Snow Creek by Gregg Olsen: A Missing Person Mystery

Snow Creek is a captivating missing person’s case and the first book in the Detective Carpenter series. Written by number one New York Times best selling author Gregg Olsen, this book is an instant thriller. If you are looking for a good mystery to take with you while traveling, or just something to grab while cozying up to the fire this winter, Snow Creek is a great option. Grab a steaming cup of tea or hot chocolate, and get ready to read through the night!

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Snow Creek: Summary

Ida Wheaton is missing, and has been for over a month. Detective Megan Carpenter takes the police report, and knows deep down that is not a normal missing persons case. At the farm house where the missing person was last seen, Megan finds Ida’s teenaged kids alone and frightened with no sign of their missing mother. As she is taking their report and looking around, she notices that there is nothing resembling “the outside word” in the house.

No technology, games, or anything for the kids at all. To top it off, Ida’s kids seem to have a level of distrust towards Megan. They are adamant about stay in the house until their mother returns, not wanting to leave the only home they’ve ever known. Observing their situation, detective Carpenter is reminded of the eerie similarities to her own past, when both her parents disappeared and she was left to fend for herself.

Footprints were scattered about like fallen leaves. She looked down into the ravine, and once more her lungs filled with fear. A body lay silent and unmoving in the bushes

When an unidentified body is found inside a pickup truck, Megan quickly spots a link between the cases. Determination runs through her veins as she tries to unravel not one, but two mysteries. As she digs deeper and deeper, she discovers even more similarities to her past experiences, and dredging up many painful memories along the way. Tucked away in the back of her closet are all of the recorded therapy sessions from over thirteen years ago. Left there to be forgotten, can Megan finally acknowledge her past and listen to the tapes? Or will she let it fester under her skin and get in the way of solving this case once for all?

Snow Creek: A Captivating Mystery

A fast paced detective story, Snow Creek was hard to put down! Ending with a cliffhanger for the ages, this is an excellent start to the Detective Carpenter series. While the tropes of a detective novel exist-set in a small town, an isolated missing persons case, a troubled past-Snow Creek stands apart with a tight, twisted narrative and a compelling female lead.

I found the characters to be well written-Megan Carpenter is a relatable narrator with wit and intelligence to spare. The supporting characters were also given thought and care when developing them throughout the story, so they did not weaken or become flimsy as Megan grew throughout the story.

Snow Creek is a thrilling read for the winter months- I would highly recommend picking up this first entry into the Detective Carpenter series this winter.

Happy reading!