A fairly predicable Christmas cozy mystery but I still enjoyed. Though I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it at Christmas time.

I really enjoyed this book. I really liked the characters. The plot was great. Would definitely recommend.

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge is the ultimate holiday read—a delightful blend of cozy mystery, family drama, and festive charm wrapped up in a Norwegian winter wonderland. Structured as an advent calendar with 24 chapters leading up to Christmas, this book is perfect for readers who love a daily dose of mystery and holiday magic.

🕵️‍♀️ A Mystery with Holiday Cheer:
Ingrid Berg, a former world-renowned alpinist, returns home to run her family’s historic Glitter Peak Lodge, only to find herself caught up in an unfolding mystery. Strange happenings, a cryptic newspaper clipping about an old unsolved case, and suspicious events threaten the inn’s future just as Christmas approaches. With family traditions, holiday treats, and deep-seated secrets coming to light, Ingrid must unravel the truth before it’s too late.

❄️ Why You’ll Love This Book:
✔ Scenic Norwegian Setting – The snowy mountain lodge feels like stepping into a Hallmark Christmas movie, complete with kransekake, saffron buns, and a glowing holiday tree.
✔ Family, Tradition & Second Chances – Ingrid’s return home isn’t just about solving a mystery; it’s a story of healing, rediscovering family bonds, and embracing change.
✔ Intriguing Cozy Mystery – With sabotage, secrets, and a decades-old unsolved case, the suspense is light but engaging, perfect for fans of whodunits with heart.
✔ Perfect for Advent Reading – The unique one-chapter-a-day format makes this an ideal holiday countdown, but trust me—you’ll want to binge-read it in one sitting!

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge is a must-read for lovers of cozy mysteries, heartwarming holiday stories, and books set in charming wintry locales. Whether you read it as an advent calendar tradition or devour it all at once, this book is sure to fill you with festive joy and a touch of mystery!

A cozy lodge in a snowy Norwegian village? Sounds magical. A once-famous alpinist taking over her family’s inn? Love it. A festive countdown to Christmas? Sign me up. But Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge ends up being less of a Hallmark movie and more of a slow, meandering walk through Norwegian holiday traditions. Ingrid Berg is recovering from a major climbing accident and finds herself back home, suddenly in charge of her grandmother’s lodge. She’s got a lot on her plate—family drama, business struggles, and a few mysterious secrets lurking in the lodge’s history. Sounds great, right? Well, yes… and no.

The story is structured like an advent calendar—24 chapters counting down to Christmas—which is cute in theory, but in reality? It makes the pacing so slow. There’s a ton of detail about Norwegian holiday traditions, which is charming, but sometimes overshadows the actual plot. Ingrid’s personal journey, the mystery elements, and the emotional weight of her return home all take a backseat to long descriptions of festive foods and decorations. I wanted more depth and urgency, but instead, it felt like the book was constantly stopping to admire the holiday scenery.

I’m giving Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge 3 out of 5 stars. It’s got cozy vibes, a stunning setting, and lots of Christmas charm—but if you’re looking for something fast-paced or romance-heavy, this might not be it. If you’re in the mood for a slow, atmospheric holiday read with a focus on family, traditions, and a sprinkle of mystery, then grab a cup of gløgg and settle in! Just be prepared for a very leisurely ride.

This takes the usual feel good holiday read and turns it a bit on its head by adding a mystery, family secrets and a Norwegian setting to the mix. This one also was set up to be read during Advent, like opening an Advent calendar one day at a time with one chapter at a time which is a fun and unique twist. This was translated from Norwegian to English, and I always feel like translations may be missing some of the original atmosphere and intention from the original version.

Famed Alpine climber Ingrid returns home after an accident to help her grandmother run the family’s lodge. Things are not going great at Glitter Peak Lodge; cancellations and leaking pipes threaten the future of the lodge. Then an old newspaper is found and brings an old local mystery to light and Ingrid wonders what her grandmother knows.

All of this stress adds to Ingrid’s own complicated retirement from climbing.

I felt the book moved a little slow. The mystery element was good but I felt it wasn’t as climatic as it could have been,

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for an advance copy.

A feel good read with some heavy content but wrapped in cute Christmas themes.

I love that this was set up like an advent calendar. I wish I'd had to the time to enjoy this during December, as I think I could have easily fit a day read into each busy day. I found the main character okay and I liked getting to know the town. I did find the story a little stilted by long winded conversations that I'd wished mixed in a little more action or plot movement.

But it was just what I wanted, a light read with some interesting topics tackled. I liked it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

A fun but forgettable, sometimes sad Christmas romance (closed door). This was more slow moving than I wanted it to be, but Ingrid and Thor were both sweet, and the family mystery was interesting. The setting of the Norwegian ski lodge was beautiful. I just wish the mystery aspect had been stronger.

I enjoyed this book. And I'm surprised at the low ratings. I find it a lovely story. The overall theme is family secrets. I think there is hardly a character In this book who isn't holding a secret close to their heart. But secrets have a way of coming out and this book shares the story of a old secrets, new secrets, lost love, dreams reborn, new beginnings and the type of cozy you want at the holidays. Each chapter is a day in the month of December. You can Make this a daily read for the entire month. Or you can read it as you normally would. Either way, you are invited into Ingrid's life as she recovers from an accident and her new normal of managing her family's hotel. The first half is setting the story and is mostly narrative from Ingrid. Its a bit of a slog to get through. However, it is the set up for an exciting 2nd half. You also get to explore Norwegian culture and Holiday customs. This is also the first book I've read that talks about mountain climbing. The lives of each character and family grouping as they intersect and how each bring peace & comfort when most needed is just a cozy holiday read that takes you away from all the crazy shopping & decorating to see what really matters. A Small touch of closed door romance is added. The cover is beautiful. The translation was spot on and I would read more by this author. Thank you netgalley and #HarperVia for the eArc.

While this wasn't my favorite Christmas mystery, it was a decent read. I feel like some parts just didn't jive well. Loved the grandparent mentions.

I would give this author another go.

I love, love, love to read books about the holidays during holiday time and this year was no exception. I read or listened to four different ones this year.
I was sent Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge by Kjersti Herland Johnsen by the publicist. This one can be read one chapter a day “like an Advent calendar” it said. Loved it! I loved the mix of mystery and romance. I thought it might be light and fluffy but it was a solid story.

This book is set up so you can read a chapter a day - a reading advent calendar for Christmas. I thought it was a cute concept. The story revolves around Ingrid, a young woman who runs a family hotel in the mountains, uncovering family secrets and trying to keep the hotel running despite issue after issue popping up. I think if you read this like you might any other book (several chapters at once) and see it as a lighthearted Christmas read, you'll enjoy it. Unfortunately I think the chapter a day method felt clunky. To better immerse readers in the Norwegian culture, the English translation includes some detailed descriptions of Norwegian culture and words. Occasionally this took me out of the moment, but I did appreciate the reference at the back.

"Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge" was not at all what I'd anticipated. Set in Norway, there's a lot of cultural things to learn about, which was fun. But, for me, the characters weren't relatable, so I found the story a bit of a chore to get through.

You have the FMC, Ingrid, who is recovering from a mountaineering accident that cost her her unborn child, her lifelong passion, and her partnership. Facing an uncertain future, she decides to return home finally and take over the family business that her grandmother has been running on her own. The problem is, there are forces at work that are trying to force Ingrid and her grandmother to sell their beloved hotel.

Add to that, unusual guests and mysterious goings-on, and I spent a lot of time just trying to piece everything together.

Thank you to Kjersti Herland Johnsen, HarperVia, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

When NetGalley offered me an advanced reader copy, I was delighted to have an early Christmas read. However, this was not an easy book to embrace. It just seemed to lose direction a few times. Think of one of the average Hallmark movies, and you will have a sense of this book. I recommend it for a weekend where you don’t want a book to take over your time but rather allows you to come and go without becoming obsessed. But, I am wondering if it would be more enjoyable as a hard copy so I might look for a copy. This somewhat tepid opinion is my own.

Translated from Norwegian, this story is set in the Norwegian mountains in a picturesque small village. There are the usual cast of characters from a small town, the oligarch and town bully, the close-knit villagers wary of outsiders and the boy from school that had been Ingrid’s best friend and becomes her romantic interest. The descriptions are such that it is easy to imagine the area and the atmosphere of the season. The author describes many of the Norwegian traditional Christmas dishes and celebrations and thoughtfully includes a glossary of terms and recipes at the end. It is a light story that holds your interest and provides an insight into Norwegian traditions for the holiday season.

This book is sold as “structured like an advent calendar for your daily reading pleasure,” but marketing it that way seems like a huge mistake. The 25 chapters are just arbitrarily divided and not set up to work for a day-by-day pace. My group of 10 friends I read it with this way all agreed it made the story feel tedious instead of cozy.

If you’re going to read it, skip the advent calendar gimmick and just enjoy it in a couple of sittings like any other holiday read.

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge
By Kjersti Herland Johnsen

Ingrid Berg, after being caught in a landslide with terrible consequences, has returned to Glitter Peak Lodge to take over as manager and relieve her Nana Borghild. Nana had raised Ingrid since her parents were killed when she was three, and has kept the family business going as it has been for over 100 years.

The job of staving off creditors and keeping the lodge operating is daunting. This is Ingrid's first Christmas season as manager and she is overwhelmed. And this is definitely not a normal Christmas.

There are too many plot lines to discuss in a review. Suffice it to say that the cast of characters is delightful – even the ones you may choose not to like. They are all well developed and readers will find themselves captivated by all their individual stories. The author has done a masterful job of bringing all of these stories together in the end.

All of these characters are imperfect. It is just these imperfections that make them human and endearing. Everyone from grumpy old Hallgrim to the young and rambunctious Hussein well keep you engrossed in this wonderful Christmas story.

There was a lot going on in this book.
I loved the mountaineering aspects in the book. I loved hearing about the FMC’s experience as a climber. I also loved all the pieces of Norwegian culture and traditional sprinkled throughout the text. It made it so atmospheric having those cultural aspects in the story. There’s a glossary in the back and recipes to help solidify these cultural and traditional holiday foods and activities which is an excellent feature.
I also loved that it is set up like an advent calendar, where there’s a chapter for each day of December leading up to Christmas.

The storyline has some cheesy, cringey moments in it, but that doesn’t really bother me in holiday stories.
This one is kind of all over the place; there’s a lot of things going on. I think it would have been better if it focused more on one or two side stories rather than all of the ones mentioned.


Overall I think it’s a nice holiday read. The daily advent chapters made it easy to keep going and if you like learning about other cultures you’ll love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Ingrid returns to her Nanas Inn after a bad skiing accident for a fresh start. Things start happening at the inn that she has to work through. This book is meant to be read a chapter per day . If you like a cozy mystery set in Norway you will like this one.

I loved the idea of this book. The "1 chapter a day in December like an advent calendar", the atmospheric setting, and the story set up. Unfortunately, I found the book long winded - even each sentence just felt a bit over the top. This could also be because it was translated. This just wasn't the holiday book for me. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for this ARC.