I believe this is the first book I've read with a Norwegian setting! How fun. I love Christmas stories, especially as the seasons approaches, and I've always enjoyed stories that center at an Inn. I also love new beginnings, so add in a mystery and I'm really to roll.

I enjoyed getting to know Ingrid and seeing her heal and grow. And the village setting captures the wonderful atmosphere of the holidays. The story has a slower pacing, but gradually picks up. I believe some of the lagging parts might be due to it being translated from the Norwegian language and it has a bit of a different style to it. The mentions of Norwegian traditions and foods were interesting and I was happy for the recipes!

Christmas in Norway! I’ll admit I was not quite sure what to expect when I downloaded Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge, especially when I realized the book was a translation.. But I was so very happily surprised to discover a novel with unusual depth and complexity for a Christmas romance, well developed, fascinating characters, interesting plot lines and considerable Christmas spirit. And perhaps the best part was the setting in an old lodge in Norway.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I’m always looking for new Christmas books to read each year and thought this one sounded like a good one to try. However, after about four or five chapters I was just bored. The story didn’t seem to be progressing much and it was starting to feel a bit repetitive, going over some information more than once in just that short amount of time. Ultimately, I have decided not to continue with this one.

Thank you Net-Galley, Publisher and author for an early copy.

I enjoyed learning about some of the Norwegian traditions at Christmas time. I liked most of the characters, the mystery was pretty easy to figure out, not all of the details but the overall part of it. This story has heartache, love and forgiveness.

The making of new friends and reuniting of old friends. Overall a really good Christmas read. I would love to to Norway and Glitter Peak Lodge!!!

A cozy Christmas story set amidst the Norwegian mountains

Ingrid Berg is famous for her mountain climbing exploits, a career rooted in her childhood growing up at her family’s inn, the Glitter Peak Lodge Located near a small Norwegian village an hour’s drive from LIllehammer, near the tree line in the mountains, the inn has been run by her family for generations. After a recent expedition ended in tragedy (which she is still reliving in terrible dreams), Ingrid is back at Glitter Peak to take over the running of the inn from her aging grandmother. Running an inn is never easy, but the challenges that start cropping up seem to rise above the normal day-to-day incidents. Leaking pipes, cancellations out of nowhere, and then a guest from America whose presence seems to unnerve Nana Borghild add to Ingrid’s burden. She is still trying to heal from her traumatic experience, and is struggling to keep the inn a going concern. When she discovers an old newspaper clipping that hints at an unsolved mystery from years ago, Ingrid realizes that she must figure out how everything ties together if she is to keep her family’s legacy alive.
With the beautiful (if cold!) Norwegian setting and an Advent calendar-like format, in which each chapter is a day in December, the description of this novel intrigued me. The character of Ingrid is a sympathetic one, a wounded person at a crossroads in life who will need to rely on those around her to help her heal from a horrific experience which has cost her both someone for whom she cared deeply and possibly also her career. She is determined to carry on her family’s business despite the challenges of competing against corporately owned lodgings, but is confronted with a host of problems which might cause the inn to fail. There are many mentions of food, and even some recipes included at the end, which is another enticement. I found the book started out rather slowly, although the plot’s pace picked up eventually. This is definitely a warm-and-fuzzy type, Hallmark sort of mystery, not Nordic noir, and as such would appeal to fans of Susan Mallory, Debbie Macomber and Pamela Kelley. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for allowing me early access to this Christmas tale of family, community and healing.

Things I enjoyed about this book include:
Advent Calendar Structure: The book is set up like an advent calendar, with 24 chapters representing the 24 days leading up to Christmas, allowing readers to savor the story one chapter a day or devour it in one sitting.

Norwegian Holiday Traditions: The story is rich with descriptions of traditional Norwegian Christmas customs and foods, such as baking kransekake and saffron buns, decorating an enormous tree with tinsel, and celebrating the Santa Lucia tradition. This provides an immersive cultural experience for readers.

Family Legacy and Secrets: The Glitter Peak Lodge has been in Ingrid's family for generations, and as she takes over the management from her aging grandmother, she uncovers a decades-old mystery that threatens her family's legacy.

Healing and New Beginnings: After a traumatic climbing accident, Ingrid's return to the lodge represents a journey of healing and the possibility of new love, as she navigates her past and the future of the inn.

Cozy Mystery Elements: The story weaves in a cozy mystery, with unexpected cancellations, a nosy American guest, and sabotage, all of which Ingrid must unravel to save the inn and her family's legacy.

Heartwarming and Atmospheric: The book captures the warmth and magic of the holiday season, set against the picturesque backdrop of a small Norwegian village and the Glitter Peak Lodge, creating a cozy and atmospheric reading experience.

Overall, Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge is a delightful and immersive holiday cozy mystery that celebrates the power of family, community, and the enduring spirit of the Christmas season.

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge by Kjersti Herland Johnsen


A Novel: A Heartwarming Holiday Cozy Mystery Set in Snowy Norway

Mark the days till Christmas with this feel-good cozy mystery set at a quaint family inn in the snowy mountains of Norway—structured as an advent calendar for your daily reading pleasure.

An old mystery. A tragic accident. Secrets. Confessions. A new beginning.

After a traumatic climbing accident, well-known Alpinist Ingrid Berg has returned to the small Norwegian village that her family has called home for generations to take over the management of the Glitter Peak Lodge from her aging grandmother, who's no longer up to the task. With Christmas rapidly approaching, the Glitter Peak Lodge staff are busy baking kransekake and saffron buns, decorating an enormous tree with tinsel, and enlisting guests to participate in their Santa Lucia celebration.

But within short order of Ingrid’s return, complications arise that seem out of the ordinary. Unexpected cancellations. An outspoken American guest who seems to unsettle Ingrid’s beloved grandmother. Leaking pipes that may imply sabotage. And then one day, Ingrid discovers a yellowed, decades-old newspaper clipping about an unsolved local mystery…

Will Ingrid be able to figure out what’s going on in time to save the inn—and her family’s legacy—from ruin?

The ultimate holiday treat, Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge is a testament to the healing power of family and home and the magical bonds of community. Set up like an advent calendar, with twenty-four chapters, each set on a different day in December leading up to Christmas, it can be savored one chapter a day or devoured in one sitting.

“Delightful and charming—a breath of lovely mountain air!” —Jenny Colgan, author of The Bookshop on the Corner and The Christmas Bookshop
This is Ingrid Berg and her grandmother, Borghild's story.
I recommend this book.
Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge by Kjersti Herland Johnsen is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Kjersti Herland Johnsen
I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

After a climbing accident Ingrid has returned to take over the running of the family hotel, Glitter Peak Lodge, from her grandmother. Set at the bottom of Glitter Peak in a small Norwegian village the lodge has been in her family for 4+ generations. The family history runs deep in the village and some secrets from the past are about to emerge. Norwegian holiday traditions and foods integrated into the story provide a holiday feel.

I absolutely adore Christmas books and this was one of my favorites. It would make an outstanding movie! So curl up and read until you just can’t stop!

Ingrid, a mountain climber, has returned to Glitter Peak Lodge after a bad accident to help her aging grandmother run the cozy inn. She grew up at the lodge and for her it's like returning home.

This book has 24 chapters, each following Ingrid in a day at the lodge, that leads up to Christmas. It gives the feeling of this reading like an advent calendar.

I thought the organization of this book would be fun and unique but it ended up being very mundane with just daily chores and routines at the lodge. Nothing gripping or anything that grabbed your attention. I feel like it didn’t translate as well to English as it would have been in its original language. Something was missing and the story line jumped all over and it was hard to get into. Very descriptive, which although was nice, also added unnecessary length. I found myself skimming pages instead of reading each word to try and find some sustenance in the book. I ended up DNF this book after 5 chapters. This was just not my cuppa coffee

I learned a lot about Norwegion Christmas customs and the food they serve. There are even some recipes in the back of the book. This story had some secrets that Ingrid is trying to figure out. Then, she may be able to save her families inn. The hostility between her grandmother and their rival is part of the issue, and a big part of the animosity is the secret that has been buried. Through old newspaper articles about a missing girl and a nosy guest, Ingrid begins to unwind the mystery, but she must have information from her grandmother.

A story of secrets, loss, and new love.

Had to DNF at 33%. Was just dragging. Hadn't even gotten to any real mystery yet. Just couldn't care to finish.

I am not sure if it is a translation issue but I found the writing to be very disjointed and hard to follow. I do not recommend this book.

Hello Fellow Readers,

I am not quite ready to think about Christmas much less read about it but in this world, it is time for Christmas books to start arriving. Seems incredible, I know. I bet the Christmas decorations are out along with the Halloween decorations in stores also.


Today’s review is of the book Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge. It has the subtitle, A Heartwarming Holiday Cozy Mystery Set in Snowy Norway. The book is set up like an Advent Calendar. Twenty-four chapters mark the 24 days leading up to Christmas. As the book opens, we find ourselves viewing an avalanche from the eyes of Ingrid Berg. Ingrid was a world-class climber. She had been a climber since she was young but one day in the Himalayas, her world of climbing came to an end. She survived the avalanche, but the memories drove her from climbing back to her family’s hotel, Glitter Peak Lodge. She is back and learning all about her role as manager from her grandmother who has been running the Lodge for years. It is time for her grandmother to retire and Ingrid knows she must step up. The Lodge has financial problems and it seems that something goes wrong practically every day. And then Ingrid’s, ex-love and fellow climber shows up at Ingrid’s door. Ingrid does not want to see him as she blames him for being caught in the avalanche and the death of their friend in the avalanche. Another of Ingrid’s friend arrives with the Influencer who is secretly pregnant. Thow in Ingrid starting to fall in love with an old flame and there is a lot going on.

And then a mysterious American woman and her husband arrive at the Inn. Ingrid’s grandmother is not as welcoming as Ingrid would expect and she doesn’t know why. There is a mystery to untangle that seems to concern the mystery woman, Ingrid’s grandmother, and the town bully.

The book was originally written in Norwegian and translated into English. I think that there is a different style of writing that is sparser than we are used to and more direct. I know they are Swedish translations, but I am thinking of A Man Called Ove and The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared and the Elderly Lady Books. (An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good or An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed) This book has the flavor of those books but is slightly more Americanized.

There is a lot going on in this book. Everything does get tied up in the end but there is a lot to keep track of. (Is that a good guy? A bad guy? Who are all the bad guys?) I think the book is a fine cozy mystery. It might be a little harder to get into the story but then it progresses.

Thanks for reading.

What a delicious book! I love Christmas stories and this one did not disappoint!! What a wonderful Christmas story for December. And I love the Advent chapter idea! It is a beautifully written story about life, death, and everything in between. It takes the reader on a journey of ups and downs just like a roller coaster! It is a marvelous book to put you in this Christmas spirit!

When I came across this one, I thought it would be a great addition to my holiday reading binge. A countdown to Christmas (starting Dec1st), an FMC suffering from PTSD, and beloved friends and family to help her heal in a historical family inn nestled in Norwegian mountains. What a great sounding winter holiday story – right? Meh….. I don’t know where to start with what this story lacked and needed. I’m neither a writer nor an editor nor a publisher; I’m just an avid reader, who found it a struggle getting through this book.

It started out pretty exciting with the FMC, Ingrid, getting caught in an avalanche and being hospitalized for a while and losing a dear friend in the avalanche as well. In the aftermath, Ingrid is suffering from PTSD and has nightmares as well as a fear of climbing now. Not a good thing for a career climber, who is very well known for her climbing expeditions and accomplishments. She also ends her relationship with fellow celebrity climber, Preben, who she felt was to blame for the avalanche.

Ingrid goes back home to Glitter Peak Lodge, where she was raised by her maternal grandmother, Nana Borghild, who has managed the family lodge for more than 50yrs. However, well into her 80’s now, it’s time for her to pass on the management of the lodge because she is struggling to keep it in the family. Nana is so pleased to be turning the lodge over to Ingrid to manage and to hold onto it and keep it in the family, where it has been for more than 130yrs.

Ingrid is struggling to keep reservations up and repairs and upkeep down in the old lodge and enlists the help of a marketing friend to incorporate 21st century promotion and marketing, especially on social media. Just in time for the Christmas holiday, social media influencer, Pia P, enters and well, things are not going well, for Ingrid or the lodge. The arrival of an obnoxious and nosey American couple, who will be guests in the lodge during the Christmas holiday, has Nana fretting over a 60yr old scandal. None of this is a spoiler since it was revealed early in the story.

The second half was a little better than the first half. By that I mean, you just have to plod through the first half with its kind of boring snail’s pace; it does pick up a little in the second half. The same can be said for the storyline and writing too. While the character development for Ingrid and a few other characters was good, the rest of the characters were pretty thin. If I were rating this by parts, the first half would be 2.5 and the second half a 3.0 for an overall rating of 2.75, that I am rounding up to a 3star review. I want to thank NetGalley and HarperVia sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #HarperVia #ChristmasatGlitterPeakLodge

This was a DNF for me., and I don't like giving up on books. However, I picked this one up and put it down so many times without much progress. The description sounded right up my alley with a feel good romantic mystery in a unique setting of Norway. However, it had too much narration and not enough dialogue or action for my tastes. It was so bogged down in description that I can't even tell you what it's really about.

I was given this book to read as an ARC from Harper Collins. I had high hopes because of the description and the cover photo! I won't say that it was a bad story, but it just didn't "grab my attention". It was heavy on descriptive language and characters that talked a lot to each other but there was very little plot, in my opinion. It was building up to a mystery with the grandmother but when it was finally revealed, it really wasn't too exciting. I did enjoy the description of the Norwegian setting and the various characters but sometimes, it went overboard or was redundant. I love reading holiday books in the summer and especially learning about different cultures so that part was fascinating to me. However, the great detail of food and traditions could have been shortened. Overall, the book length was too long. It dragged in many spots. There were a lot of characters to keep track of too. I'm glad I read it but looking back, it was a long story to wade through.

A Norwegian cozy! This follows the classic cozy formula- Ingrid has come home to help at her grandmother's lodge but there's something afoot and she must find the answers to an old mystery. I liked that it was set up as an advent calendar with a chapter representing each day, beginning on 1 December and ending on 24 December. Know that this is a little slow and that you might, if reading on ebook, find yourself googling for translations and more info on various foods and traditions. Know also that much of the info you might want is at the end of the novel (and there are recipes). Thanks to the publisher for the arc. A good read.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me and I was unable to finish it. I like to have lots of dialogue in my stories but this one focus a lot on narration and it seems like a lot of the narration is repeated. I also like my Christmas books to be over run with Christmas vibes but this book was missing that for me. There was cold and snow but nothing that screamed Christmas to me. I wish this would have worked for me because the cover is gorgeous and the synopsis is intriguing.