Explore the real-world places that appear in The Girls in the Snow by Checkley Smith. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Central Police Department Homicide Unit, Riverside Park, Lincoln High School, The Metro Coffee House, Winter's Edge Shopping District and 8 more.
Downtown — Detective headquarters
The homicide detectives investigating the murders of the girls work from this precinct office. Detective Morrison and her partner review forensic evidence, interview witnesses, and piece together the timeline of the disappearances. The pressure mounts as the case goes cold and another girl vanishes. Critical case meetings occur here as the detectives debate theories about a serial killer.
Police headquarters in major U.S. cities became centralized in the mid-20th century, with homicide divisions becoming specialized investigative units during the crime wave of the 1970s-1990s.
Modern police precincts remain centers of criminal investigation, though many have updated their forensic capabilities and databases since the period when this novel may be set.
Waterfront — Where the first body is discovered
A jogger discovers the body of Sarah Chen, the first victim, partially hidden in the snow near the frozen riverside. Her blue jacket is still visible beneath the white blanket. Detective Morrison arrives at dawn and examines the crime scene, noting the killer left no obvious evidence. The location suggests the killer has knowledge of the park's remote sections.
Riverside parks in American cities have long been popular recreational areas, but they became known crime hotspots in winter months when fewer people venture out. Parks near water have historically been sites of both beauty and danger.
Riverside parks remain popular for jogging, walking, and recreational activities, with increased police patrols in winter months and improved lighting installed in many parks since the 1990s.
Visit: Riverside Park (park)
Midtown — School where victims were enrolled
Three of the victims — Sarah Chen, Jessica Rodriguez, and Emma Thompson — were students here. They knew each other from the debate team and art club. Detective Morrison interviews their teachers and friends, learning about their routines and who they spent time with after school. The school becomes a place of grief and fear as students realize one of their own may be a killer.
High schools became focal points for crime prevention in the 1990s as schools installed security measures and resource officers. Teen murders received heightened media attention during this period.
High schools today maintain security protocols, counseling services, and memorial spaces for tragedy. Lincoln High maintains active academic and athletic programs.
downtown café — Social hub where victims were seen together
All four victims frequented this downtown coffee shop after school, studying together and discussing their college plans. The barista recalls seeing them here regularly and remembers Sarah Chen sitting alone in the corner booth the week before her death. Detective Morrison reviews security footage and discovers an unidentified man in a dark coat watching them from a nearby table.
Coffee houses became popular teenage hangouts in the 1980s-1990s, serving as informal community gathering spaces. They were often safe, well-lit alternatives to other venues for young people.
The Metro continues as a local café with counter service and seating areas. Many independent coffee shops have upgraded their security systems and camera coverage.
Visit: The Metro Coffee House (restaurant)
Commercial avenue — Where Jessica Rodriguez was last seen
Jessica Rodriguez texted her friend that she was going to the mall after school to do Christmas shopping. Security cameras capture her entering the shopping district at 4:15 p.m. but she never leaves. Her parents report her missing that evening. The detectives canvas shop owners and review hours of footage, but find no sign of where she went or who she left with.
Shopping districts and malls became major adolescent gathering spaces in the 1980s-1990s. However, they also became venues where predators could blend in with crowds and target vulnerable young people.
Shopping districts in most cities now maintain enhanced security presence, security cameras, and police patrols, especially during peak hours and holiday seasons.
Visit: Winter's Edge Shopping District (landmark)
Medical examiner's office — Where autopsies are performed
Dr. Patricia Wells, the medical examiner, performs autopsies on the victims and discovers disturbing patterns. All four girls show signs of hypothermia but also blunt force trauma. Dr. Wells theorizes they were killed elsewhere and deliberately left in the snow to freeze, arranged in a precise formation. She briefs Detective Morrison on her findings, noting the killer has anatomical knowledge.
Medical examiners' offices became more sophisticated in the 1990s with improved forensic technology, DNA analysis, and toxicology. They became crucial partners in homicide investigations.
Modern medical examiners' offices employ advanced forensic techniques including DNA analysis, digital imaging, and molecular autopsy methods. St. Mary's remains a major medical and research institution.
University grounds — Where Emma Thompson studied pre-med
Emma Thompson, a freshman pre-med student, was last seen leaving her organic chemistry class at 3 p.m. Her roommate says she mentioned meeting someone at the library but never returned. Detective Morrison finds a journal in Emma's dorm room where she writes about a mysterious older man she met at a campus bookstore who showed romantic interest in her. The campus becomes the focal point when it's revealed the killer may have access to university facilities.
College campuses became crime hotspots in the 1990s as universities expanded security measures and established campus police departments. Young female students were identified as a vulnerable population.
Blackwood College operates with modern security systems, emergency call stations, and active campus safety programs. The campus maintains memorials and educational programs about personal safety.
Visit: Blackwood College (landmark)
Wooded hiking path — Where Emma Thompson's body was found
Three weeks after Emma's disappearance, a group of hikers discover her body arranged carefully in the snow at the base of the ravine, positioned as if sleeping. Her arms are crossed over her chest and her blonde hair is fanned out across the white snow. Detective Morrison realizes the killer is staging the bodies deliberately. The precise placement suggests the killer has emotional attachments to the victims or sees them as art.
Hiking trails and natural areas have long been crime scenes in murder investigations. Isolated natural settings provide concealment and privacy that urban killers exploit.
The Ravine Trail is maintained as a public hiking path with periodic park ranger patrols and maintenance. Trail safety awareness has increased due to historical crimes.
Visit: The Ravine Trail (park)
Precinct basement — Where the investigation takes shape
Detective Sarah Morrison spends countless hours in her cramped basement office, which she has covered with photographs, timelines, and victim biographies. She maps the locations where each girl was last seen, looking for geographic patterns. Her partner Detective Chen thinks she's obsessing, but Morrison notices that all the victims had spent time in similar places — the coffee shop, the bookstore, the college — suggesting the killer may work at or frequent these locations.
Police detective bullpen offices became iconic sites of investigation in the late 20th century, with walls of evidence and photograph walls becoming standard investigative practice.
Modern police investigations incorporate digital mapping, database analysis, and computer crime analysis alongside traditional evidence walls.
Rare book shop downtown — Where victims and suspect intersect
All four victims visited Hartwell's Antiquarian Books within the week before their deaths. The shop owner, Marcus Hartwell, is a learned man in his fifties who specializes in rare poetry and philosophy. Detective Morrison interviews him and discovers he matched the description of a man seen watching the victims at the coffee shop. Hartwell admits to having conversations with the girls about literature but denies any impropriety. His apartment above the shop becomes a key location in the investigation.
Antiquarian bookshops in urban centers served intellectual communities and became gathering places for students and scholars. Such shops have historically been refuges for isolated individuals.
Hartwell's Antiquarian Books continues to operate as an independent rare book dealer with an established customer base and academic connections.
Visit: Hartwell's Antiquarian Books (landmark)
Abandoned performance venue — Where clues lead Detective Morrison
Following a lead from Emma Thompson's journal mentioning 'the old theater,' Detective Morrison and her team search the abandoned playhouse downtown. They discover photographs of the four victims posted in the orchestra pit, arranged in a pattern that mirrors paintings they find in Hartwell's apartment upstairs. The theater had once been a hub of cultural life but had been abandoned for years, making it a perfect place for the killer to hide evidence and feed his obsession.
Urban theater districts declined in the latter half of the 20th century as suburban multiplexes emerged. Abandoned theaters became sites of urban decay and, sometimes, criminal activity.
The Old Theater District building stands as a landmark waiting restoration or adaptive reuse. Some neighborhoods have revitalized historic theaters; others remain abandoned. Community groups sometimes lead heritage tours.
Public garden — Where final victim is discovered
A week before Christmas, the body of fourth victim Michelle Zhou is found arranged in the snow at the botanical gardens, positioned to mirror classical Renaissance paintings of sleeping maidens. She has been dead for approximately five days. Detective Morrison realizes the killer is no longer hiding his crimes and may be accelerating. The careful, artistic arrangements suggest the killer sees himself as a creator, not a murderer.
Botanical gardens and public gardens have served as communal spaces since the 19th century. They became spaces of vulnerability during crime waves, with several high-profile murders committed in such settings.
The Snow Memorial Garden operates with enhanced security measures, regular patrols, and improved lighting. It remains a beloved community space with thousands of annual visitors.
Visit: The Snow Memorial Garden (park)
Reference section — Where Morrison discovers the killer's inspiration
Detective Morrison discovers that all four victims checked out the same art history books from the library — specifically texts about Renaissance paintings of sleeping women and classical mythology. She reviews the library's records and realizes Marcus Hartwell also checked out identical books, along with volumes about forensic pathology and toxicology. The library becomes crucial evidence of premeditation and Hartwell's access to knowledge about how to kill without leaving obvious traces.
Public libraries became computerized in the 1980s-1990s, allowing law enforcement to track patron records and research patterns. This technological shift made libraries valuable tools in criminal investigations.
Municipal libraries maintain digital records of patron activity and resource checkout. The Central Branch serves as a major community and research institution with public access policies.
Visit: Municipal Library Central Branch (library)
More by Checkley Smith: All Checkley Smith books
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