A Conversation of Favorites: Winter Reads-Thrills, Chills, and Haunted Hills

Charmaine:  It is getting so cold outside— it has me in the mood for some seasonal winter thrillers like The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse. That was such an incredible book!  I am (not so patiently) waiting for her new one (release date May) called The Retreat!

Abbey:I haven’t read that one. It sounds spooky...

Charmaine:So spooky-- a snowed in luxury resort in the Swiss Alps, (which was converted from an abandoned sanatorium), missing women, mayhem, and murder.  Elin Warner (an 'on a break 'police detective) and boyfriend Willy Riley are headed there to meet her estranged brother, Isaac, and his new fiancé Laure.  Shortly after their arrival they discover Laure has gone missing too. The bodies begin to pile up and Elin is determined to find out where Laure has gone, and who is that creepy figure in the gas mask watching her every move? 

This story was quite haunting and the imagery stayed with me long after I finished the novel...

Abbey: Murders in isolated places are snow joke. Get it? Snow joke. I’ve recently encountered 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard, which takes place in the cold early days of the pandemic where a victim is similarly trapped inside with a potential murderer. After knowing one another for not even a month, Ciara and Oliver decide to move in together. They’ve met in line at a Dublin grocery store and have struck up what seems like a promising new relationship, but COVID-19 has complicated things. Rather than letting the lockdowns keep them apart, they decide to brave the pandemic together in Oliver’s home. Soon, one of them will be dead. Something has gone awry between Ciara and Oliver during the lockdown, and police will now have to piece together what really happened in the confines of the flat.

Charmaine: *shivers* Covid and murder.  Perfect plot for a domestic thriller/locked room mystery. So many ways for things to go wrong – I mean, how well can you really know someone after a month?  Your blurb kind of reminds me of Allie Reynold’s Shiver. Have you read that one?

Abbey: I haven’t, but what a tagline - “It started as a reunion. It ended with murder.” Oooohh...

Charmaine:  Right?  If you like snowboarding, reunions and revenge, this is the novel for you. Layer it with a locked room mystery, and you are guaranteed to stay up into the night reading....

Abbey: Speaking of drama in a locked room, James Han Mattson’s new release Reprieve follows four contestants in an intense, full-contact escape room at the Quigley House, all hoping to win the $60,000 prize that will be awarded to them if they can manage to complete the puzzles and brave the house’s horrors. The game takes a deadly turn when one of the contestants is murdered, and the others will now have to escape more than just the game. Told from different points of view and in part by courtroom transcripts, this book explores varying backstories, perspectives, and social challenges to reveal the truth behind the murder.

Charmaine: Sounds intense!—added to by TBR (to be read) list thanks!

We hope you enjoyed some of our picks for winter reading.  What are some of your favorites?