When The Weather Outside Is Frightful: The Best Locked Room Mysteries In A Storm

It’s finally chilly outside! Granted, here in Los Angeles chilly is fifty degrees Fahrenheit, but next week we’ve got the low forties at night. That counts, right? No matter the weather where you reside in December, or if there’s snow on the ground and cider in your cup, what’s better than curling up in front of the fireplace with some murder? Arguably the coziest and most intriguing mystery suggestions in fiction are locked room mysteries, my personal favorite in crime fiction. So what is a locked room mystery?

Edgar Allan Poe, Image Courtesy of PBS

A locked room mystery is a story that revolves around a crime such as a murder, a missing person or a theft, that happens under seemingly impossible circumstances. Throughout the story, the reader or viewer is given several clues as to how the crime in an unusual situation could have occurred. The plot usually takes place in a setting of isolation, cut off from the rest of the world, with no help or assistance available. This can take place on an island, in a storm, or in an actual locked room. There’s always a closed circle of suspects in a locked room mystery, and, similar to the setting, could never involve external assistance or influence.

“When the weather outside is frightful,

And the fire is so delightful;

When there’s no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let is snow…”

— (sung in an ominous tone)

Edgar Allan Poe wrote the first-ever locked room mystery back in 1841, The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Poe’s story takes place in an actual locked room, hence the name of the mystery subset by way of plot device. The author considered to be the exemplar of locked room mysteries is John Dickson Carr with his book The Hollow Man. Other well-known examples of a locked room mystery in literary fiction are Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and Louise Penny’s A Rule Against Murder. In film, the most recent locked room mystery to hit screens is Kenneth Branaugh’s A Haunting In Venice. In television, two light-hearted Britbox series with superb locked room conundrums are Jonathan Creek and Death In Paradise.

Image Courtesy of Irish Independent

For the purpose of this frightful weather-themed newsletter, we’re focusing on locked room mysteries involving a storm. How fun is it to imagine being trapped inside a creepy derelict manor with a bevy of unusual suspects and thrills around every corner? Pretty fun indeed! I’ve intentionally kept the reviews brief and somewhat ambiguous so as not to spoil anything, but hopefully with just enough information for you to decide if the book, show or movie is up your alley or not. Here are the perfect locked room mysteries to get your winter blues kicked off the right way — with murder!

Best Choices In Fiction

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena -Guests at Mitchell’s Inn in the Catskills are caught up in an intense blizzard during their stay. Are accidents merely accidents, or a sign the guests need to get out of Dodge? You can take a good guess.

Image Courtesy of Minotaur Books

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny - One of the best in the Inspector Gamache series. Gamache and his wife are on an anniversary trip to one of their favorite destinations when they run into some old friends. Coincidentally, their Three Pines companions are staying at the same hotel for a family reunion. There’s a terrible summer storm and things take a dramatic turn for the worse. Gamache is forced to solve the crime, putting himself in a precarious situation with his friends.

Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards - Mira flies home to see her mother in Pittsburgh and a leg of her flight is interrupted by inclement weather. Desperate to arrive at her destination, Mira hitches a ride with some college kids. The weather worsens with icy roads and hazardous conditions, and Mira suddenly realizes everyone is a stranger to each other, and she’s trapped in a car with someone far more dangerous than she could imagine.

Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie - One of the greatest locked room whodunit mysteries ever written. Hercule Poirot, aboard the famous Orient Express, finds himself at the center of an incredible puzzle. A passenger has been stabbed to death, but how? Anyone could’ve done it, but who? Worthy of multiple reads!

No Exit by Taylor Adams - College student Darby Thorne finds herself stuck at a remote highway rest stop during a blizzard. While she’s forced to wait it out, she discovers the four strangers she’s stuck with might not be who they seem. No cell service, no help coming, she’s forced to figure things out for herself or face some very real consequences. (There’s also a screen adaptation, see below). Less of a locked room mystery, more of a process of elimination puzzle — but the weather’s not as scary as the suspects!

Image Courtesy of Simon and Schuster

One By One by Ruth Ware - During a company retreat, eight colleagues are snowed in at a beautiful chalet. The situation quickly becomes dire as the group waits for help to arrive, and trust begins to fail. British author Ruth Ware masterfully delivers a chilling tale of murder in this suspenseful locked room mystery.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil - In this YA novel, best friends Meg and Minnie visit Henry Island for a girls’ weekend. A storm hits, and their relaxing getaway becomes a nightmarish no-escape situation. Heavily derivative of Christie’s And Then There Were None, but possibly the perfect read for your teen who likes Christopher Pike.

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse - Detective Elin Warner is on leave from work and is spending her break at Le Sommet, a sanatorium that’s been converted into a five-star hotel in the Swiss Alps. She’s attending her estranged brother’s engagement party; however, the celebration becomes a watershed moment for the two siblings when his fiancé goes missing and Elin has to locate her.

There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh - A group of old friends from high school gather to reminisce about their friend Bea who tragically died nine years ago. The setting takes place at a remote estate in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, so when the weather turns, there’s nowhere to go. Suspicions heighten as the reunion leads to the friends’ realization that Bea’s death might not have been an accident after all.

The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie - This stand-alone mystery was originally published back in 1931 as The Murder At Hazelmoor and was the first time Christie incorporated supernatural elements into one of her stories. Few moviegoers realized screenwriter and EP Michael Green borrowed plot points from this book (as well as the credited novel, Hallowe’en Party) for his most recent film interpretation of Christie’s work, A Haunting In Venice. This is the ideal classic mystery set in a blizzard. Cozy and spooky!

Best Choices In Film

A Haunting In Venice — (Rated PG-13, 1 hour 43 minutes, Available on Hulu) A truly atmospheric locked room mystery that’s my favorite of the three collaborative Kenneth Branagh-Michael Green film adaptations of Christie’s works. If you’d like a book-movie weekend recommendation, read The Sittaford Mystery first, then curl up on the couch for this film.

Murder On The Orient Express — (Rated PG-13, 1 hour, 55 minutes, Available on Hulu) Not as good as the book, but what is? Hercule Poirot is trapped on a train with a bevy of suspects during a murder investigation. The snow’s not budging, and neither are the suspects.

No Exit — (Rated TV-MA, 1 hour, 35 minutes, Available on Hulu) If you don’t have time to read the book, this is a rare instance in which I’ll recommend the movie because it’s actually a worthy adaptation. This suspense-filled thriller is perfect for staying in during chilly weather.

Best Choices For Television

Agatha Christie’s Marple — Season 2, Episode 4 (Rated PG, 1 hr., 33 min., Available on Britbox) During a blizzard, Miss Marple is forced to take refuge at Sittaford House. Christie fans will note that Miss Marple was never mentioned in the original novel; however, ITV thrusts Miss Marple into danger to great effect!

And Then There Were None — (Limited Series, three 1 hour episodes, PG-13, Available on Acorn TV) Based on the classic murder mystery by Agatha Christie, the best selling mystery novel of all time. This is the best recent adaptation of the story, and is perfect if you’re short on time and can break it up into three viewings.

Jonathan Creek — Season 4, Episode 7 “The Grinning Man” (TV-MA, 1 hour, 44 minutes, Available on Britbox and Prime Video) Jonathan gets roped into investigating a series of disappearances in a supposed haunted manor owned by a master illusionist. If you love locked room mysteries with seemingly impossible puzzles, this is the show for you!

Poirot — Season 12, Episode 3 “Murder On The Orient Express” (90 minutes, Available on Britbox and Prime Video) If you prefer David Suchet in Poirot’s shoes as I most certainly do, this is a satisfying adaptation of Christie’s most popular novel. But be sure to read the book first.

Poirot — Season 13, Episode 4 “The Labours of Hercules” (TV-PG, 90 minutes, Available on Britbox and Prime Video) Poirot has taken refuge in the Swiss Alps after a recently botched case. During his stay, the art thief that had alluded him before is suspected to be staying at his hotel. In an attempt to fix his past mistake, Poirot tries to suss out the art thief among the guests at the hotel. Soon an avalanche traps them all together, and the pressure on Poirot to tie the clues together has never been higher.

Image Courtesy of Peacock

Poker Face — Season 1, Episode 9 “Escape From Sh*t Mountain” (TV-MA, 1 hour, Available on Peacock) — Under an extreme set of circumstances, Charlie finds herself stranded at a deserted motel during a blizzard. A great director (Rian Johnson) with talented writers (Nora and Lilla Zuckerman) make a television murder mystery masterpiece in the space of an hour. Also features an Emmy-worthy turn by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Magnum P.I. — Season 3, Episode 21 “The Big Blow” (49 min., Available on Prime Video and FreeVee) Less of a locked room mystery and more about Magnum shenanigans. A hurricane traps Magnum with Higgins and his guests during a candlelit dinner party in a blackout. One of the guests has a target on his back, and it’s up to Magnum to prevent it from happening. This episode stars the much-loved James Doohan, best known for his role as Scotty in the Star Trek movie franchise.

Midsomer Murders — Series 22, Episode 3 “Happy Families” (90 minutes, Available on Acorn TV) This is my second favorite episode of Midsomer Murders (“Vixen’s Run” takes my number one spot), and winner of a CWA Award for best television screenplay and an Edgar Award nominee by the Crime Writers of America. DCI Barnaby and DS Winters are trapped in a rainstorm during a murder mystery weekend while investigating the death of a famous tycoon. The victim, known for his board games and puzzles, was surrounded by people wanting him dead. So who did it, and why? Worth watching just to see Barnaby and Winters in cute pjs.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries — Season 2, Episode 13 “Murder Under The Mistletoe” (TV-14, 55 minutes, Available on Acorn TV) In this episode, Phryne and friends head to a chalet to celebrate Christmas, but on arrival find one of the residents dead. Is it death by Christmas lights? And why?

Image Courtesy of CBS

Murder, She Wrote — Season 5, Episode 4 “Snow White, Blood Red” (Rated TV-G, 48 minutes, Available on Peacock) Jessica Fletcher finds herself snowed in at a ski lodge during a skiing competition with a murderer loose. There are plenty of suspects, including a jealous husband, a conniving wife and vicious competitors. This episode goes great with a cup of hot cocoa. Don’t forget to pile on the marshmallows!

After You Read:

Check out the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, https://poemuseum.org

Song of the Day: “Blizzard” by Light Club