Hidden in Snow by Viveca Sten (Amazon Crossing)

Hanna Ahlander, a Stockholm police officer, seeks sanctuary at her sister's chalet in the idyllic Swedish ski resort town on the day her personal and professional life collides. But it's only a momentary solace. The unexplained disappearance of a local adolescent girl shocks the entire hamlet. Hanna feels compelled to look into the matter, and while doing so, she secures a position with the neighborhood police force. She then teams up with Detective Inspector Daniel Lindskog, whose job it is to discover the girl there. A scarf in the snow served as their sole lead.

A dangerous blizzard moves closer to Åre as the already-freezing temperatures drop even lower. The urgency of Hanna and Daniel's inquiry is growing by the minute. Time is running out to find the missing girl, whether she was abducted or lost. With each fresh piece of information, Hanna and Daniel go closer to discovering something much more evil. Find out what it takes to solve a case when the truth can be so easily hidden in the impending storm in this cunning book by the popular author of the Sandhamn Murders series.

Everything is not what it seems, and the plot touches on current issues including abuse against women, the exploitation of immigrant labor without legal status, and non-transparent corporations. Refugees or immigrants with no papers can neither protest nor turn to the authorities. And all of this is to a posh resort, for profit.

Hanna can't help but wonder if the entire management team is in on it, or if it's just a few dark characters in the background. Many board members in small businesses lack a pulse; relatives and acquaintances are frequently recruited in exchange for a good fee—so why would they check the finances? It's completely waterproof. Until Hanna arrives and begins asking the wrong questions.

Another strength of the book is the vivid and atmospheric description of the settings, especially the frozen landscape during winter. The cold and bleak environment adds an eerie element to the book's atmosphere, underscoring the sense of danger and foreboding that permeates the story. 

Overall, "Hidden in the Snow" is an engrossing read that keeps readers on the edge until the end.

4/5