My first experience of Alex Pine, and it wont be my last, I was on the edge of seat throughout the whole book! Thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read! recommended!

For the first three quarters of this book I thought it was a solid police procedural with a definite resemblance to some elements of Whitehouse Farm. However, the last few chapters and the final reveal really brought the magic to this story. The way that the present-day and historical cases were linked was brilliant and if you like a twisty thriller then this ending will not disappoint! Despite the fact that this series is marketed as Winter/Christmas themed crime novels, these elements were more subtle and give an atmospheric background to the case rather than being too gimmicky which I thought was perfect.

Well, I read this one as a stand alone even though it is part of a series. Even though I did this the book did well to keep me in the loop for what had happened previously as well as giving a new case that was worked on, I enjoyed that this case did a previous and currentase type. Enjoy this read a lot, was well written and I'd certainly look tobuy the next book in the series.

Series
DI James Walker
1. The Christmas Killer (2020)
2. The Killer in the Snow (2021)
3. The Winter Killer (2022)
4. The Night Before Christmas (2023)
5. The Killer in the Cold (2024)

I have just done a re read of book one to refresh myself on this series. I then dived right into this one which is book 2. A superb, fresh gripping series. Good getting to know the characters.
Love how these books are all based around the festive season. Even better that i was sun bathing while reading this.
When a family are found dead in their farm house it's clear that this isn't going to be a festive season of fun. It's down to DI James Walker and team to solve this case. A case that will take them back over a number of years and dig up a whole heap of trouble.
This book went along at a great pace, it's a chilling paget urner that will have any crime thriller fans gripped.

I really enjoyed this book and I think this is such a good series that you could read at any time of the year if you chose to. I love all the twists and turns throughout.

It was a nice book, a tiny bit predictable, but that din't mind me. It felt like a cozy mystery, thing that surprised me. It had some nice twists and turns, and i liked the ending. If you're a fan of thrillers, but you don't want something scary or gory, this is the oerfect book for you.

This book is fast paced with lots of good characters. The case was really interesting and easy to follow. It was very intriguing

This book has been on my tbr pile for a while. Why I haven’t picked it up before, I don’t know. This book was a real page turner with so many red herrings thrown in the reader has no idea who the killer is!
DI James Walker has recently moved to Cumbria and the two Christmas’ that he has spent there, he has been at the heart of a murder enquiry.
This time the DI is faced with a family death which could be a murder suicide or a murder. Time is ticking for the DI to solve the case!
There were a couple of things that I guessed more or less straight away, but this did not spoil my enjoyment
A great Christmas thriller and I am looking forward to picking up books 3 and 4 in this series

This book has been on my tbr pile for a while. Why I haven’t picked it up before, I don’t know. This book was a real page turner with so many red herrings thrown in the reader has no idea who the killer is!
DI James Walker has recently moved to Cumbria and the two Christmas’ that he has spent there, he has been at the heart of a murder enquiry.
This time the DI is faced with a family death which could be a murder suicide or a murder. Time is ticking for the DI to solve the case!
There were a couple of things that I guessed more or less straight away, but this did not spoil my enjoyment
A great Christmas thriller and I am looking forward to picking up books 3 and 4 in this series

Loved the writing style and a really intriguing mix between the first case of the DI and how he is solving the current case. Kept me on my toes the whole time and didn't disappoint at the end! Will read more by the author :)

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I am a huge fan of this series and cannot wait to see where it takes us. The characters are so easy to invest in and root for.

A chilling and atmospheric read that kept me reading as I didn’t want to put this book down. It will grip you and chill you.

I thought it book was better than the first & I really enjoyed catching up with Walker again & drama follows him where ever he goes.

Pacey, filled with twists. An engaging Christmas thriller.

I forgot to give this book feedback so I may be a little late haha. I read this book quite some time ago so I don't remember all the events, however I do remember not being able to put this book down all night until I KNEW what happened. This was an intriguing and exciting and a bit scary read all at the same time. Truly enjoyed it.

This is the second book and the series, and its even better than the first one. Book was full of tension, surprises and gripping throughout. Can't wait to read the next one.

I have had this ready to read for what seems like ages, so what better time to read it than just before the 3rd installment of this book comes out so that it's all fresh in my mind.
I really enjoyed the first one, and this one was just as good.
I love thinking how the police think - trusting no-one, believing anyone could be a suspect and then piecing everything together.
Lots of twists and turns, and definitely managed to pull the wool over my eyes!
Can't wait for the 3rd one which is now out already.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I really enjoyed this book! It had me gripped from the start. Plenty of intrigue and fast paced throughout. Lots of gore so not for everyone! Some scenes are extremely vivid. I will read more books by this author. Thank you for the copy.

The second in the DI James series and I was not disappointed. Having enjoyed the first book in the series, my expectations were high. I'm happy to report, that just like the first one in the series I rate this book 4 stars. A murder mystery that intruiged me, filled with action and plot twists. The ending is one I had a hunch about, but I could not have guessed the how of it all, so props to the author for that. I loved the flashbacks and how it made the past and present blend together beautifully. The side storyline, despite adding some extra suspense to the book, was one that didn't feel necessary to me.
I'm curious to see more of this series, I am a fan!

Overall rating: ★★★★