#ReadThis 3 Chillingly Snowbound Thrillers

The theme for the 2016 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge in January is #Whodunnit. A snowy setting can really add to the mystery of a book and also adds an extra bit of frosty drama that we love. Here are some of our favorite snowbound thrillers…

Ice Hunt, James Rollins

This book takes place at the abandoned ice station Grendel. The ice station was abandoned for some unknown, but frightening reason. Grendel is the monster who terrorized the northern countries until he was defeated by Beowulf. If you’ve read Beowulf then you know how creepy this book will be. I was not disappointed. The chases through the earth under the ice were terrifying and there are a couple bloody scenes so be prepared.

An American undersea research vessel has inadvertently pulled too close – and something has been sighted moving inside the allegedly deserted facility, something whose survival defies every natural law. And now, as scientists, soldiers, intelligence operatives, and unsuspecting civilians are drawn into Grendel’s lethal vortex.

The Wild Inside, Christine Carbo

This book is a bit more mild on the action scale but it’s no less thrilling. Crime suspects involved with meth bring an unpredictable nature to the book. You never know what the characters are capable of when they’re on drugs and any time they come in to a scene you hold your breath a little. The book also delves in to the mind frame of a special agent investigating a case that is eerily similar to a traumatic event from his childhood.

It was a clear night in Glacier National Park. Fourteen-year-old Ted Systead and his father were camping beneath the rugged peaks and starlit skies when something unimaginable happened: a grizzly bear attacked Ted’s father and dragged him to his death.

White Fire, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

This is book #13 in the Pendergast line, but my first read of the series. I listened it on audio and couldn’t turn it off. When I was finished I passed it to my husband. The killer in this story does unspeakable things that will leave your skin crawling. But it’s the story of FBI agent Pendergast and his young protege, grad school student Corrie Swanson that makes this book intriguing. While investigating the deaths of several miners from the 1800s, Corrie makes a discovery that has her running for her life. There’s a tie to Sherlock Holmes in this book too that was really fun.

Special Agent Pendergast arrives at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law. His sudden appearance coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who–with brutal precision–begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside.

What’s your favorite setting for a mystery?

Also, don’t forget to tell us what your #Whodunnit book was this month on the check in post.

(Photo credit: Kent Henderson)