Mittens for days

3 snowy mysteries to get you through the dark of winter

Depending on where you live, this is a very inside time of year — and possibly a very dreary time of year. It’s dark, it’s cold, and, as if that weren’t bad enough, Christmas lights are coming down all over the place (or they will be soon). Let me be the first to say: taking down Christmas lights before February is a crime and a travesty. We need the lights, people! THE BLEAK MIDWINTER IS UPON US.

So aside from the extremely obvious answer of leaving your lights up, what can you do? For the last few Januaries, I’ve found myself wanting to read books that lean into the winter fantasy: blustery blizzards, roaring fires, silvery moonlight on newly-fallen snow, and mittens for days. If it’s going to be winter, you might as well lose yourself in the most romantic version of the cold.

So make yourself a cup of hot chocolate,¹ turn on Cozy Christmas Reading Nook with Crackling Fireplace Sound and Snow,² and snuggle up with one of these extra-snowy, Night-Hag-approved mysteries ❄️

If you love a classic cozy

The Sittaford Mystery (1931) by Agatha Christie

The perfect snowed-in mystery. An isolated country house. A seance. Snow galore. Gum boots! Take a look at the opening paragraphs and you’ll see what I mean:

Major Burnaby drew on his gum boots, buttoned his overcoat collar round his neck, took from a shelf near the door a hurricane lantern, and cautiously opened the front door of his little bungalow and peered out.

The scene that met his eyes was typical of the English countryside as depicted on Xmas cards and in old-fashioned melodramas. Everywhere was snow, deep drifts of it—no mere powdering an inch or two thick. Snow had fallen all over England for the last four days, and up here on the fringe of Dartmoor it had attained a depth of several feet.

I picked up The Sittaford Mystery in January 2022 and it was exactly what I wanted. Do I remember the plot? Absolutely not. But then I rarely remember Agatha Christie’s plots, except for the famous ones (And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, etc. ). Doesn’t make it any less enjoyable! In fact, maybe I’m due for a reread…

If you love a romance (but still a mystery! romystery?)*

Hither, Page (2019) by Cat Sebastian

I read this book last January and loved it. Post-war England, former spies, queer romance, all set against the backdrop of a snowy village. Maybe like Foyle’s War if sexy Foyle was seducing the local doctor while cracking the case in a snowstorm? Bonus: if you tear through Hither, Page, there’s a sequel that I liked a lot too: The Missing Page. Less snowy, but still good.

*I recently learned (from Goodreads) that “romantasy” is a thing? So I’m entering “romystery” for consideration

If you’re more of a thrill seeker

One by One (2020) by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware’s take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. How does she replicate the closed set of Christie’s novel? Snow, of course! A corporate ski retreat in the French Alps gone horribly wrong. Stylish ski outfits, jealous co-workers, and murder on the slopes!

This book has a bit more of an edge to it than the other two — I wouldn’t call it scary, but it might elevate your heart rate slightly (a perfect alternative to winter exercise). I recommended another of Ware’s books back in the fall (The Death of Mrs. Westaway), but One by One is my favorite of hers. Fight me!

Do you have any snowy favorites? Will you join Citizens Against Taking Down Christmas Lights? Let me know in the comments. Until soon, good luck out there. Stay warm 🧤🧣

*Cover image by macrovector on Freepik

1. Okay, yes: this hot chocolate is sold out. But it’s reeeaaally good, so you might want to get on the waitlist.

2. It says “Christmas,” but trust me it transcends the holiday season. Another Amber Petty rec (see previous rec here) — she finds the best ambience videos!