As summer 2025 begins to give way to autumn, I am already in full-on binge mode, especially when I’m crafting. Crime dramas/thrillers have always been a personal favorite. There’s nothing like a mysterious murder or disappearance to cozy in with when the weather starts to cool down. With so much to choose from on streaming these days, there’s no shortage of good shows to quell the urge, but lately, I’ve been watching a ton of incredible foreign crime dramas.
The binge began while I was working on a cross-stitch project I’ve been chipping away at for a while. At first, it was easy enough to satisfy with the bajillions of British crime dramas out there. Unfortunately, since I let my Britbox subscription expire, I’ve only been able to watch what’s on AMC+’s BBCA channel or hunt them down through extensive searches. After watching pretty much everything on offer on AMC+, I realized I was going to have to watch outside my comfort zone.
The Åre Murders Has Everything I Need In A Crime Drama
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After a few texts with my best friend, and a couple recommendations from my work friend, I had a handful of Nordic Noir to check out on Netflix. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was gonna need a bigger list.
Starting with The Åre Murders, I was instantly drawn into a compelling story about a teenage girl’s disappearance after leaving a party. Based on Swedish author Vivica Sten’s novels, Hidden In Snow and Hidden In Shadows, the mini-series follows Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander to her sister’s lodge in Åre.
Forced to take a leave of absence after an incident with her partner in Stockholm, Hanna needs a break from the stress of her life. Unfortunately, life has other plans. Drawn into the investigation of a missing teen, she gets herself assigned to the local police after helping with search efforts. As the story unfolds, it’s impossible not to lose yourself in the landscape and the dark, frigid tale of murder that unfolds.
The Åre Murders reminded me almost immediately of 2011’s The Killing, the American version of the Danish series, Forbrydelsen. Both shows featured a missing teen, parents in a strained relationship, friends keeping secrets, and a female cop with history taking the lead. To call them carbon copies of one another, however, would be a lie.
Exploring two gripping murder mysteries, The Åre Murders, the missing teen plotline wraps in three episodes (encompassing Hidden in Snow) before launching into the two-episode adaptation of Hidden In Shadows. The second story follows the brutal murder of a former Olympic skier-turned-instructor, who seemingly didn’t have an enemy in the world. As the plot unfolds, viewers unearth a brutal hidden truth alongside Hanna Ahlander and her partner, Daniel Lindskog that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Sweden Is The Perfect Crime Drama Setting
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Revolving the series around a small Scandinavian Ski resort town only serves to set an environment as chilling as the unexpected crimes that occur there. It’s a town where everyone knows everyone, or so it would seem, and as we all too often learn from crime dramas, those small towns are often the scariest places to live. Hiding secrets in the vast wilderness is much easier than in a big city, and the more people think they know their neighbors, the deeper the mistrust begins to grow when something foul is afoot.
Hanna Ahlander is an interesting protagonist I find myself wanting to know more about. Her partner, local police officer Daniel Lindskog, gets caught between trying to find a good work/home life balance after the birth of his first child. Pairing Ahlander and Linkdskog is brilliant, with her hard-driven passion to solve the crime becoming all-consuming in ways he isn’t used to as a small-town cop. They have a great dynamic, which cements the show’s status as crime drama perfection without question.
The Åre Murders Season 2 Has Not Yet Been Confirmed
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After releasing in February 2025, fans have been eagerly awaiting an announcement from Netflix on the show’s renewal for a second season. There are six novels in Vivica Sten’s Åremorden series, which means there’s still plenty of material to adapt for television. Given the continual growth and popularity of Nordic noir in both literary fiction and on screen, it’s the perfect series for expansion.
I, for one, can’t wait to see where the series goes next. I may even have to pick up Sten’s novels and read ahead to find out what other cases Ahlander and Lindskog find themselves up against. They are sure to become an unforgettable duo, given the chance to grow with new seasons, so, here’s hoping it happens!
