I really wanted to love this book. The cover is brilliant and the title is intriguing. The plot sounded promising too. Unfortunately, for me, it didn't live up to it.

The writing was rather simplistic, lacking depth and description of the setting and characters. There was a lot of telling rather than showing throughout.

I liked the idea of twelve murders and the setting in a snowy village. This is the novel's greatest strength.

The killer was far too obvious and it annoyed me how cliches were used of a particular type of person seeking revenge. This has been done many times, is often untrue, and borders on offensive to a certain group of people (I won't say who as that will be a spoiler).

I wish the author well and I hope they will expand this into a series with more depth, tension in their writing, and more rounded characters. There is potential here.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Welcome to the small rural Cumbrian village of Kirkby Abbey where DI James Walker and wife Annie have recently relocated. Formerly a Met officer, this couple have made the difficult decision to leave their London life behind, following the early release from prison of criminal gang lord Andrew Sullivan who blames James for his incarceration and may have an axe to grind. Swapping city lights for glorious countryside views, James is anticipating a very quiet life compared to the one he’s been used to. As Christmas approaches with his family descending on Kirkby Abbey to help the couple celebrate their new home and the festivities, life is calm, peaceful and maybe a touch boring!

That sense of tranquility lasts all of five minutes when James returns home from work one evening to find an unexpected Christmas gift left on his doorstep. Upon opening he is shocked to discover a dead partridge inside complete with a Twelve days of Christmas card and a chilling message from an anonymous person intending to have some ‘fun’. Except this ‘game’ isn’t full of festive cheer; it’s extremely sinister. Should James take the threat “Twelve days, twelve murders,twelve victims. And they all deserve to die” seriously or is this a decidedly unfunny hoax?? Unfortunately James doesn’t have much opportunity to familiarise himself with his colleagues and his surroundings when a body is discovered in the village. Is this murder related to his recent unwelcome gift and if so who in Kirkby Abbey is next on the list??

To all intents and purposes Kirkby Abbey is a rural idyll with a population of barely seven hundred. However it is a village slowly dying thanks to the threat of closure facing both the local primary school headed by Lorna Manning and the local church presided over by Father Silver. As the place where Annie, a primary school teacher grew up, she is already familiar with a few faces. Good friend Janet Dyer is a resident, alongside Charlie Jenkins, landlord of The White Hart pub and giver of Annie’s first ever kiss. Like any small village it would seem to be a hotbed of gossip and barely kept secrets, providing James and his team with a few avenues to explore as they begin their murder investigation. With extremely bad weather forecast and the possibility of being cut off from the outside world James is keen to apprehend the killer before he/she strikes again.

Under pressure from both his boss and the local press to solve this murder, there are a few likely candidates on James’s radar. Annie’s ex boyfriend Daniel Curtis is back in the village which arouses suspicion given his past background. Janet Dyer, the local gossip has maybe a secret or two to hide and Keith Patel holds a grudge against a few of his neighbours. Even Annie’s uncle Bill, staying in the village for the Christmas period is acting very strangely alongside ex copper Giles Keegan whose name crops up in more than one conversation as James and his team carry out their interviews. Who is the killer and who will be the next victim? The fun is in the guessing!

I wasn’t sure initially if I’d enjoy this novel as the characters definitely lack substance but the straightforward style of writing makes this an enjoyable enough read. I think The Christmas Killer is more along the lines of a cozy murder mystery rather than a chilling thriller, making it the perfect novel to curl up with. Despite the author’s attempts to introduce numerous suspicious characters into the storyline I’m afraid I guessed very early on who the perpetrator is. Another minor criticism also is the use of the word perp throughout the narrative as it’s not in keeping with the very English tone of the novel. I have to admit to being disappointed that the characterisation is flimsy, expecting more of a backstory to DI James Walker and his wife Annie. Instead he comes across as a rather wooden and bland character. Given that The Christmas Killer is the first in a series featuring this detective, I do hope his character is allowed to develop into a more interesting fully fleshed out individual. As for the ending, it is abrupt and dealt with in a blink of an eye yet I couldn’t help feeling this is a series I might come to enjoy. Easy enough to read over the course of an afternoon,I think this novel would be ideal as a stocking filler gift thanks to the Christmas theme. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story and meeting James and Annie. Its always fun to get to know new characters that will become friends during the series.

This was a fantastic storyline that gripped me throughout. I loved the association with Christmas and the recognisable theme of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

The case was very complex and constantly had me changing my mind throughout. I did guess the perpetrator very early on, but all the different lines of enquiry and different twists as more secrets were revealed had me keep changing my mind and then returning to my original thoughts.

I will look forward to reading more in this series and finding more out about why James and Annie left London.

I was intrigued by the premise of this story. A newly relocated DI is adjusting to life in the Cumbrian village of Kirkby Abbey after relocating from London. Then, just as the festive season starts a chilling note and package is left on his doorstep threatening twelve murders...

The story itself was ok and I wanted to finish and discover if my theories about the killer were correct (they were) but I was frustrated by some of the characters- mainly DI Walkers wife, Annie whose sections of the narrative I really struggled with.

Not really for me I’m afraid.

Alex Pine has made a masterpiece that leaves me wanting more. Awesome story, unforgettable characters and an ending you don’t see coming. Eagerly awaiting the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for approving my request to read The Christmas Killer. The description sounded just up my street – ‘twelve murders’, ‘gruesome’, ‘panic’, ‘atmospheric’, etc. There is nothing I love more than to settle down with an exciting book that is so gripping that I just can’t stop reading. Sadly, this was not the case on this occasion. To be honest, I wanted to stop reading after the second chapter, but because I am new to NetGalley I felt it only right to finish the book and give it a review. I’m sad because this could have been a good book. Detective Inspector James Walker moves from the Murder Investigation Team at Scotland Yard to a sleepy village in Cumbria, where he receives a Christmas card with a warning of twelve murders before Christmas. Sounds promising? Not for me it wasn’t. The first murder didn’t occur until I’d read a fifth of the book, by which time I had almost lost interest. I found the writing to be simple and amateurish to the point of being childlike. For me, it lacked depth and tension. The dialogue between characters was unrealistic, and I found the characters themselves to be bland and boring – especially Annie Walker, the DI’s wife. She moaned all the way through, and it grated on my nerves every time her husband called her ‘hon’. Each time DI Walker interviewed a suspect it was followed by a team meeting where he retold the whole conversation word by word. In the end the killer was identified more by accident than detective work, and I certainly won’t be rushing to read any follow-on books.

On the book description it says ‘This is a proof copy and may contain errors’. Why??? Surely a new book should be sent to a proofreader before it’s released to any other reader? I came across the first error very early in the book, and was disappointed to find that it was the first of many. There were wrong words – ‘… stabbed it the stomach …’, missing words – ‘… when a horrid thought occurred her …’, extra words – ‘So what is this is all about?’, missing full stops, apostrophe errors, and we even have ‘an estate agent with a recessed entrance’!!! I’m sorry that this review is so negative, but it is honest. The only teeny bit of excitement for me was when I got to the last page. Sorry!

I felt this book had great promise, but couldn't make up its mind if it was a police procedural or a cosy mystery. Some of the characters seemed to have no depth or motivation for their actions. I enjoyed the narrations from the victim's point of view, hearing their inner thoughts before they were attacked. I thought that Annie was too 'wet' to be the wife of a London policeman and wanted to tell her to pull herself together. Spoiler, the abortion was too signposted to be a twist and I guesses the murderer very early in the book. I would have liked to know how Uncle Bill turned from nice uncle to berating Annie at her mother's funeral, to then turning up for Christmas as nice uncle again. The most vibrant, realistic and best written character in the book was the pub landlady, whose husband was the first victim. She sparkled on the page, showing how well the author can give life to his characters.

I admit, I've tried to read this nearly three times. I keep dnfing, it feels slow and dreary. I'm hesitant to say anything else, struggled with this...

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Avon Books UK for the ARC.
I really wanted to like this book; it starts so well.
Fearing reprisals from a criminal released from prison, Annie Walker convinces her husband DI James Walker, to move out of London to a remote village in Cumbria, to her mother's house. Joining the Cumbria Constabulary James misses the frenetic activity of his team in the Met. It's a week before Christmas and Annie has invited her estranged Uncle Bill, together with all of James's relatives from London, to spend Christmas with them. Nothing bad really happens in Kirkby Abbey - until James receives a gruesome parcel accompanied by a Christmas card depicting the 12 days of Christmas - warning of 12 murders of 12 victims, all of whom deserve to die. Not sure whether this is a sick joke or not, James and his boss decide on discrete enquiries, until Father Silver receives a similar card telling him to prepare for a spate of funerals.
As James quietly investigates possible suspects the first victim turns up, followed by more - this quiet village has a crazed serial killer on its hands - but who?

So far so good but, unfortunately, I was constantly annoyed at the incessant repetitive hand-wringing anxiety from Annie who seemed intent on second-guessing how James is handling the investigation - agonizingly pathetic. I couldn't really get into any of the characters and couldn't understand the actual relationship between Annie and James and their sometimes bizarre interactions.
Yes, there are some twists but I'd figured-out the culprit well before half-way through.
The scenes are atmospherically portrayed with dire warnings of bad weather closing in, lots of snow to reflect festive lights etc, but then again, James and his colleagues seem to be jumping into their cars and whizzing around the village amongst it all without a care in the world - or snow ploughs.

Sorry, but a lot of things just didn't allow the writing to flow or actually provide any depth to the story, the dialogue, or the characters.

A good, interesting and enjoyable read.
It gave me the feeling of a Christmas TV Special edition of Midsomer Murders!
I found myself swapping between likely culprits several times throughout the book so the revelation of who did it wasn't too much of a surprise
My only other comment is to ask whether in the UK a British detective would call his wife 'hon'? I always though this was a USA term of endearment but I may be wrong

When DI James Walker opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift. Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half frozen in the snow.

As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next….

The minute I saw this book and its cover, I knew I had to read this one! I love holiday mystery & thrillers, and this book didn't disappoint me at all.

It was so well written, that I was hooked on right from the first page and couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Even though the main focus of the book was the investigation and finding the killer, I was more interested to find out who would be the next victim and discovering the reason behind it.

I had a guess as to who could be the killer and I was glad when I found out that my guess was right. There were instances when the investigation would slow down and some clues overlooked, but that didn't affect my reading experience. In terms of the main characters, I found Annie a bit annoying but DI James is a very likable detective and I would definitely look forward to read more of him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of murder mysteries.

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!

Idyllic Village, A Killer Lurks.....
Kirkby Abbey, a small and idyllic Cumbrian village. Christmastime is approaching. As the snow begins to fall and life feels idyllic the village makes festive preparations. However, all is not well in this seemingly perfect place and a killer is at large. DI James Walker, opening what he thinks is an early present left on his step, makes a gruesome find together with a promise of killings to come - 12 days of Christmas and 12 murders. A blizzard arrives along with body number one, panic spreads, who’s next? Enjoyable mystery to keep the reader guessing with a clutch of suspects and a likeable protagonist. Wholly entertaining reading.

Utterly gripping, spine tingling and simply brilliant.
This had me hooked from page one and I was unable to put it down, it’s dark and twisty and brilliantly written.

Alex Pine has written a true spellbinding thriller. The characters are thought out, very well , written. The background, the police procedures, are very interesting. With this taking place in England, it has all of the language of that region. The plot was, thought out, the emotions were how I would react, and the thrill is there. Figuring out who is the culprit, is part of the awe, in the book. I think you will enjoy this book.

DI James Walker and his wife Annie have just left the bustling city of London to move to a quiet village in Cumbria. But not all is as quiet and peaceful as they thought in the little village on Kirkby Abbey. After James returns home from work one evening to find a rather gruesome package left on his doorstep, along with a Christmas card containing a rather sinister message, all of the locals become suspects.

This book had me gripped from the very beginning. Finishing it over the course of two days as I dipped in and out of it whenever I had the chance. Just when you think you're figuring it all out, there is a twist. It was very hard to put this book down and I highly recommend it if you like a thriller or a whodunnit! I was looking for a Christmas book that wasn't all candy canes and mistletoe and this was just right. The lovely setting of a quiet little village where everyone knows everyone, and the way you are suddenly drawn into these characters lives so easily, makes it a perfect read. I only wish it was longer so I didn't have to leave the lives of the characters so soon. And I still find myself picturing Kirkby Abbey and walking around the village square in my head. Fantastic read! 10/10

DI James Walker has moved with his wife Annie from London to the village of Kirkby Abbey in Cumbria. Hoping for a quiet family Christmas, he discovers a package has been left on his doorstep revealing that 12 people will be murdered over 12 days. With the first three victims dead and a blizzard about to engulf the area, DI Walker is in a race against time to identify the killer.

A bit slow to start but a good solid mystery nonetheless. I would look to read more by this author.

A great story line, lots of twists and turns with a great ending. Set in the Cumbrian countryside. Good characters, hopefully we will see more of D I James Walker and the team soon.

This book has it all. Suspense, twists and turns and a little Christmas thrown in. DI James Walker is on the receiving end of a 12 days of Christmas card, suggesting there will be 12 murders in 12 days. Can James find the killer before that happens? A blizzard is on the way and that will complicate things even more for this small town.

I loved this book. It Flowed nicely and did not drag like so many others do. I didn't know for sure who the killer was until the end, which doesn't happen that often. Pick this one up. This is a new author and the first in a series. I definitely be looking for the next one.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon Books for the arc

I really liked the premise of this Christmas thriller. The 12 gifts that DI James Walker is promised aren't what anyone wants to get for Christmas - the promise is 12 murders! Walker has a past that involves a vengeful gang boss who has cheated his way out of prison, and we're left wondering if this is the perpetrator - or if something else is going on. Either way, the stakes are pretty high and DI Walker has to get to the bottom of it or it's not only Christmas that is ruined, it will be the rest of their lives for these victims and their families.

Unfortunately I didn't really feel this book lived up to the potential. There's very little mystery or tension as the writing is very simple and to the point. The characters felt unrealistic and I didn't like, or connect with any of them, including our main character (and especially not his annoying wife!). Since a great deal of the book is stilted dialogue, I find myself being bored rather than thrilled. The ending felt rushed and predictable, so not a great conclusion, leaving me unable to recommend it.

Really good. Full of suspense with great believable characters. I loved the setting. It was an emotional and compelling read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.