Val McDermid has always had a soft spot for winter: the bitter clarity of a crisp cold day, the crunch of frost on fallen leaves, and the chance to be enveloped in big jumpers and thick socks.

In Winter, McDermid takes us on an adventure through the season, from the frosty streets of Edinburgh to the windblown Scottish coast, from Bonfire Night and Christmas to Burns Night and Up Helly Aa. Recalling in parallel memories from her own childhood—of skating over frozen lakes and carving a “neep” (rutabaga) for Halloween to being taken to see her first real Christmas tree in the town square—McDermid offers a wise and enchanting meditation on winter and its ever-changing, sometimes ephemeral, traditions.

A hygge-filled journey through winter nights, McDermid reminds us that it is a time of rest, retreat and creativity, for scribbling in notebooks and settling in beside the fire. A treat for the hunkering-down, post-holiday reading season, Winter is a charming and cozy celebration of the year’s idle months from one of Scotland’s best-loved writers.

Praise for Winter:

“The perfect little book to get you through winter’s doldrums . . . [in which] the prolific mystery writer Val McDermid offers a warm look at a dark time . . . Winter is more than her memories; it is a celebration of all things cold, dark and Scottish . . . ‘Winter’ is about winter, of course, and about Scottish winter specifically, but it is mostly about the things that inspire McDermid and make her happy. It is a memoir of her heart.”—Laurie Hertzel, Washington Post

“An ode to memories of winters past and a heartfelt appreciation of all the season has to offer.”—NPR

“It’s a lovely, gentle little book, a warming meditation on the coldest, darkest time of the year. Winter celebrates how local Scottish traditions take the bite out of short, frosty days and long, windblown nights.”—Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor

“[A] celebration of the season that is part memoir, part guide to our festive traditions and seems tailor-made for the Christmas market.”—Vikki Reilly, The Scotsman (UK)

“Tartan noir master McDermid (Past Lying) flexes her talent for evocative description in this appealing collection . . . a satisfying collection of literary amuse-bouches.”—Publishers Weekly

“An endearing panorama of Scottish winters, told by a crime novelist on holiday from horror.”—Kirkus Reviews

“McDermid’s writing is lyrical, often profound, and thoroughly enjoyable. The perfect holiday gift for all lovers of nature tales and things Caledonian and for McDermid’s fans, who will appreciate the insights into her creative process and the environment within which her brilliant novels are often set.”—Jane Murphy, Booklist

“A warm hug of a book. I felt like I was sitting by a roaring winter fire and Val was talking to me directly, sometimes singing.”—Jackie Kay, author of Red Dust Road

“Rich, ruminative, and deeply, dazzlingly rousing . . . If winter wasn’t your favorite season already, that’s about to change.”—Michael Pedersen, Edinburgh Makar