One of my writing professors—the eccentric iconoclast John Rechy, who insisted on holding every class at his dining room table—spent hours and hours talking about the weather. Since this was LA, where the weather is unfailingly bland and uninspired, he wasn’t talking about the local forecast; he was waxing poetic about the use of weather in fiction. It can be a plot device, an emotional pulse, a character in and of itself.
When it comes to suspense, weather has the power to make everything that much more ominous and immersive. I was determined to put my teacher’s advice to good use in my new psychological suspense novel, The Girls Weekend, which is set on an island estate in the Pacific Northwest. During my research, I immersed myself in books that use the weather beautifully to enhance the reader’s sense of imminent danger. Below is my list of favorites.
Hard Rain by Irma Venter, translated by Elsa Silke
This twisty thriller set in Tanzania has plenty of weather right there in the title. Unlike most of the novels on my list, the forecast here is for hot rain, and yes, of course, murder. Promoted as the first book in a series, the world here definitely feels vast and alluring enough to warrant future visits. The chemistry between the enigmatic foreign correspondent protagonists sizzles in this dual-narrator tale. The setting is beautifully rendered and the plot has plenty of unexpected turns. I’m usually a cold weather girl, but the heat in this book is refreshing, and the tone is very different from anything else I’ve read in the genre.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Reunion of old college friends in remote Scottish Highlands? Check. Lots of dysfunctional relationships, weighty secrets, and toxic jealousies? Sign me up! I loved the characters and the atmosphere in Lucy Foley’s moody getaway-gone-wrong suspense novel. The snow plays a major role in ramping up the tension, but it also makes for some beautiful scenes both indoors and out. Cozy up with this one with a glass of red by the fire.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
From the very first line of the prologue, the snow is established as a major plot element in this brilliant, moody why-dunnit. Donna Tartt is my literary god, and this is one of my favorite books of all time. An eccentric group of young people bond and implode at a small New England college in this gorgeous masterpiece.
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
I love the premise of this, and I don’t mind admitting it was a major inspiration for my own novel. A handful of friends, some of them estranged, gather in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Clare, the guest of honor. It takes place in November, and Ware makes you feel the cold in your bones as the danger creeps in. Atmospheric and brooding, cleverly plotted, this book will have you shivering with pleasure even in the midst of a heat wave.
The Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart
I discovered Mary Stewart via a book I read recently by Abbi Waxman called The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. One of the characters, a bookseller, makes an offhand remark about recommending Mary Stewart to someone who loves both Bridget Jones’s Diary and Rebecca. That’s me all over, so I decided to check this author out. Mary Stewart was a British trailblazer who more or less invented the genre of romantic suspense. Her pacing might be a bit slow for modern readers, but this book, published in 1991, is set in an isolated cottage on the fictional island of Moila off the coast of Scotland, and the descriptions of the moody weather and the churning tides alone make it a worthwhile read.
Midnight Son by James Dommek, Jr., Josephine Holtzman and Isaac Kestenbaum
This is an odd choice, since it’s not a book at all but a stand-alone audio program. It was offered as a free download for Audible members, so I gave it a try, even though true crime isn’t usually my bag. I’m so glad I did. I’m a rabid audiophile—I consume so many audiobooks that the titles tend to run together—but this one is utterly unique and memorable. It’s narrated and co-written by James Dommek, Jr., an Alaska Native who brings the world of the vast and hostile Alaskan Arctic to life. It explores Iñukuns, a mysterious mythic tribe, and tells the story of Teddy Kyle Smith, a local film actor who becomes a fugitive overnight. This is a raw, haunting production that will place you right in the heart of the Alaskan Wilderness and lead you on an eerie, dangerous journey you won’t forget.
The Widow’s House by Carol Goodman
My husband and I listened to this during a Christmas road trip, and we loved the rich descriptions of winter in the Hudson Valley. We’re both suckers for a gothic mansion with ghosty undertones and sudden, violent storms, so this book checked plenty of boxes for us. Set in the dilapidated estate known as Riven House, a crumbling mansion once owned by the protagonist’s old college professor, this book has some of the claustrophobic dread of Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca, another one of our favorites. There’s lots of swirling fog and hazy figures emerging from the mist; what’s not to love?
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