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Hidden in Lies
The suspicious death of a university student at the Åre ski resort exposes secrets and lies among friends in a novel of chilling suspense by the acclaimed author of Hidden in Memories.
On a Friday in Åre, six university students arrive for a week of skiing and partying. By Sunday morning only five are alive. The body of their friend Filippa is found in the brutally cold outdoors, showing no signs of assault. It’s as if the barefoot young woman just curled up in a snowdrift to die.
It appears to be a tragic misfortune. And Detective Inspectors Hanna Ahlander and Daniel Lindskog, both at turning points in their personal lives, aren’t anxious to get involved. But Hanna can’t ignore her gut instinct. This is no accident. This is another murder in Åre. Filippa’s best friend, Olivia, has her suspicions too. But who among her tight-knit clique was the last to see Filippa alive?
As, one by one, the friends are pitted against each other, another crime rocks the resort. For Hanna and Daniel, it’s a race against time to separate the truth from the lies, before someone else dies.
On a Friday in Åre, six university students arrive for a week of skiing and partying. By Sunday morning only five are alive. The body of their friend Filippa is found in the brutally cold outdoors, showing no signs of assault. It’s as if the barefoot young woman just curled up in a snowdrift to die.
It appears to be a tragic misfortune. And Detective Inspectors Hanna Ahlander and Daniel Lindskog, both at turning points in their personal lives, aren’t anxious to get involved. But Hanna can’t ignore her gut instinct. This is no accident. This is another murder in Åre. Filippa’s best friend, Olivia, has her suspicions too. But who among her tight-knit clique was the last to see Filippa alive?
As, one by one, the friends are pitted against each other, another crime rocks the resort. For Hanna and Daniel, it’s a race against time to separate the truth from the lies, before someone else dies.
447 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2026
About the author
Viveca Sten
74 books1,183 followersViveca Sten made her author debut with crime novel Still Waters. It soon became a huge hit with both critics and readers and today the author has sold almost 3 million copies of her books worldwide.
In May 2014, her seventh novel, The Price of Power, was published in Sweden. It was hugely successful and Viveca cemented her place as one of the country’s most popular authors. Her Sandhamn Murder Series continues to top the best seller charts, not to mention the whopping success of the TV mini-series that is based on Viveca’s novels. An estimated 30 million people around the globe have been watching the adventures of Nora and Thomas unfold on the TV screen.
Today, Viveca lives in Stockholm with her husband and three children. During the summer months she leaves for Sandhamn to write and spend the holidays with her family. This year she has also been working on a cookbook that features stories from the Stockholm archipelago
.
In May 2014, her seventh novel, The Price of Power, was published in Sweden. It was hugely successful and Viveca cemented her place as one of the country’s most popular authors. Her Sandhamn Murder Series continues to top the best seller charts, not to mention the whopping success of the TV mini-series that is based on Viveca’s novels. An estimated 30 million people around the globe have been watching the adventures of Nora and Thomas unfold on the TV screen.
Today, Viveca lives in Stockholm with her husband and three children. During the summer months she leaves for Sandhamn to write and spend the holidays with her family. This year she has also been working on a cookbook that features stories from the Stockholm archipelago
.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 9, 2026
3.5 rounded to 4.
I totally grabbed this thinking it was Camilla Sten, but it's actually her mother's book. Oops! Still a good story but no horror elements. It's a decent mystery though. This is a part of a series called The Are Murders series and follows vases handled by Det Hanna Ahlander and Daniel Lindskog.
Six students take a trip in Are for a ski week. There is a ton of noise, partying, drinking and questionable behaviors that lead to a confrontation from a local. The following morning one of the students is found dead. Was it an unfortunate accident that stemmed from bad choices or was it murder?
The story is pretty tense and the friendships are put through the ringer. I was fooled by the perpetrator. I really loved the setting. I also enjoyed the two detectives but felt like I was missing quite a bit of context and should have started the series from the beginning.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
I totally grabbed this thinking it was Camilla Sten, but it's actually her mother's book. Oops! Still a good story but no horror elements. It's a decent mystery though. This is a part of a series called The Are Murders series and follows vases handled by Det Hanna Ahlander and Daniel Lindskog.
Six students take a trip in Are for a ski week. There is a ton of noise, partying, drinking and questionable behaviors that lead to a confrontation from a local. The following morning one of the students is found dead. Was it an unfortunate accident that stemmed from bad choices or was it murder?
The story is pretty tense and the friendships are put through the ringer. I was fooled by the perpetrator. I really loved the setting. I also enjoyed the two detectives but felt like I was missing quite a bit of context and should have started the series from the beginning.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 9, 2026
I'm just a sucker for these Scandinavian mysteries. The cold and weather is just as much a character as anyone else and permeates everything that happens. This story revolves around a group of young people who spend time in a cabin, but one is found dead in the snow and it's suspicious.
The young people think they can keep their secrets, which never works out, and we get to follow the detectives and their lives. The narration is good and makes everything easy to follow.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this
The young people think they can keep their secrets, which never works out, and we get to follow the detectives and their lives. The narration is good and makes everything easy to follow.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this
May 8, 2026
Another good mystery to this series! I didn’t enjoy the plot as much as the other books in the series. However, I did like the narrator for the book, she did a great job capturing the emotions of the characters. I definitely recommend this series to anybody and love the main characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Finished reading: May 3rd 2026
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Brilliance Audio in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
REVIEW
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was first introduced to The Are Murder series with 2025s “Hidden in Memories”. I immediately became a fan of Viveca Sten’s writing style. She creates dark procedural mysteries that have you hanging on to every word. “Hidden in Lies”, the 4th book in the series does not fall short in any way.
When a group of college students go on holiday on a skiing trip (a lot of partying and a little bit of skiing), things don’t go as planned. Well, not everyone’s plans. One of them, a 19-year-old young lady by the name of Filippa, is found dead outside. Did someone break in and kill her? Did one of the group? Did one of the locals? Fortunately for us, DI Ahlander and DI Lindskog are here to investigate, and we are along for the journey.
These books are not gruesome, but they are dark. This series also tackles some uncomfortable topics and provide a few uncomfortable scenes in the book. In this novel, there is a scene where someone is taken advantage of while they are sleeping, and another scene with highly inappropriate activity to shock a neighbor.
As with the previous entry in this series, there is a lot of character depth and personal stories involving the detectives on this case.
I thoroughly enjoy the audiobooks to this series. Laura Jennings is an excellent narrator.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
When a group of college students go on holiday on a skiing trip (a lot of partying and a little bit of skiing), things don’t go as planned. Well, not everyone’s plans. One of them, a 19-year-old young lady by the name of Filippa, is found dead outside. Did someone break in and kill her? Did one of the group? Did one of the locals? Fortunately for us, DI Ahlander and DI Lindskog are here to investigate, and we are along for the journey.
These books are not gruesome, but they are dark. This series also tackles some uncomfortable topics and provide a few uncomfortable scenes in the book. In this novel, there is a scene where someone is taken advantage of while they are sleeping, and another scene with highly inappropriate activity to shock a neighbor.
As with the previous entry in this series, there is a lot of character depth and personal stories involving the detectives on this case.
I thoroughly enjoy the audiobooks to this series. Laura Jennings is an excellent narrator.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sten writes another great book in the Are Murders series. Now that we know the characters it’s so easy to root for them, not only to solve the crime(s), but also in their personal lives. Six university students, four men and two women, rent a cabin for a weekend of skiing and drinking. One of the girls is found dead in the snow. It could have been an accident, but it’s Hanna and Daniel’s job to figure it out. All the characters are suspicious, and it’s not even clear whether it was foul play or if it was just an accident. Laura Jennings reprises the voices that she’s used for these characters in previous volumes and comes up with new ones for the cast of suspects. She makes them all distinctive, so it’s never a question of who’s saying what. The plot is solid and fast-paced, flowing nicely and with short chapters that kept me riveted. But it’s the main characters that made me care. Anton’s side story had me gasping and cheering and completely invested. Hanna and Daniel are also evolving and growing. I’m usually more interested in the procedural aspect of these novels, but Sten finds a nice balance between the plot and the emotional core. Consider me a fan of this series.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Brilliance Audio.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Brilliance Audio.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the 4th book in this series, and probably my 7th or 8th read by this author, who can always be relied upon to create an interesting mystery in a beautiful-sounding place. Although I found the plot of this particular book to be a little predictable (I think because of my familiarity with the author's work), it was a good addition to this series, and the big picture stories of the main characters also moved forward a bit.
One nitpicky little note on the writing: Because I listened to this as an audiobook, I got a little hung up on the similar-sounding character names of two of the suspects, as well as the sister and the love interest of one of the investigators. There were already a lot of characters to keep straight because the murder takes place among a group of 6 friends, and there are several other side characters or suspects, so I wished the author had given more thought to the naming!
As for the narration, I found it to be pretty good as usual for this series, and aside from the name confusion, it was an easy listen.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this ALC and are my honest feedback!
One nitpicky little note on the writing: Because I listened to this as an audiobook, I got a little hung up on the similar-sounding character names of two of the suspects, as well as the sister and the love interest of one of the investigators. There were already a lot of characters to keep straight because the murder takes place among a group of 6 friends, and there are several other side characters or suspects, so I wished the author had given more thought to the naming!
As for the narration, I found it to be pretty good as usual for this series, and aside from the name confusion, it was an easy listen.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this ALC and are my honest feedback!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hidden in Lies tells the story of a young woman's murder at an upscale ski resort in the Swedish Alps. Detective Inspectors Hanna Ahlander and Daniel Lindskog work together to solve the murder — and several other mysteries — while navigating the ups and downs of their personal lives.
Sten's writing perfectly captures the isolation and chill of a snowy alpine resort, making the cold setting feel as much a part of the story as the characters themselves.
This is the fourth book in Viveca Sten's ÅRE Murders series, and the first one I had read — but I cannot stress enough how seamlessly it works as a standalone. I never felt like I was dropping into the middle of an ongoing story, which can be a real pitfall with detective series. The character development of both inspectors is thorough and detailed, and I feel like I genuinely know and like Hanna and Daniel. I can't wait to see what comes next.
I wanted this novel to be longer!! I loved learning about these young people whose glamorous getaway suddenly turns violent and watching the detectives set aside their personal lives to fully immerse themselves in the case.
Sten's writing perfectly captures the isolation and chill of a snowy alpine resort, making the cold setting feel as much a part of the story as the characters themselves.
This is the fourth book in Viveca Sten's ÅRE Murders series, and the first one I had read — but I cannot stress enough how seamlessly it works as a standalone. I never felt like I was dropping into the middle of an ongoing story, which can be a real pitfall with detective series. The character development of both inspectors is thorough and detailed, and I feel like I genuinely know and like Hanna and Daniel. I can't wait to see what comes next.
I wanted this novel to be longer!! I loved learning about these young people whose glamorous getaway suddenly turns violent and watching the detectives set aside their personal lives to fully immerse themselves in the case.
May 9, 2026
So Many Mysteries!
The title is very well chosen for this mystery about 6 college friends who set out to enjoy a week of skiing during their school break. The atmosphere moves from carefree and typical of young college students (world-wide, it would seem) to their varied responses to one tragedy after another. Police detectives, Hanna, Daniel, and Anton enter to try to solve the many mysteries, while navigating dilemmas in their own relationships.
I love Viveca Sten’s books, especially since I knew so little of life in Sweden before I read the first Sandhamm Murders book. It’s an education in a different world than mine, learning about life in the skiing center of Are and in the archipelago that is part of Stockholm. This book also demonstrates the difference in police procedures in Sweden from those popularized in various books and TV series about policing in the USA.
I also must mention the translator, Marlaine Delargy, who has managed to maintain the nuances of the original language while smoothly transitioning to English. It is much appreciated!
The title is very well chosen for this mystery about 6 college friends who set out to enjoy a week of skiing during their school break. The atmosphere moves from carefree and typical of young college students (world-wide, it would seem) to their varied responses to one tragedy after another. Police detectives, Hanna, Daniel, and Anton enter to try to solve the many mysteries, while navigating dilemmas in their own relationships.
I love Viveca Sten’s books, especially since I knew so little of life in Sweden before I read the first Sandhamm Murders book. It’s an education in a different world than mine, learning about life in the skiing center of Are and in the archipelago that is part of Stockholm. This book also demonstrates the difference in police procedures in Sweden from those popularized in various books and TV series about policing in the USA.
I also must mention the translator, Marlaine Delargy, who has managed to maintain the nuances of the original language while smoothly transitioning to English. It is much appreciated!
May 9, 2026
This book is part of a series and fairly new to me, I read and enjoyed the previous book.
A group of students go to the holiday home of one of them for a week of letting their hair down and skiing. This has a tragic start when one of the girls is found dead in the snow in below freezing temperatures. Could this be a tragic accident or something more sinister?
Hannah, Daniel and Anton are back as the investigating team and we find out more about their back stories and loves.
The group of students were mostly unlikable and I couldn't warm to any of them apart from perhaps Emil. The neighbours were awful too as was Anton's dad so there is a bit of a theme.
There are enough twists to hold interest with some red herrings to keep the reader guessing.
The narration was excellent. I preferred the previous book but I think that was mainly due to the characters in that.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the DRC
A group of students go to the holiday home of one of them for a week of letting their hair down and skiing. This has a tragic start when one of the girls is found dead in the snow in below freezing temperatures. Could this be a tragic accident or something more sinister?
Hannah, Daniel and Anton are back as the investigating team and we find out more about their back stories and loves.
The group of students were mostly unlikable and I couldn't warm to any of them apart from perhaps Emil. The neighbours were awful too as was Anton's dad so there is a bit of a theme.
There are enough twists to hold interest with some red herrings to keep the reader guessing.
The narration was excellent. I preferred the previous book but I think that was mainly due to the characters in that.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the DRC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This aptly named mystery novel finds the Åre-area detectives working to unravel the truth about a dead body in the snow. Everyone is lying to them. And, because they are human, they are lying to themselves and to the important people in their lives -- not about the murder, but about their private lives. The story is well-paced, the audiobook narration is excellent, and the plot is strong.
One suggestion is to consider the character names when translating from Swedish. It took me a while to stop confusing Emir and Emile when listening to the audiobook.
The series has a good mix of detectives and their stories vs. the murder case. I look forward to more in this series.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheAreMurders for review purposes. Publication date: 5 May 2026.
One suggestion is to consider the character names when translating from Swedish. It took me a while to stop confusing Emir and Emile when listening to the audiobook.
The series has a good mix of detectives and their stories vs. the murder case. I look forward to more in this series.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheAreMurders for review purposes. Publication date: 5 May 2026.
May 9, 2026
Full disclosure: This is part of a series!!! I had no idea when I was approved to read this book via netgalley lol. With that being said though, besides some small relationship type plots it was easy to read this book on its own without having read the other three.
When a young women dies in a remote ski town Hanna and her colleges are soon knee deep in an investigation. The friends are hiding information from the police, the neighbors dislike neigh loath the family and the teens who came to party at the ski town, and each detective is dealing with their own personal trials. I was rooting for Hanna and Daniel to solve the case, and to finally wake up and realize that they like each other as more than work partners. The case had it's highs and lows along with a lot of twists and turns. You didn't know who to trust or who to point the finger at until the bitter end.
When a young women dies in a remote ski town Hanna and her colleges are soon knee deep in an investigation. The friends are hiding information from the police, the neighbors dislike neigh loath the family and the teens who came to party at the ski town, and each detective is dealing with their own personal trials. I was rooting for Hanna and Daniel to solve the case, and to finally wake up and realize that they like each other as more than work partners. The case had it's highs and lows along with a lot of twists and turns. You didn't know who to trust or who to point the finger at until the bitter end.
May 13, 2026
Unpredictable - but not in a good way
The set up is great. Four students on a ski vacation to celebrate the end of term. They know each other but don’t KNOW each. Lots of drinking drugs etc and one ends up dead. We only know what’s going on in the heads of the two girls so the boys are all a mystery. Who could it be? This is interspersed with too much personal background on the detectives - Hanna, Anton and Daniel, at the expense of understanding the victims and possible perpetrators. Also there is a very big avenue to investigate that is so obvious and completely overlooked that it should be embarrassing to all 3 detectives and their entire team. I’m afraid this is my last book in this series but I wish the author well.
The set up is great. Four students on a ski vacation to celebrate the end of term. They know each other but don’t KNOW each. Lots of drinking drugs etc and one ends up dead. We only know what’s going on in the heads of the two girls so the boys are all a mystery. Who could it be? This is interspersed with too much personal background on the detectives - Hanna, Anton and Daniel, at the expense of understanding the victims and possible perpetrators. Also there is a very big avenue to investigate that is so obvious and completely overlooked that it should be embarrassing to all 3 detectives and their entire team. I’m afraid this is my last book in this series but I wish the author well.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was my first Viveca Sten book and I'm a bit mad at myself that I haven't read the first 3 books yet! I love the main characters - Hanna and Daniel, detective partners who are tasked with solving a murder, while also dealing with situations in their personal lives. While this book can be a standalone, Sten made the back story easy to follow. I enjoyed the writing style, the premise, the mystery and the drama. 4.25 stars
Thank you to the author, Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for this ALC!
Thank you to the author, Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for this ALC!
May 10, 2026
I always get attached to the characters in this series, and this one kept that same interest. Their life choices can be surprising, but they still feel understandable in a way that makes them easy to stay invested in.
The story builds in layers, showing different sides of situations through multiple perspectives and slowly changing how things are understood as more is revealed.
Even though the ending didn’t fully match what I would have preferred, the experience stayed engaging from start to finish and was still very enjoyable.
The story builds in layers, showing different sides of situations through multiple perspectives and slowly changing how things are understood as more is revealed.
Even though the ending didn’t fully match what I would have preferred, the experience stayed engaging from start to finish and was still very enjoyable.
May 5, 2026
Hidden in Lies by Viveca Sten
Narration, Laura Jennings
Translator, Marlaine Delargy
I have read several books in this series as well as the previous series by this author. I like these books but I do get annoyed with the main characters and their personal problems. The murder in this one had a solution that was a bit out of left field but the ending was exciting.
Narration was excellent.
Thanks to NetGalley
Narration, Laura Jennings
Translator, Marlaine Delargy
I have read several books in this series as well as the previous series by this author. I like these books but I do get annoyed with the main characters and their personal problems. The murder in this one had a solution that was a bit out of left field but the ending was exciting.
Narration was excellent.
Thanks to NetGalley
May 6, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing (Brilliance Audio) for this copy of Viveca Sten’s Hidden in Lies audiobook narrated by Laura Jennings. The story was intriguing, keeping me engaged as I tried to figure out the guilty party(ies), and the narration was very good. This is a good mystery.
May 1, 2026
NetGalley review:
Set against the moody, coastal backdrop of Sweden, the story blends a chilling investigation with deeply personal struggles, giving it that signature Scandinavian edge. Even though parts of the story are a bit predictable, it was very entertaining.
Set against the moody, coastal backdrop of Sweden, the story blends a chilling investigation with deeply personal struggles, giving it that signature Scandinavian edge. Even though parts of the story are a bit predictable, it was very entertaining.
May 15, 2026
another great story
Loved this book - I wish they lasted longer!!! But all questions answered all plots solved - can’t wait to see what happens with h & d in the future - hurry up with the next one viveca!!
Loved this book - I wish they lasted longer!!! But all questions answered all plots solved - can’t wait to see what happens with h & d in the future - hurry up with the next one viveca!!
May 6, 2026
Another big hit from Civics Sten
I have read many books by this author and I have loved them all! A great mystery! And, I did not figure it out ahead of time.
I have read many books by this author and I have loved them all! A great mystery! And, I did not figure it out ahead of time.
May 8, 2026
Its an exiting book with all types of different life drama and good police work and also exiting skiing.However in my opinion it would be better if the two gay persons where removed from the story.
May 9, 2026
This book didn't grab me like the others in this series did.
Did Not Finish
May 11, 2026The first few pages just couldn't keep me interested, not like her other books.
May 12, 2026
I liked the ending of this one.
May 11, 2026
this series just gets better
Book 4 in the Åre murder mystery series. A nice mystery with a great sense of place and well developed characters whose personal lives continue despite the heavy work load. I look forward to my next visit to snowy Åre, Sweden.
Book 4 in the Åre murder mystery series. A nice mystery with a great sense of place and well developed characters whose personal lives continue despite the heavy work load. I look forward to my next visit to snowy Åre, Sweden.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews