An excellent Christmas “who dun it”.

Enjoyable read with plenty of mystery and suspense.

5 stars, recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of The Christmas Killer, the first novel to feature DI James Walker, recently transferred from The Met to Cumbria.

When James returns home in the small Cumbrian village of Kirkby Abbey he finds what he thinks is an early Christmas present on the doorstep. Instead it’s something gruesome and a card promising 12 murders for the 12 days of Christmas. Then the killing starts.

The Christmas Killer is a plot driven novel with a linear timeline. It is told mainly from the point of view of James and his wife Annie in the third person with several notable exceptions. I don’t think I’ve seen a first person narrative from the victims giving their thoughts just before they die. It is surprisingly effective as a device, especially as there is no hint of the perpetrator’s identity so they remain a mystery until the denouement, unless you guess correctly like I did.

The plot has a good premise but I didn’t like the delivery. I found the writing style stilted and prone to stating the obvious. It just didn’t flow for me and I eventually found it annoying. I also didn’t like the characterisation of Annie as a stereotypical nervous, neurotic woman and James’s depersonalising of her by constantly referring her to as Hon. Turns out I’m more of a feminist than I ever knew!

It would appear that The Christmas Killer is a debut novel and it obviously has teething problems but I would certainly consider reading a follow up before making a judgement.

Annie and James are a young couple who re-locate to a village in Cumbria, Annie's family home, to get away from the "bright lights of London" and a criminal who James, a police inspector, had put away. Little do they know that days before Christmas, a serial killer is "on the loose" in the Cumbrian village, but who is the killer and why "the twelve days of Christmas?"

The story get straight to the point from the first word and we soon meet the villagers - Annie and James's new neighbours, who start dropping like flies - which one of his neighbours could it be? So much for being safer away from London!

We also" hear" from each victim just before they are murdered - which I thought was an interesting addition since it's usually the killer.

With each murder James and Annie learn more about each victim's life, and how intertwined with each they were - this reminded me of the Miss Marple books.

Will Annie and James spend their first Christmas in the village without another murder?

And what is Annie's uncle Bill's role in the grand scheme of things, he's arrived early to spend Christmas with Annie and James but seems to be acting oddly?

I found the pace of the story okay, in that it kept reading to find out more about what was going to happen next, and I liked how we learnt about Annie's backstory, growing up in the village.

For some reason I was expecting more gory details, perhaps due to the title.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and HarperCollins for the eARC.

An interesting tale that keeps you interested right from the start, until the final reveal. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading a good detective story.

DI James Walker and his wife Annie move up from London to the sleepy little village of Kirkby Abbey in Cumbria in the hope of a quiet life and to leave behind the threats of a recently-released prisoner who has promised to have his revenge on James.

Expecting a boring life with the local police force, James is more than a little surprised to find himself in the middle of a hunt for a serial killer who appears to have a personal vendetta against half the village. The killer has promised to take the lives of 12 people over Christmas - can James stop them before it gets that far?

I loved the premise of this book and there were aspects that I really enjoyed. I liked how the murders were told through the eyes of the victims in the first person, so that we are kept guessing as to who they are until the body has been discovered. And I enjoyed trying to work out who the killer was.

However, I felt like the story could have been so much more. It seemed to end a little abruptly after meandering along for a long time whilst the police force interviewed the same handful of people over and over again and didn't seem to know how to find suspects other than thinking 'that person didn't really like him - let's go talk to them again!'

With only a handful of characters really ever mentioned, it didn't take me long to decide who I thought was the killer and I was a little bit sad that I was right. I wanted to be taken by surprise - but it may just be that I read a lot of thrillers and may be getting immune!

Overall, the Christmas Killer was very readable and entertaining, but just didn't quite hit the spot for me.

Detective Inspector James Walker and his wife Annie move to a quiet village in Cumbria after a notorious criminal is released from prison and may pay them a visit for putting him in there!

Things are not as peaceful as they hoped after a 12 days of christmas card is sent along with a dead partridge to their new home. Inside there is a promise 12 murders are to occur and every victim deserves it. Snow is falling fast and thick, worsening every day, the list of suspects are shrinking fast and the press is hot on DI Walker's heels! Using his police experience from London he must act quickly to prevent the christmas killings.

Using the twelve days of christmas was a creative way to keep the novel at a steady pace and hints at a dramatic ending, the book did not disappoint! At times I was second guessing who the murder might have been as there are plenty of red herrings and clues throughout.

My only critique is the professionalism and procedures of the investigation. It all seemed to be informal, based on visiting peoples homes. I wonder if the reality would be quite the same or would these interviews would have made more of an impact in a police station with lawyers.

If you are after a good seasonal thriller this year for the approaching winter months I would whole heartedly recommend this one! It wasn't too detailed and definately more about the investigation than the murders but I enjoyed it so much will definately be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series! 4/5 stars

This is a great 'who done it' book with a Christmas theme. DI James Walker, and his wife Annie have recently moved from London for a safer lifestyle, to the picturesque Cumbrian village of Kirkby Abbey. However, when the Walkers receive an anonymous 12 Days of Christmas card and nasty packet, indicating there will be 12 murders over Christmas, the Walkers are nervous. Then the bodies start appearing.
This is set over Christmas with seasonal blizzards. The story was a real page turner and I didn't guess the murderer until the end.
A perfect seasonal read. BUT the style of writing was rather 'DI reporting' rather than grabbing the opportunity to set the scene, atmosphere and intrigue. Also, why on earth does the dashing DI Walker stick with Annie, who seems to moan and be anxious all the time!
But this is a perfect read over the Christmas holiday season! Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC version of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

It’s 9 days before Christmas and D.I. James Walker is looking forward to spending time with his wife and extended family in their new home in a sleepy little village in Cumbria.

However an unexpected and gruesome gift left on his doorstep is the start of a series of murders. The note says to expect twelve victims... can D.I. Walker discover the killer in time?

This had me hooked from the first chapter. I was on the edge of my seat.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into romance stories and literary fiction however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different.

DI Walker and his wife Annie have moved to Kirby Abbey, Cumbria to a house her mother left her. A move instigated because of the possible threats to them from released convicted killer Andrew Sullivan. The courts having decided after thirteen months in prison that he was wrongly convicted when another man confessed.
But as Christmas approachs they receive a parcel containing a dead bird and a threatening message inside a Christmas card. Threats that there will be twelve deaths during the twelve days of Christmas, deaths of twelve people who deserve to die.
Unfortunately I did determine who was the killer, and I really didn't care much for the character of Annie Walker.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy a good mystery. This story, although mostly character driven, does include setting elements that I enjoyed-snow covered cottages...from the beginning, the reader realizes a serial killer is lose. With so many red herrings, it is difficult to determine who that person might be-quickly. Try this one and answer the puzzle...who did it?

The Christmas Killer, Alex Pine. 3/5

As the snow begins to fall, so will the bodies..
DI James Walker is all set for a quiet countryside Christmas when a card arrives advises him he is about to have anything but. Twelve days of Christmas, twelve murders. Can James stop the killer before its too late?

Things that go together... Christmas and.... Murder?! Apparently so! The crime/thriller genre is a heavily diluted one and if you are a fan, like me, who reads A LOT of them it becomes very easy to work out the twists early on. I didn’t predict all the victims, or the various red herrings but sadly, i did peg the killer fairly fast!

However, don’t let that put you off! The most satisfying thing about the genre is when it all wraps up perfectly at the end, no loose ends or leftover plot lines that make no sense. The Christmas Killer was perfect for that, it is a completely satisfying story.

Lets talk characters, DI James Walker and his wife Annie are too nice, honestly, halfway through i was cheering the murderer to pop out and finish them off but again, don’t be put off by that. You don’t always have to like the protagonist, sometimes, especially in this genre, it’s ok to want them slashed.

If you like your Christmas to have some extra kick... this is the story for you. Grab a hot chocolate, get under a blanket and prepare yourself for a good slashing

Thanks to #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for my ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon/HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas in August? This pandemic is making me wish 2020 away! But how could I resist that beautiful cover and a plot of a murder for the 12 days of Christmas?! This is right up my street which is why I requested the ARC.

The story follows DI James Walker who relocated to Cumbria from London with his wife following the release of a convict that Walker helped to put away. Cumbria would be safer for them both, away from the threat of revenge, only to be caught in the midst in the spree of a serial killer.

I loved the setting of the book and it was really refreshing to see a serial killer novel set outside of a big city. The snowstorm also supported the Christmas feel too. Everyone dreams of a white Christmas in the UK (unless you have to drive in it) and we usually get a wet and miserable Christmas. I also thought that the perpetrator was a clever choice and whilst I figured it out quite early on, I think many people will not. I thought it was a good twist.

That being said, the story is very slow and not much really happens. Annie Walker spends the whole novel wallowing in self-pity, we have the same points repeated over and over and the same suspects interviewed over and over with nothing new gained. Also, the amount of times James called Annie 'hon' really got on my nerves!

I think this will be a good stocking filler and could easily see this being on a display in Smith's over the Christmas period.

I had high hopes for this book after reading the description and got through the first few chapters rather quickly which I then started to lose interest and find it very boring.
Sadly I just did not enjoy this writers style and found it very dull.

I received this book on Netgalley. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down.

Was really hopeful start and I was sure it will be an all nighter however after about half of the book the excitement died down and felt rushed.

Quite disappointing after such promising beginning.

I was given an ARC of this book in return for an honest review courtesy of Avon Books UK/ Avon and Netgalley

When Detective James Walker moves from the bustling city of London to small town Kirkby Abbey he expects life and his case load to slow down a bit, but when he wakes up one morning to an ominous package on his doorstep threatening 12 murders themed after the 12 days of Christmas, he must use all of his skills to track down the killer before they strike again.

I've been looking for a good Christmas themed murder mystery for years, so when I read the synopsis for The Christmas Killer I was ecstatic. While reading, I found myself invested as I followed James through the very well researched detective process. It felt like whoever wrote this book really knew their stuff.

As a main character, James Walker is likable enough, if only a bit on the bland side. It seems that his entire personality is revolved around his job.

I found myself losing interest in the book as it progressed. The same info is restated multiple times for the reader and obvious things are explained outright, giving the book a kind of distance to the reader and is thus not as engaging. I also felt like getting to see the murders from the victims POVs ruins the mystery, I wish the reader only got to know as much as James so that we can solve it with him. Instead the killer was not a shock at all and I correctly guessed who it was within the first third of the book.

My main issue with this book is that there weren't enough murders. It's selling point is the 12 day of Christmas murders, if we don't even get half that amount the reader feels a bit cheated.

Overall interesting read and a good setup to a future mystery series involving Detective James Walker.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

This is the first in a new crime series featuring DI James Walker and I’m quite intrigued to see how they will play out. James wants a quiet Christmas with his wife in their new home. They need it; it’s been a tumultuous few months and living the city for a remote Cumbrian village could be the key to improving their lives. That’s if the village hadn’t been hit by a blizzard and someone promises James that there will be 12 murders in 12 days. Grim. Can James and his team find the killer before they succeed in a series of murders? There are plenty of clues throughout, enough to put you on the right track but also some red herrings to keep you a bit confused.

The DI James Walker series is off to a very promising start in Alex Pine's The Christmas Killer. It certainly is a worthy addition to the previous mystery stories centered around the holiday season. I appreciated the focus on the police investigations and the demands placed upon the investigative team. The hunt for a serial killer is never easy and this is even more so when a small village realizes it's one of their own. In a nice touch, Pine describes the moments of the crimes through the eyes of the victims. Walker has a good team to work with and there is the potential to build a strong supporting cast like we see in the DCI Banks books from Peter Robinson. The Christmas Killer is a slow-build but it will keep you turning the page. Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. #TheChristmasKiller #NetGalley

I enjoyed the book and was caught off guard by the killer! This isn’t a super psychological mystery, nor is it filled with lots of gritty details; it reminded me a bit of Christie novels, so I liked it. I enjoyed the jump between husband and wife as it was nice to get the whole picture. Can’t wait for book 2!