Hidden in Snow

The Åre Murders, Book 1

By: Viveca Sten, Marlaine Delargy - translator

Narrated by: Laura Jennings

The splendor of the Swedish mountains becomes the backdrop for a bone-chilling crime.

On the day Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander’s personal and professional lives crash, she takes refuge at her sister’s lodge in the Swedish ski resort paradise of Åre. But it’s a brief comfort. The entire village is shaken by the sudden vanishing of a local teenage girl. Hanna can’t help but investigate, and while searching for the missing person, she lands a job with the local police department. There she joins forces with Detective Inspector Daniel Lindskog, who has been tasked with finding the girl. Their only lead: a scarf in the snow.

As subzero temperatures drop even further, a treacherous blizzard sweeps toward Åre. Hanna and Daniel’s investigation is getting more desperate by the hour. Lost or abducted, either way time is running out for the missing girl. Each new clue closes in on something far more sinister than either Hanna or Daniel imagined. In this devious novel by the bestselling author of the Sandhamn Murders series, discover what it will take to solve a case when the truth can be so easily hidden in the coming storm.

©2020 Viveca Sten. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2022 by Marlaine Delargy.

Critic reviews

“Laura Jennings narrates this Nordic noir with style.… Jennings's use of authentic-sounding accents and place names creates the perfect backdrop. Her strong characterizations bring the wide cast of individuals to life, and she creates a likable character in Hanna, who is plagued by self-doubt. Jennings's timing helps to build the tension as the plot heads toward the exciting conclusion.”—AudioFile Magazine

“[Laura] Jennings skillfully portrays Sten’s vivid characters and brings out the broad range of emotions and the effect of violence on this small town. A perfect recommendation for readers of Scandi noir. Share with fans of Karin Fossum and Sara Blaedel.”—Library Journal

"Of special appeal to listeners with an interest in Police Procedural Mysteries and the adventures of Women Sleuths, Hidden in Snow by novelist Viveca Sten is masterfully narrated by the impressive storytelling talents of Laura Jennings. A true delight for fans of riveting suspense thriller fiction.”—Midwest Book Review

Great

I really enjoyed this book, it kept me interested and seemed to be a very believable story.

Very good character development

I loved this story! It was very well told. The characters had a lot of relatable characteristics. Well paced.

A great start

Loved this series. From the the imperfections of the detectives, the red herrings and suspects and the way it ties together at the end with one tragedy cascading to so many others. Glad to have found this series.

Suspense til the end.

The story had lots of twists and turns and I found myself struggling with who was who but overall I enjoyed the book. I will say that all the writing about the snowy towns was very good and I felt a chill when reading parts of it.

Great start to a series

Characters were engaging, good narration and a plot that kept me interested. I will definitely listen to further books in the series.

Superior psychological insights

Appreciated the earnestness and sound psychological basis of the story but missed some elements that I like such as a little lighthearted humor and a more swift pace.

A great story with a good plot that keeps you glued.

A great slow (teasingly) developing plot that was kept hidden until the end making a great story along with the interwoven social issues of the characters.

Great intro to Viveca Sten

I had heard of this author, but had never listened to anything by her. The narration was wonderful. Escape to Nordic noir with this one!

Not enough crime work

Seems more like a small town saga then an actual crime novel. Not super engaging

Dark and depressing

Starts with a dark and disturbing crime. Damaged characters with little to redeem them. Unlikable characters with an expected plot line. The who done it is pretty clear very early on for any one paying attention.