked room element as a blizzard traps all the guests and knocks the power out
- The guests start dying one by one…. check out my list of other books inspired by that great Agatha Christie novel
Shari Lapena is a fan favorite author and I would recommend her books to anyone!
Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik
- Published don March 1, 2022 by Gallery Books
- I read this book in March 2022.
Why is Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik a Chilling Winter Thriller?
- Val’s brother Andy is a climate scientist stationed on a remote island off Greenland’s barren coast.
- When Andy takes his own life, Val suspects foul play.
- Andy’s fellow researchers discover a young girl frozen in the ice who thaws out alive, speaking a language no one understands.
The main character in Girl in Ice has anxiety and I also got terrible anxiety reading about the forbidding climate, the claustrophobic research station, the mix of personalities in the small group that’s basically trapped together.
The plot went into some really strange/out-there directions that I had a few qualms about and I felt the ending fizzled a bit.
If you like thrillers with a strong science/nature vibe you should definitely check this one out.
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson
- Published on October 12, 2021 by William Morrow
- I read this book in November 2021.
- Read my review of A Solitude of Wolverines!
Why is a Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson a Chilling Winter Thriller?
- It takes place in winter at a former ski resort in Montana
- Biologist Alex Carter tracks wolverines. When she reviews her research photos, she discovers disturbing images of a severely injured man.
- Alex realizes she’s stumbled onto a far-reaching illegal operation and now has become the biggest threat.
This was an out-of-my comfort zone read, but I enjoyed it.
A Solitude of Wolverines was intense and on the violent side, and did feature some mistreatment of animals, though Alex’s fierce advocacy for animal welfare did help balance it out.
A great book if you want to learn more about animal conservation and the Montana wilderness. And wolverines!
The Retreat by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
- Published on July 21, 2021 by Mulholland Books
Why was The Retreat by Elisabeth de Mariaffi a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- The book takes place in alodge nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains.
- When an avalanche strikes, retired dancer Maeve finds herself trapped with six other guests.
- One guest meets an unspeakable death. Followed by another.
- Maeve realizes a locked door is useless if the darkness is already inside.
How Chilling Was The Retreat?
The Retreat did a good job of using an isolated setting and harsh weather to create a lot of suspense.
Maeve, the main character, just got out of an abusive relationship and looks forward to using the time away from her young children to get her career as director of a dance troupe on more solid footing.
For me, the star of this book was the Rocky Mountain setting. After an avalanche cuts the retreat off from the world (no electricity or phone or internet) things start spiraling.
The ending of this was a little crazy (and felt a bit unresolved).
If you don’t mind a book with a slower pace and like a lot of atmosphere, definitely check The Retreat out!
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
- February 2, 2021 by Pamela Dorman Books.
- My review of The Sanatorium is here.
Why was The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearce a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- The story takes place at Le Sommet, an abandoned sanatorium that has been renovated into a five-star hotel.
- Arriving at Le Sommet in the midst of a threatening storm, police officer Elin immediately feels on edge.
- With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the remaining guests start to panic.
How Chilling Was The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse?
I give this book ALL the props for a chilling and spooky setting. Former sanatorium? Dead bodies popping up all over? A huge storm?
However, a lot of people had issues with this one. Many didn’t like the protagonist, others thought the ending made no sense.
This book has sparked SO much discussion on my blog. If you’ve read this chilling mystery with a prickly (unlikeable?) protagonist, creepy setting, and WTF ending, come join us at my Spoiler Discussion for The Sanatorium.
No Exit by Taylor Adams
- Published on June 25, 2017 by William Morrow
Why is No Exit by Taylor Adams a Chilling Winter Thriller?
- It takes place during a blizzard in the Colorado mountains
- A college student stranded at a highway rest stop discovers a kidnapped child in a car
- One of the people she’s stranded with is the culprit. But who?
This book is another fan favorite. I don’t read child kidnapping books, but this has high Goodreads ratings. No Exit was even made into a Hulu streaming series, so you can read and watch!
One by One by Ruth Ware
- Published on September 8, 2020 by Scout Press
- My full review of One by One is here.
Why was One by One by Ruth Ware a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- It takes place at beautiful, rustic mountain chalet
- But what if you’re stuck there with eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?
- When avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness.
Whoa that was a wild ride and I don’t mean the black diamond ski slopes either.
One by One has a creepy “and then there were none” kind of mystery in which a group of work colleagues is trapped in a ski chalet after an avalanche.
There’s a tragic death, and then another, making it clear that someone in this group is a killer! Then it turns to a cat and mouse game!
Have you read this and want to talk spoilers? Come over to my SPOILER REVIEW of One by One!
Shiver by Allie Reynolds
- Published on January 11, 2021. Putnam Books
- I read this book in February 2024
- My Review of Shiver is here!
Why is Shiver by Allie Reynolds a Chilling Winter Mystery?
- Takes place at cozy ski resort in the French Alps
- Five old friends who met as elite snowboarders are having a reunion.
- But the trip goes horribly wrong.
- Inside the hotel an icebreaker game awaits them: game meant to remind them of the enigmatic sixth member of their group, who vanished the morning of the competition years before and has long been presumed dead.
I really enjoyed this one. I don’t know that much about elite snowboarding and found that aspect of the book really interesting.
I’ve read a lot of trapped in the snow mysteries recently, and I guessed one major plot twist, but this was a fun read overall.
If you like books about friend groups with secrets, definitely check this one out!
Snow by Mike Bond
- Published in 2017 by Big City Press
- I read this book in October 2023.
Why is Snow by Mike Bond a chilling winter thriller?
- The Montana setting is super-chilling with loads of snow, blizzards, whiteouts and an avalanche.
- The fast-paced thrilling story reminded me a good deal of the book A Simple Plan, which came out in the 1990s and was made into a movie.
Tell me what you think of my list! Do you have any chilling winter mysteries to add? Talk to me in comments and hope you enjoy your reading!
They all sound good.
Thanks! Hope you try one 🙂
I look forward to reading these. Thank you.
Please come back and let me know what you think!